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An exciting outreach project developed by Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES, the Chamber and Indiana Stamp, featuring Say Yes to No curriculum
To schedule a presentation on Say Yes to No for your group, please contact Megan Kelly at (260) 449-7272 or click here.
Click here to read a feature on Say Yes to No in the May Issue of Fort Wayne Family magazine! (April 29, edition Page 24)
Click here to learn about Dr. David Walsh's upcoming visit to Fort Wayne, October 1, 2008
Say YES to NO!
Say Yes to No is a powerful parenting tool developed by Dr. David Walsh and his team at the National Institute on Media and the Family. Say Yes to No empowers parents to set boundaries and expectations for their children. Say Yes to No teaches communities why it is important children learn the word "no" and how to deal with being told "no." Say Yes to No give practical ways to tell children no. Finally, Say Yes to No shows how when implemented consistently, Say Yes to No helps children realize the value of "yes."
Why Say Yes to No?
According to The National Institute on Media and the Family: "Over the last decade, screen time has been the most significant lifestyle change for our kids. Children are exposed to over one million Yes messages a week, with an average of 44.5 hours spent in front of a screen per week. Dr. Walsh paints a powerful picture of how Yes media messages screaming "More, Easy, Fast and Fun" undermine the critical character traits kids need to succeed in school and life. With warmth, experience and humor, Dr. Walsh argues that learning how and when to say No is crucial to raising healthy, self-reliant kids." Our youth in Allen County deserve to be healthy and self-reliant!
Click here to read "The Marshmallow Story," an illustration in the importance of self discipline, one of the character traits Say Yes to No teaches is critical to children's success.
Say Yes to No Beginnings in Allen County
Say Yes to No started as a book: No: Why Children- of All Ages- Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It, published by Dr. Walsh through Free Press in 2007. The popularity of the book gave rise to the Say Yes to No campaign, where communities have embraced this concept and have worked together to consistently implement Say Yes to No themes and concepts in their hometowns.
Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES is bringing the Say Yes to No campaign to Allen County in an intentional and thoughtful way. We want parents to learn the concepts taught by the National Institute on Media and the Family and for the community to come together to support families. We have formed a Coalition of area agencies and interested individuals that will help us get the message to all parents in Allen County. To share these important messages with the community Great KIDS and the Coalition will:
- host book reads and discussion groups throughout the county
- incorporate Say Yes to No messages in their work with families
- offer presentations to the community on Say Yes to No - PTA's, neighborhood associations, agencies, churches, - anyone interested can schedule a presentation by contacting us
- provide support for groups who want to start their own discussions, parent groups etc.
- launch a public campaign to share Say Yes to No messages with the community through the use of media, the schools, take away messages at community events, etc.
To read the plans and ongoing communications for the Say Yes to No campaign, check out our blog.
What can I do to get involved?
Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES encourages anyone interested to get involved with this important campaign!
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Host a Say Yes to No presentation at your home, church, PTA meeting, agency, etc!
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Talking to other parents about Say Yes to No
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Practice Say Yes to No principles in your own home (Read Ten Steps to Say Yes to No for suggestions)
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Join a book read or attend a Say Yes to No presentation/event (check out the schedule of events for times and locations)
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Contact us to help plan a book read, discussion series or other event in your area on Say Yes to No
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Come to the October 1, 2008 Parent Event with Dr. David Walsh
To see a list of Say Yes to No events, click here.