A Generous Spirit

I was recently on my Facebook page and saw a post about a young girl who started her own toy drive to donate new toys to the local children's hospital. As I read through the post, I was left wondering why some children just seem to be naturally generous. They see a need and they are called to do something to meet that need. Is it something they are born with? Do their parents have some sort of magic trick? 

Sometimes when we hear stories like this we are left wondering what we are doing wrong. Why our children aren't displaying generosity in big ways. All kids can be generous and their small acts of generosity, whether it be sharing a toy or helping you shovel the freshly fallen snow are important and can be encouraged. How do we raise children who are generous in both small and big ways?

1. Generosity starts with empathy. Empathy is not an inborn trait. Children are hardwired to care but need to be taught empathy. The best way for children to learn empathy is to be shown empathy. Be the port in your child's storm. In other words, when they are experiencing big emotions, stay calm and respond in a loving way by recognizing and naming their emotions. Help them regulate their emotions by offering comfort and care before addressing their behavior. 
2. Generosity is developmental. All areas of development develop on a continuum. No two children will develop generosity in the same way and timing. 
3. Sharing is a great way for young children to show generosity. That being said sharing can be hard for young children. Make sure you have age appropriate expectations. Children develop sharing and turn taking skills between 3.5 and 4. Younger children can also share but need more support and guidance. Also avoid forcing your child to share. Instead encourage children to share by pointing out how happy their friend is when they share their toy with their friend. Making other people happy makes us happy! 
4. There are several common misconceptions about generosity. Generosity is often viewed as something we do for those with less than us. It is often only associated with giving money or things. There is also a common belief that generosity is only beneficial to the person receiving the generosity. But we know there is so much more to generosity!
5. There are three ways to be generous. You can share your time, talents and treasures. Help your child practice being generous in all these areas. You might encourage them to play a game that someone else wants to do to share their time. You and your child could make cookies or draw pictures to give to a neighbor or friend to share their talents. Sharing their treasures might include donating part of their allowance or toys that they know longer play with to others. 
6. There are many benefits to generosity. Kids who are generous are more likely to do well in school and less likely to abuse drugs/alcohol. Generosity also helps develop leadership skills, such as, learning to respect others, developing patience, and having a better understanding of what makes a good citizen. 
7. Finally, the best way for children to learn how to be generous is to see their parents being generous. Model generosity for your children by sharing your time, talents and treasures with them and with others!

A great way to start practicing generosity with your children is with the 10 Days of Giving Campaign. ECFE and Preschool with be participating in district-wide 10 Days of Giving Campaign to collect toiletry items for the Holiday Train starting December 1st-10th. Participating is easy. Have your child pick out some shampoo, soap, toothbrushes or other toiletry items. Items can be dropped off for donation at our Central Park and District Program offices. Thanks for helping and Happy Giving!

Finding Joy in Parent-Child Interaction Time

I am pretty sure that I have one of the greatest jobs. As a parent educator, I have the opportunity to get to know families and walk along side them. While I don't think I could pick a favorite part of my job, I really enjoy coming along side parents and their children during parent-child interaction time.

If you have taken an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) class then you know that our classes are built around three important components, early childhood education, parent education and parent/child interaction. Each of these components plays an important role in making ECFE unique from other programs and activities.

Parent-child interaction is all about engagement. It is an opportunity for parents to spend time with their child(ren) in a setting with activities that are designed to be developmentally appropriate. Keep reading for some tips on how to get the most out of parent-child interaction time during your ECFE class or even at home.

1. Follow your child's lead. This can be a little hard for parents to do. We often have friends who come to ECFE each week and play with the same truck or doll or the sensory table for the whole class. Parents of these kiddos might feel tempted to push their child to try a different activity or do the art projects but remember that for young children there is value in repetition.

2. Art is all about the process not the product. Art can be tough for some parents. There is paint and glue and MESS! And parents often feel like the end product needs to look a certain way. At ECFE, we know that the process of making art is more important than the end result. So if your child dives into the paint with their hands instead of the brush or has a turkey that doesn't really look like a turkey, it's okay.

3. Take time to observe your child in action. We can learn so much by taking a step back and watching our children in action. Notice what skills they are working on. How they are interacting with other children and adults. How do they react when something is difficult?

4. Practice COAL. Be Curious about what your child is doing. Be Open to what or how your child is playing. Be Accepting and Loving in your interaction with your child.

5. Put away your phone and keep your focus on your child. This one probably doesn't need much explanation!

And remember to have fun and delight in this special time with your child!

SoWashCo CARES

Have you heard about SoWashCo Cares? This is an amazing program right here in our community that is striving to meet various needs for children, teens and families in District 833. SoWashCo CARES was started a few years ago by Cheryl Jogger after her family participated in a Feed My Starving Children event hosted by the city of Woodbury. She started with posting specific requests that had been passed on to her from school social workers in our district for members of the community to help fill. The CARES stands for Community Action Reaching Every Student.

Two years ago, SoWashCo CARES started a food collection and packing event to provide students who are food insecure with food over Winter Break. The response the first year was amazing. They were able to pack enough food boxes for 200 students! Since that first packing event, SoWashCo CARES has hosted 3 more food packing events to provide food boxes for summer and winter breaks. On November 14th at Oltman Middle School from 6-8pm, they will be hosting their 5th packing event. They are hoping to pack food boxes for 300 students!

By now you may be wondering, "What can I do to help?" That's the great thing about SoWashCo CARES. It is a very accessible program. You can follow SoWashCo CARES on Facebook and Twitter to help fill requests that come from the district's school social workers throughout the year. For families with young children, helping fill these requests is a great way to start introducing your child to service to others, generosity and kindness. Families can also register for the packing event at SoWashCo CARES Winter Pack Event. You can help by dropping off donations of Easy Mac n' Cheese cups and other easily microwavable items at the District Program Center, Central Park in the ECFE suite and the District Service Center.

SoWashCo CARES is also looking for winter clothing for students and families who are in need. Families can check out Winter Clothing Needs to sign up to provide winter gear. New requests are added to the spreadsheet daily and donations will be accepted until all requests are filled. Donors can label their items with the child's number and deliver directly to the social worker at the specific school.