PARENTS: Any idea how many measurements you actually make as you go through your day? You may not actually get out the measuring tools. But a lot of things you do depend on what you already know.

Do you drink coffee? I'll bet you drink at least a quarter of a liter. How many grams of cereal is that in your bowl? Is that a frugal 5 milliliters of sugar, or more like 10? Does your family walk to school or work? Is it a long walk, or is it less than a kilometer? You probably find alternatives when the weather is really cold, like five degrees Centigrade. (That's not really freezing, but it feels like it.)

Maybe you need to pick up a few things on the way home, like a kilo of potatoes, another of some protein, a half kilo of a couple of your favorite veggies, and maybe even a liter of ice cream. It may make it less of a shock when you're helping your kids with homework and find that even the little ones deal with metrics every day at school. Try measuring THEIR way: it'll keep you young!

TO METRIC:

FROM METRIC: