Four Ideas to Teach Kids about Service

It can be difficult to teach young kids to look outside themselves and give to others, especially when they are just learning to share toys or get along with their siblings. However, I had an experience while living in Mexico that taught me that it is possible. Two kids, from a family that I was friends with, gave me one of their toys because they thought I would enjoy it (a plate and bowl about the size of my thumbnail). I was touched because the family lived a very humble life and didn’t seem to have much to give. The parents of the family were also very generous, and I’m sure their kids learned from example. My mother is also an incredible example of generosity; she spends her days thinking of ways to serve others.

Though it may be a little rough to start teaching kids about service while they are little, your children’s generous attitude and habit of serving will benefit countless people. Here are some ideas to get started:

Be to the Parent: A Statewide Discussion

Julie, Help Me Grow's Program Manager

Last Tuesday I stood before a room full of people at Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake. It was a day I'd been looking forward to for almost ten months, and I was excited! Help Me Grow had news to share (click here if you'd like to learn more). But, much more importantly, we held a discussion that was the true purpose of the day.

I had no idea where this discussion would take us, but I knew that we, as community providers, desperately needed the answers and emotion that would come out of it. My excitement multiplied knowing that similar groups were having the same discussion across the state. All of us with one goal: to understand how we can better support the parents and children of Utah.

For me the greatest take-home message from the Salt Lake discussion was one that seemed to encompass many of the others I'll share below. I learned that I need to be to parents what I want them to be to their children. The simplicity of this message is what makes it so profound. Anything I do in my work is something I should hope that parents could use to help their children--be it respect, communication, building relationships, etc.

Election Day!

As an adult it's easy to see why we need to participate in election day, we understand the importance of being an informed citizen and being involved. But have you ever thought of using this time of year as a opportunity to start educating your child to be involved in their community?

There are ways that you can talk about voting and government without getting technical or overwhelming your child with specifics. With this year's election day upon us, your child has likely seen billboards, TV and radio commercials, and the ever present "I voted!" sticker. You can use any of these as a jumping off point to start a conversation.

Ask your child if they know what it means to vote. I'm sure they have already formed some idea about the word. After seeing what your child knows, you can explain to them that voting is a chance for them to speak up, share their opinion, and have their opinion counted as one of a whole group.

After you've introduced the idea, help your child apply these concepts in appropriate settings. Perhaps you could call for a family vote on what to eat for dinner one day that week or what fun activity your family should do over the weekend. Make it extra fun and have the vote using actual "ballots".

How have you talked to your child about voting and government? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

-Kali

Red Ribbon Week Activities

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“Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free” is this year’s theme for Red Ribbon Week. This national drug prevention campaign invites members of every community to take a stand against drugs. This year, the time to celebrate is October 23-31. As parents, educators, and members of society, we have the chance to help create drug free communities for our children.

Red Ribbon Week began in 1985, after a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent lost his life in the stand against drugs. The National Family Partnership started sponsoring the cause in 1988. Their goal was to use Red Ribbons as a symbol to educate youth in communities, and to encourage them to join drug prevention activities. With the help of neighbors and schools, we can work together to bring awareness and advocate for drug free youth. 

Parents can help their children celebrate Red Ribbon Week this year by organizing activities within their home and community. Here are some ideas to make this year's celebration unforgettable. 

Home Activities:

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• Use this week as an opportunity to talk to your children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol 
• Prevent prescription drug abuse by securing and monitoring your medicine cabinets 
• Come up with a theme for next year's 2016 Red Ribbon Week, and enter the contest
• Wear Red! Whether it's a ribbon or a shirt, wear red throughout the week to show your support
• Sign the Red Ribbon Pledge!

Community Activities:

• Get to know the parents of your children's friends. Establishing a relationship can give you an opportunity to work together to monitor your child's behavior and set limits 
• Get the neighbors together to discuss what to do when any suspicious activity is observed in neighborhood 
• Talk to your child's teacher about fun Red Ribbon Week celebration ideas
• Examples: Wear Red Day, Put A Cap On Drugs (Hat Day), Put A Sock On Drugs Day, Be On A Drug Free Team Day (Favorite Team Gear), Shade Out Drugs Day (Sunglasses)

Tell us how your family celebrates Red Ribbon Week in a comment below! 

