Including Service in a Busy Life (pt 1.5)

As I drove up to the Capitol to meet my children this afternoon, I realized that there is another type of service that can be fit into a busy schedule (and can be done from home!). Advocacy can be service because it is standing up for something you believe in to make the world a better place.

I know not everyone has a friend who tells you they are taking your kids to the State Capitol to advocate, in this case for our after school program, but there are other ways to help children serve through advocacy.

1. Find something that is meaningful to your children, either an issue that is up for debate, or even just a concern or compliment (to show support for their work).
2. Figure out who the appropriate person/people are to contact, find their contact information. This morning I googled the email address for our representative and senator (I typed in "state representative for Kearns Utah"). Other people that children can advocate with are teachers and school officials, safety organizations, etc. 
3. Have your child write, type, or dictate what they'd like to say. Make sure they are respectful, even if they are voicing concerns. Helping kids advocate teaches them to speak up for what they believe is right and to try to make changes (even if it's asking the School Board to approve a change to the uniform rule for socks. Kids like the socks they like), but it can also help them learn how to speak to authority figures and how to respectfully solve problems.
4. Another way to teach kids how to advocate is to help them learn how to stand up for themselves and others. Some of the most important advocacy that can be done is for kids to be kind to those that don't have very many friends, or who are facing other hard situations.

Helping kids advocate is service that can be done in a short email or letter, or through a conversation in the car.