Last week's post, "Location, location, location," prompted an interesting question from a commenter named Erika. She wanted to know if I had any advice for "families where one parent is active and the other one is not ... I grew up with this dynamic, and it had some unfortunate results."

I think it's smart to think about this ahead of time, and I do think there are some strategies to try.

• The active partner can try to help the inactive partner find physical activities he or she enjoys—sensitively, without shaming.
• The active partner can be a good role model for the children even in the presence of an inactive partner (again, without shaming—don't flaunt your fitness, call your partner "fat," etc.
• The inactive partner can still support the child's participation in physical fitness and sports by watching his practices and games, helping choose a good sports program, making supportive comments, and so on.

Also, I think that both partners might be surprised at how just being around kids can increase your activity level! Much more than when we (or Erika) were children, parents today are encouraged and expected to spend "quality time" really playing with their kids, instead of observing and monitoring without participating.

Finally, check out my advice on how to help reluctant kids be more active, and how to make fitness fun for the whole family.

If you have any suggestions for Erika, please share them in the comments! I'm sure they would be valuable for many readers.

Do you eat like your parents did? And do your kids eat like you do, or will they? Growing up, I recall eating fairly healthy food—soda was a rare treat, for example—but I also remember that hamburger was on the menu quite regularly. These days, I wish I managed to eat half as well as my parents do (tons of veggies, few carbs and dairy, small portions of lean meats and seafood).

Unfortunately, new research tells me that I might not learn from my parents' example very well, nor will my children learn from the examples and guidelines I establish for them. A study published recently in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine argues that the link between children's and their parents' eating habits is weak. Read more...

This month's About Parenting Blog Carnival takes on mid-summer madness—you know, the I'm-hot-I'm-bored-I'm-whining-I'm-driving-my-mother/sister/brother/dog-crazy blues.

The suffering in my house isn't too bad yet, because it's only been three weeks since the last day of school, and we were on vacation for one of those. Plus my kids are enrolled in day camp three days a week. Still, it's scary how quickly tempers can flare on those four days a week when we are all home together.

You won't be surprised that I recommend exercise as a cure for mid-summer madness! We parents need to take good care of ourselves in order to care for our kids, and that means fitting in some fitness. You can do it with kids in tow, wake up early and start your day with a workout, or swap kid care with your spouse, a friend, or a grandparent to gain exercise time. (Check out this Fit Family post about a moms-and-kids exercise playgroup.)

Kids need lots of active time, too. It's a time-filler, a stress-buster, a sleep-inducer, a teamwork-teacher, and so much more, so get them out and active. To get you started, I have ideas for inside, outside, and kids in groups. And don't forget these easy basics for days when you are too fried for anything else.

What active games, sports, and hobbies are your kids into this summer? I'd love to know!

Last week marked the 37th anniversary of Title IX, a law designed to combat sex discrimination in education. It is most commonly associated with girls' access to athletics, but actually covers gender equity in many areas such as standardized testing and technology. (Learn more about the history of this "living law" at TitleX.info.)

The National Organization for Women reports that before Title IX, one in 27 girls played varsity high school sports. Thirty years later, that figure had climbed to one in 2.5. Before Title IX, athletic scholarships for women were "virtually non-existent"; by 2003, Division I schools offered women more than $1 million in scholarships.

If your daughter plays sports at a federally funded school, she is entitled to an experience equivalent to what male athletes get. If you don't think that's happening, seek help from the school's Title IX Coordinator. And if you played school sports before 1972, I'd love to hear how you think things have changed!

_{Photo: Barry Austin / Getty Images}