Dog Day Afternoon

today's field trip to the zoo reminded me that KIDS LOVE ANIMALS, ah, duh, meredith. and it made me think more about projects that would allow kids to feel connected to animals without going to africa on safari or investing in a llama farm.

my friend, stacy, told me about this great idea:

dress up some dogs for adoption day.

1.) either get some bandanas at the surplus store, or a yard of fabric at the fabric store from which you can cut bandana shapes.

2.) give your kids some puffy paints, glitter pens and adhesive jewels.

3.) ask them to make "signs" on these bandanas that will later be worn by parentally challenged pups.

they should say things like:

i'm lovable

i play catch

hug me

i love cuddles

great watch dog

wanna play?

we all know the power of advertising, and every little bit helps.

find a rescue near you

here's a link for petfinder.com

the lesson: you could give your kids the staggeringly scary statistics about stray animals, but that might freak them out. instead, focus on how they are helping a creature who can't really help themselves. this helps kids to feel very empowered.

***added bonus: the time you spend passing out the "necklaces" and helping set up the adoption might satiate their desire to take them all home - at least for this week.

last week my grandfather turned 100 years old - seriously, 100. it was remarkable. then, sadly, the very next morning he passed away. my kids were so lucky to have had a great grandfather, one filled with nothing but love for them. 

in showing our kids how to treat others with kindness and respect, an easy target is grandparents. they will be overjoyed with almost anything (time together, a picture drawn, a hand of "go fish"). another fun activity is to have your children come up with a list of questions to ask the grandparents, "what was your favorite candy as a kid?", "what was the worst job you ever had?", what's the most embarrassing thing that happened to you when you were my age?"

if your kids don't have grandparents near by or at all, it is very easy (and deeply appreciated) to ADOPT A GRANDPARENT and brighten up a person's day. just google "adopt a grandparent" along with the city you live in, and you will find a long list of participating retirement homes.

the lesson: it is sometimes forgotten, but so invaluable to treat the older generations with the respect they have earned. 

***added bonus: actually the mystery of what your child will get out of this experience is pretty exciting - the unknown...  and maybe a hard candy.

Shower With Love

i recently watched a news piece on the san fernando valley rescue mission driving around with a MOBILE SHOWER UNIT. homeless people line up to have a hot shower once a week. it was SO moving and one of those reminders that a little goes a long way in making people happy. for them, a fresh start to the week was all they needed to feel "human" again.

watch the video here 

i thought it might be fun to put together dopp kits for those in need of some freshening up. the DOLLAR TREE and 99 CENT ONLY stores are the place to hit. deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrush and a comb (or any variation on toiletries) would run you $5, pack them in a zip lock bag from your kitchen drawer and VOILA! you have just created a valuable package for someone living on the streets.

make one, make 20, decorate the bags, or not, you and your kids can spend as little or as much time as you want on a project like this one. pass them out, or, if you feel more comfortable, drop them off at a local shelter or church.

the lesson: kindness toward others, especially others in need, is a basic human value we need to practice as often as possible.

***added bonus: who knows, this could inspire even MY kids to brush their hair -stranger things have happened.