Dive into some family fun on this long weekend as you remember and celebrate our great country and those who defend it!

Learn About It

Giving your children an understanding of the meaning of patriotic holidays is an important element of their character development and understanding of human history. Take a minute to review the “why” of this holiday weekend with some of these resources:

The Principles of Patriotism: Freedom and Respect

Whatever our nationality, patriotism can be a catalyst for a discussion of Freedom and Respect, two values that are universally valuable in a child’s social-emotional development. From a toddler learning the safety of physical boundaries to a preschooler learning to respect their friend, Freedom and Respect are two values that can develop with parallel efficiency in the minds of young children.

Freedom:
The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.
You can assist your young child in their journey to Freedom and autonomy by offering them choices, empowering them responsibilities, and allowing them age-appropriate independence.
In the notable book, “The Very Young: Developmental Education for the Early Years” by G.W. Maxim, the author explains that “Learning to be autonomous and self-reliant takes time and practice. When we offer children choices, we are allowing them to practice the skills of independence and responsibility, while we guard their health and safety by controlling and monitoring the options.”*
Respect:
A feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way.
Respect is best taught to a child by modeling. From recycling as a way of respecting the earth to your attitude in a traffic jam, whether or not you demonstrate grace and respect for the world around you may dramatically influence your child’s level of respect! Teaching your child that other people are important and should be treated with kindness is a good segue into discussing the role of soldiers in our society and throughout history.
So, while barbecuing, swimming, and enjoying family time, we want to extend a huge CW thank you to those who have served for our Freedom and taught us immense lessons in Respect.
*Maxim, G.W. (1997). The very young: Developmental education for the early years, 5th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.