Valentine’s Day often stirs strong feelings, often over-celebrated with material gestures. Our guest contributor shares how her view of the holiday was shifted by a homemade card, revealing the day's deeper potential. Learn how teaching young children about varied forms of love can foster empathy and enrich lives.
We might apply the idea of a “messy middle” to much of life–switching careers, engaging in social change, even parenting/family life itself. Most of our lives happen in this space, when you stop to think about it–we haven’t yet “arrived” at the metaphorical place of organization and tranquility, but are constantly evolving our processes to be responsive to needs. How might we help our children understand the messy middle–its necessity, its tension, its gift–in a developmentally-appropriate way?
As parents and caregivers, you likely know all too well the daily stressors you face. The surgeon general’s report outlines the specific challenges we face at each stage of a child’s development, from sleepless nights with newborns to navigating the troubled teen years. The stress doesn’t just affect us as parents, it spreads to impact the whole family unit. And when we worry that our stress is affecting our kids, the cycle feels never-ending. The surgeon general’s report calls attention to this vicious cycle and offers actionable ways to break it.
In today's fast-paced information cycle, issues are often presented as black or white, right or wrong. When parents actively listen and support diverse perspectives on various topics, from child care to nutrition, they model for children how to understand and appreciate differences, encouraging a more nuanced and empathetic view of the world.
Mental health experts recommend helping young people build an understanding over time of what they can and can’t control. Bringing the focus to “how we treat other people; what activities we do the next day; what goals we have; who we spend time with; how hard we try to do the best we can” is something we can start in middle childhood to build a strong frame of reference in adolescence.
Since it came out in 2006, McCloud's book Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids has become essential reading in schools and homes across the country. I recently had the privilege of chatting with Carol McCloud and learning more about her bucket-filling adventures.
Here at Doing Good Together, we'd like to suggest one small addition to your family adventure: plan for a few intentional acts of road trip kindness.Let's teach our children that our essential values of compassion and empathy don't take a vacation. Acts of kindness are a natural part of daily life, even on the road.
At Doing Good Together, we know how the right turn of phrase can encourage more kindness. We know how a great book can cultivate empathy, opening a child up to the feelings and experiences of a stranger. And just in time for the last weekend of National Poetry Month, we have added a new project harnessing the power of poetry for good.
In the spirit of Earth Day, we're debuting a new project in the Big-Hearted Families™ collection featuring a unique organization. SciStarter has created an incredible online community to connect citizen scientists with researchers looking for help gathering and analyzing data.
I’ve been working with Doing Good Together for a long time, long enough to know how important it is to grow strong roots of kindness and courage before that first day of school. Habits of kindness will help forge new friendships. Regular volunteering gives kids a strong sense of empowerment, as they see themselves as helpers. This self-reliance translates to courage in the classroom, as well as on the playground.
In honor of World Thinking Day on February 22, Sara and her Girl Scout Troop decided to focus on refugees. Learn about their experience and discover tools to try something similar with your family or club.
Sharing compassion with others meets critical needs in our communities, even as it heals our spirits. With each act of service, our families can be a force for love and kindness, helping to heal our fractured country and connect meaningfully with those around us.
And along the way, our children will discover what it means to live an engaged and compassionate life.
Last week we shared ourSummer of Kindness Bucket List over on My Little Poppies . Now we’ve added a printable checklist, along with a few extra ideas thanks to input from our Membership Circle.
Meals on Wheels does amazing work, keeping seniors - safely - in their homes longer and addressing the growing problem of hunger among older Americans. And my personal favorite aspect of Meals on Wheels? You'll be helping out your immediate community, making the effort very tangible and knowable for kids of any age.
Each month we send a book and a letter to a little girl across the country. And each month, she sends a letter back. Because One Book at a Time is this month's project of the month, I’ve had some time to reflect on what my family has learned by participating in this project. I’ve boiled it down to 5 distinct lessons.