Tri Your Best

photo: Jen's Art & Soul cc

School is back in session...and for those kids not in organized sports and/or getting themselves to school by foot or bike, racking up enough exercise can be a challenge. Enter the Applebee's-sponsored Kids Helping Kids Triathlon, scheduled for October 12 in Cary, N.C. Kids 7 to 12 can start their "training" now to participate and raise money for childhood-cancer research.

Second Time Around

(photo: Sinead Friel cc)

It's post-prom time again, and thus time for a gentle reminder for teens to try and make another girl's prom dreams come true next year. Donating prom dresses is especially easy if you have a local organization that handles this. But even if not, there are charities that accept dress donations by mail, like the NYC-based WGirls. So get that fab frock on its merry way while it's still in style ;)

Walk This Way

photo: Kate Ter Haar cc

It's exciting to see the enthusiasm among teens at my sons' school for the upcoming Autism Walk. My only regret -- and it's a biggie -- is that the walk supports Autism Speaks, an organization that's garnered a less than ideal "financial" score from the Charity Navigator watchdog group; has repeatedly demonized autistic children in its "awareness" campaigns; and, one could argue, seems to focus more on scaring people than tangibly helping to improve life for children and families experiencing autism.

If I could wave a magic wand, I would transfer at least part the Autism Walk funds to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism, which actually provides grants to families -- in some cases through Joey's Fund, honoring a beautiful little girl killed in the 2012 Newtown tragedy -- for medical bills; advocacy-related legal fees; therapies; mainstream activities like art, music and horseback riding that can be extremely beneficial for autistic children and teens; and other expenses that challenge middle- and especially lower-income families.

While it may be too late this year, what about encouraging our fired-up kids next year to organize a smaller but more helpful (to real-live people with autism) walk or other event benefitting the Flutie Foundation? Alternatives to Autism Speaks can be frustratingly hard to find, but this organization -- at least as of spring 2014 -- seems to fit the bill.

Caring & Crafty

photo: hellolapomme cc

Making homemade valentines for parents, teachers and other dear ones is a tried-and-true tradition for kids everywhere, but what about those who don't have a closetful of craft supplies on hand, or even the basics like colored paper and glue? GenerationOn, dedicated to igniting the power of kids to make a make their mark on the world, has a fun, relatively simple answer: Kids with the supplies on hand can make valentine card kits for their peers in need, then deliver on or before Feb. 14 (with prior approval first, of course) to a local high-needs school, family shelter, or other youth-/family-serving organization. It's a fun project for a few friends (or a class, Scout troop, etc.) to tackle together, as the kits can be made "assembly line" style. Mom or dad, just add snacks -- and a ride to the recipient site. Then enjoy the feeling of having shared a little crafty love this Valentine's Day.

True Blues

Blue Monday may be a myth, but in most places, January is doubtless one of the most brutal months weather-wise. The post-holiday comedown can be tough, too. Overall, not an easy time for teens struggling with depression.


Of course there's no substitute for a solid treatment plan for those with a clinical level of depression, but this video from the advocacy group Erika's Lighthouse offers an authentic-feeling collage of empathy and support from peers. Debunking the myth that only "the dark kid in the corner" is depressed, they mix facts with personal perspectives to help other depressed teens feel less alone.

Stuttering Support

cc photo: Kate Ter Haar

Sometimes the kids who most powerfully help other kids are characters in books. In the case of Vince Vawry's semi-autobiographical Paperboy, the 11-year-old protagonist struggles with a significant stutter against the backdrop of segregated Memphis in the late '50s. Lauded by both book critics who compare it to To Kill a Mockingbird and by disability groups like the Stuttering Foundation of America, this would make an especially great Christmas gift for middle schoolers who stutter. Or a great read-aloud choice for teachers with a student who does.

Roll Models

photo: Oli Oldham cc

As we nibble our way toward the full-on Season of Eating, I just had to give a quick shout-out to those incredible MasterChef Junior contestants for inspiring other kids to try new foods. This would be accomplishment enough, but chances are they've inspired many peers to pick up a whisk as well. Here's to many more passionate kid cooks in the new year!

