Toni-Lynn
08-08-2008, 11:14 PM
http://www.scottcommonsense.com/images/ap_2008_07_everyday.jpg
Good citizenship has been defined as working towards making your community a better place to live. Because civic pride and citizenship mean different things to different people, they can be difficult concepts to teach to our kids.
Luckily for us, citizenship is one area where kids learn best by example. In this patriotic month of July - and beyond – let your kids learn to be responsible citizens by modeling the types of behavior we want them to adopt as adults. Here are some suggestions:
Public service.
Volunteer and join groups that work to improve your town. Many soup kitchens or food banks encourage families to volunteer together to help the needy. As your kids get older, encourage them to take part in youth service groups, such as Builders Club, Key Club, scouting and similar organizations.
Economic participation.
A strong local economy thrives when residents support local businesses. Shop at locally owned stores and hire local services, whenever possible. A lemonade stand or garage sale is actually a great opportunity to teach kids about entrepreneurship and even business concepts like marketing and distribution.
Political involvement.
In this presidential election year, get involved and talk to your kids about the issues (speaking respectfully about the candidates, of course, even if they don't always speak respectfully of each other!). Exercising your right to vote is one of the most important components of good citizenship. Take your young children to the polls with you this November and let them see you vote.
Keeping America beautiful.
Many cities have beautification committees and allow families to adopt a public flowerbed or flowerpot to plant, weed and water over the summer. Teach your kids how to recycle or organize a neighborhood cleanup to pick up litter.
Protect and abide by the law.
"Do what I say, not what I do" isn't good enough when raising children to be good citizens. Obey the laws – even something as simple as breaking traffic laws makes an impression on kids. To keep your neighborhood safe and crime-free, form or join a block watch and unite your neighbors in watching out for each other.
The Association of Americans for Civic Responsibility (http://www.aacri.org/aacr.aspx) offers lots of ideas and suggestions for good citizenship on its website. How about you?
Good citizenship has been defined as working towards making your community a better place to live. Because civic pride and citizenship mean different things to different people, they can be difficult concepts to teach to our kids.
Luckily for us, citizenship is one area where kids learn best by example. In this patriotic month of July - and beyond – let your kids learn to be responsible citizens by modeling the types of behavior we want them to adopt as adults. Here are some suggestions:
Public service.
Volunteer and join groups that work to improve your town. Many soup kitchens or food banks encourage families to volunteer together to help the needy. As your kids get older, encourage them to take part in youth service groups, such as Builders Club, Key Club, scouting and similar organizations.
Economic participation.
A strong local economy thrives when residents support local businesses. Shop at locally owned stores and hire local services, whenever possible. A lemonade stand or garage sale is actually a great opportunity to teach kids about entrepreneurship and even business concepts like marketing and distribution.
Political involvement.
In this presidential election year, get involved and talk to your kids about the issues (speaking respectfully about the candidates, of course, even if they don't always speak respectfully of each other!). Exercising your right to vote is one of the most important components of good citizenship. Take your young children to the polls with you this November and let them see you vote.
Keeping America beautiful.
Many cities have beautification committees and allow families to adopt a public flowerbed or flowerpot to plant, weed and water over the summer. Teach your kids how to recycle or organize a neighborhood cleanup to pick up litter.
Protect and abide by the law.
"Do what I say, not what I do" isn't good enough when raising children to be good citizens. Obey the laws – even something as simple as breaking traffic laws makes an impression on kids. To keep your neighborhood safe and crime-free, form or join a block watch and unite your neighbors in watching out for each other.
The Association of Americans for Civic Responsibility (http://www.aacri.org/aacr.aspx) offers lots of ideas and suggestions for good citizenship on its website. How about you?