If you put about 100 miles on your car a day, simply because you are running back and forth to practices, functions, and groups, then perhaps it is fitting that we take a tip from a few communities that I read about at www.usatoday.com: Here's part of the article...
--For the past year, a group of citizens has lobbied leaders of a town's schools, businesses, churches and sports leagues to clear their calendars, so that on the evening of May 22, folks will be free to do, well, nothing.
No homework, no play rehearsals, no soccer games, no prayer groups, no civic meetings. Just time — 5 to 9 p.m., a window carefully chosen to allow for a few after-school activities and then for parents and children to shut down their engines and do whatever it is that people did in times gone by when The Over-Scheduled Child would have been the punch line to a joke, not a well-regarded book. --
If you think this is a great idea for our community, the article also contained these tips to help:
Make it easy for everyone to participate. To ensure the community's fullest support, select a date with as few conflicts as possible. The calendars of all key organizations (schools, sports, religious groups, town officials) should be consulted.
Resist overprogramming. Families are encouraged to just relax and enjoy being together - and they can do that in whatever way works best for them.
Generate interest with clever reminders. The more eye-catching your "Save the date" posters, the more people take notice. Consider partnering with a local marketing agency.
Keep things lighthearted. The goal isn't to teach lessons or values but to raise awareness about overscheduling and to create a dialogue about achieving balance.
For more information, visit readysetrelax.org.
CH
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