Tag Archives: kindness

General Safety Issues

TEN WAYS TO TEACH YOUNG CHILDREN TO BE KIND TO PETS (GUEST POST)

This article is being shared with us by Molly Cunningham, of LiveinNanny.com. 

When kids learn to treat animals with gentleness and respect, they also learn about compassion and caring on a larger scale, which are traits that can later be applied to the relationships that they have with fellow humans. For parents of toddlers and young children, imparting these lessons can be a bit of a challenge; here are 10 ways to help your little one understand the importance of treating animals well.

  1. Set a Good Example – Children learn primarily through mimicry. They watch their parents and other authority figures, and then model their own behavior after their observances; one of the best ways to instill a love of animals is to have that same love yourself and to exhibit it often.
  2. Research Local Programs – Your local Humane Society chapter or other animal activism organization is likely to have a program or two specifically directed at helping small children understand the proper treatment of animals. A cursory glance at a local message board or search engine results could net dozens of options.
  3. Take Advantage of Story Time – Most kids love a bedtime story, and there are tons of books on the market written with this very subject in mind. A colorfully illustrated, well-written book about animals and the humans that love them can do wonders for explaining the concept of animal kindness to kids.
  4. Teach Proper Handling of Small Animals – Helping a child to properly hold and handle a small or newborn animal while emphasizing the importance of being gentle is a great way to teach a hands-on lesson about carefully handling animals and never being too rough.
  5. Visit a Petting Zoo – Spending an afternoon at the petting zoo can be a fun and informative experience for kids of all ages, but especially for little ones who wouldn’t ordinarily have the opportunity to interact with such an interesting array of animals or have access to professionals that are trained to help kids learn about them.
  6. Share Interesting Facts – Learning that baby goats are also called “kids” or that butterflies taste with their feet not only entertain children, but also help them to see that animals have their own unique, interesting qualities.
  7. Help at a Shelter – Taking a trip to your local animal shelter to help walk the dogs, feed the cats or do other fun and interactive chores not only makes a difference in your community, but also in your child. It might be best to stick to a privately run no-kill shelter or to be sure that no animals are scheduled to be euthanized during your visit, however, to avoid a traumatic experience.
  8. Study Local Wildlife – A trip to a local nature preserve or national park not only provides kids with a day of no-television fun, but can also help them understand the very important concept that wild animals are not pets, but should be treated with the same respect.
  9. Watch Kid-Friendly Television Programming – While you might want to skip the program chronicling the antelopes’ encounter with a hungry lion, there are plenty of kid-centric animal documentary shows that can provide strong talking points and valuable information.
  10. Get a Pet – After you’re certain that your child understands the basic treatment of animals, introducing a pet into your home is a great way to keep their education going. Even if you live in a small space or urban environment that isn’t conducive to traditional pets, a small hamster or a goldfish can still help give your child a sense of responsibility.

Most small children need to be reminded to be gentle more than anything else, as deliberate cruelty is quite rare in children so young. Kids that show signs of harmful behavior might be struggling with a larger issue. If this is the case the child’s pediatrician should be consulted.

General Safety Issues

ALMOST OVER, IT’S “WORLD KINDNESS WEEK”

Now that the week of November 8th is almost over, here’s hoping that you have been a little nicer to everyone than usual, since it is World Kindness Week.  You still have time, however, since Saturday, the 13th is “World Kindness Day,” and I plan to remind my husband of it!   We know that our job is to focus on helping everyone stay safe – but if we are thoughtful of others and hope they are thoughtful to us, (Golden Rule), it  WILL  keep us all safer. 

I consider it a major act of kindness when a driver lets me wedge into a lane when I am driving in city traffic.  If you put on your blinker and watch, there will be some good soul that will wave you in.  Then again, there are others that won’t.  When you are from a small town, it’s good to know that there are nice people traveling the highways that are courteous, and in return, you can reciprocate. 

