Cooperation Counts in April

To be helpful, to work with others for the  

common good, and to be a willing and productive team player. 

This month our character trait is Cooperation.

Cooperation means working in harmony with others to achieve a goal.
Cooperation  is vital not only to a happy, successful life but also to a more peaceful and harmonious world.
 Cooperation requires children to solve conflicts and exercise a certain amount of self-control and empathy—often letting go of something they want for the good of the group. Building this kind of team spirit begins in the family, where kids learn how good it feels when everyone works together. As the classic children’s song puts it: “The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

Cooperation starts with learning to follow the rules that make a family--or any group--run more smoothly.  Having a few simple rules in the context of loving family relationships gives kids a strong foundation for working together with others. Rules can range from "no muddy shoes in the house" to "no name-calling." These convey the sense that children are part of something larger than themselves and that the world does not revolve around them.

It also strengthens the bond between friends and makes people feel closer and happier, a strong basis for cooperation.