Good News for Kids

REALLY NEED MORE ORNAMENTS?

Why are so many families buying more Christmas decorations this month? You probably have ornaments, lights and tinsel already. The same goes for some presents: Do you really need to ask Santa for more stuffed animals? You probably have a bunch already.
FACING AUTHORITY FIGURES

Some kids are intimidated by what people call “authority figures:” teachers, doctors, parents or any adults. They’re taller than you, they’re bigger than you and they can make rules that you have no choice but to follow. Plus, kids don’t just have one authority figure in their lives; every grownup is an authority figure!
IN YOUR DARK TIMES

The darkest times in a kid’s life often come before big, positive changes. Just when you’re most frustrated — you are not getting anywhere with those horrible science quizzes, you don’t understand why you got stuck with a mean homeroom teacher or your friends seem to have deserted you — something comes “unstuck.” Maybe it’s not all better, but it’s not quite as frustrating.
DOING WHAT YOU CAN

Right now, a lot of Americans are supporting a temple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Jewish people go to worship God. A bad man broke in and hurt people who had come to a service there. The other Jewish people who go to that temple are being supported with prayers, messages that we all worship the same God, and promises that we’ll all do our best to help good win over bad.
SOMEONE WHO GETS YOU

It’s such a relief for a kid to have a friend or two who really gets you! You appreciate it so much when you say to a friend, “So, I talked to my sister about something,” and you don’t have to explain all the back-story about not getting along with your sister and your decision to try harder. Your friend already knows the whole history and knows how you feel.
WHEN YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT

What do you do when you get what you want? That’s the question explored in this week’s Gospel (Mark 10:46-52) — and it’s a question every kid can ask himself or herself, too.
‘NO PROBLEM’ IS A PROBLEM

You’re playing several sports, plus robotics club and clarinet lessons. No problem! You signed up for advanced courses, too. No problem! You like to stay up late, even on weeknights. No problem! At some point, all the “no problems” become a problem.
WHEN YOU’RE AUDITIONING

This is the time when kids are trying out for school plays. One thing is common among most kids who audition: You want a lead role. It can be tough to hear, “You’re in the chorus,” when you wanted to be a star.
WORK ON THOSE FRIENDSHIPS

You don’t make a new friend with the thought, “I’ll hang out with this person for a while, and then our friendship will end.” When you start spending time with someone you really like, you hope you’ll be friends forever. Even if you don’t talk about it, you probably assume your connection will always exist.
WE'RE ALL DRAMATIC SOMETIMES

People on TV are always being dramatic. A cartoon character hears bad news, goes stiff as a board and faints; a person gets angry and pushes everything off a desk onto the floor, smashing it all.
GETTING ‘RIGHT-SIZED’

Kids can be really hard on themselves. You make one mistake and say, “I’m stupid.” You see someone who weighs less or is more muscled than you and say, “I’m fat.” A friend says she has a boyfriend already and you say, “No one will ever be interested in me.”
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE

It’s fun when you have an idea and turn to a friend to share it, only to find out he or she is thinking the same thing. “Great minds think alike!” you might say — and, if both of you are having the same thought, you’ll probably act on it.
WHY KIDS LOVE COOKING

Cooking shows and cooking classes for kids are getting more popular. Kids who aren’t into cooking might ask, “Why bother?” They want something quick and easy. They don’t see why anyone would spend time turning a bunch of ingredients into a meal.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU LOVE

Starting school is a joyful time for a lot of kids, but even kids who absolutely love school might not love every single thing about it. You may love math, but English makes you groan; you may ace classwork, but have a hard time making friends.
AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS

When you’re told to do something and you refuse, you might hear that response. The person is hinting that, if you don’t listen, bad things may happen.
STRUGGLING WITH SUMMER WORK

For a lot of kids, summer isn’t just a time for hanging out. It’s a time to work on skills like reading, writing, spelling and more — things that you might have struggled with during the school year. Your teachers and family hope you can catch up before school starts again.
TRADE WITH FRIENDS, NOT GOD

Do you ever make trades with other kids? If your friend is tired of his Lego kit and you have an extra “Star Wars” DVD, there may be a solution: Trade! With your parents’ permission, you and your friend can happily swap stuff and get something you like better.
DON’T TUNE THEM OUT

Some people are experts at ignoring what they don’t want to hear. Your mother says, “We’re leaving in five minutes,” and you tune her out and keep practicing with your Star Wars lightsaber. You ask your father for the 100th time, “Can we get a dog?” but he just pretends he doesn’t hear you.
SOMEONE NEEDS YOU

It feels great to be needed. When your mother tells you what a great helper you are with your little sister, or your friend says, “I never could have passed that swimming test without you cheering me on,” you swell up with pride. Someone needs you!
LET SOMEONE HELP, SOMETIMES

Every kid has had said in frustration, “I want to do it myself.” Grownups try to help because they think you need it, or because they can do it faster or more easily. They see you struggling and think they should step in when, if they give you a minute, you’ll work it out on your own.

The Evangelist - The Official Publication of the Diocese of Albany