Merlino & Gonzalez - May 2021

of exercise more broadly as “leading an active lifestyle.” And remember that exercise can be fun and a great way to get in more family time.

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. As a parent, you probably know exercise is important for your children’s physical development. It helps build healthy bones, muscles, and joints and reduces the risk of developing diabetes and other diseases later in life. But did you know that physical activity also has many mental and behavioral health benefits? It’s been shown to improve children’s cognitive skills and concentration, boost their self-esteem, and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. One of the best ways to encourage healthy behaviors in your children is by modeling them yourself. Studies have found that more than 80% of adolescents and adults are not getting enough aerobic activity, showing that children often follow in their parents’ footsteps and that exercising together can benefit everyone. You may be thinking it’s hard enough just to get yourself to the gym, but Stephen Virgilio, author of “Active Start for Healthy Kids,” encourages parents not to limit themselves to traditional forms of exercise. Instead, think

Get Fit With Your Family 5 EASY WAYS TO GET EVERYONE MOVING

Here are five easy ways to incorporate more movement into your family’s day.

1. Create a walking ritual. Start walking around the neighborhood before or after dinner each night. Aim for a 20-minute stroll. 2. Have a dance party. Clear some space in the living room, make a playlist with everyone’s favorite tunes, and boogie down for as long as you have the energy. 3. Turn chores into games. Dirt has invaded from outer space and must be eliminated. Set the scene with your kids, grab your tools, and get to work removing the enemy while having fun. 4. Incorporate simple exercises into screen time. Start by making up fun names for exercises like situps or jumping jacks. Then, challenge each other to see who can do the most during your favorite show’s commercial breaks. 5. Get fit in the great outdoors. Cleaning up the yard, planting and maintaining a garden, or just running around outside are all great ways to get in more movement.

Honor — or Headache?

A GOOD EXECUTOR AVOIDS COMMON MISTAKES

E state executors are often chosen because they are the most staid, thoughtful, and sober-minded member of the surviving family. At least, that’s the reputation. Believe it or not, as far as your legal and financial security is concerned, the best way to deal with this duty is to refuse it outright! If you can’t, you need to contact an estate attorney who can help you negotiate the tricky waters you find yourself in. This is especially helpful if you want to avoid being held liable in suits by the deceased’s debtors, inheritors, or others who feel they should receive a piece of the estate. One great plan is to have yourself bonded, but there are many ways an attorney will assist you as you work under the “Sword of Damocles” of being sued.

estate to be stolen is for heirs and others to take things from the deceased person’s possessions without telling you. It might be a good idea to change the locks or take other measures. An executor’s worst nightmare is to have a family heirloom mentioned in the will that the executor cannot produce to give to the inheritor. After that, you want to assess the debts owed by the estate before paying any of them . If you can’t afford to cover them all, you don’t want to pay a few and then be held liable by the rest for not paying them, instead. If you have to liquidate property and the method isn’t outlined in the estate plan, work with heirs to set a price but never attempt to increase the estate’s value on your own.

As you can see, it can be tricky. If you know you’ll be an executor in the future, you can plan ahead. If you call 718-682-7015, we can help.

The most basic duty of an executor is to protect the estate . After all, you can’t distribute what isn’t there, right? The most common way for the

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