Learn ways to include kindness lessons in educational settings and beyond! Through learning about kindness, children learn empathy and compassion and can begin viewing the world around them through the eyes of others as they appreciate diverse perspectives. By building kindness activities into regular educational practices, we prepare kids for life as an adult who cares and contributes to the world around them.
Valentine’s Day often stirs strong feelings, often over-celebrated with material gestures. Our guest contributor shares how her view of the holiday was shifted by a homemade card, revealing the day's deeper potential. Learn how teaching young children about varied forms of love can foster empathy and enrich lives.
We might apply the idea of a “messy middle” to much of life–switching careers, engaging in social change, even parenting/family life itself. Most of our lives happen in this space, when you stop to think about it–we haven’t yet “arrived” at the metaphorical place of organization and tranquility, but are constantly evolving our processes to be responsive to needs. How might we help our children understand the messy middle–its necessity, its tension, its gift–in a developmentally-appropriate way?
As parents and caregivers, you likely know all too well the daily stressors you face. The surgeon general’s report outlines the specific challenges we face at each stage of a child’s development, from sleepless nights with newborns to navigating the troubled teen years. The stress doesn’t just affect us as parents, it spreads to impact the whole family unit. And when we worry that our stress is affecting our kids, the cycle feels never-ending. The surgeon general’s report calls attention to this vicious cycle and offers actionable ways to break it.
In today's fast-paced information cycle, issues are often presented as black or white, right or wrong. When parents actively listen and support diverse perspectives on various topics, from child care to nutrition, they model for children how to understand and appreciate differences, encouraging a more nuanced and empathetic view of the world.
At Doing Good Together™ we love to find ways to make a difference, not occasionally, but regularly, as part of the hobbies and habits we already pursue. Here are four easy ways you and your little one can make a difference with this summer's family vegetable garden and three essential reasons to make gardening your favorite family hobby!
Both volunteer work and spending time in nature help us feel happier, healthier, and calmer, so why not combine these ideas by participating in community service projects as a family that help our environment? This week's guest post from Happy Science Mom shows us how!
In the spirit of Earth Day, we're debuting a new project in the Big-Hearted Families™ collection featuring a unique organization. SciStarter has created an incredible online community to connect citizen scientists with researchers looking for help gathering and analyzing data.
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Summer is a great opportunity to build neighborhood memories with a big hearted project or two.
We recently completed the first big-hearted project with our new neighbors. We tackled a small craft project, testing out one of the upcoming Big Hearted Families book club activities.
Big-Hearted Families' activities build great neighborhood relationships for the same reason they build strong families:
They give you and excuse to spend time together, for longer than it takes to set out the trash or pick up the mail.
They give you something bigger to talk about than the weather or real estate market.
Plus, these projects contribute - in ways great and small - to your community.
As new members of our community, volunteering together gives us a great opportunity to build deeper connections more quickly.
During this season of summer gatherings, here are a few simple activities that may bring your neighborhood together:
Make Sandwiches: With minimal preparation and just an hour of time together, your neighborhood can stock local homeless shelters with hundreds of sandwiches for their residents. Put on some fun music, tackle our discussion questions, and fire up the grill or order a few pizzas to make an evening of it!
Make Birdseed Cookies: Decorate your neighborhood with edible treats for your feathered friends! Host a neighborhood gathering and set up a birdseed cookie table as a fun ice breaker. Later you can swap stories about the creatures you've spied snacking on your treats.
Adopt the Local Food Shelf: Has your family set up a food shelf donation station in your home? For a simple, no-party-necessary option, let your neighbors know when you regularly drop of your goodies and welcome them to add to the collection. Offer gentle reminders just before each donation and let them know of any unique seasonal needs.
