Cell Phone Age

Sweet Sixteen is sweet at our house for one reason:

Cell Phone Age

Sure its also the age you can date, drive at night, and its NCAA March Madness (coming soon!) but the real reason 16 is sweet is the cell phone. We have purchased three 16 year old cell phones.

Here comes baby Ike. He is the most darling 13 year old boy. He is also obsessed with getting a cell phone. He is the only 7th grader in Colorado who doesn't have a cell phone.  He claims he needs one in case of an emergency. But he is surrounded by 7th grader (and 6th grader) cell phones, so he can borrow theirs.

Here is something to chew on:

• NPR reported a recent study that show that children under the age of 15 spend an average of 5 hours a day on their cell phones. 
• A Korean study found that teens who used their cell phone 90 times a day (apparently not unusual) scored significantly higher on tests measuring depression and anxiety than students who used their phones a more sedate 70 times daily. 
• 30% of teenage cell phone users have received "sexts" sexually explicit texts. 
• 37% of teens felt they would die, a long and painful death, if they didn't have a cell phone. 
• 39% of teenagers said they lie about where they are and what they are doing when they use the cell phone. 

But these aren't the reasons we wait until 16. It is more a right of passage than an issue of trust or worthiness. Honestly, I'm not ready for him to grow up and a cell phone screams "GROWN UP!" He is the one person in our house who maintains eye contact with me during conversation because he isn't texting. I worry about the girls calling and texting. Currently they are forced to stop by the house to talk to him  (using the parent's phone is unheard of) and I like to meet them and watch the awkward flirting.

We will probably cave and get him a phone before he is 16. That will open a whole new can of worms with the older kids and will kick off years of accusatory exclamations: "We never got to do/have/travel/act/buy/say/watch/listen to that!"

But for now we are holding strong. Just say no.

Bossy Blog 2010 Fitness and Health Challenge: FINALLY!

By Sally

I am finally following up on my previous post. Sorry it took so long! We were out of town, frolicking in the snow, and sans computer. But I'm baaaack! And ready for 2010 (well, kind of ready)!

So, wonderful readers, what are your health/fitness resolutions for the new year? If you need some ideas, see the blogpost below. It is time for you to share yours. Here are some of mine:

1. Eat more healthfully
2. Become a proficient runner
3. Lose 15 lbs by July 1

As you all know, it's hard to accomplish a goal without specific milestones in your plan. So here are my milestones, just as an example (don't read if not interested):

• Add 2 cups of veggies to my lunches and dinners at least 10 times/week (already started this) 
• Cut out carbs for 2 weeks (this I started yesterday) and then introduce healthy carbs (whole grains and fruit) starting no sooner than Jan 18 (this is basically the South Beach diet) 
• Start fitness walking and make sure my quad is healed (that is this week) 
• Start running at least 4 days/week, in the AM before family is awake. Stretch after running. (this starts Monday if my quad is sufficiently healed). 
• Get daily runs up to 3 miles by Jan 29. 
• Run 5 miles continuously by Feb 27 or sooner. 
• Get daily run up to 4 miles by Feb 27. 
• Run a 10K race by end of March 
• Train for a half marathon--get a group of friends together (I kinda already did this, I'm hoping they'll want to do it again) 
• Run a half marathon by Nov 1
• Increase core strength by doing ab and back work after my Monday/Wed/Saturday runs.

This is me doing a run/walk half marathon in 2005. I loved it and I want to feel that way again!

All of this is going to require determination, hard work, and self-control. I will do better at it if I have a support group, and you will do better with your resolutions too, so let's help each other!

Please! Post your fitness/health resolutions for 2010! Leave a comment that is as detailed as you like, and we will encourage and congratulate each other! We will check in on this topic once/month so you can post your progress if you like.

Also: we Bossy Sisters have been talking about doing something fitness-y this year and inviting any and all to join us. One option is the Women's Fitness Celebration in our hometown of Boise, ID. It is apparently the largest women-only 5K in the world, it's in September, and it looks like a LOT OF FUN. My guess is that some of you have done this event or are planning to--please let us know! Another option is the Revlon Run/Walk for Women in LA on May 8. That is a nice time to be in Southern California and I'll be doing that one for sure.

Okay: please, click on the comments, and tell us your goals. 2010 is going to be healthy!