Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
Parenting Pressure: How the Surgeon General’s ...

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.

Parenting Pressure: How the Surgeon General’s Advisory Aims to Support You
Parent with Purpose, Advocate
MiaLisa Millares
Disagreements and Differences: Strategies for ...

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.

Disagreements and Differences: Strategies for Helping Kids Navigate Our Divisive World
Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
The Important Impact of Community and ...

Mental health experts recommend helping young people build an understanding over time of what they can and can’t control. Bringing the focus to “how we treat other people; what activities we do the next day; what goals we have; who we spend time with; how hard we try to do the best we can” is something we can start in middle childhood to build a strong frame of reference in adolescence.

The Important Impact of Community and Volunteering in Helping Children and Teens Navigate Life Transitions
Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
Embrace the Chaos: Supporting a Child’s Growth ...

Buckling up for a metaphorical bumpy ride from time to time as you enter a new job, experience a change in leadership, or encounter a developmental growth spurt is something that begins at birth and follows us until life’s conclusion. The winds of change blow strong. With children, we sometimes don’t see the changes themselves right away; instead, we see the impact of the changes in personal barometers of behavior and mood. How can we as supportive humans respond effectively to the need for change and see the purpose behind the disequilibrium?

Embrace the Chaos: Supporting a Child’s Growth Through Turbulent Times
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose, Pick a Project, Quick Acts of Kindness
MiaLisa Millares
Shine Your Light: 5 Strategies to Empower ...

People want and need to be seen. It is a fundamental characteristic of humans that we seek opportunities to connect with others in an authentic way. We want to feel noticed and valued as a member of the human community. We want to understand AND be understood. This connection is vital to our feelings of safety and happiness, and ultimately is foundational to our ability to work through challenges, think critically, be planful, and other executive function skills. How can adults use that in-born inclination to shine a light on actions that we wish to reinforce in our children? 

Shine Your Light: 5 Strategies to Empower Children by Reinforcing Positive Actions

Doing Good Together

Tools, Tips, & Inspiration

Big-Hearted Families is ready for its national debut. In the coming weeks, watch for Facebook updates, press releases, blog posts here and on other, like-minded websites, all sharing the details of Big-Hearted Families.

Today, you can check out a post over at VolunteerSpot featuring our work.

Of course, you already know the wonderful things available here. If you like what you see, now's the time to spread the word about everything Big-Hearted Families has to offer!

 

How will you support Doing Good Together?

Okay readers... It's pledge drive time... Please, don't click away! Hear me out. In case there is any confusion on this point, let me clarify:

  1. Big-Hearted Families is a project of Doing Good Together.
  2. Doing Good Together is a nonprofit organization.
  3. The resources, project ideas, and extensive tools shared both at Big-Hearted Families and at Doing Good Together are made possible by your generous donations.

Also, we are extraordinarily efficient. The vast majority of our funds are raised each October during our gala event!

And You Are Invited!

Take a moment to support us right now! Please!

  • Check out our ONLINE AUCTION HERE. (You'll have a chance to bid on some amazing items all to support family volunteering!)
  • Purchase tickets and plan to attend our event on October 11, 5:30 to 8:30 pm. (food, music, wine... and the opportunity to bid on some exclusive silent auction items!)
  • Make a donation here. (perfect if you don't need more stuff, can't attend the event, but want to show your support)

Investing in family service pays huge dividends: it helps solve immediate problems and creates hope by instilling the spirit of giving in a new generation.

Getting Warmer

Welcome to the Big-Hearted Families Blog! I'm so glad you've popped over to our blog.

I do hope you are enjoying the rest of our wonderful new site. It is full of  resources, tools, and inspiration to keep your family practicing kindness even on the busiest of weeks.

For the moment, Big-Hearted blog posts can still be found over at Doing Good Together. Follow us on Facebook for post updates or check back a few times a week to see what's new.

I especially hope you check out the Q&A Friday posts, where we need your expertise to help other Big-Hearted Families like YOU!

Starting September 1, this will be the home of Doing Good Together's Big-Hearted Blog. Welcome to the conversation!

 

What's New at Doing Good Together?

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... Have you noticed how sleepy Doing Good Together’s Kitchen Table Blog has been this summer?

Darn.I was hoping you wouldn’t notice, with all your travel plans, walks for a cause, lemonade stand fundraisers, and good, old-fashioned ice cream cones.

The fact is, the blog has been sleepy for a purpose.

Doing Good Together is changing. It’s growing! And the blog is changing right along with it.

The awesome team at Doing Good Together, has been hard at work developing new things for you.

New resources. New printable tools. New ways to weave kindness and compassion into your family life in ways that will make sure that today's good deeds inspire the next generation of do-gooders.

Over the next month, watch for a few new features on the blog as well:

  • The kinder book club is now the Big-Hearted Book Club, and later this year we’ll add the option to have our books sent right to your door, along with a kindness activity, and a family recipe!
  • Join us for the new Friday Q&A feature, where our growing, big-hearted community will help answer your questions and address your kindness conundrums. If you have a question, just e-mail them to me (sarah.aadland@doinggoodtogether.org) or leave them right here in the comments section any day of the week!
  • And take a moment to share your family's gratitude with us! I’ll be posting a photo, a video, or maybe just a short sentence about something my family is grateful for each week, and I'll invite you to share yours. Check out Raising Happinessfor another great opportunity to practice gratitude!

So as you enjoy the long, hammock-swaying, lemonade-sipping days of summer, check back now and then to see what's new at Doing Good Together.