Top 5 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Give and Receive in the Holiday Spirit

Character Education Expert Dr. Philip Brown Shares Tips for Emphasizing Love over Material Things during the Holiday Season

Warren, NJ – December 10, 2015 – At this time of year, there is a particular daily dilemma that confronts families because of the commercialization of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. To help parents know how to emphasize love over material things during the holiday season, Wear the Cape™, a brand that gives back and aims to restore the power of kindness and heroic character with cool, inspirational products and its non-profit the kidkind foundation, today released the “Top 5 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Give and Receive in the Holiday Spirit.”

Wear the Cape’s tips were conceived by the organization’s resident character education expert Philip Brown, PhD, who is a Fellow of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, where he founded and directed the Center for Social and Character Development. With his pointers, Dr. Brown focuses on how we can help our kids understand the joy of giving, as well as the pleasure of receiving, and how we can fill the holidays with love, rather than experience a time of regret and emotional emptiness.

“We can all agree that the holidays can bring out the best in us and the worst in us,” said Dr. Brown. “As the big end-of-year holidays approach, it is common to get anxious about how much there is to do, whether we have enough gifts to make everyone happy, and if our celebration of family and religious traditions will go as we hope. Our motives may be the best, but execution can be daunting.”

Top 5 Ways to Teach Your Kids to Give and Receive in the Holiday Spirit

Be intentional. Talk to children about giving and charity, how it makes us feel, and what values we are upholding. Whether the heart-to-heart is about giving money or time and energies, research shows that talking with children to help them understand the family and society values associated with giving is important.
Think beyond your family. Let children know they are part of a community and global citizenship. Ask who has served your family this past year and could use some recognition. Look at where there are people in need locally, nationally and internationally. Could a neighbor use a helping hand or the local food pantry some extra servers?
Involve your kids in decision-making. Include your children in discussions about to whom something should be given, whether it’s a toy, a dollar, a card, the offer of service or a good word. Simple and sweet can open the heart as much as big and fancy. Think of family and then extend outward. Involving kids in the process of selecting charities or persons to whom they want to give goes a long way toward building a generous spirit.
Gift outside the box – literally. Consider gifts of experiences rather than just material items. We remember and cherish good times together longer than almost any physical present.
Don’t overlook the art of receiving. You can help children build their character by learning how to receive gifts gracefully and with gratitude, which is as important as being a caring giver. The holidays are also about receiving. Receiving should be done with an open heart, remembering that the person giving the gift wants to please you and make you feel good.

Dealing with Disappointments Is Part of Learning

According to Dr. Brown, dealing with disappointed expectations during the holidays provides an opportunity to support children’s learning process and emphasize that the holidays are about sharing time with loved ones, not about the size of the gifts. He recommends being present to each other, remembering that children ascertaining how to handle intense feelings is rarely a smooth course, and being tolerant of their mistakes, as you would want them to be of yours. “Emotional honesty goes a long way to healing the wounds of dashed expectations,” commented Dr. Brown.

Opening One’s Heart Helps Shape Character

To build an ethic of caring, commit to emphasizing the power of giving throughout the year, encouraged Dr. Brown. When tensions and expectations are high is not the best time to introduce and ask for or demand new behaviors from kids. If you’re beginning this holiday season, start small. Learning about giving and how to do it from a place of compassion takes an open mind, as well as an open heart, and repeated exposures.

“Avoiding being swept up in societal pressures to dazzle our kids with exciting gifts in pretty packages is one of the biggest challenges for parents during the holiday season,” observed Leigh Ann Errico, CEO & Founder of Wear the Cape & the kidkind foundation. “Teaching children to appreciate non-material blessings all year round helps parents battle expectations for excess.”

Errico, an experienced leadership coach, built Wear the Cape and established the kidkind foundation in 2013 when she identified the need for resources on kindness and character-building that would appeal to her own four children. The idea for the brand was sparked when she observed that the chance to wear a cape—the organization’s logo—motivates children to act like heroes, or “Cape Kids,” in order to live up to the symbol of honor.

Starting today, Wear the Cape is kicking off its #BetterThanPresents challenge and inviting people of all ages to post a short video on social media sharing what they want this holiday season that money can’t buy, then daring friends and family to do the same. Join in! Include the hashtag #BetterThanPresents when posting your video, and tag your friends and Wear the Cape’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wearthecape/).

To learn more about Wear the Cape, visit www.wearthecapekids.com.

About Wear the Cape™ and the kidkind foundation

Wear the Cape™ is the first global, mission-powered brand with the nerve to equate being kind with being cool. By coaching kids to be BETTER THAN THAT™, Wear the Cape breaks down barriers and brings people together—a world of new values prevails: It’s cool to be inclusive, tolerant and socially responsible. From its line of apparel and accessories, to its educational tools and its own non-profit the kidkind foundation, Wear the Cape sparks awareness and raises money to build heroes, a kid at a time. Wear the Cape’s products and resources are designed to create teachable moments between kids and the grown-ups they look up to with Hero Tags that tee up conversations about what it means to stand up and stand out; to stick up for the underdog; to do what’s right, not what’s easy. Wear the Cape donates 10% of its net profits directly to the kidkind foundation, and the rest is reinvested in the design and production of new products, as well as character-building educational materials for parents and teachers to help the kids they love. Wear the Cape’s work with communities and schools is helping mold everyday heroes that will create a kinder, better world for us all.

