Category Archives: Attitude of Gratitude

A Gold Ribbon

Posted on September 8, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

Help a family face childhood cancer.

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month; this disease affects many people every month. Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer – the equivalent of two classrooms full of children. Although long-term survival rates are steadily increasing, cancer remains the number one disease killer of children. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family suffers. You can reach out today to provide immediate help to a child living with cancer. Through CoolPeopleCare’s Premium Partner Gabe’s My Heart, your purchase of this gold-ribboned shirt will help families face this battle. Click here to get yours.

- Sam Davidson

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Posted in Attitude of Gratitude, Family, Health & Wellness, Healthcare & Medical Issues, Volunteer

Project SHARE

Posted on August 27, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

In February, Mayor Karl Dean convened a Task Force to develop a Child and Youth Master Plan for Nashville and Davidson County. After six months of work, the task force completed Nashville’s first-ever Children and Youth Master Plan.

The plan charged the community to address 14 distinct areas of concern. Included in the plan are the following findings:

• 1/3 of MNPS students responding to a 2007 school culture/climate survey reported not having an adult they could talk to about their problems.

• Community survey respondents ranked ensuring academic achievement and providing a safe and caring school environment as the two most pressing issues that the community needs to work on (CYMP Community Survey, 2010).

• Almost half of school-age children suffer from depression, anxiety or aggression after becoming homeless (The Institute for Children and Poverty)

• Children and youth in Davidson County between the ages of 6-13 report involvement in bullying in some way at significantly higher rates than their peers nationally (Olweus Survey, 2005-2008).

• 1 in every 8 people in Davidson County is unable to read (Community Needs Assessment for Adult Literacy, 2010)

Monroe Harding is addressing these concerns through the Project SHARE program. Project SHARE matches adult volunteers with young people in the elementary schools. Over 500 elementary students need a positive adult in their lives. More volunteers are needed. A commitment of just one hour per week can dramatically change the outcome of a life.

Training will be provided. Contact the Project SHARE Coordinator, Laquita Harrison for more information at (615) 665-1409 or laquitaharrison@tnyouthconnections.net.

Options for volunteering include:

Project SHARE One on One Mentoring: Project SHARE volunteers teach at-risk elementary students skills necessary to engage appropriately and succeed in the classroom. These mentors spend one hour a week working individually with elementary students during the school day, throughout the semester or school year. Activities include reading, helping with class work, playing games or just talking.

Project SHARE English Language Learners Assistants: Spanish speaking volunteers are needed to spend classroom time with elementary students struggling to learn the English language. Teachers present curriculum in English, the volunteers are on-site to assist with class work in both English and Spanish to help ease the learning experience. Other languages welcome as well.

Safe at Last Education (SAL): Volunteers spend approximately ½ hour in each classroom presenting the Safe At Last curriculum to the entire class. Children utilize SAL skills to recognize unsafe situations such as abuse and inappropriate sexual behaviors. The volunteers teach children how to differentiate between good and bad touches, identify safe people, along with assertiveness and problem solving if they are in an unsafe situations.

Bullying Prevention Classroom Participation: Students in metro schools are taught the school-wide anti-bullying philosophy. Mentors help encourage the students to recognize bullying, to respond to it and how to avoid being a bully.

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Posted in Activities, Attitude of Gratitude, Development, Diversity, Education, Family, Safety, Volunteer, self-esteem

Web Wisdom

Posted on August 16, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

Have you ever watched a spider spin a web? Or take one down?

We have a spider that lives in a hole in the top of our screen door that leads from the kitchen to the back porch. This spider is our unofficial second pet. My daughter has given it the name “Rosie.”

Every night when I let our dog out, I take a few minutes to watch Rosie spin her web. I am fascinated by the whole process. Like clockwork, as soon as the sun has gone down and the night sky has turned to black, she comes out of her little hole and starts spinning. It takes quite awhile for her to complete the web, and the end result is beautiful. Tiny little stands of silver thread in perfect formation.

Every morning when we gather at the kitchen table for breakfast, we say “good morning” to Rosie. And again, like clockwork, as soon as the sun has risen above the top beam of our covered porch, Rosie starts taking down her web. I had assumed that spider webs are left to just disappear with the wind or rain, but not Rosie’s.

