As we bid adieu to the old year and welcome the new let’s ensure we start off on the right foot by determining that in 2019 we as individuals and communities will be intentional about our kids and youth, about how we treat them and how they perceive the world. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or a friend and supporter of youth, regardless of professional credentials, can we all agree that our kids NEED each of us to be their champions?
We want our youth to become successful adults who contribute to the wellbeing of our communities. To achieve that goal, we MUST ensure that they experience Caring Adults, Safe Places, a Healthy Start, an Effective Education and the Opportunity to Serve Others.
Achieving these experiences also requires us to set expectations and boundaries. Our kids need to know what is expected from them as well as to know the consequences should they choose to not meet expectations, whether at home, school or in the community.
Kids, as well as other adults, learn about us from witnessing what we DO far more than from what we SAY. The following quotes speak to me and I find that they exemplify some of the behaviors and attitudes we need to witness for our kids. I hope you appreciate reading them and will put them into action in your lives so that our youth learn the importance of each.
• Our days are happier when we give a bit of our heart rather than a piece of our mind â€" show kindness, patience and joy.
• Use your voice for kindness, your ears for compassion, your hands for charity, your mind for truth and your heart for love â€" in other words, use ALL of you for good works
• It doesn’t matter what you look like. You can be tall or short, fat or thin. You can be black or yellow or white â€" it doesn’t matter. What does matter is the size of your heart and the strength of your character.
• Dear God, I begin this new year with this simple prayer. Please heal the broken people. Make well the sick. Restore happiness to those in despair. Bring love to the lonely, food to the hungry and peace to our world. Amen. Identify actions you can take to make this happen in your life and/or community.
• "You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." C.S. Lewis
• Children have this amazing way of becoming exactly who we tell them they are. If we tell them they’re strong, they become strong. If we tell them they are kind, they become kind. If we tell them they’re capable, they become capable. Speak life into your kids so that will have what it takes to tackle their own life one day.
Let’s make this the Year of Our Youth and take every action possible to help our kids grow up strong and healthy.
To learn more about helping young people make wise decisions request a copy of Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework or Family Relationships OR to add your name to Youth Count’s email distribution list of upcoming local activities and opportunities for youth and families, email barbara@youthcount.com.
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