” I have a dream…
I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers
I have a dream today” ~~~ MLK
Each year on the third Monday of January, our nation celebrates the birth, the life and the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year, that day is Monday January 16, 2012. It is important, that as a nation, we take this time to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and remember his fight for the freedom, equality, and dignity of all races and all people.
In the 70’s as I was growing up, we lived in a working class suburb of Chicago. Sure I was aware of differences in people but there didn’t seem to be a great ‘racial divide’, even (waaaaay) back then. Perhaps it was my young, naive, lack of life experience point of view. I am more inclined to believe it was my parents. They taught us diversity, tolerance and to embrace the uniqueness that differences bring. I think kids learn best by example. Let’s find ways this holiday weekend to teach our kids some life long lessons in tolerance. It’s the right thing to do, right?
Here’s what going on across the nation in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Take your kids to something. Help them understand being different isn’t a bad thing. Help open their minds to being ‘open’…
Like outdoor activities?
More than a hundred national parks and historical sites across the United States will waive admissions fees from Friday through Monday to commemorate Martin Luther King Day. Fee-free days are important opportunities where the Park Service puts out the welcome mat and invites all Americans to relax, recreate, and learn about our shared heritage. Parks that will hold special events honoring Dr. King this weekend include the new Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial in Washington, D.C., Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Tennessee, and the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C.
Lake Mead
This is Lake Mead, 10 miles from my house. We enjoy the activities available being so close! And let me tell you, Lake Mead is BEAUTIFUL! Lake Mead was created by the building of The Hoover Dam which has a storied history of sacrifices made by the men, women and families that were involved with the dam’s construction. If you’re ever in the Las Vegas area, you MUST go take the tour of The Hoover Dam!! A MAZE ING!! (and, you get cool yellow construction guy type helmets, photo op for torture later in life)
Not an outdoorsy type? Try some of these *frugal and fun* activities with your children!!
READ!!!! Parents who read to their children about Martin Luther King, Jr. can help them learn about King at an age-appropriate level. For the younger tykes (2-4) , consider reading "The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr." by Johnny Ray Moore. Kids (4-8) can get quite a bit from "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." by Doreen Rappaport. And anytime you can incorporate cuddling on the couch reading AND a good time to teach life lessons, you should jump all over that!! Those opportunities are few and far between. Kids grow up so fast! Get them thinking while you can!
How about throwing some popcorn in the microwave and watching a good flick? Jammie day and movies!! That’s something we always get a collective YES on. This weekend, skip the cartoons for just a few hours and try To Kill a Mockingbird. Not something kids under 9-10 will fully understand but if you have preteens and ‘tweens’, this is a good choice. It takes on prejudice, oppression, and the awful result of such things in a very powerful and moving story, however, it does deal with delicate subjects and can be emotionally difficult for sensitive children. You’ve seen it or read the book, right?
Whatever your plans for this weekend are, please, please please take some time and discuss tolerance and acceptance with your children. Don’t know how to start the chit-a-chat? FamilyEducation.com has some great tips to help kids recognize discriminatory behaviors. You can start with a hypothetical situation about a boy on the playground who is "different," kids are asked how they would respond. Then, as parents we help our children compare their response with how Dr. King might have responded.
And then, take this discussion a step further. Ask your children if they ever see incidents of discrimination at their school, ask them how they respond, what would they do? This is also a GREAT opportunity to lead into the ‘bullying’ discussion. There’s just too much of school bullying going on these days! Use this as your stepping stone to put an end to bullying in schools!
Just remember, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is much more than a day to be off school or work!
What’s your plans? Leave us a message in the comments section and we’ll be right over if you’re having a BBQ!!!!
