Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1172724
www.FredericksburgParent.NET 15 DisneyOnIce.com Opening Night Tickets $15! Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply. Subject to availability. Excludes premium seats. Tickets at market pricing. Purchase tickets at venue box office or ticketmaster.com. OCT 2 – 6 EAGLEBANK ARENA This will take some effort by you to ensure that where you are volunteering is safe and controlled. I wouldn't advocate a walk-in appearance at a local venue since you want to ensure that your children have an opportunity to actually work and be a part of an organized event. By reaching out ahead of time to local support groups you can find a way to have a healthy experience. In our case, we served Thanksgiving breakfast at a local shelter in town. There was an associated church in support and while we weren't a part of the church we were allowed to participate as manpower for the event. It was particularly rewarding to support Thanksgiving morn- ing events with our children that led to Thanksgiving prayers at our own dinner. It meant we had to do a lot of prep for our own holiday meal sometimes days before, but the payoff was doing something for others in need and actually realizing our blessings of the day. It is one thing to let your children watch television or YouTube videos, it is another to watch with them and have conversations about the emotions of the characters. My goodness, watching children's shows was a tedious task and consumed many moments of my parenting life! But I did it with a purpose. We'd talk about the char- acters and their emotions. We'd discuss how the characters' actions influenced others both positively and negatively. With small incremental steps of con- nection with emotions children learn and practice empathy. It is a skill and a strength that not everyone has but one that everyone should work to impart in our children. So how does this help with bullying? Everyone is dealing with something. Helping your children understand how important their actions toward oth- ers can help them stay mindful of their words and behaviors toward others. Also, and I believe this to be true, it can help you emphasize that someone's negative behaviors toward your child has noth- ing to do with them. It has everything to do with the person DOING the bullying and that child's need to lash out at someone else. It is one step, probably the first step of keeping your child strong when harmful dynamics are in play. Hurt people hurt people, and while that isn't a get out of jail free card for the bully, it is a mindset shift for our children. Empathy is the ability to experience and share someone else's feelings. It is a deep sense of understanding and sharing someone else's emotional reality. VOLUNTEER TO SERVE MEALS AT LOCAL SHELTERS COMMUNICATE EMOTIONS WITH YOUR CHILD Helping your children understand how important their actions toward others can help them stay mindful of their words and behaviors toward others.