For more information contact:

Lauren DuBois
(917) 573-2485
lauren@wearthecapekids.com

THANKFUL NATION

How to make gratitude more than a Thanksgiving chore

By Philip Brown, Ph.D.

Published November 25, 2015

Many American families take advantage of the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday to formally or informally acknowledge all that we have to be grateful for living in this wonderful country. For children, it’s important to have the adults in their lives whom they care for and who care for them encourage this practice. Beyond the pleasure of sharing a special meal together, it sends the message: Gratitude is an important value for us.

Thanksgiving is a meaningful tradition. One psychologist who has studied gratitude defines it in two parts. First, it must include an affirmation of goodness – that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received. We need to identify something outside ourselves for which we are grateful. Second, it must include identifying the source of this goodness, from where it comes. For example, if a child expresses that she is grateful for the fresh ear of summer corn she is having for dinner, an adult can help her consider all the people it took to put that ear in her hands: the seed producer, the farmer who planted and grew it, the folks who made the combine harvester, the trucker who brought it to the store. The concept could go even deeper with appreciation for the soil, sun and water without which the corn could not have grown.

There are a number of studies that document the many benefits of practicing gratitude. At the physical level, scientists report stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, and better sleep for people who regularly engage in gratitude practice. At the psychological level, people report experiencing more positive emotions such as joy and pleasure, and being more optimistic and happy. Gratefulness also contributes to being more outgoing, forgiving, helpful to others, generous and compassionate.

For the shy child or the grumpy teen, expressing gratitude over Thanksgiving dinner can seem awkward or trite. Going around the table with overt or subtle pressure for each person to say something can feel like a compulsory exercise—one’s turn to speak can be an anxious or unpleasant moment for some kids and adults, as well, and saying “nothing” or “I don’t know” doesn’t cut it. However, this is not to say that Thanksgiving gratitude rituals should be jettisoned. Experts tell us that it’s the repeated practice of gratitude—even when we don’t feel grateful—that will eventually lead to a more enduring attitude of gratitude. For kids who just don’t seem to be into participating, it’s helpful to know that there is evidence that going through grateful motions can trigger the emotion of gratitude.

Research shows that the best gratitude practices are ones we choose, not ones we feel forced into based on our circumstances.

We feel best about offering thanks that springs from our own authentic interests and values, whatever our age.

Be creative and think about some ways to make your Thanksgiving gratitude ritual vibrant and inclusive, something that doesn’t feel like a command performance, but a heart-felt and often joyous expression of sharing life together.

What grateful motions might feel less forced and more genuine? Here are a few examples to get you started, with thanks to Kira Newman at the Greater Good Science Center (The Trouble with Thanksgiving Gratitude):

1. You might start with someone explaining what gratitude is and leading everyone in a short meditation for all to enjoy. In Jack Kornfield’s book, The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace, he writes:

“Gratitude is a gracious acknowledgment of all that sustains us, a bow to our blessings, great and small, an appreciation of the moments of good fortune that sustain our life every day.” His meditation asks you to think of the environment and the people who make your life possible:

With gratitude I remember the people, animals, plants, insects, creatures of the sky and sea, air and water, fire and earth, all whose joyful exertion blesses my life every day. With gratitude I remember the care and labor of a thousand generations of elders and ancestors who came before me.

2. Give people a chance to think before they thank.

Try taking a few moments for a quiet contemplation of gratefulness before asking anyone to say something. This might make for a solid first step—and help them to have enough time to think of something concrete to say in front of family and friends.

3. Write letters to each other or to the gathered family.

In advance of dinner, ask everyone who is old enough to write short gratitude letters to read at the table (younger children could participate by drawing a picture). A gratitude letter or picture expresses appreciation for someone—a relative, friend, teacher, or colleague—who made an impact on your life but hasn’t been properly thanked. The letter can detail what they did, why you feel thankful, and how your life is different today. An option is to write the letter to all present about an event or time for which one feels grateful. Each person takes turns reading their letter, or asking someone to read it for them if he or she is shy or reluctant.

4. After dinner, take a walk—then give thanks later, around the fire or over dessert.

Instead of starting the meal with a moment of gratitude, do it afterwards when everyone is likely feeling good and able to relax together. Having a walk not only aids digestion, but conversations and sights along the way can all be potential sources of ongoing gratitude—and might help prime family and friends to give concrete thanks. Perhaps invite people to spend part of the walk being mindful and appreciative of what they see. Do the piles of autumn leaves remind you of time spent playing in them as a child?

This Thanksgiving, may your family be inspired to keep up the practice of gratitude. The goal is to change gratitude from a Thanksgiving chore to a meaningful way of thinking year-round. Soon, “What are you grateful for?” will no longer seem like such a tricky question to answer.

Philip Brown, PhD is the resident expert on character education for Wear the Cape (www.wearthecapekids.com). Dr. Brown is a Fellow of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University where he founded and directed the Center for Social and Character Development.

