Creating Community Kids

This week we want to share an article we found at www.commonsensemedia.org titled How to Raise a Reader.

It includes some great tips – including – going ahead and letting kids read what THEY enjoy.   Most important, like in most things, is modeling the behavior. Read to your kids, read on your own around your kids, and talk about what you are reading.

Reading is a great past-time and with libraries available – it does not take a big financial investment to enjoy a variety of books.   A few “different”  ideas to get you started:

Travel books: Not planning a vacation? Look at travel books as ways to learn about places where extended family live, or if your family has really enjoyed a fiction book or series about a different country, find books about that country to help you visualize what it is like.

Cookbooks: A great way to discuss nutrition, and get picky eaters to help plan meals and try new things!

Magazines:   Family love to watch sports?  Find some sports magazines to learn more about the athletes, statistics, and more.

Let us know what you are reading!

Are you trying to use more natural and kid safe cleaning products around your home?  Are you wanting to support your community?  How about encouraging and supporting service learning opportunities for youth? How about using a great cleaning spray that works?  A community KWAKER (Kids with a Kause) group has made an eco-friendly, kid safe cleaner that they are selling to help support their projects.

The KWAKers are selling the cleaner for $4 a bottle, and will help arrange pick-up in the Des Moines area.  If you are interested in having it shipped please contact us for more information.  To purchase Kwaker Kleaner, please contact Community!Youth Concepts through our website.

What could be better than a cleaner that is kid, earth and community friendly?  Oh yeah, it works great!

A few photos of the KWAKers as they make and bottle a batch of Kleaner!

Buffy and Jess

This week’s post is written by Jess Henry, a member of CYC’s ID Action Youth Advisory Board and a paralegal student at DMACC.

The ID Action Youth Advisory Board (quite a mouthful – I just call it the YAB) decided that this summer we would make it our goal to spread the word about bullying against youth with disabilities. The YAB consists of several young people with disabilities, and all of us have had our own experiences with the issue.

Bullying is headline news and something that greatly impacts children with disabilities. Each member of the YAB is very different from one another. My personal experience is completely different from others, and none of us have the same disability. Because of that, we all had vastly different experiences with bullying. Together we were able to put together an interactive presentation to not only educate kids about the effects of bullying but especially how it relates to youth with disabilities. The issue of bullying can come from different places. It can start with one child who is unhappy and spread to others who don’t know how to cope when faced with bullying. Education is a great way to combat it, and reaching today’s young kids on a level that they can understand is part of that.

During our presentation, we each took a chance and shared about ourselves and our disabilities. We also talked about how it made us feel as children when people pointed, when people stared, or when we were ignored. We shared personal stories of being bullied and talked about the negative impact it had on us. Some talked about how they learned to cope with the severe impact it had on their happiness and emotional health.  Our audience was made up of elementary and middle school kids. We had them role-play two different scenarios – one as several of them witnessed one child bullying the other and doing nothing and then in another we had the witnesses speak up against the bullying. (For parents – it’s a great tool to help your children understand what they are capable of doing when they see bullying happening). It’s important to give solutions that are practical to kids, to make them feel confident in doing the right thing in the face of adversity.

My own experiences were different from the other members’ experiences. While I was never truly outright bullied, I had to struggle with making friends and being ignored by my peers. It got immensely better when I went to high school and joined a couple of extracurricular activities, but it still impacted me. I asked the kids to think twice about ignoring someone because they were different. It may not be directly mean but it still can have an effect.

It was an overall positive experience for both the YAB and the audience of kids. For parents reading this, don’t be afraid to communicate with your children about disabilities. It’s important for parents to talk to their kids about the uncomfortable things. Almost every person with a disability has had at least one experience with bullying or teasing, and it doesn’t have to be that way. And I believe, in every child, there is a potential for a hero standing up against bullying.

Whether you are gathering around a family table, heading on a road trip, or just hanging out this Thanksgiving weekend, here are some conversation starters:

Tell about a Thanksgiving memory.

What is something funny that happened to you in the last week?

How do you think Thanksgiving will be different in 50 years?

What traditions from this, or past Thanksgivings, do you want to continue? Why?

How can we put the “giving” in Thanksgiving?

As we near Thanksgiving, we also start to hear about food drives, community meals, Toys for Tots, and many more opportunities for families to share what they have with others – without expecting anything in return. If we are Creating Community Kids – it is never to early to start.  And no start is too small, in fact, even if you are receiving some of these resources this year, there may be ways you can give back.

For those that can, purchasing items for drives, even small items if that is what you can afford, starts teaching your kids to share what they have.  Dropping a couple of small non-perishable items in the bins at the grocery store on each trip can start a great habit for your family.

Donating gently used items is another way to encourage your family to share what it has.  Together with your kids, look through closets, bookshelves, games and toys for items that they no longer use but that still have plenty of usefulness left in them. Emergency shelters and clothes closets are always looking for items. School counselors may also know of families in your area they can pass items on to as well.  Some items may be more appropriate for churches, schools, or other youth programs.

Giving time is another way most families can share. Check with your local food bank for opportunities to volunteer. If you live in a more rural area, check with your school for opportunities to give of your time. Many churches and/or community organizations sponsor Community Thanksgiving meals, find out who to ask for tasks that you and your kids can do to help the event run smoothly.

Finally, you can teach your kids to follow up and say “thank you”.  Whether it is thanking an organization for providing gifts or food, or thanking an organization for letting them volunteer, consider having them sit down and either tell them, or write a note letting them know what the experience meant to them. This can also give you and your child an opportunity to reflect about the gift or experience and encouraging them to continue to give of themselves in the future.

Do you have other ways your family has shared what it has with your community?  Please share in the comments!

As we roll into November, many parents and teachers are either preparing for, or just finishing their first round of parent/teacher conferences.  However, it is important to remember, to having open communication between parents and teacher is not a two or three times a year event. It is also critical that parents and teachers communicate open and honestly all year, and remember to keep the students in the loop. Don’t wait for there to be a problem if at all possible.

Classroom and student blogs or newsletters are a great way for teachers and students to connect with parents.  Make sure you are reading the items posted.  It may be helpful to jot down a note or two about  items you read to ask your student about.

E-mail is a great way to contact teachers.  I know the message is getting to them, yet allows them the opportunity to answer when they have  the time. It is a great way to have an occasional check in, or let the teacher know about a particular issue.   E-mail also allows me as a parent to jot it down and send it off while it is on my mind.

Phone calls and personal visits are also a great way to check in with teachers.  Please be considerate of their time and their commitments. It may be best to send a note or e-mail to ask the teacher when would be a good time to visit or call.  Have your questions or concerns prepared ahead of time, and if you are wanting to see something specific from the teacher (past assignments, assessments, or other items) let them know prior to your call or meeting so they can also be prepared.

When you are in the school, take some time with your student to walk the halls, check out the artwork posted by students, have them show you their classrooms or their routine.