Baby, baby, baby. That is essentially all that is on my mind at the moment. Little Miss Three and Miss Kindergarten have a baby brother, as of a week ago! Doing good for our family this week primarily involves bringing mom glasses of water and little snacks whenever our little one demands his own snack (and for those of you who know newborns,  you know that’s about every two to three hours!… sometimes every hour and a half!).

Our family’s experience this week probably won’t translate well into ideas for your own family (that is, unless you have a new mom and baby to spoil… in which case, Nursery.com offers 20 good ideas).

If you are looking for other ideas, particularly ideas for your summer play group, girl scout troupe, or neighborhood gaggle of kids, check out Doing Good Together: 101 Easy, Meaningful Service Projects for Families, Schools, and Communities, written by Doing Good Together’s own Founder and Executive Director Jenny Friedman and Jolene Roehkepartian.

From clever ways to raise money (including one that will simultaneously encourage your child to fill out her summer reading list) to Birthday Bags and Pen Pals, this book is full of resources that go above and beyond the online resources available at DoingGoodTogether.org.

In fact, if you are interested in doing a little good on behalf of my own home bound family, consider Doing Good Together Project 89: Celebrate New Parents. Contact your local maternity ward to see how many mothers are there at the moment, then gather

• a fresh rose in a vase for each new mom
• a candle in a candlestick with matches for each new mom
• a congratulations card signed by the families for each  new mom.

The book offers many more details about implementing and, more importantly, debriefing the project with your kids after the fact. The direct discussion questions will be incredibly helpful.

I’m looking forward to digging into this book when our growing family passes through this (all too brief) new baby stage. In the meantime, let me know what you think!

Tags: Big Ideas, Books & Resources, Strengthening Our Family

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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