First appeared at http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/11/25/how-to-make-gratitude-more-than-thanksgiving-chore.html

5 Tips to Avoid Overbooking Your Kids and Create Life Balance

Character education expert says averting activity overload helps stave off stress that can lead to anxiety and depression in children

Warren, NJ – April 29, 2015 – Overbooked kids and parents can miss some of the best parts of being in a family. Wear the Cape, a brand that gives back and aims to restore the power of kindness and good character with cool, inspirational products and its non-profit the kidkind foundation, today released “5 Tips to Avoid Overbooking Your Kids and Create Life Balance”. The list was created by Philip Brown, PhD, the organization’s resident expert on character education, to help parents balance the responsibilities of providing economic security and meeting the needs of all family members for emotional support and personal fulfillment.

“Finding balance is not an easy task in a society of great abundance,” said Dr. Brown, who is a senior consultant at the National School Climate Center. “Our interests and our desire to give our children every opportunity to succeed can inadvertently pull us into adding an ever increasing number of activities, dates, plans and obligations.”

Dr. Brown added, “Saying ‘no’ when demands become more than we can handle, or to children who may feel that they are supposed to be involved with everything their friends are doing to keep up, is not easy, and can be particularly difficult if our sense of self, who we want to believe we are or should be seems dependent on saying ‘yes’ and doing it all.”

5 Tips to Avoid Overbooking Your Kids and Find Life Balance

Let your kids know that you care about them for who they are, not just what they can do. Children need to know that your love is not contingent on their achievements.
Remember that children do not have the same sense of time that you do. Part of growing up is being able to put things in perspective. There will likely be another friend, another team, another trip if this one does not work out.
Working hard at something you love to do is one of the best parts of life. It takes some of us a lot of experimenting to find those things we love. Kids need that free time to try new things, as well as the permission to give them up and try something else.
Some kids organize their time and find their interests with just a little exposure; other kids may need a bit of a push to try things that don’t seem attractive or interesting (or may be threatening). The trick here is to be sensitive to individual needs and persistent in offering opportunities. If you need to be pushy, try to offer alternatives, so kids have a voice in what they will be doing. For example, some children thrive in competitive sports, and others may find their niche in hiking or dancing.
Remember to include exposure to helping others in your family activities. One of the best ways of developing empathy in our children (and ourselves) is to feel the gratitude that is expressed when we help others. This doesn’t happen if we don’t have the opportunity of interacting with others in need or whom we help. This can happen within the context of the family itself, as well, and doesn’t necessarily require a formal charity event. Create opportunities in which children can feel that they have meaningfully helped other family members or the whole family accomplish something. The combination of caring, responsibility, feeling respected, and gratitude is a powerful stew that nourishes the soul.

“When we’re overprogrammed and feel we can’t keep up, or are constantly running on empty, stress can lead to anxiety, depression and take a toll on our minds and bodies,” commented Dr. Brown. “For children, this can surface in many ways – trouble sleeping, frequent irritability, aggressiveness with siblings, trouble in school, moodiness or frequent illness are all common signs that something is not right and needs to be explored.”

To raise children of good character, a combination of guidance, freedom, and support in the context of shared values should be provided. Most 21st century parents in America experience tension between their roles as providers, parents and having adult lives, a phenomenon that is widespread and not limited to one class or location. Reflection may be valuable, even if parents are not sure if they are overbooking.

“For most parents, laying the groundwork for their children’s happiness and fulfillment is a top priority,” said Leigh Ann Errico, CEO and founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation. “But it’s important that families step back and assess the hours being devoted to various activities on the never-ending list of possibilities. Downtime can be time well-spent.”

Errico built Wear the Cape (www.facebook.com/wearthecape) and established the foundation in 2013 after she came up short in her search for resources on kindness and character-building that would appeal to her own four children. The idea for the brand was sparked when Errico observed that the chance to wear a cape—the organization’s logo—motivates children to act like heroes, or “Cape Kids,” in order to live up to the symbol of honor. Wear the Cape is currently developing a school assembly that will show kids how they can make positive choices and rise above challenges like bullying.

Dr. Brown has partnered with Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation to help parents nationwide foster good character in their kids. For additional resources from Dr. Brown and to learn more about Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, go to www.wearthecapekids.com.

About Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation

Wear the Cape™ for all kidkind™ is the first global, mission-powered brand with the nerve to equate being kind with being cool. By coaching kids to be BETTER THAN THAT™, Wear the Cape breaks down barriers and brings people together—a world of new values prevails: It’s cool to be inclusive, tolerant and socially responsible. From its line of apparel and accessories, to its educational tools and its own non-profit the kidkind foundation, Wear the Cape sparks awareness and raises money to build heroes, a kid at a time. Wear the Cape’s products and resources are designed to create teachable moments between kids and the grown-ups they look up to with Hero Tags that tee up conversations about what it means to stand up and stand out; to stick up for the underdog; to do what’s right, not what’s easy. Wear the Cape donates 10% of its net profits directly to the kidkind foundation, and the rest is reinvested in the design and production of new products, as well as character-building educational materials for parents and teachers to help the kids they love. Wear the Cape’s work with communities and schools is helping mold everyday heroes that will create a kinder, better world for us all.

For more information contact:

Lauren DuBois
(917) 573-2485
lauren@wearthecapekids.com

“Push Pause” from Verizon FiOS1 News delivers “high-impact, in-depth community coverage” with stories shot by “trained citizen video journalists who get to the heart of New Jersey life.” Recently, Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation were featured by “Push Pause” with a special focus on the organization’s Junior Board. You don’t want to push pause on this one – push play!