For more information about Red Ribbon Week, click here

-Hannah

Prevention Begins with Awareness

Pinwheels for Prevention - Watch for them!

As a child I grew up in a relatively sheltered environment. I had parents who cared for me and provided for my needs. In fact they provided for our family so well I didn't even know to question if parents were supposed to do that or not. Mine just did. I remember relatively carefree days of playing with the neighbor kids. How we loved to run around, imagining and playing all sorts of things: flying like Peter Pan, being a mom or dad, building cities in the sand and so much more! The worst part of the day, by far, was when my mom said it we couldn't play anymore.

It wasn't until my early high school years that some of my naivety was stripped away. The cause? There was a divorce in a family nearby due to the abuse going on in the home. I remember being shocked that anyone would hurt the tender woman I knew as the mother or her children. Yet, here it was in front of me.

Help Me Grow Staff at the Child
Abuse Prevention Month Kick-off

Although I didn't fully understand the impact of this situation at the time, my experiences have led me down a path to where I have now witnessed firsthand the affects of child abuse on a person. Not
just in that moment, but for the rest of their lives. From my initial awareness of abuse in high school to my increasing understanding today, I can say I have gained a passion to protect children and help heal adults who weren't protected. I gained this passion because I learned about and witnessed the effects of the abuse on the lives of people whom I came to love.

Fortunately, there is a movement across the nation to help fuel this passion. April is nationally recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Why? Because prevention is so much more important to you, me and our communities than intervention. Because the lives of other people matter.

So, I encourage all of you to step outside of your current comfort zones, as I am trying to do. Recognize the signs that are around you of possible abuse. If needed, learn what those signs are. Then be a voice for children. You won't be alone in your cause. There are many who want to help along the way. Here are a few examples:

The Utah Association of Family Support Centers
The Division of Child and Family Services
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition

Help Me Grow can also connect you to many other resources specific to your questions or the area where you live to help you gain a better understanding. As you seek to learn about this cause, you too can gain a passion. With this awareness will come a desire to prevent. From there you can change generations!

Fingerpaint Challenge to Celebrate Our Youngest Learners!

Remember the ice bucket challenge? You know, the one where you get ice cold water dumped on you and then you challenge others to participate? Well, get out your fingerpaints and get ready for this next challenge! It’s the “Fingerpaint with a Child” challenge issued by Utah’s higher education institutions.

The challenge is designed to celebrate our youngest learners by letting them participate in playful and creative fingerpainting activities. We’re committing to ensure that every child in Utah experiences the type of  learning environment--at home, at child care, at school, and in the community--that will promote their early learning.

Let’s help the challenge go viral. Their goal is to have 25,000 leaders and citizens in Utah participate. Pull out some fingerpaints or make your own before April 19^th. After you complete the challenge, make sure to challenge your family and friends. Share your videos at www.facebook.com/uaeyc, on Twitter @uaeyc with #WOYCUTAH or #fingerpaintUT.

I accepted the challenge with these cute kiddos. We made our own fingerpaint using this great tutorial here.

Consider yourself challenged! Let us know how it went!

Make time for Playtime :)

Playtime is a child's most important work! Here are some ideas to help make the best out of playtime!

Encourage Children to Play

To children, play is just fun. However, playtime is as important to their development as food and good care. Playtime helps children be creative, learn problem-solving skills and learn self-control.  Good, hardy play, which includes running and yelling, is not only fun, but helps children to be physically and mentally healthy.

Children Need Playmates: 

It is important for children to have time with their peers.  By playing with others, children discover their strengths and weaknesses, develop a sense of belonging, and learn how to get along with others. Consider finding a good children’s program through neighbors, local community centers, schools, or your local park and recreation department.

Parents Can be Great Playmates: 

Join the fun! Playing Monopoly, reading, or coloring with a child gives you a great opportunity to share ideas and spend time together in a relaxed setting.

