“Learning to stand in someone else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”
-Barack Obama
The Kids in Service site will once again be focusing on EMPATHY for the whole month of October. Why should we as parents and caregivers explicitly teach and model the concept of empathy? Because EMPATHY is a learned trait. Everyone is born with the ability to feel empathy but many of us need to develop skills in order to understand and feel sensitive towards the feelings and emotions of others.
Check out our post all about how to teach and model empathy for your small children and teens. We have lots of resources for the whole family in this article (including teens!!)Reading quality stories to your children (no matter their age) is a great way to help them to practice the skill of empathy. Throughout the story, encourage your child to “put themselves into the shoes” of the character and ask what they think the character may be feeling. We have a great list of books to help talk about empathy with your kids. We have new books on the list and have added YouTube read aloud links.Kids in Service NH will be virtual this year and we’d like to invite ALL families (near and far) to join in on the fun! Kids in Service virtual video meetings are FREE and will be sent out October 5th. We will have KIS Junior videos (ages 10 and under) that will be posted monthly (October-May). KIS Teen/Pre-Teen videos will be posted every other month (October, December, February, April). You need to be signed up to have early access to the videos and to be entered into the meeting raffles. We have some great lessons and activities planned for this year and we hope that you will join us! Click the photo above for more information.
UnSelfie by Dr. Michele Borba has been hailed as must read for all parents. Empathy in teens is down 40% as our kids move into a “self-absorbed craze” that Dr. Borba calls the “Selfie Syndrome”. She says that self-absorption kills empathy and it is up to parents to teach and instill empathy in our kids of all ages. I thought it would be fun to read this book as a community. Don’t have time to read? Get the audio book (it’s free if your library has Overdrive) and listen with headphones as you fold laundry, make dinner or wait in car pick up line (I like to listen at 1.5 speed). Each Friday, on social media, I will highlight a few points from the chapters. I have already started and I have to say that MOST of chapter 1 is underlined. I’d love for you to join us in our first KIS Parent Book Club!
Are you looking for a simple service project to do with your kids that will help teach them about bravery and empathy? The Holiday Cards for our Military Challenge is a non-profit from NH that collects and sends holiday greetings to our deployed military. Last year they collected over 175,000 cards from all 50 states. Kids in Service participated last year and our families sent 792 cards!!! If you would like to participate, write out store bought holiday cards (or make your own) and thank the person for their service to our country and send them a holiday greeting (Click Here for writing guidelines). Then send your holiday cards to Laura Landerman-Garber, Holiday Card Challenge, PO Box 103 Hollis, New Hampshire 03049. All cards need to be by October 31st. Check out their website for more details. Celebrating birthdays is such an important ritual for children and this pandemic has left us all having to find creative ways to celebrate. Some families are choosing to transition the theme of their child’s birthday from one of GETTING to one of GIVING. Check out our post all about how to include service and giving into your child’s next birthday celebration whether it is in person or on ZOOM. We have lots of ideas for kids of all ages. Check it out by clicking the image above. This book list has been years in the making and is finally finished. You will find YouTube read aloud videos for most of the books on this list. Click the image above to check it out.
Click on a box below to check out books that go along with that theme. CLICK HERE for a Kids in Service Book List printable that you can take with you to the local library or bookstore.
All of us want to find time in our busy lives for service projects. We know how important it is to teach our children the valuable lessons that go along with serving others (empathy, kindness, gratitude, courage, selflessness etc.) but unfortunately those well meaning service projects are the first thing cut off the to-do list… Continue reading 10 Quick Family Service Projects
