The Doing Good Together Blog is trying something new!

Join us each week to see how Doing Good Together’s resources are working for my family, share your experiences, and watch for helpful information about raising caring kids.

Amid the many responsibilities of family life, from paying bills to repairing the dishwasher, from t-ball to family reunions, many of us are looking for ways to connect our kids to the world around them. Like you, I hope to move my two daughters past the phrase “I want” and into “I can help.” Like you, I hope to empower them to make a difference in the world even as they first begin to discover it. And like so many other parents, I hope to instill in them the desire to get involved, to make that difference even when they grow up and recognize how very big some of the world’s problems really are.

In the weeks and months ahead, I will be engaging my five-year-old and my two-year-old in some of Doing Good Together’s kitchen table activities, experimenting with projects beyond our front door, and engaging them with big ideas like compassion, fairness, and kindness through new books and other resources. By taking at least a few minutes (hopefully a few hours) each week, perhaps I’ll move them toward some of these goals.

I will share how my kids react, what they may (or may not have) learned, and the challenges we face. I’ll also ponder why I froze when my daughter asked, “what does volunteer mean, anyway,” and other barriers to communicating important ideas in a tangible way.

I am new to family volunteering, so I hope you will add your insights and experiences as I update mine. Together, we can grow caring kids, loving families, and a stronger world.

So tell me, how is your family Doing Good Together?

What are your volunteering goals this summer?

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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