The answers are pretty simple. It's making them habits that's hard.



Here's the shortlist, but it's really his delivery and the details he provides that make it all sound so simple.

1. Accept painful emotions as a part of life.


2. Spend more uninterrupted, non-multitasked time with people who love and support you.


3. Exercise.


4. Cultivate gratitude.


5. Simplify.

I specifically like the emphasis on how #4 needs to be ritualized and not just "understood" in the abstract. I grew up in a religious family and am a "more spiritual than religious" adult. The loss of prayer is, even from an agnostic's perspective, a real loss in the sense that it deprives a person of a regular engagement in reflecting on things to be grateful for.

Our family loves to ride bikes. From commuting to work to participating in long distance rides, my husband and I have always enjoyed the simplicity, sustainability, health benefits and great fun of riding bikes. But when you have small children, family rides can get a little more complicated. Through two kids, I've had experiences with balance bikes, mini bikes that attach to the back of an adult bike, and front- and rear-mounted child seats, so I thought I'd share a few impressions on our favorite kids' bike seat to date: The iBert Safe-T Seat.

Our toddler can balance for long distances on his pedal-free kids' bike. It's great for his own play, but not suitable for riding as a family.

When my older son (who is now 17) was little, I used a bike seat that attached to the back of my bicycle. While he enjoyed getting out on the bike with his mom, he often complained that he couldn’t see anything (besides my backside) and I didn’t like how difficult it was to talk to him. As he grew older, we got a Trail-A-Bike that was a blast for us both. We rode daily to school and even did some short “long distance” rides (25 miles) with friends.

Now, our younger son wants to be more involved in our bicycling adventures. He isn’t willing to sit quietly in a trailer and we knew he would want to see everything we were seeing from our bikes. So after my husband made a trip to Tokyo and saw countless Japanese families riding around with front-mounted child bike seats, we researched front seats online and found one available in the U.S.

The iBert Safe-T Seat allows our toddler to really participate in the ride. Since the seat faces forward and attaches near the handlebars, he can see where we are going, is able to talk to us while we are riding and feels safe right between our arms rather than being banished to the back of the bike. Out on a typical ride, he points out objects like airplanes, animals (he loves cats) and other bicyclists and is able to put his hands on the handlebars (which can be a liability if you aren’t paying attention).

The iBert Safe-T is recommended for children ages one to four with a maximum weight of 38 pounds and a maximum height of 42 inches.

The cost is reasonable compared to seats that go on the back of a bike - at around $85 it's cheaper than some, and costs more than just a few. Better still, assembly is a piece of cake - it literally took five minutes to install, and has a quick-release for the seat so you can ride solo again quickly. That's a great feature!

There are two drawbacks to the iBert:

1. Your handlebar stem needs to have 3/4" clearance for the iBert to fit properly, so make sure to measure it if you're thinking about getting one. Our family is proof that the mounting bar doesn’t fit on all bikes - it fits on two of the five bikes we have between us.


2. Ergonomically, it doesn't work equally for all users. My husband is tall (6 foot 1 inch) and he still has plenty of knee room to pedal. For me at 5 foot 3 inches tall, it is not as comfortable. Reaching over my son to get to my handlebars, I feel crowded. So, he usually rides with his Dad.

The seat has a very minimal affect on the handling of the bicycle and the balance feels natural, with more of the weight towards the front rather than the back of the bike.

Overall, the iBert seat is simple to use and our son loves it so much he asks to go on bike rides!

“Mom, I’m sooo bored! What can I do today?”

If you fear these words coming out of your child’s mouth this spring, you must read on to find creative ways to cure your kids of the inevitable cases of boredom!

A new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reveals that almost 1 in 5 preschool-aged children are obese. That comes to a total of 4 million obese children!

We all know that physical activity is an excellent way to prevent childhood obesity. Kids are designed by nature to move and play and dance and giggle. With a few simple suggestions, you can help your kids burn off their energy and prevent childhood (and adult) obesity in the easiest ways!

• Be a good role model for your children. Encourage your children to view physical activity as a natural and enjoyable part of your day, not a forced or dreaded habit. Remember the many benefits of exercise for your entire family: increases self-esteem, helps to control weight, builds healthy bones, reduces stress levels and teaches team-building skills.


• Encourage physical activity with the entire family by taking group walks, playing games with your children or participating in weekend events in the backyard or parks.


• If your child participates in organized sports, be sure to reward his effort and enthusiasm, not just her demonstrated talent on the playing field.


• Consider limiting the time your children watch television or play video games to no more than an hour per day. Instead, encourage your children to find indoor fun activities which simply involve more moving and less sitting (hide-and-seek, dancing).


• Stuck inside on a chilly weekend? Consider buying a disco ball and throwing a Friday night dance party for your kids and their friends! Grab a hula hoop or jump rope for more indoor fun with music. Amazon has great deals on jump ropes and hula hoops! Add a little gymnastics into the mix, and try out forward somersaults or handstands against the wall. Or buy an indoor basketball hoop or mini trampoline.


• When buying toys and presents for your children, choose toys that would encourage moving such as bikes, balls and outdoor equipment. Try to minimize the number of toys which encourage them to play inside or sit in front of the TV or computer. Check out this cool website for more creative ideas, http://www.mindandfitness.com/servlet/StoreFront. Offer positive reinforcement for any activity in which your children participates and encourage them as they express interest in new activities.


• Make a weekly goal for getting your family to the swimming pool this spring by finding a family-friendly indoor swimming pool or water park. Most kids are extremely active at the swimming pool without any needed encouragement from mom or dad, and this can be a wonderful form of exercise for their growing bodies. If you child is ready, consider swim lessons to increase their confidence level and enjoyment of the pool.


• Still feel like life is too hectic and busy for structured activities in your family? Incorporate small lifestyle changes into your day. Park your car in the farthest spot from the grocery store or shopping mall entrance. Take the stairs when possible. Encourage your children to run/race to the next store when this is safe.


• Encourage your children to take the dog for a walk 1x/day. Even if the walk is short, you will be teaching them a sense of responsibility and the importance of exercise for everyone, including the pup!


• Consider doing a family one-mile run this summer. Check out www.active.com for races across the country.

Need more guidance? Try printing out this activity pyramid and sticking on your fridge at home, or print the blank pyramid and fill in for your family’s choices. It will serve as a daily reminder for your family to go outside and get moving and grooving!