As a parent, I spend a lot of time worrying about my child’s safety.  The first purchase we made for C was a car seat, to ensure that he would be safe wherever we traveled.  We bought a crib to safeguard our angel while he slept. Once Little C started to scoot, Mr. Confetti and I worked quickly to baby-proof our apartment, protecting him from dangling window cords, electrical outlets, staircases and more. As he starts to cruise around the furniture, I stay close to him to make sure I am not far to help him if he falls. As Little C grows older, I know I will want to protect him (as best I can, of course, without smothering him) from a growing list of dangers – skinned knees, hurt feelings, bullies, heartbreak.

What scares me most is that I can’t baby-proof the world.  Since Little C was born in May 2012, I’ve watched TV clips of colossal natural disasters that leave thousands homeless and innocent children and adults brutally murdered in movie theaters, classrooms, and most recently, cheering at the Boston Marathon.

While there is little I can do to protect my child from the weather, from deranged gunmen or from terrorists, what I can do is try my very best to instill a sense of goodness in him – a strong sense of integrity, appreciation and humility – so that he will grow up to become a good man.

Over and over this year, when tragedy strikes, we hear about the helpers.  Look for the helpers. I hope to raise a child who will one day be the person who would help others in a time of crisis, and who regularly chooses to help others in the face of hardship.

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Clearly, Little C is too young to be “the helper” himself right now. I’ve mentioned before that it is never too early to begin volunteering with your children. Even if they don’t understand what they are doing, just by spending time with you as you volunteer, they will learn through osmosis.  In the meantime, I want him to learn to admire those who are the helpers, and hopefully help them in some way.

A former colleague of mine has a son in the U.S. Army, and she is extremely active with AdoptaPlatoon, a nonprofit that works with deployed soldiers to provide a better quality of life while they are serving our country.  Volunteer pen-pals send weekly letters, or you can also “adopt” a soldier and send monthly care packages as well as weekly letters. Married volunteers are matched with married soldiers, and singles are matched with singles, to keep things “kosher,” if you will.

I decided to start by signing Little C and me up for a pen-pal.  Of course, he is not even close to old enough to write a letter.  We just started this month, and so far, I have handled the writing, and Little C helped by making a finger painting project that we included in the envelope.  I can’t wait for him to be old enough to make more exciting art projects, then sign his name and eventually write a note himself.  For now though, I am happy to do my part and show my support for our troops as well.

If this is something you are interested in doing, it’s easy to sign up, costs only a stamp a week and is a great way to show our nation’s “helpers” that you care (while teaching the important values of citizenship, compassion, creativity, etc.).

How have the recent tragedies we’ve faced as a country impacted how you parent?