Playtime is a fabulous way to teach children in a fun and loving environment. It helps the children learn many different skills that they will use throughout their whole lives. Playgroup that is offered at the South Franklin Community Center in Provo, Utah is a wonderful way to help your children meet friends and play with children that are their own age. 

Where I found some of the information: 

http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/play-work-of-children/pl5/

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201409/playing-children-should-you-and-if-so-how

Mommy, Wow! We're All Grown Up Now

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Each and every parent waits in great and nervous anticipation for their children’s milestone moments: crawling, first steps, off to school and—finally—launching them from home. After almost five years of existence, Help Me Grow has reached some of its own milestone moments—many of them under the carefully guided hand of Utah County leaders, who possessed great foresight. These years of nurturing have given rise to services seen fit to now go beyond the bounds of the Wasatch Front. And so, with great support from our state, we’re happy to announce that Help Me Grow is now “all grown up” and able to support families across the state of Utah!

On our end, we’re filled with gratitude for the generous funding provided by the Department of Workforce Services and various divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services. Due to this funding, we have diligently been hiring qualified workers to be placed throughout the state. Their primary role is to get to know your community and the services there to help families with young children. The staff members in our current offices have been discussing and planning for this expanded growth; they have begun to learn about the resources and supports in their newly assigned areas of Utah.

For you, we hope this means you feel a new sense of excitement! All of the behind the scenes work is moving forward and is now here for you to take advantage of. Tell your family, friends, doctor, and anyone else where you live that they need to get to know Help Me Grow. Tell all these same people across the state the same thing. Share your story with us here (by commenting below) so others can

see that being “all grown up” is a blessing and the state didn't go wrong in launching our rapid expansion.

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We’re as proud as any parents can be. But, more importantly, we’re thrilled! Thrilled that hard work eventually pays off; thrilled by the support from our state; thrilled that our small steps have moved us to this big moment; and thrilled beyond measure that we can now come to you to find and enrich the sense of family and community where you live. The old adage is endlessly true. It takes a village to raise a child. Help Me Grow wants to be part of the village to help you be the best parents you can while raising our future. Together we’ll do it!

Day of Caring September 11, 2014

Yesterday as part of United Way Day of Caring, we had an awesome activity at Mountainland HeadStart! We had a great turn-out and had super fun activities. Thanks to our volunteers from BYU Broadcasting. Check out all the fun we had!

Volunteer Night for Welcome Baby

 We love our volunteers!

After recieving dontations from the community over the past four months, we had some great volunteers from BYU's School of Family Life come put all of our home-visit packets together for us. They did a great job, and we so enjoyed having them. Thanks for all the time and hardwork you dontated to Welcome Baby and to new families in the community!

(Pictured: Melissa Bennett, Hannah Mae Swope, Dawna Baugh, Roberta Merrill, Hannah Brinton, Dana Raine. Not pictured: Julie Evans and Brittney Frehner)

Key characteristics that lead to healthier families!

It wasn't till I had my own family that I realized how hard parenting was and that to do a good job I was going to need some help.  It was through friends, community and professionals that I was able to feel supported in making some very difficult decisions that eventually led to a much stronger and I meant add happier family.

Help Me Grow Utah believes that healthy families are the best way to ensure a child’s optimal development and we are invested in the well-being of families.

Every family has strengths and as family members we can identify our strengths and use them to increase the capacity of every individual in our family.  

The Center for Study of Social policy has been researching over many years what are the key characteristics that lead to healthier families.  These strengths or characteristics have been named “ five protective factors” and are the following:

1.      Social Connections-Friends

2.      Parental Resilience- Courage

3.      Concrete support in time of need- Resources

4.       Knowledge of parenting and child development- Knowledge and understanding

5.      Social and emotional competence of children-children has the ability to identify emotions, empathize with others and use this information to think about how to act.

Each of these factors can be reinforced by communities.  For example a community helps parents to connect with other parents.  Providing opportunities for parents of young children to connect can be so helpful because you begin to feel less isolated and

can discuss challenges with parents that are experiencing similar challenges.  A community that provides opportunities for this to happen is a place where families can flourish.  Another example of a community support is that of a central access point for parents to learn about what is available and what is good information.

