Parenting

Christy and her daughter on a hiking trip

November 29, 2018 In Character, Children, Parenting, Youth Frontiers

How I talk about respect with my daughter

The following content is taken from an interview with Christy Lund, Youth Frontiers Donor Relations Manager — Minnesota.

What do you think respect is?

I think respect has to do with demonstrating to somebody that they deserve to be treated with dignity, with honor, with care. It’s also a way that a person chooses to interact with something. We show respect to the environment or we don’t. We show respect to materials around us or we don’t.

So we can act in such a way that demonstrates those characteristics. And therefore we do something with respect or regard, or we do something without respect — and obviously degrees in between.

Students talking in a small group on a Kindness Retreat

September 13, 2018 In Parenting, Youth Frontiers

How the Kindness Retreat Changed My Son’s Life at School

Youth Frontiers recently partnered with Haley Elementary School in Arizona to facilitate a Kindness Retreat. One parent who volunteered as a small-group leader had this to say about her experience:

I went into the retreat thinking of all the things for work that I could be doing while instead I was volunteering at this event. But now I am so happy that I went.

As a parent, I naturally watched my own child at first, but soon I began to watch other kids too. One little boy in particular caught my eye. He was uninterested in the retreat, not smiling, not participating and definitely opposed to participating. As the day unfolded, I continued to watch him and how he transformed. It was almost like a burden had been lifted from him. He started smiling and participating. He even shared at the end of the day during the reflection time. I do not remember what he shared, but I remember the look on his face. It showed that he felt like he was a part of his class. It was so touching to see.READ MORE

May 24, 2018 In Children, Parenting

The teenage brain: how dopamine spurs risk taking

I can still remember the kitchen conversation as my brothers excitedly hatched the plan with their friends. “Yes! Let’s do it!” was the consensus as five teenage boys raced out the front door with their skateboards. Ten minutes later a neighbor was on the phone asking if my parents knew that there were teenagers, including their two sons, skate boarding down twenty fourth street tethered by rope to a car.

Later, as my parents grilled my brothers with, “What were you thinking?!” my brothers looked fairly disinterested in the lecture. Reminding them of the potential for broken bones or worse brought the familiar rolling of the eyes.READ MORE

Students having productive small-group conversation on a Kindness Retreat

March 29, 2018 In Character, Parenting

Seven Civil Conversation Skills to Use When You Disagree

Everyone wants to be heard, from kids, to grown-ups, to long-lost relatives across the holiday table. But too often, we steer clear of the issues we really care about, hovering instead on weather patterns and sports news.

These days, even those issues can feel risky.

Every topic worth discussing carries the risk of conflict, and we, as a society, seem to be losing our knack for disagreement.

March 8, 2018 In Character, Community, Leadership, Parenting, Youth Frontiers

Smartphones — It’s time to put them down.

Youth Frontiers builds community and connection with young people. We inspire and help kids see the importance of critical values like respect and kindness.

Two things that I am increasingly concerned about that counter our efforts are the unrestrained use of smartphones and the prolific use of social media.READ MORE

Erica shares her North Stars of parenting

February 15, 2018 In Character, Children, Parenting, Youth Frontiers

My North Stars of Parenting

In my not quite three-year-old parenting arsenal, I have little experience but a lot of passed down wisdom and principles that have deeply resonated with or challenged me. Let’s call them my North Stars — what I aim for no matter how often I fall short. I take comfort in knowing they will be as fixed, forgiving and guiding tomorrow when I try again.

Peggy Bell with family smiling to camera on cliffside on vacation

December 7, 2017 In Children, Parenting

Help: The Art of Just Showing Up

By Peggy Bell, Youth Frontiers School Relations Assistant

About a month ago I traveled to Tucson, Ariz., to gather with family and friends for my father’s funeral service. The pastor said something that has stayed with me, and I want to share it with you. As the pastor welcomed the guests and thanked them for coming, he said, “Ninety percent of life is just showing up.” I think he wanted the guests to know that by just being there, they had already done much for my family. Sometimes, it is the simplest things that make the biggest difference when people are going through difficult times. And often the people who benefit from these simple gestures don’t know how to ask for help or maybe don’t even realize what they need.READ MORE

quote saying: if we're going to find our way back to each other, we have to understand and know empathy. brene brown

October 5, 2017 In Character, Children, Parenting

Empathy: how to raise kids who care

By Erin Walsh, Mind Retreat Facilitator; Mind Positive Parenting

“I’d like you to close your eyes,” I often say at workshops that I facilitate across the country. “Now visualize the kind of adults you hope your children become.”

I add that I am not interested in them conjuring up logistical visions, for example, where they hope their children go to school or the kind of job they hope they get. Instead, I ask them to think about the character traits they hope their children have as adults.

children sitting on a couch with a dog showing just their legs

September 28, 2017 In Children, Parenting

Family meetings help promote values

By Sarah Aadland, Doing Good Together™

Even when you’re doing your best to keep things simple, family life can be full at best. Too often it’s downright frazzled and unruly. Most weeks, it feels as though my family is racing in too many directions. And we’re not alone.

I catch the knowing, what-have-we-signed-up-for smiles from other parents during pick-up and drop-off times. Someone I know shares one of those meme’s touting all of the reasons dance or soccer or whatever is worth the time and sacrifice. The truth is, we all have different thresholds of feeling busy and overwhelmed.

My own family met ours this fall. And we made a few tweaks that lightened the load. The most useful tool we adopted was the weekly family meeting.

March 30, 2017 In Character, Children, Parenting

Doing Good Together: 50 Family Acts of Kindness

By Sarah Aadland, Doing Good Together™

If you’re awake and near a screen, it’s likely you’re feeling a sense of urgency. The endless connectivity of our devices can’t help but give us an endless feeling of lagging behind. Whether your anxiety is generated by an overflowing workload, bulging schedule or the ongoing parade of alarming headlines, now is a great time to take a breath. Find your inner quiet, and focus on family acts of compassion right in your own community.READ MORE