let's talk about

OPPORTUNITIES FOR BCD PARENTS TO “MAKE CARING COMMON”:

OUR “LET’S TALK ABOUT” monthly series kicked off Tuesday, November 4th, with the topic,  “Making Caring Common.”

The conversation is based on the Harvard study, The Children We Mean To Raise: The Real Messages Adults Are Sending About Values.  The report is based in part on a survey of 10,000 middle and high school students from 33 schools over the past 10 years.

Here are highlights from the article and our parent discussion, which include many opportunities for our children to practice caring.

  • “Any healthy, civil society also depends on adults who are committed to their communities and who, at pivotal times, will put the common good before their own.”
  • “We don’t seem to be preparing large numbers of youth to create this society.”
  • “At the root of the problem may be a rhetoric/reality gap, between what parents and adults say are their top priorities and the real messages they convey in their behavior day to day.”
  • “80% of the youth in the survey report that their parents are more concerned about achievement or happiness than caring for others.”

SUGGESTIONS FROM ARTICLE TO CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT ADULTS SAY AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SEEM TO PRIORITIZE:

  1. We don’t need to convince parents and teachers that caring is important-it appears they already believe it is.
  2. The Challenge is for adults to INSPIRE, MOTIVATE & EXPECT caring and fairness in young people day to day.
  3. Help our children focus on developing meaningful relationships, cultivating in them tools for meaningful achievements and engaging them with principles and projects larger than themselves.
  4. Go beyond our school walls. Create more settings where children engage in traditions and rituals that build appreciation and gratitude and a sense of responsibility for one’s communities.

There are many ways in the Berkshires to “make caring common.” Here is a list of 11 ways that our children can practice caring and helpfulness. Some BCD parents and their children are very involved in one or more of these activities that are designed to help others. If you are interested in participating or learning more about any of these opportunities please contact the Parents’ Association for more information.

Grace Church: Gideon’s Garden: For the sixth year, Taft Farms has graciously contributed supplies and the use of land (this year 2 acres!), and prepared the ground for our garden, which is on Division St., across from Taft Farms. The vegetables we grow will help supply meals for: Breaking Bread Kitchen, the People’s Pantry, the Lee Pantry, W.I.C., the Guthrie Center Lunch Program, Habitat for Humanity, and other hungry families.” www.graceberkshires.org

St Stephen’s Episcopal Church! St Stephen’s Table: More than 200 nutritious meals are served each week to needy men, women, and children on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday noon time throughout the year. The meals are prepared and served by volunteers from the church and from the wider community. Volunteer coordinators from the parish organize the entire effort, including food pickups from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and some local stores. Sign-up sheets are outside the Parish Office for memorial or thank offering gifts to provide the meats for a dinner on a particular date.” www.ststephenspittsfield.org

Charlie’s Fund: Mission: We direct money into the hands of researchers who have the best shot at developing a treatment or cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Our goal is to cure DMD in time to save Charley’s life and the lives of thousands of boys like him. www.charleysfund.com

Horizon’s for Homeless: Our mission is to improve the lives of young homeless children in Massachusetts and help their families succeed by providing high quality early education, opportunities for play, and comprehensive family support services. To support our mission, we also advocate on behalf of young children, train educators and human services providers, and provide research on the impact of early education on homeless children.” http://www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org

The 4 H Club: 4-H empowers youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults. www.4-h.org

Jewish Federation of the Berkshires
www.jewishberkshires.org

Berkshire Humane Society
http://www.berkshirehumane.org

Railroad Street Youth Project: Empowers young people by supporting youth-inspired projects that promote responsibility, self-worth and intergenerational communication.” https://rsyp.org/

Bean Elf: Kids answering needy kids letters to Santa. www.beanelf.org

Give Kids the World: www.gktw.org

Berkshire Untied Way: http://www.berkshireunitedway.org/