Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
Embrace the Chaos: Supporting a Child’s Growth ...

Buckling up for a metaphorical bumpy ride from time to time as you enter a new job, experience a change in leadership, or encounter a developmental growth spurt is something that begins at birth and follows us until life’s conclusion. The winds of change blow strong. With children, we sometimes don’t see the changes themselves right away; instead, we see the impact of the changes in personal barometers of behavior and mood. How can we as supportive humans respond effectively to the need for change and see the purpose behind the disequilibrium?

Embrace the Chaos: Supporting a Child’s Growth Through Turbulent Times
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose, Pick a Project, Quick Acts of Kindness
MiaLisa Millares
Shine Your Light: 5 Strategies to Empower ...

People want and need to be seen. It is a fundamental characteristic of humans that we seek opportunities to connect with others in an authentic way. We want to feel noticed and valued as a member of the human community. We want to understand AND be understood. This connection is vital to our feelings of safety and happiness, and ultimately is foundational to our ability to work through challenges, think critically, be planful, and other executive function skills. How can adults use that in-born inclination to shine a light on actions that we wish to reinforce in our children? 

Shine Your Light: 5 Strategies to Empower Children by Reinforcing Positive Actions
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose, Advocate, Kindness Practice, Pick a Project, Read Together
MiaLisa Millares
Transforming a Child’s “I Can’t” into “I Can!”

As adults, we have a better sense of what is within our locus of control and how we can approach solving problems from our mature perspective, whereas young children see a lot of problems as big and insurmountable even if they are not. The good news is that we can cultivate the growth of our child’s sense of helpfulness over time in ways that match their developmental stage, while teaching about both agency AND the interconnectedness of humanity.

Transforming a Child’s “I Can’t” into “I Can!”
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
Inspiring a Growth Mindset for Kids: How ...

in the last few years, I have worked diligently to cultivate a growth mindset and to model that approach for my teenage children. The basic idea behind this concept is that by using “yet” at the end of a sentence, we reframe our approach to problems and retrain our brains to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. 

Inspiring a Growth Mindset for Kids: How Parents Can Lead by Example
Start Kind Conversations, Parent with Purpose
MiaLisa Millares
How to Talk to Kids About Poverty, Mental ...

The world in which we are helping our children to grow is not free from adversity, small or large. We cannot shield young people from the troubles of their community and world. And while it might make us caring adults feel better to try, research shows that doing so is not to their benefit, either. Children are innately curious and working continuously on relating to others as their empathy skills develop. They wonder about big questions like, “how am I similar or different to people I see suffering,” “could that happen to me,” and “my heart hurts for them; how do I help them.” Many who witness tragedy or challenges faced by other people in the world ask the same questions. How do we explain problems like poverty, mental illness, systemic racism, and violence to these small humans?

How to Talk to Kids About Poverty, Mental Illness, Systemic Racism, and Violence

Doing Good Together

Tools, Tips, & Inspiration

Big-Hearted Families is ready for its national debut. In the coming weeks, watch for Facebook updates, press releases, blog posts here and on other, like-minded websites, all sharing the details of Big-Hearted Families.

Today, you can check out a post over at VolunteerSpot featuring our work.

Of course, you already know the wonderful things available here. If you like what you see, now's the time to spread the word about everything Big-Hearted Families has to offer!

 

How will you support Doing Good Together?

Okay readers... It's pledge drive time... Please, don't click away! Hear me out. In case there is any confusion on this point, let me clarify:

  1. Big-Hearted Families is a project of Doing Good Together.
  2. Doing Good Together is a nonprofit organization.
  3. The resources, project ideas, and extensive tools shared both at Big-Hearted Families and at Doing Good Together are made possible by your generous donations.

Also, we are extraordinarily efficient. The vast majority of our funds are raised each October during our gala event!

And You Are Invited!

Take a moment to support us right now! Please!

  • Check out our ONLINE AUCTION HERE. (You'll have a chance to bid on some amazing items all to support family volunteering!)
  • Purchase tickets and plan to attend our event on October 11, 5:30 to 8:30 pm. (food, music, wine... and the opportunity to bid on some exclusive silent auction items!)
  • Make a donation here. (perfect if you don't need more stuff, can't attend the event, but want to show your support)

Investing in family service pays huge dividends: it helps solve immediate problems and creates hope by instilling the spirit of giving in a new generation.

Getting Warmer

Welcome to the Big-Hearted Families Blog! I'm so glad you've popped over to our blog.

I do hope you are enjoying the rest of our wonderful new site. It is full of  resources, tools, and inspiration to keep your family practicing kindness even on the busiest of weeks.

For the moment, Big-Hearted blog posts can still be found over at Doing Good Together. Follow us on Facebook for post updates or check back a few times a week to see what's new.

I especially hope you check out the Q&A Friday posts, where we need your expertise to help other Big-Hearted Families like YOU!

Starting September 1, this will be the home of Doing Good Together's Big-Hearted Blog. Welcome to the conversation!

 

What's New at Doing Good Together?

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... Have you noticed how sleepy Doing Good Together’s Kitchen Table Blog has been this summer?

Darn.I was hoping you wouldn’t notice, with all your travel plans, walks for a cause, lemonade stand fundraisers, and good, old-fashioned ice cream cones.

The fact is, the blog has been sleepy for a purpose.

Doing Good Together is changing. It’s growing! And the blog is changing right along with it.

The awesome team at Doing Good Together, has been hard at work developing new things for you.

New resources. New printable tools. New ways to weave kindness and compassion into your family life in ways that will make sure that today's good deeds inspire the next generation of do-gooders.

Over the next month, watch for a few new features on the blog as well:

  • The kinder book club is now the Big-Hearted Book Club, and later this year we’ll add the option to have our books sent right to your door, along with a kindness activity, and a family recipe!
  • Join us for the new Friday Q&A feature, where our growing, big-hearted community will help answer your questions and address your kindness conundrums. If you have a question, just e-mail them to me (sarah.aadland@doinggoodtogether.org) or leave them right here in the comments section any day of the week!
  • And take a moment to share your family's gratitude with us! I’ll be posting a photo, a video, or maybe just a short sentence about something my family is grateful for each week, and I'll invite you to share yours. Check out Raising Happinessfor another great opportunity to practice gratitude!

So as you enjoy the long, hammock-swaying, lemonade-sipping days of summer, check back now and then to see what's new at Doing Good Together.