by Laura Page

Executive Director – Kids Helping Kids
www.kidzhelpingkids.org

Kids Helping Kids is a unique organization that evolved from a simple idea by a big-hearted 10 year old boy to raise $240 in order to save one Ghanaian child from the cycle of human trafficking into a fund-raising and leadership movement for global transformation.

Kids Helping Kids Leadership Academy…

Besides fund-raising for children in need locally and globally, Kids Helping Kids focuses on developing core leadership skills that not only raises their self-esteem but teaches them how to recognize behaviors that strengthen it.

Statistics show that early sexual activity, obesity, memory loss, violence, suicide and eating disorders are a direct result from low self-esteem.

Defined simply, self-esteem is the sense of being lovable and capable. When these two qualities are in sync, a child has high self-esteem. Children need first to know that they are loved and accepted for who they are. Then, with this as a basis, their natural impulse is to take that love and learn to contribute it to the world in constructive ways. It’s not hard to see that self-esteem is the best gift you can give your children.

How self-esteem is crucial to a child’s life….

• It sets the stage for one’s entire life.

• Self-esteem is built, it doesn’t come naturally

• Having good self-esteem correlates with success later in life – good grades and confidence can allow a teen to start out with scholarships and other opportunities.

• Helps teens deal with emotional stress

• Important in making good choices

Statistics on self-esteem in kids…

• 70% of girls ages 15-17 aren’t even bothering to participate in normal every day activities due to a lack of self-worth

• Obesity is the leading cause of low self esteem

• Today’s beauty ideals create appearance anxiety for 86.9% of all teenage-aged girls.

• *92% of the young women in the USA want to change some aspect of their physical appearance

Kids Helping Kids believes leadership is the foundation to strengthen self-esteem through social, emotional and educational curriculum. We focus on discovering and developing core principals to create the self-confident child by teaching integrity, honesty, self-esteem, communication, time management, conflict resolution and giving back, to name a few.

Integrity has become the backbone not only for our leadership academy but for every class and fundraiser we have. Our main focus of integrity is “doing the right thing even when no one is watching” teaching them three key elements that they can apply to their everyday thoughts and actions.

1. Integrity is a victory, not a gift.

2. A charismatic personality may draw people, but only integrity will keep them.

3. Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

These components are introduced by explaining that integrity is like a muscle, it’s there to do an important job but it has to be used on a daily basis in order for it to grow. The more they think about and use integrity, the more developed and natural it becomes which then becomes a part of who they are.

We teach them about what leaving their “Legacy” means. This provokes thought about what they want to be known for, which translates into how people perceive you. This element is particularly important for our jr. high group whose every waking thought is about fitting in, from what they say, to what they wear and who they are associated with. This, in turn affects every decision they make, good or bad. When they have a greater sense of self, their self-esteem gets stronger. We read a poem called “The Dash” by Linda Ellis that talks about the line between your birth date and death date on your tombstone, and what it represents. They are then asked do an exercise where they come up with the words that they would put on their own tombstone that they get to take home and put up in their room. This opens the door for them to start thinking about their legacy every day and what they really want to be known for.

More recently we taught “Cell Phone Etiquette”. This was eye-opening, even for the parents in the room. I had recently seen an episode of Oprah that inspired this class. It made my jaw drop and the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

They showed the story of a mom on her way home from a doctor’s appointment and as she pulled up near her house she saw lights flashing and fire trucks around. She saw a child laying on the ground and a child's mangled bike. She had no idea that it was her 9 year old daughter that had been struck by a 5,000 pound SUV. The driver of the SUV said she was distracted while talking on her phone when she hit the little girl head on, killing her.

Do you have a cell phone? Are you a texter? Do you do this while driving? Did you know that texting behind the wheel is like having FOUR drinks or shots of alcohol? Even if you are on a blue-tooth!

This was a SHOCK to me, I am the first to admit that I actually save phone calls I have to make for when I'm in the car so that I can make good use of my time. I have not texted or talked on my cell phone, not even once since I saw this. How many times have we all been messing with our phone, reading emails or texts or dialing a number when we catch ourselves swerving for a minute and have to pull back. That's all it takes, is a second and a life could end, my son's, my neighbors or my own.

6,000 people die every year caused by driver distraction from being on the phone or texting. The sad thing is, they are not teaching this in drivers ed. So it is our responsibility to make this change. What are we teaching our kids? If you think you are one of those that is a good driver and that this could never happen to you then you need to see this: See The Oprah Episode By Clicking HERE. It will definitely change the way you think about your cell phone and how you use it.

Technology is A Beautiful Thing…or is it

The rapid advancement of the technological world in the 21st century has been nothing short of astounding. From rotary phones and library cards to talking to someone from an airplane and roaming the world wide web, we literally have everything at our fingertips. I can be driving down the road, hear a song on the radio that I like and with a few taps on my iPhone I can have that song downloaded to my music library for just .99 cents. Amazing! It's 2010 and we are all but flying around town in our Jetson’s space crafts.

