procrastinate-y blog-reading led me to this great list, from here:
Concrete things you can do to support parents/or childcare givers and children in your community.
- Give children attention; talk to them, not about them, in a regular voice.
- Don’t get upset if they don’t want to talk to you when you do.
- Develop a consistent relationship with the children in your life. Set up a weekly or monthly date with a child.
- Speak up for childcare issues in all areas of what you do. Don’t let it fall to the parent to have to ask about childcare, or if it is a child friendly event.
- In general, feel free to ask a parent or childcare giver if you can help out when you see them “multi-tasking” (code word for overwhelmed, freaking out, having a melt down), and of course be gracious if they say no thank you.
- Smile at parents.
- Remember parenting doesn’t equal mothering; ask fathers how they are feeling as well.
- If you are throwing a party, hosting a meeting, planning a running street protest, announce that it is or is not a child friendly event. And if for some reason the event is not, make sure you are prepared to help parents stay involved: child care, classes for older kids.
- Create a space for children in your home: have some books to read and a toy or two to share when some little one (or not so little) comes over.
- Look at the world from child’s height
- Know how to change a diaper
- If you’re dating a parent offer to chip in on childcare costs while on a date
- Call your own parents regularly: remember you were a child
- Take the initiative to invite parents to events or to just hang out, even if they decline…parents often feel isolated.
- Remember parenting doesn’t end with infancy; parents of older children need allies too.
- And of course buy yourself and parents alternative books and zines about parenting…yes shameless plug
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