☼Summer of Fun☼ Activity No. 3
PINE CONES for NANA
This past Christmas, we gave my mama (just call here Nana, everyone does) Pine Cone Fire Starters. To say she loved them would be an understatement.
The problem with pine cone fire starters? They are a consumable. One use and poof up in flames!! LOL
So, we decided we would help Nana replenish her supply of pine cones and added it to our list of things to do this summer.
(helping wick and wax them will come later)
I’m a firm believer in having several service type activities on our list.
Serving others is very important; a lesson I want my boys to learn.
I Believe Serving Others Helps Teach Kids:
Respect: a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
This is huge for me, as I believe everything hinges on this one ability. If you think about every rule you know, in some way it comes back to respect. Don’t steal (respect that it isn’t yours), Drive the speed limit (respect the law), clean your room (respect your things)… See? Everything we do comes down to this one word. Serving others offers them respect and shows my boys how to BE respectful. They’ll need that the rest of their lives.
Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another
They will need this ability all of their lives. They’ll need it to understand their friends, spouses, co workers and any one else who comes into their lives. They’ll need it to become good listeners and to be present in the relationships they will have.
Kindness: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate
Again, all their lives this will be something they will need to be successful. This world can be a pretty ugly place sometimes and knowing how to spread kindness, even in small doses, will serve my children well.
Compassion: sympathetic concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others
What’s that? Yep. they will need this all of their lives (I’m seeing a pattern here, you?) Learning to not be ‘blind’ to other’s pain or sufferings is so important in having empathy and kindness.
These four work together to create a human who reflects what Jesus taught us to do while we’re here on this earth; Love one another (John 13:34-35)
I know serving teaches them more than respect, empathy, kindness, and compassion but those four tend to be the biggies for me!
If I can teach them that serving others can be fun and rewarding, even if it’s not always an easy thing to do, than they are going to come out way ahead of the game as adults.
“Only a Life Lived for Others is a Life Worth Living”
– Albert Einstein
Just Bits and Pieces 
We were out at a local garden center the other day. It was throwing it down with rain and an elderly lady had asked for assistance to take her plants to her car. The cashier was having trouble calling on her in-store phone for help. My 13-year-old son offered to take them to the car. At that point, someone from the store turned up to help but the lady was so appreciative that he’d offered.
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I love these kinds of stories!! My heart swells when I hear that kids who are in the difficult years of ‘me, me, me’ are so giving! I imagine your son made that lady’s day and she will tell the story many times always mentioning the kindness your son showed her. Way to go MOM!! Way to go mom’s boy!! Thank you so much for sharing that story. My heart is more full than it was before! ♥
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Very lovely qualities to I still in your kids! They seem to be enjoying themselves too which is fab.
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Nicole, they enjoy these summer activities very much! It’s funny to hear them talk about things we’ve done a year ago. That tells me we’re making great memories every day!! ♥
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Love your idea of having kids do some acts of service, even at 3 my son loves to help people, and I get a feeling it’s because I and his father model it often.
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April, I think you hit the nail on the head. I’m a firm believer that kids learn what they live. They see us doing things on a fairly regular basis, in this case serving others) and they think that’s the norm for everyone and want to do it too! KUDOS to you for being a great example!!! ♥
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Someone is sure having fun! Love the expression. And the fact that they’re learning enduring values while doing so is fantastic!
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We are having a good time and lots of fun. Isn’t it amazing how simple things can bring so much joy? ♥
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