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Kids caring about their neighbors
Days ago, I emptied the last cardboard moving box and heaved a weary sigh of relief as I flattened it for recycling. At least now I could see all our stuff. Where to put it is another matter. At this stage of my life, I’ve decided the best option for me is to let the...
Rediscovering the sacred, for kids’ sake!
Mr. Rogers treated children and their inner lives as sacred. Sacred is defined as connected with God; holy; blessed. “Talking to children about God is a key component of their sense of self,” says Rabbi David Wolpe. “Children are taught that they are important, but...
Two ideas can help kids learn to expand possibilities
Kids and summertime. School’s out. Schedules relax. I’m anticipating day trips with my friends and their kids or grandchildren. This quotation inspires me: “We help each other grow in our families when we look beyond what we already know and imagine new possibilities...
Hear me. Let me help make this decision.
How do we become much more intentional and specific about the kinds of relationships kids need at home, at school, and in other places they spend time? In attempting to bring insight to this question, Search Institute proposes five essential actions in a family’s...
Extended family and friends: what we offer to kids
Within my family I’m a great-aunt, and to some of my friends, I’m “like-an-aunt” to their kids or grandchildren. I’m also “like-a-grandma” to two dear children. What spiritual impact can extended family have on kids? Time well spent We’re inching our way toward time...
It pays to champion kids’ spiritual exploration
When two of our nieces were small, they and their parents would get together with us about once a month and it always included a meal. When it was my turn to cook, I made lots of recipes not in the girls’ normal diet. On the drive to our house, their mom would play a...
“What are the magic words?” Please? Thank you?
“I asked the boys to find something they wanted to give each other (in secret), and told them that afterwards we would use some scrap paper and wrap the "gifts" up. They happily ran around trying to find things (my two-year-old usually came back with things that were...
Empathy–do this simple, free activity with kids
After reading Bob Sornson’s book, Stand in My Shoes: Kids learning about empathy, Sheila Sjolseth wrote about a family activity worth sharing with our readers. The ability to notice what others feel Empathy is “the ability to notice what other people feel. Empathy...
Children ask, “Why does God allow disasters?”
The headline in my local newspaper reads, “Worst [flood] in a generation,” as the Russian River turned storm-battered towns into islands. Once again, older kids ask: “What was God thinking?” Why does God allow innocent people to suffer? When I talk with children I...
Wisdom is power, but how to convince kids?
A neighbor of mine shared his mother's words of wisdom in our local paper. It got me thinking about how I'm passing along wisdom to the children in my life. My neighbor's (partial) list You don't dress to impress. You dress to show your respect to others. Life's not...
Kids’ spiritual conversations can be downright exciting!
Over the past 15 years, large strides have been made in the science behind how the brain develops and the settings and contexts that are conducive to learning. It's brought exciting insights for enriching the human spirit! Daily settings for increased brain...
Put a child’s spiritual curiosity to work for you!
“During my marriage, my ex and I discussed taking our kids to various houses of worship. They were curious about—envious of?—their churchgoing peers. Though we viewed organized religion with suspicion, we still wondered, How would our kids know what they believed...
Sample questions to build childhood spiritual development
I get to drive one of the children in my extended family (age 6) to her weekly ballet class. It’s fun to have a few minutes each week of one-on-one time with her. I try to think of one question that might lend itself to a spiritual—or heart—conversation, amid the...
Blog’s 5th anniversary and 5 answers
When did you realize you wanted to blog? When I finished writing Child-Centered Spirituality but before its publication, several smart people recommended that I start a blog so that I’d have a place to raise issues around the subject. How did you feel when you started...
My Christmas-Hanukkah story
“Who can tell us what Hanukkah means?” asked Ms. Simon my third-grade teacher one long ago December day. My hand shot up eagerly and I started into the story of how Judah Maccabee led a revolt against the Syrians. I continued with descriptions of the dreidel game and...
Inclusive Thanksgiving gratitude expressions
Give everybody what they want for Thanksgiving: Offer one harmonious moment of silence and they will thank you. Gratitude expressions--inclusive and authentic--add deeper meaning to the holiday. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner and your table will include...
Why I finish holiday preparations early–try it.
By now, family members are accustomed to me asking for holiday Wish Lists or kids’ current clothing sizes in October. Why am I making preparations so early? Sure, I get online and order before the Sold Out box shows up and I’ve reduced the stress level I caused...
This Halloween visit is a “spirit-ual” experience
A good friend of mine shares her young daughter's Halloween blessing! "I used to pick up my daughter every Wednesday from kindergarten and make the hour-long trek to see my father-in-law at his nursing home. I encouraged her to think of something to tell her...