5 Ideas to Help Bring Bullying to an End
from Wear the Cape’s Resident Character Education Expert

List exposes the realities of bullying and provides answers about what to do in light of the facts

Warren, NJ – October 15, 2014 – October is National Bullying Prevention Month. As parents, teachers and kids join hands to raise awareness about how to prevent bullying and how to respond when it occurs, Wear the Cape—a brand that gives back and aims to restore the power of kindness and good character with cool, inspirational products and its non-profit the kidkind foundation—today shared, “5 Ideas to Help Bring Bullying to an End.” Compliments of the organization’s resident expert on character education, Philip Brown, PhD, the list provides valuable tips for understanding and dealing with bullying.

“There is much greater awareness than a decade ago about the serious impact bullying has on children’s lives,” observed Dr. Brown, who is a senior consultant at the National School Climate Center. “But the fight against this pervasive and insidious behavior needs all hands on deck to reduce its harmful effects on our children. Whether you’re a kid, parent or educator, you have an important role to play.”

5 Ideas to Help Bring Bullying to an End

By Philip Brown, PhD

Bullying always involves more people than the bully and the victim.

Bullying is a social phenomenon and in order to stop it, everyone needs to be involved. In most bullying incidents, studies show that four or more additional peers are present[1]. Some assist by joining in the ridiculing or cheering on the bully from the sidelines, and others encourage the bully by showing signs of approval such as laughing or just watching and doing nothing.

What to do? Parents and teachers need to encourage kids to play an active part in their school community by providing opportunities to be positive role models of good character, exemplifying the values that connect people rather than divide them. Service projects that engage children across age levels and peer groups break down self-made barriers, create conditions to develop positive peer cultures, and help kids become upstanders rather than bystanders when it comes to bullying.

Adults should prevent bullying behaviors, not model them.

Most parents and teachers don’t want their children or students to be victims of bullying. However, the authority and power adults have and need to guide and protect can also be used destructively. Correcting bad behavior is necessary, but putting kids down and indicating that they are bad kids or mocking their failings is bullying behavior that kids pick up on as okay and will learn to use on other kids themselves.

What to do? Correct the behavior, not the whole child. There is a big difference between “You didn’t do your homework, and we’ve talked about that before. What happened?” and “You don’t listen to me! What kind of a student do you think you are?”

Bullying and conflict are not the same thing.

Conflict inevitably happens between people trying to get their needs met, and this can result in disagreement and hurt feelings. When people have strong disagreements, aggressive behavior and responses result that may appear similar to bullying. But there is an important difference. In situations of conflict, both parties have a degree of power, and there is a dispute over resources or decisions; there is no intention to victimize a person based on some characteristic such as their ethnicity or physical attributes. Another difference is that, for bullies, the reward is largely social – increased status, power, attention or revenge – not about an event or tangible reward. Kids are still learning how to navigate the complex world of friendships, which also leads to disagreements. Part of the growing-up process is learning how to solve these problems.

What to do? Don’t assume that every conflict requires identifying a bully and a victim. Conflict is a natural part of being human, and conflict resolution is a skill that children and adults alike need practice navigating with care and resourcefulness. Make sure your family and school teach and have learned basic conflict resolution skills.

To break bullying cycles or patterns, learn to talk compassionately.

Picture this: One student with a speech impediment is being belittled, teased, and often interrupted during his classwork. To address this pattern, his classroom teacher facilitates an intentional conversation designed to both break the pattern and help the children involved understand the impact of their behavior. In talking about being mean, the teacher also engages and reinforces the natural sense of empathy with which we are all born, but we all have to learn about and practice by being compassionate with different people in different contexts.

What to do? Compassionate communication helps in navigating interpersonal relationships. But if bullying behavior persists, intervention is called for: The victim will need specific support, and the perpetrator will require specific consequences.

Give youth a voice and exercise your own voice, too.

Harassment, intimidation and bullying behaviors among children and youth are a peer phenomenon, and so kids are usually reluctant to talk with adults about it. Families and schools need to build in times and structures to help facilitate youth talking about their experiences, both positive and negative. Young people need to feel like they have an adult to whom they can turn if they are the target of bullying. They also need ways to feel safe expressing concerns about their peers’ bad behavior with adults and their peers.

What to do? Families and schools can create the conditions for youth voice by developing and reinforcing widely-shared, positive social norms (core ethical values), providing ways for all students to make valued contributions to the well-being of others, and implementing programs that regularly give youth a chance to speak their minds in a safe environment. Ask your kids how things are going at school, and stay tuned for signs of trouble with peers. Let them know directly and indirectly that they are not alone and that you are available to help them. Encourage them to be kind to others who are different than they are. Let teachers and school officials know that you support their bullying prevention efforts and programs, and hold them accountable for responding with care and appropriate consequences when bullying occurs.

“Identifying the problem and creating awareness is a huge first step toward successfully overcoming a widespread crisis like bullying,” said Leigh Ann Errico, CEO and founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation. “Wear the Cape aims to help society take the next big step, showing kids that the power of kindness and good character is far greater than the temporary, negative rewards achieved with bullying behavior, as well as what doing the right thing looks like.”

