Sponsored by author T.A. Barron and the Spark Goodness Program
It’s summer. It’s hot. It’s lazy. The refrigerator door is always open, my kids standing in it.
“Make a decision and get out of the ‘fridge!” I yell from wherever I happen to be. When the refrigerator door is open, I know it. It’s one of the senses heightened by my becoming a dad so many years ago. I also know when the TV is on, teeth haven’t been brushed or vegetables still need to be eaten. Sure, some heroes fly, run faster than trains or lift a gazillion pounds without breaking a sweat, but that’s not me. I’m no hero. I’m just a man who doesn’t want my energy bill to quadruple while my kids ponder pudding cups (although, I do look pretty good in a cape).
There is a bright side though, beyond the pudding, for when the refrigerator door opens a light goes on, and with it a place of darkness glows bright instead. There is, suddenly, 18 cubic feet of light in the world that hadn’t existed a moment before, the air cool and bracing. We need more light in this world.
My boys know it. They donate their time, which, often enough, also becomes my time, to the causes they care about. They are always raising funds and attention, getting their hands dirty, marching and using our collective platform to speak up and to amplify others. But it’s not enough. I’m not sure there can ever be enough good, but I do know it shouldn’t want for lack of trying.
It’s summer, the perfect time to harness the light around us and apply it generously, with love and kindness. There is a part to play for each of us in making our world a better place, and it only takes a spark.
Luckily, T.A. Barron, author of the Merlin and Atlantis Sagas, respectively, has sparks to spare, and they are sparks of kindness. They are sparks for sharing.
Your energy bill won’t feel a thing.
Sparks, as you can see above (click to download) are the kind acts, big and small, that we can do for friends, family strangers or the community in general, over the summer (and beyond!). Using T. A. Barron’s #SparkGoodness idea guide, your kids (and you) can aim to create at least one spark per week. Click on the image below to download the Summer Sparks Tracker so that you can keep a list of your accomplishments. Then, be sure to enter your completed sparks at SparkGoodness.com to win prizes.
Prizes for being kind? That’s icing on the spark goodness cake!
Fun fact, one of the main reasons that Dads 4 Change exists, is our want to get kids involved in social good, to feel the impact of random acts of kindness. As parents ourselves, we know that kids want to do good, kids are kind by default; however, too many organizations or official events do not allow them to participate, be it insurance reasons, physical restraints or other.
We didn’t want those sparks of charity, empathy and action to snuff out beneath a chorus of “no,” so we created Dads 4 Change as a tool for helping kids and families get involved in their respective communities through acts of kindness. T.A. Barron’s Spark Goodness campaign is exactly the type of thing we love, and we’re thrilled to take part in it. We hope you are, too.
And while we all know that performing good deeds really is its own reward, don’t forget to enter your family’s accomplishments of kindness in T.A. Barron’s contest! Turns out, prizes are also their own reward, which is nice.
Turn your lights on, kids, and spark goodness all over the place.
Whit Honea is the co-founder of Dads 4 Change and the Social Media Director of Dad 2.0 Summit. Deemed “the activist dad” by UpWorthy (and one of the “funniest dads on Twitter” by Mashable), he is a regular contributor to The Washington Post, The Modern Dads Podcast and author of The Parents’ Phrase Book—a practical guide to social and emotional learning. Whit was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and is the 2015 winner of the Iris Award for Best Writing.
