June is National Pet Preparedness Month which should matter to the 77.5 million dog owners and 93.6 million cat owners in the United States.  Our pets are truly members of our family, and we need to know how to respond when the unexpected happens.  Particularly in the summer months,  there is a surge in accidents and injuries involving our four-legged friends.  Many times, this is because more pets are outside and active.  While a pet’s exuberant play is a joy to behold, there is also a greater chance for mishaps.

Keep your pets happy and safe all-year round and particularly during these warm weather months by reviewing several important tips from the American Red Cross.  It never hurts to be reminded that we should not leave our animals in a hot car, let them ride in the back of a truck, play on recently fertilized lawns, be around water unsupervised, or go tagless.  While the site provides basic but valuable basic reminders about proper vaccinations, flea and tick prevention and spaying/neutering, it also helps us think through the unexpected such as including your pet in a natural disaster plan and creating a medical emergency kit.

As any pet lover know, being kind and caring extends to the animals in our lives, too.  Wishing you and your pets a happy and safe summer!

YesKidzCan! Reprint 2012

“While it’s often best to shield younger kids from tragic news, there’s really no shielding the teens and tweens in your family from the harsh images and sad events that are on the news, especially in situations involving a natural disaster.” Click here to read more of iVillage.com’s resourceful article!

Oftentimes, you need look no further than your own community for great ways to inspire kids to give back. We want to share information about a special event right in YesKidzCan!’s backyard that’s kicking-off this week called JUST TRYAN IT! (JTI).

JTI opened registration this week for its 4th annual triathlon for kids ages 6-14. The event happens June 16, 2013 at Landon School in Bethesda, MD, and kids and adults work together to raise funds for children and families served by the Georgetown University Hospital Division of Pediatric Hematology, Blood, and Bone Marrow Transplantation.

If you happen to live in the Washington DC area, click here to register your friends and family. You’ll be glad you tried it!

In the spirit of Women’s History Month this March, we wanted to give a snapshot of women throughout history who have demonstrated extraordinary acts of kindness.

• 1881 – Clara Barton:  Founded and headed up the American Red Cross with the mission of aiding victims of war and natural disasters.
• 1896- Harriet Tubman: Led dozens of slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad and helped finance a home for poor and aging African Americans.
• 1947 – Eleanor Roosevelt – Former First Lady and elected as head of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
• 1963 – Rachel Carson – Scientist who testified before Congress to the dangers of agricultural pesticides.  Considered one of the founders of the environment movement.
• 1967 – Cicely Saunders, M.D. founded the hospice movement in London to provide comfort to people during their final days.
• 1978 – Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw grows her biotech company into the $445 million Biocon Limited and invests more than $2 million each year in providing affordable health care programs in India.
• 1998 – Oprah Winfrey – Formed Oprah’s Angel Network to encourage people to give to others with $80 million contributed to date.
• 2001 – Jacqueline Novogratz creates the Acumen Fund which uses entrepreneurship and marketing to help solve global poverty by providing clean drinking water, malaria prevention, and safe birthing clinics for women in need.

YesKidzCan!’s Giving Experience Blog is going on hiatus for the month of February.  We look forward to sharing more ideas for giving back in March.  In the meantime, feel free to scroll through our blog categories to read posts on everything from contests for kids and ways to support schools and teachers to helping our military and quick and easy family projects! 

Here’s a different way to think about giving this holiday season.  Do you have neighbors, friends, or relatives who may not be able to afford a home repair, an item, a class, or an outing?  Consider setting up an online fund through GoFundMe — a site where you can describe a project (such as fixing Mr. Jone’s roof), and invite friends and family to donate toward the set goal for the year ahead. GoFundMe projects have ranged from supporting a teacher’s needs in the classroom to making contributions toward a dog’s surgery to helping with costs for a kidney donation.  It’s a great way to use online resources to bring offline holiday cheer!

