Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Career Planning and Financial Aid
PTA now offers tools and resources that help parents and families plan their children’s career goals and options for life after high school. Ask your PTA leader for more information or visit the PTA website at pta.org/goestowork.
Keeping Children Safe
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children urges parents not to let their guard down during the holidays. Shopping and travelling require extra attention and forethought to ensure children’s safety. NCMEC suggests talking to children about safety issues before heading to a crowded shopping mall or airport. Parents and their kids need a plan in case they become separated, which can happen more easily as crowds build through the holiday season. Some tips from NCMEC:
Designate a spot to meet in case you become separated.
Teach children to look for people who can help such as uniformed security officers or another parent with children.
Never drop off older children at a mall or public place without a clear plan for picking them up—where, what time, what to do in case of a change in plans.
Designate a spot to meet in case you become separated.
Teach children to look for people who can help such as uniformed security officers or another parent with children.
Never drop off older children at a mall or public place without a clear plan for picking them up—where, what time, what to do in case of a change in plans.
Simple Ways Families Can Give Back During the Holidays
Parents who wonder how they can instill a charitable spirit in their children can employ some simple strategies this holiday season. Not only will they be giving back to their communities, they will be deepening their own family connections.
Of course, one key to developing this volunteer attitude is that giving back shouldn’t be reserved for just holidays.
"In the families we work with, charitable giving runs through their being," says Steven Moore, associate director for donor relations and regional giving for The Columbus Foundation in Columbus, Ohio. "It’s not a one-time event. It’s part of the fabric of their family. If parents want this to stick, it has to be a message that is repeated often."
Moore offers these other tips for family volunteering for children of all ages:
Set up giving banks. Children who receive an allowance can divide the money into spending money, money for savings, and money for charity, all to be kept in different banks.
Have conversations about being thankful. Promote the idea of giving back to the community.
Be a role model. Take your children with you when you volunteer. Talk to them about your donations.
Join an Adopt-A-Family Program. Provide a home cooked meal or donate some needed clothing items.
Host a giving party. Invite friends and neighbors over and have them bring "presents" for people in need—food or clothing items, toys for impoverished kids, money for relief efforts, or whatever is appropriate for your theme. Giving parties can also be held in lieu of kids’ birthday parties.
Gather unused toys to donate to disadvantaged children.
Really ambitious families can go on a volunteer vacation where families (with children as young as 10) travel to areas in need to volunteer their time. Many programs are international, but some exist stateside to assist Habitat for Humanity and Hurricane Katrina victims.
Online Resources for Family Volunteering
Family Philanthropy Toolkit
Local volunteer activities
Books on Family VolunteeringThe Giving Family: Raising Our Children to Help Others by Susan Crites Price, Publisher: Council on Foundations, 2003
The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving by Ellen Sabin, Publisher: Watering Can, 2004
Of course, one key to developing this volunteer attitude is that giving back shouldn’t be reserved for just holidays.
"In the families we work with, charitable giving runs through their being," says Steven Moore, associate director for donor relations and regional giving for The Columbus Foundation in Columbus, Ohio. "It’s not a one-time event. It’s part of the fabric of their family. If parents want this to stick, it has to be a message that is repeated often."
Moore offers these other tips for family volunteering for children of all ages:
Set up giving banks. Children who receive an allowance can divide the money into spending money, money for savings, and money for charity, all to be kept in different banks.
Have conversations about being thankful. Promote the idea of giving back to the community.
Be a role model. Take your children with you when you volunteer. Talk to them about your donations.
Join an Adopt-A-Family Program. Provide a home cooked meal or donate some needed clothing items.
Host a giving party. Invite friends and neighbors over and have them bring "presents" for people in need—food or clothing items, toys for impoverished kids, money for relief efforts, or whatever is appropriate for your theme. Giving parties can also be held in lieu of kids’ birthday parties.
Gather unused toys to donate to disadvantaged children.
Really ambitious families can go on a volunteer vacation where families (with children as young as 10) travel to areas in need to volunteer their time. Many programs are international, but some exist stateside to assist Habitat for Humanity and Hurricane Katrina victims.
Online Resources for Family Volunteering
Family Philanthropy Toolkit
Local volunteer activities
Books on Family VolunteeringThe Giving Family: Raising Our Children to Help Others by Susan Crites Price, Publisher: Council on Foundations, 2003
The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving by Ellen Sabin, Publisher: Watering Can, 2004
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