If you follow Seminole Sitters on Facebook or Twitter, you may have noticed us talking a lot about marriage lately. Ms. Lindsey B. became Mrs. Lindsey P. on Saturday, and another Valentine's Day means romance is on everyone's mind today - even Google's got the spirit.

But come tomorrow, does the romance and attention end? Once the roses have wilted, is it back to the same-old, same-old?

So often, the hustle and bustle of family life means parents forget to make time for one another, and by the time the kids are grown and gone, their marriage is suffering - if it's lasted that long.

Studies have shown that not only are parents happier when their marriage is strong, but kids benefit, too. Children are more likely to achieve higher educational levels, and less likely to become teen parents or to experience health, behavior, and mental health problems.

Researchers were sure to state that a child growing up in any other environment is not guaranteed to endure these problems, of course, but "just being married" doesn't quite cut it. It is healthy and stable marriages that help to dramatically decrease the risks:
"In individual situations, marriage may or may not make children better off, depending on whether the marriage is 'healthy' and stable. Marriage may be a proxy for other parental characteristics associated with relationship stability and positive child outcomes. The legal basis and public support involved in the institution of marriage helps create the best conditions for developing factors that children need most to thrive: consistent, stable, loving attention from two parents who cooperate and who have sufficient resources and support from two extended families, two sets of friends, and society."

And that's where we come in. We want to help strengthen your family by providing sitters who can serve as supportive role models in your children's lives, and give you an opportunity to deepen your love for each other.

In the end, restarting that Date Night routine will mean a healthier marriage - and healthier kids, too.

Helping You Bring Date Night Back,
Mary & the Seminole Sitters

P.S. While you're here, check out this free 22-question "yes or no" marriage quiz from Discovery Health. Some interesting questions that make you think!

Though our carriages didn't turn back into pumpkins when the clock struck midnight this New Year's Eve, most of us had already spent some time thinking about how many slices of pumpkin pie and glasses of pumpkin egg nog we'd downed over the course of the last few months. (Pumpkin cheesecake was my guilty pleasure. I tried unsuccessfully to convince myself it counted as a vegetable. Don't tell the kids.)

We hear all kinds of tips for keeping these healthy resolutions beyond March - and most of them involve finding a partner or friend to work out with. But what about your own family?

Take the lead, and take the kids with you. My article from last January regarding childhood obesity ("Food, Fitness, and Fat") rings just as true today as it did then. Parents typically feel more obligated to care for their children than for themselves - tap into that and use it to your advantage. Make it a family resolution instead of one just for yourself - and you'll find you benefit from it as much as the kids do.

I spoke with Allie Fleming of Good Friends Group Fitness, the gym we're partnered with over on Lafayette Street, and she had some good advice:

ME: Any tips for keeping that resolution to work out more?

ALLIE: A family that has fun together stays fit together! Joining a fitness studio or signing up for a sport with a spouse, teenage child or sibling will help motivate you to participate in that activity. Research shows that a social environment is much more effective in helping people stay active for longer durations of time, thus leading to habit-forming patterns of fitness. Set appointments a week or two ahead for those group fitness activities. Having it on your calendar and the peer pressure to keep your commitment will encourage you to push past the afternoon doldrums or other barriers that may get in the way of your workout.

ME: How can kids be involved in a family resolution toward better health?

ALLIE: Engage the kids in indoor activities that not only raise their heart rates, but raise their awareness of how important fitness is in our daily lives. Sometimes, it’s hard to leave the family at home, so take them with you! It's especially important for tweens & teens to begin a workout regimen as their bodies are changing and developing. Children over 10 years of age can usually work out in the same classes or on the same equipment as Mom & Dad, so take them to a spinning class with you or bring them to yoga. Too young to work out? It’s still important to bring them with you; let them help you set up for your workout before they go into the Kids Clubhouse and see that fitness is fun! They will be wanting to join you and live a healthier lifestyle as soon as they can! Another way of fostering a healthy home environment is getting them involved in healthy cooking and eating. Let them help you cook and engage them in picking out the vegetables for that day’s meal. Challenge them to come up with ideas to make the plate colorful and follow the food pyramid.

ME: What are good winter activities for kids, to stay active even when it's cold?

ALLIE: Kids aren’t as bothered by the cold like adults are, so they are willing to play outdoors even when the parents are bundled and shivering. Encourage them to do so, especially if it is sunny and not windy; just make sure they are dressed in layers. A simple game of hopscotch or relay races will get their blood moving and their heart rates up. There are many indoor games and workouts, such as Wii Fit or Kinect for Xbox 360, that get the kids up and off the couch and moving. Low-tech ways of getting their heart rate up indoors is a classic jump rope, a game of Twister or freeze dance. For the real little ones, a game of hot-potato, duck-duck-goose or musical chairs is a great way to get them involved in some active play.

And whether you're 6 or 36, there's no reason why you can't join in that game of tag. :)

Helping You Bring Date Night Back,
Mary & the Seminole Sitters

Last week, the Tallahassee Democrat rolled out a series of articles focused around children. One in particular stood out to me, entitled "Health woes mount for kids" by Angeline Taylor, addressing childhood obesity in Leon County and all of Florida.

Nationwide and internationally, many celebrities - from the First Lady's campaign to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - are highlighting childhood obesity as a growing problem. It's time we took the torch.

Fat Facts

• Obesity is now the most prevalent nutritional disease of children and adolescents in the United States.
• Obese children and teens have been found to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and abnormal glucose tolerance.
• Less common health conditions associated with increased weight include asthma, hepatic steatosis, sleep apnea and Type 2 diabetes.
• We've long known that overweight children are often the target of bullying, and this is considered a psychosocial consequence of childhood obesity. Low self-esteem could hinder academic and social success, and can carry on into adulthood.

A combination of healthy foods and an active lifestyle is obviously the solution. But if children don't see these healthy choices encouraged and modeled by their parents, they don't see the value in it. Keep that New Years Resolution to eat better and get more exercise - it's good for your own body, and your kids' bodies, too.