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July 02 2022

Kindful Kids Weekly

Quote of the Week

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have Courage And Be Fearless

Kids and teens are growing up in a world that is becoming increasingly competitive and comparative. It is easy for them – for any of us – to believe that the ones who have found success or happiness are better than, stronger than, smarter than, or privy to something magical – certain strengths or qualities that are reserved for the lucky few. The truth is that none of us is born with the ‘success’ gene or the ‘happiness gene’. There are many things that lead to success and happiness, but one of the most powerful of these is courage.

Behind so many brilliant successes are failures, rejections, and unexpected turns. Often many. Without exception, there is also courage. Mountains of courage. Courage to keep going, to find a different way, and of course the courage to try in the first place. For kids and teens, one of the most important things for them to know is that courage doesn’t always feel like courage. From the outside, courage often looks impressive and powerful and self-assured. Sometimes it might look reckless or thrilling. From the inside though, it can feel frightening and unpredictable. It can feel like anxiety, fear, or rolling self-doubt.

Courage might mean being kind to the new kid in class, trying something new, or speaking up for something they believe in. Often, these things don’t come with fireworks or applause. In fact, they rarely do. The differences they make can take time to reveal, but when actions are driven by courage, the differences those actions make will always be there, gently taking shape and changing their very important corners of the world in some way.

Sometimes, courage only has to happen for seconds at a time – just long enough to be brave enough. To amplify this understanding better here's a super cute (and inspiring) video of Vivian who talks about many things that make her experience fear - including Zombies; and the mindset to say, "Get out of here fear, I got this!" [watch video]

Reading Corner

Title: What Do You Do With a Problem?
By: Kobi Yamada
Ages: 5-8 years

"This is the story of a persistent problem and the child who isn't so sure what to make of it. The longer the problem is avoided, the bigger it seems to get. But when the child finally musters up the courage to face it, the problem turns out to be something quite different than it appeared.

What Do You Do With a Problem? is a story for anyone, at any age, who has ever had a problem that they wished would go away. It's a story to inspire you to look closely at that problem and to find out why it's here. Because you might discover something amazing about your problem... and yourself." - Publishers

Recommended by Kindful Kids Editors

Be The Change

Find opportunities this week to practice "Get out of here fear, I got this" as little Vivian suggests in this week's video. Perhaps even reflect further on the question, "What do you do with a problem?" as suggested in the book recommendation. As you hold these conversations with your children, did anything surprise you? We look forward to listening to your stories and experiences too.


Kindful Kids newsletter is a resource for parents who are keen to teach children about compassion and service. It reaches 4,044 subscribers. You can unsubscribe here.

About

Kindful Kids was formed in the spring of 2011, to serve as a resource for parents who are keen to teach children about compassion and service. It is a project of ServiceSpace.

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Meghna, Deven, Trishna, Neha and Brinda are currently volunteer editors for this newsletter. If you have any content recommendations for this newsletter, we would love to hear from you!

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