Walk, when possible, instead of riding, for any distance less than a mile. Have your youngster make a week-long exercise plan. Try to think of a modest reward for sticking to the plan, and exercise right along with your child. Let your voice be heard - Promote good citizenship. Help your child write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper about an issue affecting children - for example, suggest that a bike path be built near the school or that a city event be planned for youngsters.
Children are citizens, and their ideas are worth hearing.
For children in grades 9 to 12 Teenagers can get used to sizing up a problem and coming up with common sense ways to solve it. Here's a six-step method that works and can be done easily at home by parent and child. This is a first, often overlooked, step in problem solving. You have to be able to state the problem and, if there's a conflict, the opposing views. This is when you come up with a variety of solutions.