Kindness Matters
- Megan Caroline Grubbs
- Nov 12, 2020
- 4 min read
No matter the size!
Welcome back everyone!! As I mentioned in my first post, my personal platform is called Mentoring Matters which partners along side of the B.R.A.V.E. program to promote anti-bullying. Today I wanted to share a little more about both of these programs. My hope is that by sharing my experiences it will encourage others to get involved in their communities. Remember my earlier post on how "It takes a village to raise a child", you can be a part of someones village by volunteering in your community. Both Mentoring Matters and the BRAVE program promote building respect (for yourself and others) and encourage acts of kindness. Something that I always tell my kiddos, big or small, is that no act of kindness is too little. Whether you hold a door for someone, give them a word of kindness, donate to your local food pantry or volunteer for to help at a local organization, these are all things that the world needs!!! KINDNESS MATTERS!
Mentoring Matters #BeABuddy
In my earlier post I shared a little bit about how my program originated but today I will go a little more in depth. Growing up in a small town I have always had so many opportunities in my community to help out. Whether it was ringing the bells at Christmas for Salvation Army, rebuilding roofs during the winter with church group or working at my local food pantry, there were always opportunities close by. This was something that I LOVED! As I got older, this love to help others matured into a dream of becoming a second grade teacher and one day teaching in a Title One school. I realized that this was a way that I would be able to nurture these students for the rest of my life. Once I began my freshman year of high school I was able to speak to my local elementary school counselor and share some of my plans for the future and also some of my ideas on how to start supporting these students now. We worked out a plan for me to be able to mentor a small girls group once a week. These little girls happened to be in the second grade at the time and had always caused issues bullying and just simply being mean to others. Little did I know this would be the biggest blessing I could have ever received. Yes, we had rough moments but as we continued to meet throughout my freshman year I saw such change in their attitudes. This was not only towards me but towards one another, their classmates, teachers and life in general. It truly made me realize what a difference I could make in the lives of these young students simply by showing them that I cared and holding them accountable for their actions. Who knew these four little girls would start a whole new chapter in my life. There will be so many stories to come about "Tea time" which is what the girls liked to call our weekly meetings!!
B.R.A.V.E.
Building Respects And Values for Everyone!
BRAVE is an anti-bullying platform that encourages kindness, respect, self-love and embracing the differences of ALL. The moment that I came in contact with this platform I was in love. It partners along with my mentoring program so well and has been so beneficial in every school. I feel as if bullying is a common topic today that is often pushed under the rug and it needs to be acknowledged. BRAVE teaches kids of all ages to stand up and speak up when they see or know of someone who is being a bully or being bullied. Whether it is in person or on social media, bullying truly effects so many children, preteens, teens and even adults. I also feel it is important to talk about self-love, respect and embracing the differences of all when speaking about BRAVE. All of these things go hand in hand. During the first six months of my mentoring program I quickly realized that a lot of younger children bully because of insecurities. I was blind to the fact of how insecure some elementary aged kids were. In order to respect others these children must first learn to respect themselves. I also bring in the fact that we are all beautifully different! One step toward self-love and respecting others is for them to be okay with the fact that God made us all different. Regardless of our shape, size, color, or background, we are all really special. It is my priority to make sure every kid knows they are one of a kind and that is what makes them truly special. While talking to students about all of these things above I try to help them realize that they have complete control over their future. If they study hard and make good choices there are always people that will help them build their dreams and learn how to achieve them!
I cannot wait to share more about my journey through building my mentoring program alongside the BRAVE platform!
xoxo- Megan Grubbs
Comments