A little act of kindness can go a long way.  The workplace is a good example of this.  When workers take the time to help a coworker out, it can make the difference in the outcome of their whole day.  Supervisors will find that if they treat their employees in a positive way, most of the time, the result will be workers who are more productive and appreciative of their job.  Who doesn’t enjoy a little pat on the back at some point in their career?  Many times we have seen persons who seem to think they can build themselves up by tearing someone else down, such as constantly downgrading their work, or embarrassing them in front of coworkers.  People see through that, and lose respect for the person conducting himself/herself that way. 

Being nice isn’t being weak.  Some people are just nicer than others.  You see grumpy people everywhere, probably work or live with them!  If that’s the case, tell them that it doesn’t cost a penny to be nice to others – it’s free!  Look for the opportunity to help someone, even if it’s just holding open a door for someone.  Volunteer for a worthy cause.  Join your hospital volunteers, or other important organization.  Donate blood, drive someone to the store – there’s someone waiting for your help.  Sometimes a phone call to an elderly friend makes their day.  Did you ever consider going to a nursing home or hospital and reading to a patient?

It seems that in any organization, there are always the same few people that will agree to take an office, or responsibility in the group.  There are always more followers than leaders.  Maybe if you are one of the leaders, and you simply ask someone to take an important role, they might surprise you and do it.  Pay attention to what’s going on around you, sometimes someone may just need a little nudge and confidence builder. 

Teach your children to be kind.  They need to know how to share and get along with others.  As they grow up, they must learn that showing respect to teachers, the elderly, and adults is the right thing to do.  (If this sounds old-fashioned, it is!)  

Many countries throughout the world observe  World Kindness Week, and World Kindness Day – Japan, Canada, Australia, the U.S., India, and many more.  It’s the time to look beyond ourselves and realize we are all citizens of the world.  If we can make everyone mindful of this, how could we not have a safer world?

General Safety Issues

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK 2010

This week, April 18-24, is National Volunteer Week, which is a time to thank one of our nation’s most valuable assets — volunteers — and call the public’s attention to all that they do to improve our communities.

Sponsored nationally by the Points of Light Institute, National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard M. Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Every president since has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. The theme, “celebrating people in action,” truly captures the meaning behind this signature week — honoring the individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities.

What would small communities do without volunteers?  Persons who work on city councils, hospital boards, and many other types of community boards receive no pay, but do it because they want to serve.  Places of entertainment, such as museums, theatres, art shows and others need volunteers.  When towns hold their annual festivals, they depend on volunteers to ensure success.  In most small towns, volunteer firemen and women are the ones fighting fires. In some cases, they may receive assistance from professional support teams; however, most of the time, these communities rely totally on their volunteer firemen and first responders.

Young people volunteer on summer projects; rather than spending their time going swimming, to the mall, or other fun things, they are swinging a hammer, painting, or performing other tasks, to repair homes for folks that otherwise can’t afford repairs.  Students also volunteer by collecting money for worthwhile causes, or running a race for financial pledges to help on special projects.

Hospital volunteers help their hospital meet budget by doing all types of clerical work at no charge.  They also hold fundraisers in order to buy needed equipment, thereby freeing up the hospital to make other purchases.  An important part of hospital volunteers are Pink Ladies, who serve in the patient areas of hospitals, doing various duties as outlined by volunteer criteria.  Church members can always be counted on to do whatever they can to help out their communities in times of troubles.  And what on earth would we do in times of destruction: fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, if it weren’t for the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and many other groups who wouldn’t be able to fulfill their duties without dedicated volunteers.

If you prefer not to help in a group, there are many ways to give the gift of yourself: reading to someone in a nursing home, running errands, cooking a meal for a family with a sick member, or simply calling an elderly friend to make sure they are o.k.  One can never know what that act of kindness may mean to someone.  Anyone with time to spare should give volunteering a try.

To quote Muhammad Ali: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”