Errico built Wear the Cape and established the foundation in 2013 after she came up short in her search for resources on kindness and character-building that would appeal to her own four children. Other parents clearly had faced the same challenge; Wear the Cape’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wearthecape) already has over 1,100 “Likes”, all through organic growth. The idea for the brand was sparked when Errico observed that the chance to wear a cape—the organization’s logo—motivates children to act like heroes, or “Cape Kids,” in order to live up to the symbol of honor.

In partnership with Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, Dr. Brown has embarked on a critical mission to help adults across the country support the development of character in our youth. For additional resources from Dr. Brown and to learn more about Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, visit www.wearthecapekids.com.

About Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation

For more information contact:

Lauren DuBois
(917) 573-2485
lauren@wearthecapekids.com

[1] O’Connell, Pepler & Craig. Peer involvement in bullying: Insights and challenges for intervention. Journal of Adolescence. 1999 (22), p. 437-452.

Top 10 Reasons to Encourage Your Kids to Volunteer

Wear the Cape’s resident expert on character education sheds light on the value of urging children to become involved in community service activities

Warren, NJ – September 9, 2014 – Wear the Cape, a brand that gives back and aims to restore the power of kindness and good character with cool, inspirational products and its non-profit the kidkind foundation, today released the “Top 10 Reasons to Encourage Your Kids to Volunteer.” Authored by the organization’s resident expert on character education, Philip Brown, PhD, the Top 10 List shares with parents research-based reasons to urge their children to make time to serve others.

“Back-to-school season ushers in a renewed focus on everything from academics to athletics, but many parents are challenged to find positive ways for their kids to spend time when they’re not on campus,” commented Dr. Brown, who is a senior consultant at the National School Climate Center. “While over-programming your child’s schedule isn’t a healthy option—kids of all ages need free time to play—you should help with structuring some of his or her time to optimize maturation.”

Dr. Brown explained, “As young people get older, they need to stretch their abilities, including their moral sensibilities. Engagement with other kids and adults in meaningful service activities can support healthy development in a variety of ways, providing opportunities for both growth and positive fulfillment.”

TOP 10 REASONS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR KIDS TO VOLUNTEER

#1: Volunteering helps foster empathy.

Empathy is the most critical disposition for responding to the needs of others. We need to be able to imagine what other people may be going through or feeling. Volunteering helps engage our natural empathic sense, but you have to make sure that there are opportunities to talk about the purpose and experience of any volunteer activity if the recipients aren’t visible in the process (making sandwiches for the homeless isn’t the same as helping to deliver the sandwiches to homeless people).

#2: Volunteering helps develop a sense of self-efficacy.

Children may understand that other people need help or that there are projects that could make a community more habitable or productive, but feel helpless or unclear that an individual can do anything about it in response. Volunteering can provide experiences that affirm a young person’s sense that they can make a difference through their own effort and skills. These experiences can empower young people to apply themselves in other contexts, including school and other organized activities, such as faith-based youth groups or scouting.

#3: Volunteers gain experience working with other people.

Social skills are best learned in social situations. When people come together to engage in a meaningful task, issues of communication, power, collaboration and trust rise to the surface in a supportive context. It’s easier, although still a challenge, to learn to navigate these waters with others who may be more skillful and be in a position to offer supportive feedback. It’s a good way for parents and children to see each other in a different light, as well, and learn together.

#4: Volunteering develops new skills.

In addition to social skills, practical experiences of organizing tasks and using physical and mental capabilities to get jobs done is fundamental to successful work of any kind. In school, these skills are often fragmented or unrelated to real-world applications. Service activities offer the chance to apply and test our abilities, as well as learn from other kids or adults in a way that engages kids’ natural drive for competence.

# 5: Volunteering provides the opportunity to explore new interests and develop new passions.

There is nothing more exhilarating than discovering a new field of interest that sparks a real passion for learning and doing. One of the wonderful things about being our species is our inquisitiveness and motivation to investigate and find meaning in discovery. Service activities have the potential to expose us to these opportunities and see how other people live their passions.

#6: Volunteers learn a lot.

In the process of joining with others in service, volunteers learn about their community and the larger world. It takes us out of our own sphere of self-interest and self-absorption and opens us to issues and solutions, as well as other people’s needs.

#7: Volunteers actually make a difference in other people’s lives.

Think about how much more impoverished our communities would be if all of the volunteer services disappeared. This is a lesson that children can be taught early and take with them into adulthood. For example, volunteers are critical in:

Helping families (daycare and eldercare)
Improving schools (tutoring, literacy)
Supporting youth (mentoring and after-school programs)
Beautifying the community (beach and park cleanups)

#8: Volunteering encourages civic responsibility.

Community service and volunteerism are a way to teach the importance of investing in our community and the people who live in it. We want our kids to not only be successful in their work and personal lives, but to learn what it means to be a citizen in our republic. The American values of democratic decision-making, social justice and equal opportunity require active participation for us to have a successfully functioning country.

#9: Volunteering offers you a chance to give back.

It’s important for children to see that there are small and large opportunities to support community resources that your family uses or that benefit people they care about. Whether it’s offering to help man a booth to support improvements in a park you use, or joining a fundraising walk to support medical research for a disease that afflicts a family member or friend, children and adults alike can feel empowered through participation.

#10: Volunteering is good for you.

