STEPS Week: A 7-Day Challenge for Parents and Children

As published in the Southington Citizen September 14, 2012

What is STEPS? An acronym for Southington’s Town-wide Efforts to Promote Success; success in growing great kids, healthy kids who will succeed in their education and in good citizenship, as they mature in their individual life journeys as productive members of their community and society.

Kryszanski and Pierson families||
stand with their sons, both Jonathan,
as the town council recognizes and proclaims
their leadership in collecting toys for
children who might otherwise do without.

The roots of STEPS go back to an awakening in our community about six years ago of the continuing negative environmental influences on our children and a series of shocking teen suicides. At that time, a group of concerned Southington citizens recognized that we needed real solutions and effective positive action to steer our culture away from teenage use of alcohol, the abusive of harmful substances and risky behavior, including bullying, a major problem in the U.S.

With an annual grant from a federal agency working to prevent substance abuse and the support of the Board of Education, town government, law enforcement, public safety, the health care community, churches and faith congregations, the business community, parents and the enthusiastic support and some inspired young leaders, STEPS has matured in five years with remarkable results.

Early on, STEPS identified, as a standard, forty assets that have repeatedly shown as positive characteristics in young people who mature into healthy, productive and successful adult citizens. Tracy and family participate in STEPS

Tracy and family participate in STEPS

On Monday, September 17th, STEPS will launch its new year with a 7-Day Challenge to parent and children of Southington. The theme of STEPS Week is the development of Positive Family Communication, (Asset #2).

The challenge is simple, but the few moments a day for personal interaction between parents and children can be preciously rewarding as each family adds its own creativity.

The challenge is a prescription and an opportunity for the reinforcement of important core values society talks about everyday. What better time and place to start than now and in your own home.

The 7-Day Challenge . . .

Day 1 – Sep 17- Make Good Decisions Monday: Take the time to talk to your kids about their making positive, healthy life choices. Teach them resistance skills and how to resolve conflicts peacefully. Ask about a problem they may be having. Guide them in planning solutions. Your children deserve no less.
Day 2 Sep 18 – Twenty Questions Tuesday: Each family member writes 3 to 5 questions. Put them in a hat. While around the house, during the course of the day, pull out a question and talk about it. Questions can be simple as: What was your favorite hobby growing up? More into at www.southingtonSTEPS.org

Day 3 – Sep 19 - Walk the Trail Wednesday: Walk our beautiful Southington trail with your kids and maybe a few of their friends. Enjoy the outdoors, get them to appreciate our town while you get to know each other better.

Day 4 – Sep 20 – Three Text Thursday: Text your child 3 times today. If you don’t text, put notes where they’ll see them (in a lunch, on bathroom mirror, or a pillow), Say “have a good day, good luck on your test or game. Say “I love you”. This means a lot to kids; it builds greater trust, communications and love.

Day 5 – Sep 21 - Family Dinner Friday: Make a favorite family meal together or enjoy a meal at a local restaurant. Spend quality time to create a positive environment. Let it become a habit. Include fun family activities, board games, word games!

Day 6 - Sep 22 – Simple Share Saturday: A busy day for errands, laundry, baseball, visiting. But stay in touch with a simple share. Ask each one in the family what their “peak and pit” was, peak being your favorite point in the day and pit being the worst. Takes only a few minutes to share at the end of the day!

Day 7 – Sep 23 – Say Goodnight Sunday: Sunday also provides a special kind of family togetherness. No matter how old your child is, remind them each night that you love them. Before bedtime, check in and say goodnight to your son or daughter. Ask how about their homework and plans for the week

Day 6 - Sep 22 – Simple Share Saturday: A busy day for errands, laundry, baseball, visiting. But stay in touch with a simple share. Ask each one in the family what their “peak and pit” was, peak being your favorite point in the day and pit being the worst. Takes only a few minutes to share at the end of the day!

Giovanni Family in a STEPS moment.

Day 7 – Sep 23 – Say Goodnight Sunday: Sunday also provides a special kind of family togetherness. No matter how old your child is, remind them each night that you love them. Before bedtime, check in and say goodnight to your son or daughter. Ask how about their homework and plans for the week.

The principles of STEPS Week are, for many, familiar traditionally time-honored family priorities. Can a community help turn the minds and hearts of more of us to making it a habit, 52 weeks a year! STEPS believes we can and that we must.


Author's Note:

We are indeed fortunate in America, for having been blessed with the freedom of religion.in the guarantee in the First Amendment of the Constitution, And so, millions of Americans of faith worship and pray together at their own churches, synagogues, temples and mosques on their Sabbath. In addition to the freedom to practice our diverse faith traditions, those of religious commitment have a special opportunity on the weekend to pray as a family. I think of it as a gift that helps strengthen the love and appreciation for the fullest meaning of family.