Category Archives: Kids

Holiday escapes: Go paddling

Starting today and running through the end of the year, we’re suspending our normal programming to help those of you with kids on winter break find stuff to do. Every day through year’s end we’ll throw out an idea to get you and your young ones out of the house and, most importantly, have the little ones exhausted upon your return. Consider it GetGoingNC.com’s gift to you. read more

A benefit ride that won’t tan your hide

Last year's Tour de Toys.

Benefit events — runs, rides, walks, hikes, whatever involves movement to raise money — are a dime a dozen. Provided, that is, you’re in pretty good shape. Witness the plethora of 5Ks on the market for runners, the MS 150, or the Ultimate Hike, which I recently was involved with. For the latter, a 12-week training program was required — or very highly recommended — to help participants complete the goal of a 28.3-mile mountain hike in one day. read more

It’s true! Your teen really does need to sleep in on weekends

I wrote the following story for the Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer in Raleigh; it appeared in both newspapers on Oct. 18, 2011. It appears here in expanded form, with links. Check out yesterday’s post for more on teens and sleep. read more

More tips for teen sleep

Will Bart continue to blissfully blow Zs into his teen years?

Sleeping and driving. According to a report by the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep and Teens Task Force: “Drowsiness or fatigue has been identified as a principle cause in at least 100,000 police-reported traffic crashes each year, killing more than 1,500 Americans and injuring another 71,000, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, 1994). Young drivers age 25 or under cause more than one-half of fall-asleep crashes.  A North Carolina state study found that drivers age 25 or younger cause more than one-half (55 percent) of fall-asleep crashes … 78% were males. The peak age of occurrence was 20.” read more