Holiday Plans

photo: US Embassy Sweden, cc

With frost on the proverbial pumpkin not far away, it's a good time to think about ways children and teens can embrace the upcoming season of gratitude & giving. Three easy ways to put a kids-helping-kids spin on this time of year:

• Take your child(ren) shopping for a child in need, then to drop the gift at a collection site for Toys for Tots, a church's or other organization's wish tree, etc. Even more meaningful if kids contribute toward the gift from their allowance or savings and (if instructed to do so by the collection site) help wrap the gift. 
• If your family does its charitable giving around the holidays, have your child(ren) select a children's charity to donate to this year.
• Have your child(ren) pick out a family holiday card this year that features art by kids to benefit kids. Check out the annual Kids Helping Kids holiday card line from MAC Cosmetics, with art done by and for HIV/AIDS affected kids. Featuring art done by and for young cancer patients, this line of holiday cards from the M.D. Anderson Center Children's Art Project helps fund college scholarships to prepare for life after cancer. And don't miss our family shop's offerings, KKG winter holiday (stamps too!) featuring kids' art & benefitting Save the Children.

Party Heart-y

cc photo: woodleywonderworks

It never ceases to amaze, the pricetag attached to a few pieces of colorful synthetic fabric once they're packaged as a Halloween costume. For middle class or more comfortable families, this price gouging is an annoyance; for lower incomes it's a real impediment. Yes, homemade costumes can save money, but they're not always feasible for busy working parents of kids too young to put together their own ensembles.

One easy way for kids to help kids this Halloween might be a costume drive -- like the urban-suburban clothing drive our local school district runs every year, but specifically focused on gently used Halloween costumes kids have already worn and are unlikely to use again. A whole school or district could undertake such a collection without too much trouble, passing on donations quickly to a higher-need school in the area. Or this could be a great charitable component for a class Halloween party. Kids would simply need to bring in their old costume(s) the day of the party.

Untie the Knot

(photo credit eivindw via photopin cc)

How young is too young for marriage? 21? 18? Certainly most would agree that 12 is way, way too young. Yet it's not all that rare for a preteen or early teen girl to be forced into marriage in Malawi, where nearly half of all girls in Malawi are wed by 18, and less than quarter finish elementary school.

Far away in Chicago's north suburbs, teen girl basketball players from the elite Full Package team decided to do their part to chip away at the situation, setting a fundraising goal of $30,000 to fight teen marriage in Malawi through the UN's GirlUp program. For a quick but personal look at the problem and how teens--and others--can be part of the solution, check out this video.

Tutoring Without Tears

image: earl53

Parent tears, that is. With the cost of a professional tutor ranging in most areas from $30 to $100 an hour, getting help for a struggling young student can be financially painful -- as well as logistically challenging, if you need to get your kid to the tutor's office. Instead, try pairing your child with an older student who can help with homework in your home and won't charge an arm & a leg. Bright, patient high schoolers can be a perfect match for K through 8th graders, while college students can make great helpers and role models for high schoolers. Teen and young-adult students may not have the specialized expertise of a hardcore pro tutor, but they can ease HW anxiety at a much more modest price, usually $15-$25 an hour. Because they're fresher from the experience of whatever grade your kid is in, they can be more empathetic too, which goes a long way. And with college costs skyrocketing, employing students is a truly win-win kids-helping-kids arrangement.

Seniority

(photo: phi1317  cc)

Next month my twins start freshman year at a massive (4,000+) high school. Nervous? Probably me more than them. Something that helps, based on my older son's experience, is the school's student advisory program, which pairs each group of 25 or so teens with a teacher who can guide them through the transition to high school. They meet every day with that teacher, but the secret weapon is an upperclassman -- a "senior helper" -- who comes in regularly to answer the newbies' questions based on personal knowledge of the school's challenges and opportunities.

Another way to go is linking each freshman or new-to-the-district student with a peer mentor who can show them the ropes. DoSomething has some nice tips for taking this on as a leadership program.

Brothers & Sisters

photo: Holly Lawrence

With summer comes more together time for kids, even my 3 busy teens. I get to see the (mostly) good and (occasional) bad & ugly of this on a daily basis, but one thing that strikes me is how seeing sibling closeness in action becomes even more powerful and gratifying as they--and I-- get older and they inch ever closer to independent adult life. Because we can't live forever, knowing our kids will be there for each other is at the top of a parent's wish list, or at least mine. Some of this is out of our control (see that "independent life" part), but the basic patterns of caring for each other can be nurtured in sibs, starting very young. Here's a nice post from vlogger/social media consultant Danielle Smith on how she uses one key question to nudge her kids into respecting, protecting & encouraging each other: "Am I being kind?"

One(sie) of a Kind

Customized onesies are always a fun gift, but they're especially sweet for a 1st Mother's Day. Kids made the heart cutouts for this little T for baby girls or boys, and half the design proceeds help kids through Save the Children.

