April 24, 2003 WEB SITES OFFER SUGGESTIONS FOR GETTING STARTED The National Family Night organization (www.nationalfamilynight.org) is trying to encourage whole communities to focus on the importance of family nights. Ridgewood, N.J., recently held its second annual Ready, Set, Relax Ridgewood Family Night. Community leaders set aside all activities, including homework and sports, while families stayed home and played together. The National Family Night mission statement, written by child psychiatrist Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld, states: "We advocate no particular activity, but hope that with time, each family will discover ways of their own that fit who they are, what they enjoy, and that allow the family to strengthen as a unit because of the pleasure and intimacy of time spent together." Here are some relevant Web sites:
Finally, the governor's office in Colorado created a lengthy list of Family Time Suggestions, available at www.colorado.gov/weekofthefamily/suggestions.htm. Here are a few samples: Write to a politician about an issue important to the family, do projects on genealogy, start a family journal, play charades, bake cookies and share them with someone outside the family, write to a friend or relative, organize a scavenger hunt, organize photos for an album. |