She disassembles it strand by strand, as if building it in reverse. The first few times I watched her do this I cringed. How frustrating it must be to take apart something she had worked so hard and so long in constructing. (Here I am giving human attributes to this spider.) But, she does what she has to do…what she was created to do. And, that is to build a web to catch her food…daily.

Sometimes, I cringe when something I have worked so hard on comes apart. It doesn’t even have to be a big thing either. It can even be a mundane thing like the laundry. Just when I think all the clothes are clean, there is another pile of wash to do. It’s an endless cycle.

Motherhood can seem like a thankless, less than alluring job at times…like building a spider web. But with patience and a lot of hard work, the end result is beautiful. Even if it feels like I have to start over with the same thing every day.

Thanks, Rosie, for the lesson.

- Malinda Moseley

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Posted in Activities, Attitude of Gratitude, Development, Education, Family

The Great Kindness Challenge

Posted on August 13, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

If your family is like mine, Saturdays can be extremely busy. But tomorrow, as my daughter and I go from swimming lessons to dance class, and then run errands in the afternoon, we will be participating in The Great Kindness Challenge.

Presented by Kids For Peace, The Great Kindness Challenge is “one day devoted to performing as many acts of kindness as possible.”

From sunup to sundown  on August 14, children around the world will accomplish simple, kind deeds using The Great Kindness Challenge Checklist. The checklist features 50 acts of kindness from which to choose. A few examples:

  • Hold the door open for someone.
  • Pick up trash in your neighborhood.
  • Smile at 25 people.
  • Feed the birds.

When you are finished, you can share your experiences on The Great Kindness Challenge Facebook page.

Let’s help our kids see that no act of kindness is too small!

About Kids for Peace: Kids for Peace is a global, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting our world through love and action. It’s mission is “to cultivate every child’s innate ability to foster peace through cross-cultural experiences and hands-on arts, service and environmental projects.”

- Malinda Moseley

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Posted in Activities, Attitude of Gratitude, Development, Education, Family, Volunteer, self-esteem

Kidney Cause

Posted on August 12, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

One of my lifelong friends lives with kidney disease. She has had two kidney transplants (the first one taking place in high school, the second one in college). She is now needing another transplant and is about to start dialysis three times a week. Her older sister also suffered with kidney disease from an early age. She died at the age of 30.

According to the Tennessee Kidney Foundation’s website:

Over 26 million Americans, or 1 in 9 adults, suffer from chronic kidney disease.  Another 20 million are at increased risk and most don’t even know it.  Over 7,400 Tennesseans are in kidney failure and need a kidney transplant or dialysis three times per week to survive.

I have watched my friend, and her sister, fight this disease, struggle with this disease, and live with this disease. Often I have felt quite helpless because I wasn’t a “match” for them.

But, I am not helpless. I can make a difference in fighting this disease, and you can too!

Here are a few ways to help:

Other helpful sites:

Tennessee Donor Services

OrganDonor.Gov

- Malinda Moseley

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Posted in Activities, Attitude of Gratitude, Diversity, Education, Family, Fundraiser, Health & Wellness, Healthcare & Medical Issues, Runs/Walks, Volunteer

Puddle Palooza

Posted on August 11, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

Help give wildlife a second chance!

Music, food and fun for the entire family with proceeds benefiting Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Date: Saturday, August 21, 2010

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Music begins at 3:00 p.m.)

Location: Yogi Bear Jellystone Park, 2572 Music Valley Drive, Nashville, TN 37214

Live music, featuring Rodney Crowell, John Anderson, Jypsi, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, Lane Brody, Emily West, Robin Meade, Victoria Shaw, Keni Thomas, Cerrito & His Mariachi Band, Nan Kelley as Emcee and many special guests.

There will be delicious food, swimming, a silent auction featuring music memorabilia and a chance to meet an animal ambassador at the wildlife demonstration!

Tickets: Adults $20, kids under 12 FREE (tickets are a tax-deductible donation.) Call 800-657-6910 or buy online at www.visitmusiccity.com

To learn more about Walden’s Puddle, please visit www.waldenspuddle.org.

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Posted in Activities, Animals & Wildlife, Attitude of Gratitude, Conservation & the Environment, Education, Family, Food & Beverage, Fundraiser, Health & Wellness, Volunteer

DQ Miracle Treat Day

Posted on August 5, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

Be a really cool mom (or dad) and take the kids and head over to your local Dairy Queen  today for DQ Miracle Treat Day! 