Not Mom's first rodeo? Try a "peace, love & mom" theme for Mother's Day with this cool T for older kids, also featuring children's artwork and benefitting Save the Children. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Pedal Power

 

photo: gabriel.jorby 

My most memorable childhood Christmas gift was probably an emerald-green 10-speed bike my parents had to special-order. It wasn't ready in time for Christmas, but the picture they pasted onto red construction paper was enough to set off fits of anticipation. I couldn't wait for the freedom and fun those wheels would provide.

But some kids have to wait a long time for their first bike -- or never get one at all. For those kids, Wilmette (Ill.) teen Nicole Basil started a bike-drive organization at the tender age of 8 called Pedal Power, now in its 6th year. Each fall she collects more than 100 outgrown bikes to give to Chicago Public Schools honor students in grades K through 8. A local bike shop donates tuneup services before the bikes find their new homes, and any seriously challenged two-wheelers are passed on to a school where special needs kids can learn bike repair skills. Let the good times roll!

Kindness Pays

(photo credit: T1m0thy77 via photopin cc)

In the fraught world of playground politics, think nice guys finish last? Guess again. A 4-week study found kind kids are happier and better liked by peers. Working with 400 9- to 11-year-olds, the universities conducting the study assigned half the group three simple positive acts per week. At the end of the study period, not only did the kids who performed those acts score higher on happiness measures (which, researchers say, aligns with research on the effect of positive behavior on adult states-of-mind), but they were also chosen by more peers for collaborative classroom activities. Sounds like following the golden rule may be a golden ticket to happier school years.

Heartbreak Hotel

(photo: Sontra via photopin cc)

While this Valentine's Day will be heart-filled & happy for many teens, it's a sad fact of life that for some, the timing will be awful. February is indeed the cruelest month for a romantic breakup. But just like being a good friend is the top way kids can help kids in day to day life, being a caring, respectful boyfriend or girlfriend can turn any teen into an everyday hero -- especially when it's time to end a relationship. Here's some good advice for breakups, culled from kidshealth.org:

Do:

• Be honest about why you're breaking up with your guy or girl, but not brutally so. Use tact.
• Think through all the ways the person might react, and try to prepare yourself. 
• Break up in person! Would you want someone to break up with you via Facebook or text?

Don't:

• Rush the conversation. Take some time to consider your reasons and how you'll handle this.
• Tell others beforehand that you're planning to break up with your GF or BF. They might blab.
• Badmouth or gossip about your ex after you've broken up. Golden Rule, karma, whatever you call it -- it's just not smart.

Teens who find themselves guiding a friend through splitsville may want to show him or her this online "mending a broken heart" quiz from WebMD. Answering it together is a fun distraction, and you'll both learn something in the process.

Free the Children

As a 12-year-old in Canada, Craig Kielburger read about a child slave in Pakistan who escaped but was murdered after speaking out against child servitude. Moved to act, Kielburger rounded up 11 friends in his living room, with no money or well-heeled benefactors, to try and fight child labor.

Two decades later, Free the Children is the "world's largest network of kids helping kids," says Kielburger. Engaging 2 million volunteers a year -- almost all under 18 -- it's evolved into a diverse relief and development organization, as leaders have followed logical pathways of problem solving, Watch Kielburger's brother Marc, for instance, talk about why building schools isn't enough to get girls to school in Africa.

Kid volunteers are recruited through schools -- organizing bakes sales, car washes & other fundraisers -- and at celeb-studded "We Days" that gather stadiums full of young students. Some 2,400 a year end up getting so involved that they travel abroad on service projects.

But even something as simple as donating birthday money, a piggy bank's contents, or mere pocket change has an impact.  "That adds up to millions and millions of dollars ...for our projects," Kielburger told "60 Minutes" in November. It's a reminder that kids need not start a charity -- or even a fundraising project -- to help other kids.

"A penny is almost like a kid," he added. "People walk past pennies all the time and ignore them ... Can they really make a difference? But when you bring enough young people, enough kids together, then suddenly those kids can change the world."

Miss Merry MAC

photo: beautyzine.com

How can a blog called Kids Helping Kids be complete without an annual plug for the MAC Kids Helping Kids holiday card line? Made with artwork by HIV-affected kids to support their peers, these are always a wonderful charity Christmas card option. Only problem? They disappear fast! So dash over to your MAC counter if you're interested.

Meowy Christmas

Just in time for holiday card mailings -- this Christmas cat stamp from our family store's winter holiday collection.

The brother & sister kittens we adopted over the summer -- bringing the grand total to 3, including an ever-sleepy senior cat  -- inspired our 15-year-old artist in residence.

As always, half the design proceeds go to Save the Children.