Me First

“Me First” by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, Copyright 1992. First is not always best. Being thoughtful, cautious, patient and taking turns are all good skills to have in life.
Wanting to take it a step further? Are you a caregiver or work with children? You might try this activity to go with “Me First”: It can be difficult to understand that being first isn’t always best. Learning to consider the needs and feelings of others is a very helpful skill. Consider for a moment that there are a lot of people in this world who do not have enough to eat. Imagine waking up in the morning and having peanut butter and no bread. We have food pantries across Iowa dedicated to helping all families have nutritious and balanced options to help keep them healthy and strong. Food pantries love to receive donations - it helps them keep a variety of foods on hand - after all not everyone likes to eat the same things. Chances are there is a little boy or girl out there who does like to eat what you like to eat - what is your favorite food? Mac and Cheese? Grape jelly? Apples? Cereal? Consider donating some food to your local food bank. Call 1-800-447-1985 to find a food bank near you. Giving just one of your favorite foods might make another child’s day a whole lot brighter and make you feel good too.