Nurturing WatchDOGS

Cable T.V., the internet, and iPhones have made Hollywood accessible with just a click of a button.  And, unfortunately, these type of entertainment is also readily available to our children and could very well replace the roles of parents.   Many are misled by the glamorous and dysfunctional lives of celebrities and “gangsters,” tagged as “real”, that it has become difficult for our youth to recognize their value in society and behave as citizens of the world.   And with both mom and dad working in this present-day family, children are left behind and are very vulnerable to negative influences.   (Many boys believe that real men should walk and talk like gangsters.  And many girls think that “real men” have the right to treat them badly).  And, working with the youth with psychiatric and behavioral challenges, it has become apparent to me that children that have received poor, or none, parenting are more susceptible to behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and social problems.

Last week, I had the opportunity to be a positive role model at my children’s elementary school through an initiative called WatchDOGS(Dads Of Great Students), a volunteer program that encourages fathers to bring positive male influences and security back in the school environment.  Fathers are asked at least one day a year to patrol, greet, support, tutor, read, and mentor.  The following link  is a news and video coverage by ABC World News regarding WatchDOGS. 

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=6271282&page=1

My day started with a quick orientation.  I was told that no cameras were allowed and to never be alone with a child, especially in the boys’ or girls’ bathroom.  Then out I went to greet the children as they arrive in the school buses.  All, except for my own kids, were very excited to see me.  Throughout the day, I kept busy by patrolling, reading to children, helping with writing, raising math flash cards, playing drums with the disadvantaged, managing the lunch room, and more…all with a big smile.  By the end of the day, my face was cramping from all the smiling.  The highlight of the day was playing basketball against a couple of dozen 3rd to 5th graders.  It was very chaotic, but most fun.  What were most rewarding were the warm welcome and all the smiles I received from both school children and teachers.  And, of course, it was a pleasure seeing my children engage in classroom activities and knowing, even though they wouldn’t lay eyes on me at the time, that they were proud of me.  

My wife volunteers regularly at the school also.  And along with the time we give to our church community, our service-oriented occupation, and the occasional run-ins with the less fortunate, we believe that giving back to the community doesn’t have to involve money.  Stewardship is giving your treasure, time, and talent.  Humility is being a citizen of the world.  And, yes, it helps to be an example…

“They have always been impressed by the the power of our examples,

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MrNonsense is Jesse. He was born and raised by two solid parents in Tondo, Manila. He came to Iowa when he was 17 and is now raising a family in Washington, where a group of Filipinos adopted them as their own. Mr. Nonsense can often be seen in the Tacoma-Seattle area carrying a camcorder, accompanied by his two sons and his personal chauffeur, his wife. He uses his Tondo upbringing to nurture his children and to survive in a mental institution, where he currently works. He enjoys basketball, cooking, singing, cartooning, producing short movies, and making his own furniture out of junked wood because he's so cheap. He is a self-proclaimed "Man of the House,"...when his wife is not home.