I can't help but wonder what long term effects this is having and will continue to have on our children. All this technology has made it easier and easier to disconnect from human interaction and socialization. The biggest reason teens get involved with the wrong group or turn to drugs and alcohol is because they feel a disconnect and a lack of belonging, which equals a low self-esteem. If we are always talking on the phone, texting, checking email and playing games then most of our conversations with our kids are over and around the devices we are using. These are half-conversations and our kids are getting jipped from having all of us. As well as you are when they are half-talking to you while texting a friend.

This has become an epidemic of large proportions. It comes up in many conversations I have had with people and I always hear, "Yeah, I do it and I need to stop." but they don't. In a world driven by success coupled with mini computers in everybody's hands, this is a recipe for disaster. The temptation to get one more thing marked off of their "to-do" list is too great for most so they miss that opportunity to be 100% present while their child is telling them about what happened at school that day.

I have a friend who is such a poor manager of their phone that I have stopped hanging out with them. We will set an appointment to spend time together over coffee to catch up and they spend the entire time answering calls and sending emails/texts during our appointment together. That is not my idea of nurturing our friendship, in fact it makes me feel as though my time is not valued and neither is our friendship if they would rather be doing something else. The sad thing is, they see nothing wrong with what they are doing.

I believe we need to take control now before we have to start spending billions of dollars on the technology boomers and all the therapy they are going to need to fix the feelings of inadequacy because they were second to their mom's iPhone or dad's crackberry.

How do we do this? Set boundaries! For yourself and your kids. Agree not to use your phone while you drive and stick to it. Pull over if you need to make or take a call or text. Set times that you will accept phone calls and answer emails. Just because you receive one doesn't mean you need to answer it or read it right away. Don't bring your phone to the dinner table and turn it off when you are at a restaurant. If you are expecting an important call or email while you are meeting someone, tell the person about it and ask if they wouldn't mind if you take it.

It's really important to set these boundaries for your kids but you can't unless you walk the talk first. I personally feel like I only have my kids for a few more years so their time left with us is valuable to me. As it is I have to compete with the PS3 player. We play a lot of card and board games in our house. Sure they may not always be excited to play at first but that's our sacred family time with no interruptions and in the end we always have a great time.

Little Eyes…

There are little eyes upon you

and they're watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly

take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager

to do anything you do;

And a little boy who's dreaming

of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little angel's idol,

you're the wisest of the wise.

In his little mind about you

no suspicions ever rise.

He believes in you devoutly,

holds all you say and do;

He will say and do, in your way

when he's grown up just like you.

There's a wide-eyed little boy

who believes you're always right;

and his eyes are always opened,

and he watches day and night.

You are setting an example

every day in all you do;

For the little boy who's waiting

to grow up to be like you.

- Kimberly Sedlacek

In today's world acts of charity seem to be rare. However, one little 10 year old girl can teach us all a lesson in heroism and charity. It is unusual to see such a spirit of giving in one so young, but in spite of all she has been through, Leigh Maria Dittman focuses her energy on helping others in spite of the tough times that she is going through herself.

Leigh Marie suffers from a very rare disease, known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta. This disease causes the bones in the body to be very weak and brittle, and it also stunts the proper growth as well. Unfortunately, just a small bump or fall can lead to a broken bone with this disease, and this 10 year old has gone through many broken bones as a result of the disease. She has also gone through many surgeries to help straighten the bones in her body as well.

Since she was only three weeks old, Leah Marie has been getting the treatment for this disease from the Shriners. She has spent plenty of time in the Shriners hospital, and when she was only three years old, she had the idea to start up a new fundraising to help out other children and the Shriner hospital that had helped her through her medical problems.

For seven years now, the Leigh Dittman Foundation has been raising money. Each year there is a special fundraiser that is done to help out the hospital. The fundraisers vary, from offering raffles, live auctions, silent auctions, and more. This year, the annual fundraiser for the Leigh Dittman Foundation will be held at the India Cultural Center in Tampa on September 11th at 6:00pm. This is the 7th annual fundraiser that has been held to raise money for the Shriners hospital.

Both of her parents have been very involved in this fundraiser and have helped to push it to success as well. They are very proud of how she has taken the difficult disease that she deals with and turned it into something that is positive to help others.

With her bubbly personality and selfless outlook on life, Leigh Marie has become popular with professional athletes and local business owners, becoming a local hero and an ambassador of sorts for the Shriners hospital. Her mission is to not only help raise money, but to also help raise awareness about this hospital and what it is doing to help children.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children is a special system that focuses on improving children's lives by offering teaching programs, innovative research, and specialty care for children. They provide care for no charge to many children who are dealing with cleft palates, cancer, spinal cord injuries, burns, and other conditions. This system has provided the care needed for Leigh Marie, and this little girl found it in her heart to want to give back to the hospital for all they have done for her.