While this is the last reason for volunteering on this list, and may not be the most important, it is good to know that research has consistently shown that acting altruistically has real benefits. Volunteering provides physical and mental rewards; it has been shown to:

Reduce stress: When you focus on someone other than yourself, it interrupts tension-producing patterns.
Make you healthier: The moods and emotions that frequently come through volunteer service like optimism, joy, and a sense of self-efficacy can contribute to strengthening the immune system.
Make you happier: Human beings are social animals. Working closely with others in a common pursuit for the benefit of our fellow creatures can fill us with a sense of purpose, and that can lead us to feelings of satisfaction and true happiness.

“Volunteering with your kids touches hearts, teaches important life lessons and engraves fond, lifelong memories of family bonding,” said Leigh Ann Errico, CEO and founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation. “Understanding and participating in activities to benefit the community is crucial to weaving one’s moral fiber.”

In partnership with Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, Dr. Brown has embarked on a critical mission to help parents across the country support the development of character in their kids. For additional resources from Dr. Brown and to learn more about Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, go to www.wearthecapekids.com.

About Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation

For more information contact:

Lauren DuBois
(917) 573-2485
lauren@wearthecapekids.com

the kidkind foundation awards first Wear the Cape Hero Scholarship to college-bound senior from West Morris Mendham High School

Recognizes Frank Piacenti for being an everyday hero, contributing to the foundation’s mission of restoring kindness and civility in our society

Mendham, NJ – July 10, 2014 – Wear the Cape, a brand that gives back and aims to restore the power of kindness and good character with cool, inspirational products, today announced that its non-profit the kidkind foundation this month awarded a $2,500 college scholarship to Frank Piacenti, a stand-out high school senior from West Morris Mendham. Leigh Ann Errico, CEO and founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, chose this high school to receive the foundation’s first scholarship, because it is from where she graduated, class of 1988, as Leigh Ann Nicholson. Piacenti was selected to receive the first Wear the Cape Hero Scholarship based on his good work within the community and a 500-word essay on the positive impact every one of us can have on the lives of others.

“Frank – or Frankie, as he is affectionately known – truly wears his Cape in everyday life and does what is right, not just what is easy,” shared Errico. “The kidkind foundation is thrilled to recognize such a wonderful human being, which is what we’re all about: finding the good in our world and recognizing people who are inclusive, tolerant and give of themselves.”

Frank Piacenti is from Chester, NJ. Before attending West Morris Mendham High School, he was a student at Black River Middle School. During high school, Frank was a member of the National Honor Society, Captain of the Bowling Club and Captain of Mendham’s Mock Trial Team, two-time State Champions. The first step on his path to becoming a lawyer, Frank will be attending George Washington University in the fall and majoring in Economics.

Errico built Wear the Cape and established the kidkind foundation in 2013 after she came up short in her search for resources on kindness and character-building that would appeal to her own four children. Other parents clearly had faced the same challenge; Wear the Cape’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wearthecape) already has more than 1,000 “Likes”, all through organic growth. The idea for the brand was sparked when Errico observed that the chance to wear a cape—the organization’s logo—motivates children to act like heroes, or “Cape Kids,” in order to live up to the symbol of honor.

“Kindness in itself is unconventional – most people today are predisposed toward just working for themselves, putting on blinders to those surrounding them, and getting through their own day,” commented Piacenti. “If everyone in society could wield the power of kindness, we might just live in a better place.”

For more information on how Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation are working to help communities nationwide, go to www.wearthecapekids.com.

About Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation

Wear the Cape™ for all kidkind™ is the first global, mission-powered brand with the nerve to equate being kind with being cool. By coaching kids to be BETTER THAN THAT™, Wear the Cape breaks down barriers and brings people together—a world of new values prevails: It’s cool to be inclusive, tolerant and socially responsible. From its line of kickin’ apparel and accessories, to its educational tools and its own non-profit the kidkind foundation, Wear the Cape sparks awareness and raises money to build heroes, a kid at a time. Wear the Cape’s products and resources are designed to create teachable moments between kids and the grown-ups they look up to with Hero Tags that tee up conversations about what it means to stand up and stand out; to stick up for the underdog; to do what’s right, not what’s easy. Wear the Cape donates 10% of its net profits directly to the kidkind foundation, and the rest is reinvested in the design and production of new products, as well as character-building educational materials for parents and teachers to help the kids they love. Wear the Cape’s work with communities and schools is helping mold everyday heroes that will create a kinder, better world for us all.

For more information contact:

Lauren DuBois
(917) 573-2485
lauren@wearthecapekids.com

Warren resident shares mission: It’s cool to be kind

by MaryLynn Schiavi, Correspondent
myCentralJersey.com

Can you imagine a world in which superheroes are the norm — and their powers manifest in the form of kindness, compassion, and the highest ethical values? This is the world that Warren resident Leigh Ann Errico envisioned two years ago — which resulted in a business and a foundation.

Disturbed by a wave of news stories about the rise of bullying and violence among young people, Errico, a human resources professional and executive coach, began to explore new ways of teaching children about ethics and moral behavior. Read The Full Article

Wear the Cape Teams Up with Nationally-Recognized Character Development Expert to Bring Valuable Educational Resources to Families

Rolls out first three-part activity series to help parents guide their clan in creating a family code of conduct

Warren, NJ – May 15, 2014 – Wear the Cape, a brand that gives back and aims to restore the power of kindness and good character with cool, inspirational products and its non-profit the kidkind foundation, today announced that it is teaming up with Philip Brown, PhD, who will serve as the organization’s resident expert on character education. Dr. Brown is a senior consultant at the National School Climate Center, an organization with the goal of promoting “positive and sustained school climate: a safe, supportive environment that nurtures social and emotional, ethical, and academic skills.” He is also a Fellow of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University where he founded and directed the Center for Social and Character Development.

