Acme Library - The Golden Rule

open your tool box, take out the hammer and hit the nail on the head. this book is VERY on the nose. not complaining, it's wonderful! it explains how the golden rule is called something else in different countries and religions, but exists everywhere.

a simple story about a simple (but impossibly important) rule. every family should have this book in their collection.

to buy this book, see acme library on the right

(this only works if you are on the acme sharing website)

Acme Holiday - Armed Forces Day

another chance to show appreciation, this time toward people in real danger, risking their lives for our freedom.

this weekend is armed forces day, and although i feel impossibly lucky that the closest i have come to a battleground is the Barneys warehouse sale, this is a perfect opportunity to teach our kids how to show gratitude and thanks to VERY VERY DEEPLY deserving soldiers.

the men and women on the front lines are always happy to get mail. the websites below can help walk you through the making of a care package or they can simply tell you the best way to send a letter.

the lesson: i feel like a broken record, but we all know repetition is good for a developing mind. once more, with feeling, let's show our kids how to appreciate others and honor them.

***added bonus: you may walk away feeling like, in a teeny tiny small way, you, too, have served your country.

anysoldier.com sends to "any soldier" so you needn't know anyone personally serving.

here is a basic how to and what to for sending anything to the armed forces.

Take Out

picture this: squirming toddler in arms, holding hands with 6 year old, pushing VERY full grocery cart out of store, navigating my way through parking lot and speed bumps. homeless man walks up asking for help. sheepish smile and eye-contact avoidance as i say, "sorry" and keep juggling. less than a moment later, 6 year old says, "mom, i thought you were all about helping people".

YIKES! 

this just reinforced what i knew but mostly forget, which is that our kids look to us for clues on how to treat others.

SO, to rectify this shameful memory, i have a plan of action. care to join?

i'm taking my kids to a restaurant that sells GIFT CARDS. buying some, and then WITH MY KIDS, handing them to a person(s) who looks like they need some food. or i can get a few and leave them in the car for when those moments may arise.

if you want to incorporate your child's giving/ spending into this activity, ideas for their own money are; a penny jar (see "penny for your thoughts" post below), money from allowance (one third for saving, one third for spending and one third for donating is a good rule of thumb) or birthday cash all work well.

alternately, a simple but always effective plan, bake or bring leftovers to a person in your neck of the woods. BRING YOUR KIDS WITH YOU. pack it as if you were going to have a brown bag lunch, plastic utensils, a drink and napkins.

in both cases, if you or your children feel apprehensive approaching recipients, it is perfectly acceptable (and maybe even suggested) to stay in the car and pull up near them.

the lesson: need i say it? your kids will see you treating people in need with compassion. they WILL follow your lead.

***added bonus: you'll avoid being shamed (take it from one who knows).

here are some links to restaurants that sell gift cards:

baja fresh

subway sandwiches

koo koo roo (in los angeles only)

starbucks

coffee bean and tea leaf

domino's pizza

Village People

tuesday, may 6th, is TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY. true, it sounds like another hallmark fabricated holiday only to forget about now and be bathed in guilt later, but this one speaks to me. 

who else spends 8 hours of their day with children who are not their own? ok, well, yes, childcare givers do, too. which now brings me to the new and improved (and just invented!) TEACHER AND NANNY APPRECIATION DAY. there's no one more important to our families than those people who are members of the "village" that it takes to help raise our kids.

we've heard the stories of teachers paying for supplies out of pocket, or nannies with no health insurance. these are the folks whom we trust to love, nurture and teach our offspring. i think everyday should recognize and appreciate them! (brown nose alert)

ask your child to give from their heart; write a letter, make a card, bake a treat or just bring the symbolic apple to bestow upon these well deserving citizens.

the lesson: showing our kids appreciation toward others. if they see us doing this enough, little things they take for granted may soon be looked upon with gratitude. 

***added bonus: now that you have successfully remembered this holiday, you might feel less culpable when "grandparent's day" comes and goes.