The 100-Deal

Before the summer began, I started talking up the "100-deal" to the kids: 100 miles of walking/biking/scootering, etc. AND 100 hours of reading by the summer's end. That works out to be about 2 each weekday, with a couple extra weeks of wiggle room. Besides the obvious fact that they are good for you, I chose to include both parts - reading and exercise - to challenge both personalities (one's a reader; the other, a run-in-the-yard kind of kid).

We've only done a week so far. And already we've amended our "rules" several times. What it looks like now is this: They can earn (and stock-pile) screen-time by (1) reading, and (2) playing outside. Their weekends are "free", and any "rollover minutes" expire over the weekend, starting them back at zero by Monday morning.

But they're doing it. They're spending time reading every day (they can't use any screen-time minutes until they've accomplished their daily 1-hour of reading). And except for last night, the TV's been more off than on.

This week has gone well because the weather's been nice. Next week will be harder - chance of rain a ways into the week. We'll see...

By the way, I too am trying to walk 100 miles over the summer. I did it a couple summers ago, and kept it up for the schoolyear and into the next summer. But then I just stopped. I'm trying again - I've only put in 2 1/2 miles in 3 days, but it's a start.