Resourcefulness - Character Trait Focus

We purposefully teach and emphasize character traits at Sacajawea because they make a difference for success, both now and as kids grow up.  Character traits like resourcefulness and grit sometimes make the difference between a kid who pushes through to find success in middle school, high school, and college and those who encounter difficulties and give up or want someone else to bail them out.  

This next two weeks we will be focusing on the character trait of <u>resourcefulness</u>.

The trait of resourcefulness makes us able to deal well with new or difficult situations.  We are able to find solutions to problems.  This might include being creative or inventive with unconventional materials like paper clips, duct tape, or baling wire.  It might mean that we know how to find information in the library.  It might mean we are good at knowing who to ask for help with certain problems.  We are able to find resources and we are able to figure out how to use the resources we already have.

As parents, think of ways you have been resourceful.  Sometimes we are able to get by with next to nothing.  That is resourcefulness.

A great example of resourcefulness I can think of is the TV character "MacGyver."  When I was a kid, he was on TV and it seemed like he knew enough to figure out how to do just about anything with duct tape and a little wire.  On top of that, he had a really cool car.

The library is a great place to find resources about a new topic.  This would be a great time to take your kids down to get a library card at the Caldwell Public Library.  Access to the library is free.  You just need a proof of address like a water or power bill to get a library card.

A great way to practice resourcefulness is to give your kids a bag full of junk and ask them to build something creative with any of the contents of the bag.  Another is to give them 20 sheets of scratch paper or newspaper and ask them to build the tallest tower possible (or anything else you can think of).  No glue.  No staples.  No paper clips.  Just paper.  I'd love to get pics of kids and families practicing resourcefulness.