We at Help Me Grow are committed to helping families connect to resources and receive information on parenting and child development.  As a parent strengthening these characteristics can give you knowledge to make the decisions for you and your children. 

When you are looking for resources and don’t know where to go you can dial 2-1-1 and ask for Help Me Grow. 

A skilled care coordinator will help you identify resources and then check up to make sure that you received the services you need. 

 Barbara Leavitt, Director Help Me Grow Utah 

Help Me Grow Community Calendar!

Spring is here and school will soon be out for the summer!  Need some ideas of what to do with your little ones all summer long?? Do you have children with disabilities?  Are you looking for a parent support group?

Our community calendar is a great way to find resources throughout the Salt Lake and Utah counties!

Help Me Grow's Community Calendar is located on our website www.helpmegrowutah.org under the Events tab.

The calendar includes various activities such as community wide events, events specific for children with disabilities, educational events, parenting classes, playgroups, and more! 

Some events going on now include: 

Ready to Learn Workshop

Mommy and Me Playgroup

Welcome Baby Playgroup

Siblings Helping Siblings Support Group for children with Autism and siblings.

Events coming soon:

Freedom Festival Baby Contest, June 1st

Handwriting Classes, beginning June 18th

Summer Social Skills Groups for children with Autism, beginning June 10th.

& more.

Check out the calendar for more details.

Here's a snapshot of what the calendar looks like... 

Click here to access calendar.

What other events have you heard about?

If you would like your program's event to be included, please contact us. 

Service Minded Kids

We're lucky to have Mindy Jensen from her blog "Service Minded Kids" sharing with us today how she has worked to teach her kids to serve! Check out what she's done and comment to tell us some other great ways to get your kids to serve!

Early in 2010, I was invited to be on a morning talk show to discuss how I was teaching my kids to serve others.  Someone apparently thought I was doing a good job and had recommended me.  While it was true that I had done a few service projects with my kids, the experience made me realize that if I truly wanted service to be one of the values instilled in my children, I had to do more.  

That summer, we (meaning me) instituted our first “Summer of Service”, where, as a family, we would do one service project a week for the entire summer break.  I spent many hours researching project ideas and seeking out organizations that needed our help (thank goodness for the internet!) and before summer began I had a calendar laid out with projects for each week.  And although I had to leave the country for a few weeks, my family carried on without me and the summer was a great success!  So this past summer, we decided we needed to do it again and the results were even better.  The more we serve, the more we love it and the more we gain from it.

In 2012, we did an array of projects –some on our own and some with various organizations.  I tried to diversify it and make each one a new experience for my children.  Some were simple and others took more planning or more investment of time, but all were worth the effort.  And the unity we felt and the good feelings generated are hard to come by any other way.  

A Few of Our Favorites Included:

• Sorting canned food at Community Action Services and Food Bank – They have a family activity night every Monday that you can sign up for where they will give you a quick tour and have a project planned.  I think we liked it because we could all actively participate and it was hard work with a visible result.
• “Anonymous Acts that Make People Smile (AAMPS)” – We spent the good part of a day doing small things to brighten people’s day – putting change on vending machines at the hospital, leaving a package of diapers and wipes in the changing tables at the mall, taping microwave popcorn to several Redboxes, and other fun, secret acts.  I think my kids enjoyed this because of the “sneaky” factor.  We tried not to let anyone see us, but they liked to hide and watch to see who became the recipient of our anonymous deed.  This is where my boys coined the term “service spies”.

• Making and delivering 4^th of July party crackers to a homeless shelter.  We enlisted the help of friends to stuff toilet paper rolls full of treats, cover with tissue paper and decorate.  Then we got to deliver them as part of our July 4^th activities.  Seeing how others live (and celebrate holidays) helps children to be grateful for the things they have and the things they get to do.

So What Now?

It actually felt kind of odd not constantly thinking about our next project once school started, but things get so busy that life soon caught up to us.  So now that school is back in session and we are back to lessons and homework and all kinds of other demands on our time, we have set a goal to do one family project a month.  Here’s a few of the things that we have planned (and hopefully this will also help to spur some ideas for your own family):

·         Planting bulbs for spring in our city’s garden boxes that line Main Street (You can call your city offices to find out about opportunities like this – ours does it several times a year.)