Not only is she helping now with her fundraisers, but her goal for the future is to become a nurse so she can work in a Shriners hospital to help other children. For her charity and unselfishness, recently she won the $1,000 Kids Who Care scholarship from Kohl's Department store.

This young girl definitely is an inspiration at how one person can make a difference. Her charity is making a huge difference, raising more than $200,000 over the past few years. We can all learn from this little hero. No matter the challenges that we may face, we can look at them in a positive way and still find a way to help others.

You can learn more about Leigh Marie Dittman and the charity foundation she has started by visiting her website: http://leighdittman.com/.

While checking out some videos I found some great ones of kids dancing. I love how kids and music go together. These kids definitely have the moves and the first one of this young child break-dancing is truly amazing. You should have seen my kids try to imitate after watching these clips!

This young boy and girl definitely have the groove.

This next child is about 7 years old from a talent show in Milwaukee, WI. He definitely has the moves!

by Jennifer Shakeel

Kids Helping Kids

KIDS CAN and DO Make a DIFFERENCE! Each and every day kids are learning ways to make a difference in the world that they live in. At my son's school, the sign outside of the schools says "Be the change you want to see in the world." One of the most popular clubs at the school is the Junior Optimist club. To me, that is just awesome. This gave us here at more4kids.info the idea of putting together the names of a few inspirational kids that have and are being the change they want to see in the world.

The first child is Tyler Page who started a charity through KidsHelpingKids.  He was inspired to save the life of a child he would never meet in Ghana. After seeing an Oprah show where the topic was child trafficking, Tyler decided that he had to do something so that children like him were not bought and sold for physical labor. He had been learning in school about Positive Action, which is where children reach out and help others by picking up trash, paying it forward, and doing other activities in their community to make it better. Tyler figured out that he could save the life of 1 child for $240 a year (or $20 a month). He decided to have a car wash. This was so successful he decided to raise his goal from one child to 200 children. He is asking for us all to pitch in and donate to his charity. This can be done at the link above.

Kids Making a Difference

The next child I want to talk about is a young lady by the name of Stephanie. In June 2000 Stephanie  ( a then 8 year old) started a charity called "Kids Making a Difference."  Stephanie was inspired after reading an article about an injured baby manatee in her local paper. She knew that she had to do something to help manatee. She started by making manatee pins and selling them to her friends and family to help raise money to increase the public awareness about manatees. The wonderful thing was that not only did she raise money, and increase awareness, she also got other kids excited and they wanted to join in. That is how Kids Making a Difference was created. Today Stephanie is 17, and she still heads up the charity. It is an organization run by kids for kids:

Through the organization, kids are supporting kids with ideas and materials to impact their communities. Under dedicated adult supervision, these kids are making a positive impact on their communities by participating in city street cleanup programs; fostering and collecting needed items for homeless pets, along with fundraising for the preservation of endangered wildlife. They have come to the aid of animal shelters hit by natural disasters. These kids are helping to preserve our environment with recycling efforts, public education and coming to the aid of animals in need. While "Saving our World One Animal at a Time," these kids are growing to be young adults of great compassion and inner strength.

I would have to do nothing but write everyday about the amazing children that are making a huge difference in the world around them, but I wanted to close this article with one more story of another child who is doing something amazing.

The next youngster that I want to mention is Kyle Freas. He is now a 19 year old young man from Texas who started "Youth Together." He started the organization when he was 16 years old, which encourages elementary school students to help homeless, abused and critically ill children. The charity works with local nonprofit organizations to develop kid friendly service opportunities in Texas and New Mexico. So far Kyle's program has gotten more than 50,000 elementary school kids to get involved and make a difference in their community.

Kids Against Hunger

This isn't to say that only children who have started a charity to make a difference are the only inspiration children out there. There are also the children that get involved in the causes they feel strongly about. There is a group of children in Iowa working with Kids Against Hunger that shipped containers of food to Romania, Ethiopia and Guatemala. Those children range in the age from 7 up to 18 years old. These are children who are working together to make a difference in the lives of people they will never meet but have a connection to. To date, Kids Against Hunger (nationwide) have shipped more than 30 million meals. In Iowa alone they have done more than 200,000 meals and sent them overseas.

Children are surprising. Their concern is genuine and sincere. If given the chance they will change the world that we all live in. Support them however you can, whether it is driving them to that meeting for the club they want to join, or helping them figure out how to raise money for a cause that is near and dear to them.

Our son gives his allowance (that he saves) for the year to help protect abused kids. Our daughter is involved in an animal rights club at school that helps take care of abused animals. Encourage your child to be involved. Let them be the change they want to see in the world.

Biography
Jennifer Shakeel is a writer and former nurse with over 12 years medical experience.  As a mother of two incredible children with one on the way, I am here to share with you what I have learned about parenting and the joys and changes that take place during pregnancy. Together we can laugh and cry and rejoice in the fact that we are moms!

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