When I think about characteristics I hope my children possess, words such as honest, faithful, compassionate, intelligent, open-minded, responsible, funny, and optimistic come to mind.  My most recent addition to the list is the word CONTRIBUTOR.  I hope that my children learn how to lend a hand when someone is in need and how to step up and work to solve difficult problems.

But, how do I create a little contributor?  With a few Love and Logic techniques I will be on my way to creating a contributor within our community.

CREATING HELPERS IN THE COMMUNITY

Love and Logic teaches that, “Learning happens quickly when parents model, offer choices, and make a task fun.”  By doing these three things, we can teach young children the value of helping within the community.

Modeling

• Talking to your spouse when your child can overhear, say something like, “I signed up to volunteer at the soup kitchen today. It makes me feel so good to know that I am helping someone out.”

• Thinking out loud to yourself, say something like, “I am going to go look around my room and find some things that I would like to donate to a family that doesn’t have as much as we do.  It feels so good to give to someone in need.”

Choices within Limits

• Look at the Little Helping Hands event calendar with your child.  Say something like, “Look at all these fun ways to help people in our community.  Would you like to help clean up the park or make sandwiches for other families?”

• Ask your child, “Would you like to donate these blocks or these cars to children?”

Make the Task Fun!

• Sign up for a Little Helping Hands event. Little Helping Hands is an incredible resource, full of fun events for young children.  Children will be eager to lend a hand when they see just how much fun it can be!

These are just a few simple tools we can use to get kids thinking about other people in our community. We cover these techniques in detail in the Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun! course. We also apply these techniques to help us avoid power struggles such as brushing teeth, mealtime, bedtime, picking up toys and more.

LEARN MORE

High Five Parenting offers the Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™ course throughout the Austin area, including Cedar Park, Pflugerville, and Westlake.  The course is a five week program that focuses on children from birth through age six.  We explore effective skills to help parents raise respectful, responsible kids and lower parenting stress.  Private courses are also available.  To view course locations or to learn more about High Five Parenting, please visit www.highfiveparenting.com.

SPECIAL OFFER

Visit www.highfiveparenting.com to register for the course.  Use coupon code LHH to receive $10 off course registration. Offer expires 12/31/10.

Article written by Laura Baker, Independent Facilitator, Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™