Carrie Wisehart The Plunge

August PLUNGE: Back to School challenge JUST FOR YOUR KIDS! (A printable, too!)

Well, this month’s Plunge is just for kids, students, teenagers – anybody who is headed BACK TO SCHOOL! And for you adults who are Plunge Peeps, there are a couple extras for you at the end if you also want to jump in and PLUNGE outside the box this month!

Here are THREE BIG ADVENTURE Plunges for students to take as they grab their backpacks and head back to school! But before they even DARE to take the challenge, have them read the letter I wrote to students and parents as they are on the brink of starting the new year. Hopefully it will inspire and motivate them to be the BEST VERSIONS of themselves!

Now…on to the PLUNGES!!

Plunge #1:

Fill out RAKtags and leave them for friends, strangers, and teachers on the first day!

I have included some printable RAKtags (Random Acts of Kindness tags) for kids (students) to fill out BEFORE their first day of school. Posted below are Back to School RAKtags and Have a Great Year RAKtags. Feel free to print and have your students write on them, color them, put stickers on them…I left them relatively plain for the creativity to soar!

Back to School RAKtags for KIDS

Have a great year RAKtags for KIDS

Don’t overwhelm your kids with too many. In fact, they might just want to do ONE and save it for the perfect friend, a lonely new student, or their favorite teacher! But have them write an encouraging note on the RAKtag and leave it for someone on either the first day or sometime in the first week!

Plunge #2:

Introduce yourself to someone new.

The first day is SO INTIMIDATING for kids, high schoolers, middle schoolers, even college students! But give them the GOAL of introducing themselves to at least ONE new person on the first day!

And if they are worried about “what people are thinking,” then remind them of this:

They aren’t thinking about YOU, they’re worried about what YOU are thinking about THEM! So everyone is worried about what the OTHER person is thinking and they are WAY TOO BUSY to be actually thinking about YOU!!! 🙂

Plunge #3:

Pick up some trash

With all the craziness of the first day, students tend to throw things on the ground, leave wrappers and plastic from their school supplies, and because they are so busy worrying about the first day, they forget that it is someone’s job to clean up after them!

So challenge your student to be aware of trash in the hallways, in the classroom, and in the lunchroom, and have them offer to help clean up when they can.

Teachers and custodians notice when students are helpful!! It will be some great brownie points for the first day!

Anytime we can challenge our kids to think of someone ELSE besides themselves, it helps them become more SELFLESS, more GENEROUS, and more AWARE of the needs of others.

If you want to do something EXTRA, have your student bring a small gift for the custodian or the school secretary. That would be AWESOME on the first day!

 

So…parents. What about you?

  • When the kids come home from the first day, ask how they did on these challenges.
  • If you want to PLUNGE along with the kids, do RAKtags for work, for friends, or for neighbors. Maybe you’ll do RAKtags for other parents who are dropping off their kids at school that first day! That’s actually a GREAT idea (good job, Carrie)!!!!
  • Grab a few extra school supplies at the store. Teachers appreciate the extras. Put a little note with the supplies, maybe a gift card from Starbucks. That will MAKE THE TEACHER’S DAY! We are just as nervous as the kids are on the first day!
  • Breathe. I know I’m a little anxious about my little girl heading off to 5th grade in just a few days. But I think helping her do these Plunges will also help her be MORE excited about going back to school.
  • As I mentioned earlier, read the letter I wrote to students and parents. Share it on Facebook or Twitter and with other students and parents. Hopefully it will inspire your student (and you) to have a FANTASTIC, BEST YEAR EVER!!!

 

Thank you SO MUCH for reading this BLOG POST! If you want to jump in and join THE PLUNGE, please do it! Every month I give out of the box challenges for people to live the best versions of themselves and create the BEST DAYS EVER!

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