Being distracted while your child is talking to you can be a big problem when communicating. We have all been there, listening while holding a phone or not making eye contact. MiaLisa from Doing Good Together is a special guest on this episode to talk about how and why it is critical to be listening fully.
Minneapolis educators went on strike Tuesday after negotiations between the city’s public school district and its teacher’s union on a new contract failed. There is no immediate indication when talks might resume.
During the strike all classes pre-K through 12th grade and Transition Plus classes will be canceled. That puts more than 30,000 kids out of classrooms and about 4,000 teachers and staff out of work.
Here’s are some resources for families in need of child care or other support while classrooms are closed.
COVID-19 cases in Minnesota continue to spike as the holidays get closer. The pandemic is still affecting people statewide physically and financially.
Here is a list of nonprofits and organizations across the state in need of donations and offering help.
As the novel coronavirus has spread throughout the country, it has forced people indoors and ground daily life as we know it to a near halt. Healthcare workers on the front lines face a shortage of supplies, and the virus has forced the mass cancellation of events as well as the closures of schools and business, leaving many out of work.
In this time of need, here is a running list of some ways you can help.
For many children, the holiday season is a time of blissful ignorance filled with delicious food and a plethora of toys. No Scrooge-style rants here: Your kids deserve some holiday magic. All children do—and helping your kids create a little magic for the less fortunate is a huge gift for everyone involved. Forget the grand gestures and work with your kids on a few small holiday give-backs.
Fortunately, there’s a lot of emphasis on giving during this time of year, so it’s even easier to have this desire at the forefront of our minds. But with all of the hustle and bustle of already-booked weekends and the day-to-day grind, how is one able to just dive right in and take action? Check out the suggestions…
The national, Minneapolis-based nonprofit Doing Good Together organized the festival to give families an opportunity to volunteer together and, its founder hopes, spur talk about the values of generosity, service to others and basic kindness.
“We want to help people have those conversations with their children,” said Doing Good Together founder and executive director Jenny Friedman. “We know these conversations are a powerful way to instill those values.”
Want to build character and avoid entitlement in a grandchild? Studies suggest volunteering together. ... “Volunteering makes you healthier mentally and physically,” said Jenny Friedman, executive director of the national nonprofit Doing Good Together, which promotes family volunteering and service. “It’s a way to pass on the values that matter to people the most, a meaningful way to share time together — plus it’s fun!”
Inspiring a sense of appreciation in children means more than tossing off a quick “thank you.” Children who are grateful display a more positive mood and are more likely to provide support to others than those who don’t, according to researchers. Youngsters who are grateful are also happier, more optimistic, and more helpful.
Grownups have book clubs – why not families? At Doing Good Together we’ve pioneered what we call the Big-Hearted Family Book Club. Each book is paired with an act of service, which means children get to practice kindness and build empathy while also developing a passion for books, conversation, and generosity. Here, for the first time, we explain how parents and grandparents can start their own BHF Book Club at home.