“These days the very idea of moral education as the province of public schools is hardly present, and certainly not a priority,” observed Dr. Brown. “While social, emotional and character education is present in some schools, the role of parents as moral educators is more important than ever given our current culture’s emphasis on wealth and status-seeking.”

Dr. Brown is parlaying his extensive knowledge on character development—utilized throughout the education system—into an invaluable playbook for the home. On behalf of Wear the Cape and as his first contribution to its mission, Dr. Brown has undertaken a very important initiative to help guide parents across the country in fostering the development of character in their kids. This resource for families is called the Cape Code Project, a three-part series with an activity for each installment:

“Discovering and agreeing upon your family’s core ethical values”: http://bit.ly/1t2tBr7
“Defining your core ethical values in behavioral terms”: http://bit.ly/1jybhOI
“Making it real for your Cape Kids: How to bring your core ethical values to life”: http://bit.ly/1iJQo2p

“Wear the Cape and our kidkind foundation are committed to building heroes, a kid at a time,” said Leigh Ann Errico, CEO and founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation. “A strong family foundation helps children have the support they need to be Better Than That™, young men and women of character who make good choices and choose kindness as their way to interact with the world.”

Errico built Wear the Cape and established the foundation in 2013 after she came up short in her search for resources on kindness and character-building that would appeal to her own four children. Other parents clearly had faced the same challenge; Wear the Cape’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wearthecape) already has 1,000 “Likes”, all through organic growth. The idea for the brand was sparked when Errico observed that the chance to wear a cape—the organization’s logo—motivates children to act like heroes, or “Cape Kids,” in order to live up to the symbol of honor.

The information developed by Dr. Brown will be archived on Wear the Cape’s website, via a page titled “Dr. Brown Says”: http://www.wearthecapekids.com/dr-brown-says/. This newly announced partnership comes on the heels of a successful 5K race for kidkind and Family Festival organized by Wear the Cape to raise money for the kidkind foundation, the Warren Recreation Commission’s Summer Camp Scholarship Fund, and Teens Connecting with Teens (http://bit.ly/1miYWCM), an organization created to bring students together to help youth with special needs.

For additional resources from Dr. Brown and to learn more about Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, go to www.wearthecapekids.com.

About Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation

Wear the Cape™ for all kidkind™ is the first global, mission-powered brand with the nerve to equate being kind with being cool. By coaching kids to be BETTER THAN THAT™, Wear the Cape breaks down barriers and brings people together—a world of new values prevails: It’s cool to be inclusive, tolerant and socially responsible. From its line of kickin’ apparel and accessories, to its educational tools and its own non-profit the kidkind foundation, Wear the Cape sparks awareness and raises money to build heroes, a kid at a time. Wear the Cape’s products and resources are designed to create teachable moments between kids and the grown-ups they look up to with Hero Tags that tee up conversations about what it means to stand up and stand out; to stick up for the underdog; to do what’s right, not what’s easy. Wear the Cape donates 10% of its net profits directly to the kidkind foundation, and the rest is reinvested in the design and production of new products, as well as character-building educational materials for parents and teachers to help the kids they love. Wear the Cape’s work with communities and schools is helping mold everyday heroes that will create a kinder, better world for us all.

For more information contact:

Lauren DuBois
(917) 573-2485
lauren@wearthecapekids.com

Photos: Superheroes of all ages run in Warren’s Wear The Cape 5k race

[PHOTO GALLERY HERE]

By Walter O’Brien/NJ.com
on May 08, 2014 at 10:18 AM, updated June 26, 2014 at 8:52

WARREN — Hundreds of runners, kids in capes, cheerleaders and dancers came to Warren Township Municipal Complex Pavilion to show that superheroes can be any age, gender, or size.

The Wear The Cape 5K race and Family Festival was held on Saturday to raise money for Wear The Cape/the kidkind foundation, the Warren Recreation Commission’s Summer Camp Scholarship Fund and Teens Connecting with Teens of Warren.

The event was meant to bring New Jersey families and businesses together to show kids how they can be everyday heroes with choices and behavior that earn respect, help others and pave the way for their own success and confidence, organizers said.

“Wear the Cape and our kidkind foundation are passionate about motivating and enabling people of all ages to do good with acts of kindness, big and small, and to be Better Than That™ — above choices that reflect poorly on one’s character,” said Leigh Ann Errico, CEO and founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation. “Olivia is a stand-out everyday hero who is changing lives through Teens Connecting with Teens, and we are thrilled to help make it possible for her to expand her efforts and positively impact more of her peers.”

Wear the Cape Hosts Fundraising Event in Warren [AUDIO]

By Matthew White

April 28, 2014 1:45 PM

Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation were launched last year by Leigh Ann Errico, a mother of four, who wanted to the shift the focus away from the all the negatives, such as bullying.

“We need to focus on the positives in our society and talk about the good,” Errico said.

The movement attempts to show kids how their choices can pave the way for their own success and confidence.

