Project Thanksgiving- Week 1

WHAT A BLAST!! Project Thanksgiving is about giving in small, tangible ways to say THANK YOU to our local community, leaders, and friends throughout the month of November- it's about SHOWING gratitude!

This week we:

• Thanked the coaches at Cheer with a crock-pot of chili and some cookies for dessert... for 'cooking up' some 'sweet' cheer moves!

Pic to follow :-)

• The Wentzville Fire Department with Hot Chocolate, Marshmallows and York Peppermint Patties... For 'cooling things off' when they get 'too hot'!

• The St Charles County Ambulance District with a basket of Lifesavers... For being 'lifesavers' all the time!

• Our Aunt Rosie Seppelt at Image Makers with a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte... To thank her 'a Latte' for being a 'cut' above the rest! For cutting/coloring our hair and all the yummy food she feeds us! (and yes I already know that it is supposed to say You're a cut above the rest and not 'Your' in the pic... get over it!! I put these together while I am sitting in a parking lot waiting for kid #2 to get out of cheer or in between taxi-ing kids and working full time, if this is the worst thing to happen I am doing GREAT! lol!) 

• A 5th grade teacher, Reading teacher,  and choir/harmonizers teacher with a cup and straw with crystal light 'bows'... for quenching my daughter's 'thirst' for learning!

• We also mailed some homemade thank you cards to special friends with a special handwritten letter of gratitude.

We have definitely been filled with joy this week as we made these deliveries! It really IS the little things in life that mean the most! With a little thought, creativity and love, you can bless someone else in a big way! Check back throughout the week as we deliver more goodies to those around us! 

Join us in our Project Thanksgiving and SHOW your gratitude in small, tangible ways this week. Feel free to share our ideas and be sure to Hashtag #ProjectThanksgiving in your pics on social media and we will give a shout-out for your awesome ideas too!! Together we can BE THE CHANGE this world needs! Happy Thanksgiving Month!!

With love,

Me+3

Helping Children Cope When A Tragedy Occurs

Watching any kind of tragedy unfold is hard on adults, but take a moment and consider a child's perspective. Adults know there is evil in the world and bad things do happen to good people, but a child's views are being shaped every day from playtime to the harsh reality of the world we live in.

My 8 year old daughter got into the car after school today and said
"Mommy we talked about the bombing today in school and they said an 8 year old boy died while waiting for his dad run. That is scary- I am 8 and you are a runner!"

She connected the dots of this horrific Boston Marathon Tragedy with the innocent age of someone her own age. She also brought up the shooting in CT and the talk we had about that tragedy just a few months ago. All three of my children had their views on these incidents, but as I listen to them share their perspectives and fears I am reminded as a parent that I can shape their outlook and attempt to calm their fears. There are a few simple things we can do to help the many questions and fears that develop in our little people, as well as our teenagers that seem to know it all:

• Assure them they are loved and comfort them. Do not brush off their feelings but rather allow them to express their thoughts in a secure place with the circle of love to absorb emotions attributed to the natural feelings they are experiencing.
• Control your own reaction to the situation. It is easy for us to tell them to do something a certain way, but it is more important that our reactions as parents/adults reflect the advice we give. Be careful not to jump to conclusions or offer initial motives for a cause of the tragedy. Also be careful not to judge or stereotype a certain type of person/people verbally. (They really do hear everything we say, and pick up on so much that we do not say) Model calm behavior but do not underestimate the affect evil has on innocent lives.
• Limit their exposure to pictures and news coverage based on age. We live in a day and age where pictures from a crime scene and tragedy spread at a viral rate through social media like never before, but monitor closely what is being viewed by little eyes. Just because a picture is released through Twitter, Facebook or other news source does NOT mean an 8 year old needs to see the graphic details. It is our job as parents to carefully expose our children to the realities of the world, but not all has to be done before the appropriate age.I am big on keeping it real with my own kids, but there are healthy boundaries of exposure too.
• Have them focus on the brave help of the emergency responders. When my kids do come across a picture or news coverage of an event that is less than favorable, I have them search out the emergency workers: Fireman, Police Officers, Military, etc. This offers a fresh approach to see the good in people and those willing to help at all costs. It also takes some of the negative weight off the crime scene/tragedy that is typically reported by new media. This is not to take away from the awful events but just adjusting perspective in the eyes of a child.
• Lead them to pray for the victims and their families. Offering up fears and sadness through prayer is a powerful way to release anxiety, especially when taught to do so at a young age. This has been my 'go to' way of helping my children in times like these. We always pray for the people affected and open our hearts to ways to help. If you listen closely to them, you may be surprised at their ideas on helping others. It definitely keeps me in check every time. 

I love the innocence of  children all ages possess and try to foster their sweet, kind hearts as much as possible, even though tragedy and evil occurrences. After all- isn't about the generation we are raising and what we CAN DO to create a different place to live in?