This information is from the Washington Times Project Solution: Discovering Lessons for Life from the NIE Institute.
Who cares about other people? Who cares about animals and plants and other living things? Who cares about the Earth and its natural resources? Who cares about doing the right thing, acting responsibly and showing respect?
You do, of course! Because, if you didn’t really care about what happens to other people and things, and if nobody else cared either, this would be a pretty sad and lonely world.
And who would care for you? Who would feed you when you were hungry, or help you when you were sick? Who would give you hugs and encouragement when you were feeling down in the dumps? Well, if nobody cared, then nobody would!
You probably have many people in your life who do care about you, like friends, brothers and sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, doctors, neighbors …Wow! That’s quite a long list of caring individuals! You must be in good hands!
So now it’s your turn to show you care. Take care of your friends and family. Care about others who may need your help. Show you care about the Earth by throwing out your trash, recycling and conserving water and electricity. And,while you’re doing all this wonderful caring stuff, don’t forget to care about yourself, too!
CARELESS COREY There was once a very careless kid named Corey. He was careless with his toys, which he often left strewn on the floor of his room or abandoned on the stairs. He was careless with his clothes, which he piled up in the corner of his room or in the bottom of his closet, or bunched up in his drawers. He was careless with his pet fish, Casey, whom he neglected to feed for days at a time. Basically, the only thing that Corey really cared about was himself!
His parents were forever reminding Corey about his carelessness: “You need to pick up your toys before they get broken or lost.” Or, “You need to take care of your clothes so they’re not all wrinkled, stained or ripped.” Or, “You need to take better care of Casey or he’ll die!” But since Corey didn’t really care, he never did what his parents said. Usually his mom and dad picked up and repaired all of Corey’s toys. They washed, ironed and neatly put away his clothes, and fed poor old Casey. But one day, they decided enough was enough. So they stopped picking up after Corey, and stopped taking care of his fish.
Two weeks went by. Corey’s room looked like a hurricane had been through it! There were broken toys and wrinkled, stained,and ripped clothes everywhere. And poor old Casey was floating upside down in his dirty, smelly fish bowl. One day Corey came bursting into the house after school. “Hey mom, I’ve been invited to a party over at Edward’s house this afternoon. I’m supposed to put on some nice clothes and bring my favorite toy. May I go?” His mom said it was okay. But when Corey went up to his room, he couldn’t find any nice clothes that weren’t stained, ripped or wrinkled. He couldn’t find any toys that weren’t broken or missing pieces.
He ran downstairs and asked his mom to wash and iron a shirt for him. But she told him she was too busy repairing the dishwasher. He asked his dad to fix one of his favorite toys. But his Dad said he was too busy preparing dinner. So Corey went back upstairs and sat down sadly on the edge of his bed. He had nothing to wear and nothing to bring to Edward’s party. Then he noticed,for the first time in several days, old Casey floating lifeless in his bowl. “Oh no!” he cried, “Look what I’ve done now!”
It’s unfortunate, but sometimes it takes a disaster for people to realize how important it is to care about things. Corey spent that afternoon and evening carefully picking up his toys and straightening up the clothes in his drawers and closet. He buried old Casey in the garden behind the house. And from that day on,Corey became a very responsible and caring kid.
ACTIVITIES 1. Often there are stories in the paper about good-hearted, responsible people who show how much they care for others or for the Earth. Look through the paper and find a story about one of these caring people. Read it together. Then, on a piece of paper, write a few words or draw a picture that illustrates what happened in the story.
2. Think about someone you know who isn’t feeling well,or someone you haven’t seen in a longtime. Create your own “Get Well” card, or “Just Thinking About You” card. Decorate the front with a drawing, then write a few words that show how much you care about this person. on’t forget to sign it before you send it!
TIPS TO HELP CHILDREN LEARN CARING BEHAVIOR
1. Children often learn caring behavior from observing the way adults around them interact with their world. Look for opportunities to model compassion for other people and living things. Take your child along when you visit a sick friend or an elderly neighbor. Take your child to the veterinarian with you when your family pet needs attention. Let your child tag along with you on your next recycling run. If your child sees that caring is a significant aspect of your daily life,it will come more naturally to him,too.
2. It’s important to convey that caring is a way of life, not just something you happen to do in a particular situation. When you’re a caring individual, you show compassion for all living things, from the tiniest ladybug to members of the human race. You take care of your personal items and you take care of the Earth. Caring means you strive to do the right thing and act responsibly all the time.
3. We constantly tell our kids things like “Be nice to your brother,” or “Give your grandpa a big hug.” Caring about members of our family and people we know well is very important, but it’s also essential to teach your child to feel compassion for nameless people across town and around the world. When possible, educate your child about homelessness and world hunger. Your child may want to contribute in some small way to helping others. At the very least, he maybe more appreciative of the things he has, including the roof over his head.
4. Like every other positive behavior, catching your child demonstrating compassion and letting her know how much you respect her for it, will only encourage more of the same. Caring is not second nature with most young kids. Acknowledging caring when you see it will help him/her learn appropriate ways to interact with the world. A little caring contribution will make a big difference and go a very long way!
