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This month we are talking about Cooperation! Cooperation is about making sure we know how to be on a team or work in a group towards a common goal. Here is the definition we are using for cooperation: Working together and helping others. We want young people to know how to work hard on their own. But, just as important, we want them to know what it looks like to be a part of a really supportive, helpful, empowering team. We will be thinking about the skills needed to work together well and how each of us contributes to a group in big and small ways. We will think about our strengths and our areas of growth. We will take part in fun challenges to put our teamwork to the test and grow, together, toward the common goal of a more helpful, kind, cooperative world!

Conversation Starters:

Ø  What are some activities where it’s easy for you to practice Cooperation? Which activities make it difficult? Why do you think that is?

Ø  When we are working with others, it can be tough when a teammate is not cooperating. How do you deal with that frustration? What can you say to the teammate to tell them how you feel?

Ø  Talk about a time when you worked on a really effective team. What were the ingredients? What did you contribute? How did they help you?

Here are a few books that you can read or listen to about cooperation:

Frankie by Mary Sullivan
Frankie, the dog, was so excited to be adopted into a new family. When he gets to his new home, he meets Nico. Nico has lived here for a while. See how Nico and Frankie learn to be friends.

Swimmy by Leo Lionni
The tale of a little fish who finds his purpose when he discovers the need to work together

Code 7: Cracking the Code for an Epic Life by Bryan R Johnson
Throughout the book, each character learns an important lesson about themselves when faced with a challenge. At the end of the book, you are left with 7 code words from each character’s story that can help to make a life epic! Working together to accomplish a goal takes teamwork and Cooperation.

Goal! by Mina Javaherbin
In a dusty township in South Africa, Ajani and his friends have earned a brand-new, federation-size soccer ball. They kick. They dribble. They run. They score. These clever boys are football champions! But when a crew of bullies tries to steal their ball, will Ajani and his friends be able to beat them at their own game?

SPRING CLEANING COOPERATION CHALLENGE:
As a household, brainstorm a list of chores that help keep the home in order. What are some things that would really make the home feel more peaceful, beautiful, or inspiring? After brainstorming, each person chooses a role to help tidy or decorate the home. Throw on some music that everyone enjoys and get to work beautifying your home. Better yet, make it a game! Have points associated with how quickly (and how quality) each person can clean each thing. Keep track of the score and have a prize waiting for the Clean Up Champion.

Here are some links to articles that you can read about fostering cooperation in your child:

5 Simple Yet Powerful Ways To Get Kids To Cooperate by Erin Leyba

5 Ways To Encourage Cooperation by Susan Brunk​