Have you ever found yourself in a position where you’ve ‘bitten off a little more than you can chew?’ We’re all probably guilty of it – from making commitments we simply cannot keep to burning-out, losing interest or all-out flaking. Whatever the reason, not following through with a commitment is disappointing and can discourage you from trying again in the future.

When introducing your family to giving, it’s important that we successfully meet our obligations but also have our expectations met. In doing this, you’re more likely to create a positive experience that will likely have your children asking for more. More

Sometimes, opportunities to give are not totally obvious. We talk a lot about giving financially. And we hear about opportunities to volunteer all the time. But what other ways can we help others? What else can we share?

How about our talent?

In addition to money and time, nonprofits have specific needs that others can help them with by providing expertise. Children’s ‘expertise’ and interests might change as often as the seasons, but we can help our kids find opportunities to use their talent for the good of others. For many, this form of giving can be extremely rewarding because we’re not only helping those that we care about, we are using our personal skills to do it. More

TAG Question of the Week

If you start poking around on the internet looking at the need in your community, it can become a little overwhelming. This week, we were thinking about families that would like to host a Charitable Birthday Party and pulled together a list of Columbia nonprofits that have wish lists of items that party attendees could bring in lieu of a typical party gift. While we at TAG live in the nonprofit world every day, seeing our list of worthy organizations representing urgent needs right here in our backyard caused us to pause. We want to help them ALL! More

TAG Question of the Week

We know that there are so many different ways to give. And in many cases our efforts aren’t or can’t be spontaneous our impulsive. Getting involved in a movement can involve significant organization and preparation. We don’t stroke a check without considering our finances and we don’t just decide to jump on a plane to Haiti tomorrow to help build a school. There are ways to give that require significant planning and those that do not. Both are of equal importance and it’s important that our children understand the difference and why.

So while financial giving and major, planned efforts are extremely important, there are lots of things we can do right now that do not involve considering year-end recommendations from our accountant or require extreme organizations, effort or time. More

It’s Saturday, and it’s raining. In fact, it’s been raining for the last three days straight. Or perhaps it’s too hot or too chilly – it was a warm winter, huh? But today it’s chilly! Either way, your plans for a day outside, and your kids’ cabin fever might be steadily rising. Everyone has lost interest in watching tv, but it’s still blaring, a steady background to the chorus of brother-and-sisterly bickering.

We’ve all had days like this. We all know how frustrating it is to watch your kids unravel because they’re bored. The solution? Help your kids shift the focus from themselves to others with a quick “kitchen table project.” Using these everyday moments at home to micro-volunteer is an easy way to do some good and remind your kids what really matters. More

Have you ever been part of a book club? You read the book and then get together with some others to reflect. If you haven’t been to a book club, you’ve probably been to a movie with a group and had a discussion about the storyline after viewing. Were you surprised by the different experiences other readers/viewers had? Maybe they noticed details you hadn’t or important character traits that you dismissed. Perhaps they picked-up on themes or morals that you didn’t. Maybe you didn’t get it at all, but someone explained the plot or theme in a way that made it clear. More

It’s Spring Break season and many of the children we know are out of school this week. Looking for an activity that’s not only fun, but will motivate and empower your kids to make a difference? Suggest a fundraiser!

Regardless of the scope of the benefit, whether it’s an afternoon project or a full-scale event, kids will likely need some help and guidance in pulling together a successful fundraiser. Here are some tips in assisting them. More

TAG Question of the Week

One of the great things about being part of a community is seeing how people come together. We talk a lot about exposing our children to community need and one of the great lessons of this is showing them how great it is when people come together.

But what is a community? It’s lots of things! It’s your school. It’s your place of worship. It’s your neighborhood, town and state. It’s even your scout troop or sports team.

And there’s a lot more to a community than just services and organization. In our community we find friends and neighbors, we celebrate tradition, we share values and we enjoy life – with its ups and downs – together as a group.

So what do you personally appreciate about your community? What does your family enjoy? Why is your community important to your children? What does that mean to them?

Find out how your family feels about your community using the Question of the Week!

Published each Friday, use the Question of the Week to spark conversation with your children about family, money, giving and help them explore what matters most to them.

Introducing children to community need can be a little daunting. The issues facing our community can be complicated and many parents aren’t sure how to explain these problems in a way that kids can begin to understand and in a manner that won’t scare them.

At the same time, we want our children to grow into community-minded adults who are aware of the needs of our neighbors. And we want them to know that they have the power to make a difference. So where should we start? More

For whatever reason, we have a tendency to judge those who are less fortunate or different in some way. And as our society struggles with bullying, we are more and more aware that this starts at an early age.

Fortunately as parents and mentors we have opportunity to influence our children’s ‘compassion meters’ and there are numerous ways we can do this. Not only will they be better for it, but the world will be a sweeter place. Here are some tips and ideas:

1. Point out examples. There are acts of compassion everywhere. Be sure your kids notice! You might see it on TV, in a book or in person. Or maybe someone you know has done something kind for someone else. Tell your children about it.
2. Nip potential false impressions in the bud. All homeless people are not alcoholics. Children whose parents are unable to care for them are just as deserving as we are. Every drug addict is not a bad person. Kids with special needs are not less worthy of our friendship. Feel free to guide your children as they’re formulating their opinions of others. More