Search Results for: blog volunteering when you have other children

How to Encourage Children to Give Back

Each child should learn the importance of giving back, a lesson that will stay with him or her for a lifetime. Giving our children the opportunity to build character and become excellent human beings is one of the responsibilities and the pleasures of being a parent. Not to take away from the importance of this lesson for our children in the future, encouraging children to give back also has the added bonus of eliminating much of the “gimmies” for us parents, right here and now. Did you know that kids are instinctual givers? They are proud to give of themselves, … Continue reading →

Family Friendly Volunteering

When you can’t always afford to pay for family fun, you can make your own by volunteering! How Can Volunteering Be Fun? First of all, helping others often puts things in perspective. Benefiting people or even animals that are not as fortunate as you are can make anyone appreciate all that they have. Often it forces even children to look around and start enjoying the blessings they already experience. Volunteering really makes us feel good. It is fun in itself. Studies have shown that people who volunteer tend to me more joyful and happier in life. Isn’ t that a … Continue reading →

Learning Resolutions for Your Family

January 1st: this is the time when we tend to review the past and look to the future. It feels like a bit of an arbitrary date, but any day’s a good one to reflect on your family’s learning over the course of the year. I like the concept of a personal annual review. I’ll be attempting to take on that task today, to evaluate where I’ve been and where I’m going. Today, take a few minutes to reflect on your family’s learning this year and where you’d like to go next year. During your family learning review, what should … Continue reading →

Keep New Year’s Resolutions Realistic – Ideas for Young People

Earlier I joked that my daughter’s New Year’s resolution should be doing the dishes every night without being told. What I should have suggested was that she brush her teeth twice a day without whining and complaining. Then again, that would be more of a miracle than a resolution. Regardless, she wasn’t very receptive to either proposition. That’s the thing about New Year’s resolutions; you have to want to make a change in order for them to work. Still, there are many kids out there, who are more than willing to take on a New Year’s resolution, especially if they … Continue reading →

What is Your Holiday Business Style?

With Christmas just a week away and New Year’s Day so soon thereafter, now is a good time to talk about the different ways that home – based professionals approach their work during the holiday season. There is no real right or wrong way to go about it, it is more about figuring out what your “holiday work style” is, planning for it, and embracing it. After all, you are who you are and your holiday work style is an extension of what makes you, well, you. To attempt to force it into submission so that you can do what … Continue reading →

Creating Community: Volunteering

Yesterday we talked a bit about how informal, community acts of helping and giving can create community connections and teach your children about how giving does not need to be onerous. Today, let’s talk about another way of giving (and receiving!): volunteering. I started volunteering as a young child. I recall spending many of my lunch hours in the school store, helping sell yogurt and drinks to other students as a fundraiser for our school council. I worked with one of our supervision aides, a gruff but kind woman who taught me how to make change and do very quick … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Your Child Become a Bully

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Bullying in this country has been out of control for years. For many children it is an everyday occurrence. So who are these bullies and how did they learn to behave this way? Many bullies are just insecure children trying to fit in at school while others are just plain mean with no compassion for others. How do you keep your child from being the kid who other kids fear? Teach Your Child Compassion Children learn by example. If you make fun of people who are different, your child will learn to do the same. Encourage your child to be … Continue reading →

Why Cooperative Preschools Are Good for Your Child – And For You

Hands up – do you feel like you could use some more support as a parent? Lacking in community, anyone? For many of us, the answer is a resounding “yes”! In the new urban and suburban landscape, we can be separated from our neighbours even when we live close to them. We live different lives, each in our cars going to our separate jobs. Although we live in a townhouse complex and know our neighbours fairly well, there are days when we can go for a walk through our neighborhood and see no one at all. I grew up going … Continue reading →

Make Volunteering Fun

Volunteering can be a rewarding family activity, but if you have reluctant children, then giving back to those less fortunate can be a challenge. The key to motivating your kids to give back is to make the experience as fun as possible. Fortunately, some of the most fulfilling volunteer projects can be found right in your neighborhood. For example, raking leaves in an elderly neighbor’s yard or painting murals at a local community center can be a fun and rewarding family affair. All children have different talents and interests; parents should encourage their kids to share these special gifts during … Continue reading →

Education Blog in Review: December 1st Through December 14th

Do you know exactly what goes on at your child’s school? You might be surprised. Look for future posts about this topic. Meanwhile check out the blog posts from the past two weeks. December 1st Education Blog in Review: November 17th Through November 30th Stay ahead of the latest in Education with the Education Blog. December 2nd Education Blog Month in Review: November By November, students have settled in to the routine of school. The month of November brought with it lots of education news, from sex education and ethics in the classroom to upcoming policy changes that may affect … Continue reading →