Comments on: Help Me Raise a Socially Conscious Kid http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/ Famous Among Dozens Tue, 21 May 2013 15:53:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: jenn http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/#comment-1258086 jenn Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:43:24 +0000 http://mightygirl.com/?p=21736#comment-1258086 i knew growing up that my parents made monetary donations to some organizations but we never did volunteering. I turned out all right though I think. I have raised my kids to be socially conscious by leading through example. I volunteer myself and I've always talked to my kids about it. As they have gotten older, I have taken them to volunteer with me. It's something we do as a family. They haven't always wanted to but even so, I know they learn from the experience. I think you're doing great and Hank is going to prove it to you :) i knew growing up that my parents made monetary donations to some organizations but we never did volunteering. I turned out all right though I think. I have raised my kids to be socially conscious by leading through example. I volunteer myself and I’ve always talked to my kids about it. As they have gotten older, I have taken them to volunteer with me. It’s something we do as a family. They haven’t always wanted to but even so, I know they learn from the experience. I think you’re doing great and Hank is going to prove it to you :)

]]> By: Amy http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/#comment-1258019 Amy Mon, 24 Dec 2012 01:23:42 +0000 http://mightygirl.com/?p=21736#comment-1258019 My parents didn't seem to make any conscious effort to teach me how to be aware of those kinds of things that mattered, and I don't really remember them doing much of it themselves. BUT--we had a hunting camp in the forest that we would spend weekends at (when it wasn't hunting season) and somehow I picked up my dad's reverence for the forest, which had a great deal to me becoming an environmental activist and then a science teacher, which for me is really just a form of activism within the system. My parents didn’t seem to make any conscious effort to teach me how to be aware of those kinds of things that mattered, and I don’t really remember them doing much of it themselves. BUT–we had a hunting camp in the forest that we would spend weekends at (when it wasn’t hunting season) and somehow I picked up my dad’s reverence for the forest, which had a great deal to me becoming an environmental activist and then a science teacher, which for me is really just a form of activism within the system.

]]> By: Ali http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/#comment-1258004 Ali Sun, 23 Dec 2012 09:42:11 +0000 http://mightygirl.com/?p=21736#comment-1258004 My parent's didn't raise me with any real thought of being socially conscious, in fact they were quite self absorbed and a little bit racist. I, on the other hand, turned out fantastically, so it's probably something you either pick up or you don't. My parent’s didn’t raise me with any real thought of being socially conscious, in fact they were quite self absorbed and a little bit racist.
I, on the other hand, turned out fantastically, so it’s probably something you either pick up or you don’t.

]]> By: kim http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/#comment-1257906 kim Fri, 21 Dec 2012 01:58:09 +0000 http://mightygirl.com/?p=21736#comment-1257906 hi maggie... my mom and dad pretty much just showed us by example. i don't ever remember them saying anything about the importance of helping others. they just always...did it. in the late 60's, we took in a young man from iran for 6 months. in the 70's, we took in his brother for 3 years. they are now family. my sister and i both learned by the wonderful example they showed us...and, in turn, we both live that way as well. we give back. it's the best feeling ever, isn't it? merry christmas...and love... hi maggie…
my mom and dad pretty much just showed us by example. i don’t ever remember them saying anything about the importance of helping others. they just always…did it. in the late 60′s, we took in a young man from iran for 6 months. in the 70′s, we took in his brother for 3 years. they are now family. my sister and i both learned by the wonderful example they showed us…and, in turn, we both live that way as well. we give back. it’s the best feeling ever, isn’t it? merry christmas…and love…

]]> By: Cindy D. http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/#comment-1257902 Cindy D. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:15:41 +0000 http://mightygirl.com/?p=21736#comment-1257902 I don't remember what exactly my parents DID that taught me to give to others, but as an adult I have realized that it is in my nature to want to give. I have tried to instill that in my 6 year old by asking him to help me donate toys and clothes that he has outgrown to kids that can use them. We pack up the goods and I take him with me to the local organization that supports displaced women and children and I explain to him as well as I can that not everyone is as lucky as we are and it's up to us (and others) to help them. We participate in Toys for Tots every year and have adopted families here and there, but he is just now getting to the age that he understands and WANTS to help. Hank will get there, your every day example will be something that he absorbs just by being with you. I don’t remember what exactly my parents DID that taught me to give to others, but as an adult I have realized that it is in my nature to want to give. I have tried to instill that in my 6 year old by asking him to help me donate toys and clothes that he has outgrown to kids that can use them. We pack up the goods and I take him with me to the local organization that supports displaced women and children and I explain to him as well as I can that not everyone is as lucky as we are and it’s up to us (and others) to help them.

We participate in Toys for Tots every year and have adopted families here and there, but he is just now getting to the age that he understands and WANTS to help. Hank will get there, your every day example will be something that he absorbs just by being with you.

]]> By: Clair http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/#comment-1257901 Clair Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:11:52 +0000 http://mightygirl.com/?p=21736#comment-1257901 We volunteered year-round, donated our time to neighborhood organizations and our money to church (seriously, from the time I was five I had a quarter for the collection basket). My parents led by example. We didn't have much, but that was no reason to not help others who had less. I didn't ever think about this until high school, when my classmates were scrambling for community service hours to put on their college applications, and I had a long history of service to choose from. We volunteered year-round, donated our time to neighborhood organizations and our money to church (seriously, from the time I was five I had a quarter for the collection basket). My parents led by example. We didn’t have much, but that was no reason to not help others who had less. I didn’t ever think about this until high school, when my classmates were scrambling for community service hours to put on their college applications, and I had a long history of service to choose from.

]]> By: Claire http://mightygirl.com/2012/12/18/how-i-am-failing-as-a-parent/#comment-1257897 Claire Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:00:56 +0000 http://mightygirl.com/?p=21736#comment-1257897 My mom is a recovering alcoholic. She feels uncomfortable giving money to people on the street because they might spend it on booze. So when I was a kid if someone asked her for spare change she would usually say no. But once in a while, if she had time, she'd say "Can I buy you a meal?" I've done the same since I was a teenager. I do give spare change but I really like to buy people meals. The other night my boy and I were walking home in our neighborhood. I had just taken him out for fried chicken, a huge rare treat. A man on the sidewalk asked us for money, saying he wanted to go get some dinner. I gave him change and we walked on, but then I stopped. I reminded my son (age 9) that we had a piece of leftover chicken, and maybe we could offer it to the guy? So we walked back and asked if he wanted it. He did. We handed it over and headed home. I said, "It seems so crazy to me that we have a whole fridge full of food at home, and that guy has nothing. It's not fair. It makes me feel a little better to share something with him." "Yeah," said my boy. "Me too." My mom is a recovering alcoholic. She feels uncomfortable giving money to people on the street because they might spend it on booze. So when I was a kid if someone asked her for spare change she would usually say no. But once in a while, if she had time, she’d say “Can I buy you a meal?” I’ve done the same since I was a teenager. I do give spare change but I really like to buy people meals. The other night my boy and I were walking home in our neighborhood. I had just taken him out for fried chicken, a huge rare treat. A man on the sidewalk asked us for money, saying he wanted to go get some dinner. I gave him change and we walked on, but then I stopped. I reminded my son (age 9) that we had a piece of leftover chicken, and maybe we could offer it to the guy? So we walked back and asked if he wanted it. He did. We handed it over and headed home. I said, “It seems so crazy to me that we have a whole fridge full of food at home, and that guy has nothing. It’s not fair. It makes me feel a little better to share something with him.” “Yeah,” said my boy. “Me too.”

]]>