Goal: Intentionally Teaching Children to "Pay It Forward" in 2015 and Being Their Example

I have a keyword tag for it, I mention it, but do I really "pay it forward"?

Paying it forward means being kind to others without expecting anything back in return.

I researched ways to pay it forward, to find lists of ideas and compare my deeds to those suggestions.
I hold the door open for people, donate clothes to goodwill, recycle, and sometimes let people cut in line in front of me at the store or in traffic. I admit sometimes. This past year I did volunteer at the MS Walk in September. I enjoyed that.

I have to admit, a few of the acts of kindness made me cringe, "Oh, I couldn't do that!" Where did that attitude come from? I should embrace some of those as a challenge. Things like buying stuff specifically to donate; pet food, clothes, food. Food is the easiest. It is the cheapest! Man, I'm a tight-wad.

My goal is to not only consider ways to Be Kind everyday, but to DO something outside of my comfort zone to intentionally help others.

Moreover, I need to teach my students and my own children to be kind. After some more research, I saw that there wasn't a singular list I liked for teaching children, so I made my own.

At school:

• Smile at someone who seems to be having a rough day
• Carry books for someone on crutches
• Compliment someone, tell them they played a great game, painted a nice picture, or wore great shoes
• Hold the door for someone behind you
• Take found items to Lost and Found, even money.

In the Community:

• Put shopping carts back in the cart corral
• Bake and take cookies to local fire and police stations with thank you cards
• Hold a Teddy Bear and Friends drive and donate to police and fire stations. If they have a kid in distress, they would love to have a stuffed animal to give them!
• Take cards, Valentine's, or notes to local nursing homes
• Donate clothes, toys, to daycares, charity, or to a family whose house burned down.
• Donate items to the local humane shelter, maybe even volunteer there or foster a pet
• Give cookies and thank yous to your local postal workers
• Pay for someone's drink or toll behind you from a coin jar you and your kids save change in
• Allow a person with a few items in line in front of you
• Shop with your child for canned goods that you then donate together to the local food bank
• Teach your children how to greet strangers. "Hello" and a smile from a sweetie might make their day.
• Encourage them, if old enough, to use freerice.com. It donates rice to hungry people while your child learns new things.
• Live in a tourist trap? Offer to take photos for people and families struggling to get into a selfie.
• Put coupons you don't need on community bulletin boards. Share coupons for restaurants with others in the restaurant that you don't use.
• Take found items to Lost and Found. It is not always 'Finders Keepers'.
• Many churches do wonderful things to help others. Find out what your church is doing and jump in!

At Home:

• LISTEN! Listen to your kids without trying to fix anything, without adding to their stories, without trying to change the subject. They will learn to listen to their friends and others without judging, too.
• Pick up litter in a local park, along your street, or in an open space nearby regularly. Recycle cans.
• If you don't recycle, do. Kids can help separate and take bags of items to the recycling center, or out to the curb.
• Donate books you no longer read. Schools, libraries, paperback exchanges, and other places like jails or prisons will take books. Call first, though. Find out what programs your town has. There are also some online.
• Donate old towels to the humane shelter
• Leave inspiring notes for each other. (or love notes)
• Mow the neighbor's lawn
• Put out bird feeders or fresh bird baths in winter. 

For More Ideas:
My Pinterest Be Kind Board
Kindspring
For Teachers and Schools
Rants From Mommyland: Kids Can Volunteer - These are divided by age groups
109 Acts of Kindness you can start doing today

Things I Have Learned in 2013

Another year smarter.

Things I have learned:
1. Texts are legal documentation.

They are anything BUT personal. Your private texts are actually public domain. After an incident  where a text I sent to a parent was pointed out that without proper context, could be misconstrued; I decided to ban texting and facebook-ing from my professional career. Personal calls, personal chats, personal texts are all ways for people to feel way too familiar and open up beyond professional limits. I worked too darn hard to get here in the last few years and I'll not let a moment of personal texting be my downfall!

2. Do not underestimate a child because they have a communication disability.

One of my students has been reading this year, but had never before been given the tools to demonstrate that she could because she had difficulty both in saying and writing words. Now that she has the opportunity to show us, we can see her progress and rejoice in her triumphs. What other secrets could people with disabilities be hiding?? As I grow as a teacher, I will continue to find ways to let my students show what they know; to demonstrate all that they can do.

3. Ten-year-olds are all the same!  :)  I took my 10 year old to a group designed just for 10-11 year olds, and every other kid there was trying to use big words in hilarious ways, said embarrassing things that made their parents roll their eyes, and they rolled them right back at the adults! All the parents were exasperated in exactly the same way, and all the kids, even with their unique personalities and backgrounds, had something bubbling inside them that was decidedly 10 years old. This is also the year where the Christmas gifts get super expensive as they do not want as many toys but want every kind of electronic device. They have figured out the birds and bees for the most part, too. They know how the world works just enough to start asking the 'really big' questions.We decided to give the boy his own room. It is time.

4. I really miss creative writing.

With my college classes this year, 2 in the beginning, 1 in summer, and 1 this fall, my writing has all been academic. I have 2 friends who have asked me to edit/beta-read their super long manuscripts. It makes me want to write my own. I have had to shelve all my endeavors and theirs in lieu of classes, though. I wrote the occasional ficly, but had I not had many websites related to writing bookmarked, I'd have forgotten many of them by now.

5. Hummus is good.

Roasted Red Pepper hummus on pita chips is my new snack love! It is much healthier than say, a chocolate covered granola bar. It is low in calories and filling. I also have learned to enjoy soup more; the light kind. I have been learning how to eat healthier. I don't think you ever stop learning how to be healthier. There is always new information.

6. I'm a giver.

I think about giving all the time. I wrote a lot about being a giver here on this blog over the years. I feel really crummy when I can't give. I desire to give and give, be busy and active, and that often means giving to others, even if it is just my time. I need to be selfish sometimes, too.  I had some really bad times from 2008 to 2010, and was in a really dark place when I was unemployed. There was loss, struggle, depression, anguish, days where I never knew where help would come from or how we would make it through. But we did.  I learned about myself. I am a mother first, a writer, and lastly a teacher. Teaching is a way of giving, too. That place I dreamed of back in 2009, I am here, now. This is the happiest and most stressful I've ever been. With great power comes great responsibility, right? Well, with great happiness comes great stress. You have to overcome to appreciate what you just did. Now that I have it, I need to remember what I was going to do with it.

7. Editing is good. Editing blog posts is good. Editing your life, trimming the excess fat so to speak, is good. Taking a step back to re-evaluate your life and make sure that it is really what is best for you is good. Editing includes organizing. When life feels cluttered, you need to stop and take time to de-clutter. Whether it be your closets, your career, your garden, or your email inbox, pruning the excess will help you breathe easier.



On that note, I will stop here and bring you my year in pictures in a future post. :)

UPDATE:
I learned two new words! Hirsute, and comorbidity. Look them up!