A Little Time Makes All the Difference

May 9, 2012 
Children's Mental Health Awareness Day

 

May is just days away and not only is it filled with our own family birthdays and Mother's Day, it is a special month of the year dedicated for Children's Mental Health Awareness.  Family Organizations everywhere will be actively promoting statistics, events and awareness raising activities regarding children's mental health and/or behavioral disorders.  This year the focus is not only on awareness of children's mental health but a strong focus is putting an end to bullying.  Click HERE for more information on the bullying prevention focus. 

I have long been an advocate for children tapping into their creative abilities so today I thought I would share with you a few ways children can create something positive and meaningful; these projects are for children of all ages in groups, communities, within their families or with their BFF's.   What do crafts have to do with bullying and/or mental health awareness?  Children want and need to feel creative and see the products of their work and imagination.  They want and need to express themselves and through the simple application of art (and it can be Green Art) they can express several feelings at once.  They want and need approval of those in their lives; the simple act of making something with a child can help with             1) Self - Esteem  2) Self - Worth    3) Achievement                4) Accomplishment    5) Validation    6)Sharing time with others   and more.   It's easy to start a conversation on how to stop bullying or find out if your child is being bullied by working with a child on any of the crafts.  It's a good time for talking and sharing.  Approach the topic of bullying and see how much they share with you...perhaps more than you were aware of. It's also a good way to get groups of youth together and start the conversation of bullying and how to stop it.  Action begins with sharing and talking about a topic that you want to see action taken with.  Take 30 minutes from your day to take action! 

Develop free thinkers and open minds.
Make time to be creative with your kids.
Take time to talk.  
Help them with  Facts About Bullying 

Learn to make your own recycled (seed) paper.  Click the picture for instructions.
www.craft-project.com

Links to Crafts for Kids (with a nod from me for being Green & Creative!)

The Learning Channel - 16 Top Green Crafts to Do With Your Kids
A fun link to navigate to as it offers some great ideas including how to see what Earth Worms do for us!

Family Fun - Recycled Crafts for Kids to Do
My favorite on this page is the Pin Ball Machine!  A little dangerous perhaps, but still fun!

The Zoo is Getting Crafty!
What a fabulous idea for Mother's Day or Father's Day!  A bird feeder made from recyclables!

20 Crafty Ways to Re-Use Plastic Bottles
You will be glad you navigated to this link!  The Monster container is a must do :)

You get the idea from the links I shared.  Any time is valuable time with your children or children in the community.  Get the talk started; get the bullying stopped.  A little time makes all the difference in their lives.  

Wishing you heaps of inspiration!

Sher