©YesKidzCan!, 2012

©YesKidzCan!, 2012

You know that gap of time when camp is over and school hasn’t started yet?   What to do with the little ones?  Here’s a different kind of project to consider.

• First, ask your kids to think about a cause that is really important to them — an issue, an organization, or a place.
• Next, have them do some (parent-supervised) research about that area.
• Encourage your them to brainstorm ways they can support their selected cause.  Check out these YesKidzCan! resources for ideas.
• Offer the option of including a timeline for  implementing their ideas.
• Suggest that your kids create a document, presentation or poster with visuals that summarize what they have learned and are proposing.
• Schedule a special time where your kids can make a presentation to the whole family.
• Explore if there are ways for the entire family to be involved.
• Provide positive feedback, and applaud their efforts.

This activity can be spread out over a period of time.   Just remember to encourage follow through.  Once the project is complete, you can ask your kids to create and present a summary of how things turned out. This kind of project goes beyond a way to fill time.  It offers a way to make time fulfilling!

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

July 11 is Cheer Up the Lonely Day.  And while there seems to be a National Day for just about everything, if you think about it for a moment, this one is worth honoring.  No one likes to feel isolated or alone but most of us have at one point or another.  Perhaps you have an elderly relative in a nursing home or a sibling who has just gone off to college without knowing a soul.  Maybe your child’s best friend has moved away and both kids are feeling sad.  Children who have gone to school together for years may be getting ready to start a new academic year at different places.  The same is true for teammates who have split up to play in different leagues.  And do not forget those serving in the military far away from friends and family.

Whatever the situation, as silly as some National Days may be, Cheer Up the Lonely Day is a good reminder that reaching out to someone in need is always good thing.  For those effected, help them connect by visiting in-person, talking on the phone or online, or sending an e-card or note card.  Just a little effort can go a long way toward brightening someone’s day.

©YesKidzCan!, 2012

Looking for a fun way to teach your kids the reduce, reuse, and recycle principles?  How about challenging your kids to a Re-Use Contest?!  All you need to do is select reusable or recyclable items.  Arm your kids with paper and pencil, and yell out the first item on the list.  Your kids’ task is to write down as many creative uses for that particular item.  Here are some examples of items and creative uses (in case you need to jump start your kids’ thinking):

• Magazines:  roll them up and stick them in knee-high boots to they will keep their shape.
• Empty Paper-Towel Roll:  Flatten and use as a sheath to store a knife kept in a drawer.
• Small Glass Food Jars: Use to store items such as nails, rubber bands, or thumb tacks.
• Old Shower Curtain:  Keep it in your car’s trunk to line it when carrying messy items such as muddy boots, paint cans, or beach gear.
• Used Coffee Grounds: Spread them over the flower beds of plants such as azaleas or rhododendrons that thrive in acidic soil.
• Plastic Gallon Milk Jug:  Cut off the top just above the handle and use as a scoop for pet food.
• Foam Packing Peanuts:  Use in the bases of potted plants to help with drainage.
• Plastic Mesh Produce Bag: Turn it into a no-scratch scrubber for a dirty pan.  After using it, ball it up and throw it out.
• Plastic Tub:  Rinse out an large yogurt or sour cream container and reuse it to store art supplies or as a travel water dish for pets.

You can let your kids have access to the internet to research even more unique ideas, if you wish.  Evaluate the answers your kids provide and offer fun prizes for the most creative, greatest number of uses listed, or most useful ideas for your house.  Figure out a way to recognize all good efforts!  Then, if you have some of the items on hand, put everyone to work re-using them in a way that works for you.

© YesKidzCan!, 2012

Blogging may help reduce stress and increase self-esteem in kids!  So says recent research published by the American Psychological Association.  The study indicates that blogs are even more beneficial than written journals for kids because they promote sharing, allow feedback and help build interpersonal skills.  Yet another good reasons to encourage your kid to submit a guest blog for YesKidzCan!  Learn more here!

© YesKidzCan!, 2012