·         Trick or Treat for UNICEF – collecting change on Halloween for other children in need around the globe

·         Weekend Backpack Program – meets the needs of hungry children when school is not in session (this will be with Community Action Services and Food Bank again).

·         Food Box decorating for The Utah Food Bank’s deliveries to seniors (They also have opportunities for families with kids age 5+ to volunteer at the food bank.)

·         Christmas program at a nearby assisted living center (You can find such facilities in your area listed here.)

But enough about us – What can YOU do to start raising service-minded kids?

1. Decide that this is something that you want in your children’s lives.  Whether you want to instill empathy, unselfishness or just awareness, carrying out service projects with your kids will do each of these.  But you as a parent will have to do most of the legwork, so decide now that it IS important and then you will be more motivated to make it happen.
2. Do some research.  What kinds of services are available in your area (or how far are you willing to drive)?  Do they have service projects already set up, or is there something you can do from home and then deliver?  As you are researching, think about your children’s interests.  Animals?  Try the animal shelter.  Art and crafts?  Do something where you make cards or letters or have to paint.  Cooking?  Take a meal to a neighbor or serve at a homeless shelter.  There are SO MANY ideas and opportunities out there, and there is something to fit every child, I guarantee it.
3. Schedule it.  Put it on the calendar!  Our lives are busy and we tend to procrastinate even things we really want to do.  If it’s written down, you are more likely to follow through and perhaps even your children will notice.  Make an appointment with the organization or invite some friends to participate, then you will have the added incentive of someone holding you accountable.
4. Just do it!  Once you have researched, planned and scheduled your project – follow through with it.  Make sure it happens!  Get your children excited before hand and they will be more likely to make it happen as well.
5. Discuss the project at all phases with your family.  Help them understand why you are doing what you are.  Discussion is the only way to help young children see the needs of others and relate it to their own lives.  Point out how grateful they can be because they have this or that.  Have them imagine what it would be like without a home or without toys or without a family who loved them – and then discuss the opportunity that we have to give and to serve.

You will learn a little bit with every project and you will see that some are more “successful” than others.  But when you are giving, serving and teaching your children to step outside of themselves, to see life beyond their own little world, you can’t go wrong.  Those you serve will always benefit and so will your children.  I can tell you first hand that it is well worth the effort.         

If you are looking for ideas and inspiration, or want more details on some of our experiences – check out www.servicemindedkids.blogspot.com.  I also welcome any questions and would love to hear about your own family service experiences.  You can contact me at servicemindedkids@gmail.com

Also check out United Way's website for volunteer opportunities available in the Utah County area! You can find specific opportunities based on your interests! Start serving!

How I Gained My Passion for Reading

Just a few days after Dr. Seuss' birthday, I thought it would be fun to share how reading has impacted my life and hope it inspires you to help your children develop a love for reading!

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From the time I was a young child, I remember my dad reading to me and my siblings. My father has a passion for reading novels and chose to share this interest with his children. My dad’s interest in reading to us soon became a special ritual; we would gather all the candles my mom had placed around the house and put them on the fireplace mantle. After keenly watching daddy light the candles one by one, we would snuggle up on the couch and listen to his exciting narration of classic books like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling, or The Hobbit, by J. R. Tolkien. Although I did not understand all the words in the books, I loved listening to my father’s deep voice paint a picture with words. I felt excited to go on adventures in my young imagination, with my daddy to guide the way! I knew that my daddy loved me because he took the time to spend special time with me and my siblings. He could have taken this time to read by himself, or doing other chores. He would wait until we were all tucked in bed to take time for himself to read. As I saw him read by himself, I realized that he didn’t just read to us so that we would be well-read, but because he genuinely enjoyed reading. I have never been a good/fast reader, but I have enjoyed reading novels throughout my childhood, teen years, and now into adulthood. I am so happy my dad helped me to develop this hobby by his example to me. I believe that I was able to do better in school because I learned to appreciate reading from a young age. 

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How have you helped your children enjoy reading? 

Do you have different strategies to get your kids to read based on their age?