“We want them to see that it’s cool to be a hero and to be kind,” she said.

The group already features close to 1,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook, despite launching in the fall.

Errico said the goal is to not only raise awareness about important issues facing our youth, but equip the adults they look up to with the proper tools to teach.

“Spread the word and recognize kids who are heroes and who do the right thing,” Errico explained.

On Saturday, May 3, they host the 5K race for kidkind and Family Festival at the Warren Township Municipal Complex.

The proceeds from the event will benefit a few causes, including the kidkind foundation, the Warren Recreation Commission’s Summer Camp Scholarship Fund, and Teens Connecting with Teens, which is an initiative started by a Chatham High School junior, Olivia Perlmutter.

The event features not only the race, but a full day of family-friendly activities.

“Every day, go out and wear your cape. Be a good person. Be a hero. Be kind. Be cool.”

Learn more about the group and their event by visiting the Wear the Cape website.

Listen to NJ 101.5’s interview with Leigh Ann Errico, founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, here.

5K race for kidkind and Family Festival Hosted by Wear the Cape Brings New Jersey Together to Promote Kindness and Good Character

May 3^rd event in Warren to raise money for the kidkind foundation, the Warren Recreation Commission’s Summer Camp Scholarship Fund and Teens Connecting with Teens

Warren, NJ – April 15, 2014 – Wear the Cape, a brand that gives back and aims to restore the power of kindness and good character with cool, inspirational products and its non-profit the kidkind foundation, today announced that it will be hosting a 5K race for kidkind, Kids’ 100-Yard Dash and Family Festival on May 3, 2014 at the Warren Township Municipal Complex Pavilion. The event will feature not only a 5K—runners and walkers welcome—but also a day full of family-friendly activities.

Go to http://raceroster.com/events/2014/2370/race-for-kidkind to sign up or donate! Preregistration for the 5K is only $22, and the Kids’ 100-Yard Dash is just $7. Day-of, on-site registration for the 5K is $30. To enjoy the festival packed with games, crafts, food, music and fun, a donation is requested if not running a race. All proceeds from the run and festivities will be used to fund Wear the Cape’s non-profit the kidkind foundation, the Warren Recreation Commission’s Summer Camp Scholarship Fund, and the work of “Cape Kid” Olivia Perlmutter, who founded Teens Connecting with Teens to bring students together to help youth with special needs.

“Wear the Cape and our kidkind foundation are passionate about motivating and enabling people of all ages to do good with acts of kindness, big and small, and to be Better Than That™—above choices that reflect poorly on one’s character,” said Leigh Ann Errico, CEO and founder of Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation. “Olivia is a stand-out everyday hero who is changing lives through Teens Connecting with Teens, and we are thrilled to help make it possible for her to expand her efforts and positively impact more of her peers.”

Errico built Wear the Cape and established the foundation in 2013 after she came up short in her search for resources on kindness and character-building that would appeal to her own four children. Other parents clearly had faced the same challenge: Wear the Cape’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wearthecape) skyrocketed to over 500 “Likes” the day it launched and has continued to grow organically ever since.

“Instead of just focusing on the negatives like bullying, Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation are redefining what it means to be cool and showing kids how they can be everyday heroes with choices and behavior that earn respect, help others and pave the way for their own success and confidence,” explained Errico. “The goal is to not only raise awareness about important issues facing our youth, but equip the adults they look up to with the awareness and tools to teach solid values.”

Tying in Wear the Cape’s mission, “building heroes, a kid at a time” is the theme of next month’s 5K race for kidkind and Family Festival. Check-in for the 5K starts at 7:45am, and the race is scheduled to start at 8:30am. The Kids’ 100-Yard Dash will take place at 10am, followed by the Family Festival that will stretch till 1pm. Prizes will be awarded for top male and female overall and group winners at the 5K, and all kids involved in the 100-Yard Dash will qualify for a medal.

Local businesses and community organizations are already rallying around Wear the Cape’s mission by supporting the 5K race for kidkind & Family Festival. Hometown heroes and top sponsors of the event include:

For information on becoming a race and festival sponsor, send a note to leighann@wearthecapekids.com. And to learn more about Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation, go to www.wearthecapekids.com.

About Wear the Cape and the kidkind foundation
Wear the Cape™ for all kidkind™ is the first global, mission-powered brand with the nerve to equate being kind with being cool. By coaching kids to be BETTER THAN THAT™, Wear the Cape breaks down barriers and brings people together—a world of new values prevails: It’s cool to be inclusive, tolerant and socially responsible. From its line of kickin’ apparel and accessories, to its educational tools and its own non-profit the kidkind foundation, Wear the Cape sparks awareness and raises money to build heroes, a kid at a time. Wear the Cape’s products and resources are designed to create teachable moments between kids and the grown-ups they look up to with Hero Tags that tee up conversations about what it means to stand up and stand out; to stick up for the underdog; to do what’s right, not what’s easy. Wear the Cape donates 10% of its net profits directly to the kidkind foundation, and the rest is reinvested in the design and production of new products, as well as character-building educational materials for parents and teachers to help the kids they love. Wear the Cape’s work with communities and schools is helping mold everyday heroes that will create a kinder, better world for us all.

For more information contact:
Lauren DuBois
(917) 573-2485
lauren@wearthecapekids.com