“$1 or more from every Blizzard® treat sale on Miracle Treat Day, August 5, 2010 will help sick and injured children in your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.* Since 1984, DQ has raised over $81 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.”

Make miracles happen while beating the heat!

Click here to find a participating location.

Children’s Miracle Network

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Posted in Activities, Attitude of Gratitude, Diversity, Education, Family, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Healthcare & Medical Issues, Volunteer

Innocent Imagination

Posted on July 28, 2010 by coolmomscare| 1 Comment

I have a four and a half year old son that has a very active imagination. He comes up with the craziest thoughts, all of which make perfect sense to him.

For example, while brushing his teeth the other morning I was informing him that we were going to need to replace his mirror in his bathroom. No big deal you say? Um, pretty big deal for Calin. Apparently he loves the tacky 80′s mirror that is currently gracing the wall because when I told him that we were replacing it he pitches a fit. When he finally calms down, he says “I am okay now. I can get a new mirror. They have them in New Mexico.”

Another such story involves sharks. When putting my son to bed recently he told me that sharks live in Alaska in the sea. He then told me that they eat people. I tried to explain that they usually don’t eat people, but bite them and not to worry we weren’t planning on going to Alaska. He asks “so sharks don’t eat people?” I said “no”. His response” “Flying squirrels do.”

This very morning he asked me where heaven was. I told him it was way up in the sky. He thought about this for a minute then looked at me and said “I know, if we fly in a plane to California way up in the clouds we will be in heaven”.

When telling these stories to others, I am often asked two questions. The first being, “How do you keep a straight face?” (the answer being I look away from him to keep from laughing). The second question is, “Are you writing this stuff down?” The answer is yes. I want him to be able to look back years from now and see what an innocent and active imagination he had (and it comes in handy when you need a good laugh).

- Helen Trabue

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Posted in Attitude of Gratitude, Development, Family, self-esteem

From One Mother To Another

Posted on June 30, 2010 by coolmomscare| Leave a comment

I have been fortunate enough to give birth to two beautiful, healthy babies. And, I confess, I took the whole birthing experience for granted. I didn’t worry about whether there would be the appropriate medical supplies available for the doctor to use, let alone if they were sterile. But, many women in developing countries (where infant and maternal mortality is high) must give birth in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

Here’s how one mother can help another. By donating $25 to IMA World Health, you can sponsor a  Safe Motherhood Kit, which is designed to “provide a clean delivery and safe birth.” Included in the kit are sterile items for childbirth and warm clothes for the newborn.  In addition, “IMA provides education on the importance of clean and sterile birthing procedures and training of the proper use of a Safe Motherhood Kit.”  These kits are sent to Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, as well as Haiti in the Caribbean – areas where infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world.

IMA World Health

Safe Motherhood Kits

- Malinda Moseley

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Posted in Activities, Attitude of Gratitude, Development, Diversity, Education, Family, Health & Wellness, Healthcare & Medical Issues, Poverty, Safety, Volunteer

The Time Is Always Right

Posted on June 29, 2010 by coolmomscare| 2 Comments

“The time is always right to do the right thing.” This is what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said. There are a lot of things we can do to help our schools and our community. We shouldn’t judge people by their skin color. Also, we shouldn’t be mean to people because of their accent or size. The right thing to do is to treat people the way you want to be treated. This means if a person hurts you by hand or word, you shouldn’t hurt them back.

There are many things people can do to help our community. One example is the Heifer Project. The Heifer Project is when people give money to buy animals for people in other parts of the world. Another example is The East Tuscaloosa Community Soup Bowl. Some people give money or food. Other people give out sack lunches. Some people prepare hot meals.

At my school we should follow the 3 R’s: Be Responsible, Be Resourceful, and Be Respectful. If everybody followed the 3 R’s, we wouldn’t have anything to worry about. These are a few ways to help our schools and community. It is up to each of us to follow Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ideas.

Now is the time to do the right thing!!

- Bailey Farish (Age 9, Tuscaloosa, AL)

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Posted in Attitude of Gratitude, Diversity, Education, Politics & Justice, Poverty, self-esteem