Day 214: I’m Trying to Start a Movement…Blog Hop Style
If you saw yesterday, I’ve teamed up with Tracy from Sweet Harper for a Back to School Blog Style Series, which will run every Monday during the month of August. We’ve decided, though, that we would love to turn the last Monday over to you by hosting a blog hop. Here’s the background as to how the idea of this blog hop came to be:
A couple weeks ago, I was watching the new series on MTV called If You Really Knew Me. It’s where they have a Challenge Day at schools whose students are struggling to be themselves, to accept others for their difference, to treat others with respect, to empathize with those less fortunate, and really, they are struggling to rise to their full potentials.
What Challenge Day did was bring students together from all walks of life, and they had opportunities to bond over silly games to break the ice in order to really delve into the depths of their souls to share with one another, “If you really knew me….”
About halfway through the episode, just about every student was crying. About halfway through the episode I was crying.
I cried because of how much these students were hurting. I cried because I thought about all of the students I teach in Alternative Education and know that their stories are as pain ridden as the students I was watching. I cried because I thought back to my experiences in high school and how there were many times when I felt nobody really knew me. I cried because I thought about how I never want Abigail to feel the need to build up protective walls and not feel comfortable in her own skin to be who she truly is.
Once I wiped the tears away, I started to think. I thought about this Back to School Blog Style Series Tracy had asked me to be a part of. I thought about how we could start a movement. What if we as mothers showed our children that it’s OK to open up…that it’s OK to be friends with people who are different…that it’s OK to be different themselves…that it’s OK to speak up against injustices…that it’s OK to ask for help…that it’s OK to struggle, but that it’s also OK to pick yourself up and try again.
So that’s what we are going to do. We want to lead by example. I mean that’s what Tracy and I do as teachers. And that’s what we do as parents. If we want to empower our children, we need to start with empowering ourselves. We need to be truthful about where we come from and who we are.
So here is how this blog hop will work…
- Finish this statement: “If you really knew me….”
- Publish your post on Monday, August 30th.
- Come on over to one of our blogs to link up.
- Check out some of the other posts that are linked up.
- Grab the link up code for your own blog posts.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions about how this will all work:
mommyhoodatthirty at gmail dot com
We can’t wait to read your posts, and you know we will be doing it too!
13 Comments to “Day 214: I’m Trying to Start a Movement…Blog Hop Style”
Leave a Reply
Twitter: MomNom
3 August 2010 at 7:12 am #
I have this down on my blog calendar! I’m going to do my best to participate! I think it’s a great idea.
Tiffany @ MomNom recently posted..Bubbette’s Birthday Bonanza- SheyB!
Well you do have like 4 weeks to do your homework : P.
Oh yay! This looks fantastic. I love the idea…. and will TOTALLY participate!
Can’t wait to read yours!
This is a great idea – I caught a few minutes of the special too, reminded me of “retreats” in high school – we’d essentially do the same thing, and it was kind of amazing. (Between that and uniforms I had a totally peaceful high school experience…)
I have it written down!
Blair@HeirtoBlair recently posted..I’m getting all sniffly & sentimental
Thanks momma!
[...] This post was Twitted by goodwithstyle [...]
Very cool. I think that my kid often wishes I would share less. But, I’m awfully proud to say my kids ARE the kids who will empathize and defend those who are in need.
Mostly, they got that way on their own though.
I just am along for the ride.
GuiltySquid recently posted..You know how sometimes you hit “publish” even though you know you’ve forgotten something- you just can’t remember what it was Yeah- that’s this one
You must share your secrets with me on how to get kids to be that way. You are lucky. I watch so many of my students struggle and I could talk to them till I’m blue in the face, yet they continue to hide behind walls.
Twitter: A_Lungo
4 August 2010 at 2:42 pm #
This is a fabulous idea!
LOVE THIS IDEA~! Just tweeted it!
Twitter: Champagne_Mom
9 August 2010 at 7:36 am #
This sounds great!! Got it on my calendar.
Champagne Mom recently posted..Grand Re-Opening – Champagne Mom is back & better than ever!