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Our community is a great place to live and raise a family. It will be even better when we all work together and deliberately think about how we act, speak, plan and listen. Everyone in the community must share the vision and responsibility for a healthy living environment. When we do this, we will all prosper.
Notice kids. Smile a lot. Acknowledge adolescents. Learn their names. Seek them out. Remember their birthdays. Ask them about themselves. Look in their eyes when you speak with them. Listen to them. Play with them. Read aloud together. Giggle together. Be nice. Say yes a lot. Tell them their feelings are okay. Set boundaries that keep them safe. Thank them for their good work.
Stop and think before you speak and act. We're experiencing a shift in language. Rather than naming and counting deficits and problems, we're counting life-enhancing developmental experiences and resources. This language shift and emphasis puts the power back in the hands of the people and makes possible the kind of broad civic engagement that is crucial for healthy child and adolescent development, as well as overall community health.
You can join the Healthy Communities Initiative and become an active member in shaping and improving the welfare of our community. Click here for more information.
©2005, Healthy Communities Initiative
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