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K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine motivation

Creativity in Bending the Rules

Cartoon of a teacher observing a boy. He says, “While it’s true you’re not standing on the chair, I don’t want you to do that either.”
Published in “K! KidzMatter Magazine “

I am a firstborn, like my wife. We both grew up believing the world had a set of rules that were meant to be followed. Our poor siblings and kids probably got quite tired at hearing the “rules lecture.” It makes it that much more amazing we’ve both been in creativity careers and children’s ministry.

When I drew this cartoon, I thought of all the creative ways kids demonstrate how to bend the rules. They have taught me you can obey the letter of the law, but not the spirit. Is it any wonder one rule can become a dozen variants in no time!

There are certain rules that need to be obeyed for safety, fairness and justice. Then there are unwritten rules we need to reconsider each day. Are there unwritten rules about our culture that are keeping us from thinking creatively? Is there an unwritten rule in our business that no one really knows why we do it that way, we just do?

At any rate, please be kind to the chairs. They get enough abuse as it is.

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motivation Motivation Cartoons

Winning, Accomplishment, and Gratitude

Cartoon of three kids at an Olympic podium. One says, "Do we have to do this every time you win something?"

When it comes to competition, I haven’t been one to want to get on the podium for everyone to see. Oh, I love to win! I just haven’t been the guy who feels the need to rub it in the other person’s face.

There are things I want to accomplish, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in the past as well as today. Gratitude is a way for me to see how much I really am winning. It can be the same for you.

Whenever you can take a moment to be thankful for your family and friends, you are winning. Whenever you see you have reasons to be thankful for food and shelter, it’s a form of victory. Celebrate that you are able to read and think. Be thankful for another day of life. These are all the reasons why you are winning today. Can you just hear Santana singing, I’m Winning just now? Maybe that’s just me.

We may not be the star athlete like the kid in my cartoon. We may find frustrations at school or work that make us wonder when was the last time you could take a victory lap. But every day we can get up and get out there in the world is a reason to celebrate. Just don’t lord it over everybody!

Cartoon of three kids at an Olympic podium. One says, "Do we have to do this every time you win something?"
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accountability children's ministry children's ministry cartoons K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine

The Hidden Dangers of Adult Coloring Books

Cartoon of a teacher talking to a volunteer while kids run amuck. The Teacher says, "I need our adult volunteers to stop coloring when the kids have stopped."
Published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine."

It can be tough finding the perfect volunteer for a classroom. It needs to be someone who loves to be with children, but works well with the adults too. They need to have childlike qualities without be childish. They need to have fun with the kids without losing focus of the lesson. It can be too easy to veer off course.

When I drew this cartoon, I thought of the adult coloring book craze that began around 2015. Grown-ups were buying and using coloring books with intricate designs as a form of relaxation and meditation. I looked at some of the books and thought this would be too complex for the average child to color.

I could imagine a child going off to do their own thing while a parent stayed mesmerized for hours, working on their coloring page. When they came to, they would wonder where their little one went off to and why was the front door wide open. It could become a dangerous activity indeed!

Before you know it, there would be public service announcements imploring parents and teachers to practice safe coloring book hygiene. Maybe that’s why the adult coloring book craze died off after a couple of years.

If you are a parent, teacher or children’s worker, be aware and don’t let the coloring book trap get you. When the kids stop coloring, you do the same. It will be a much safer world if we follow that simple rule.

Of course, who am I to talk? I’ve been having fun coloring my own artwork for years! My kids survived, but it’s probably caused a few of the classrooms I’ve led to run amuck.

Cartoon of a teacher talking to a volunteer while kids run amuck. The Teacher says, "I need our adult volunteers to stop coloring when the kids have stopped."
Published in “K! Kidzmatter Magazine.”
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Attitude motivation

How Do You Stay Optimistic in a Pessimist’s World?

Cartoon of an angry girl and a drenched boy

Have you ever noticed that when someone is in a bad mood, they’re rarely interested in a dose of optimism?

My family was getting ready for a spring break trip. For whatever reason, my wife was having a bad day. It’s entirely possible I wasn’t doing my share of the preparation. It could be that the kids were tired and grumpy. For whatever reason, she seemed to be down and I decided it was my duty to cheer her up.

  • I tried silly jokes
  • I tried making humorous observations about the crazy drivers
  • I tried countering every negative comment with some wisecrack
  • I tried counting our blessings
  • I even tried making a silly face and getting right up to hers

The last one was a big mistake. Even though we were married, I voided her personal space. There’s only so much my poor wife could take. I went from being a purveyor of good, clean fun to just being obnoxious and annoying. She snapped. I realized my mistake and began to pout.

Minutes later, I noticed something. She was in a much better mood and I was the one in the dumps. My efforts worked, just not in the way I expected. She poured the glass of optimism all over me and she felt much better.

So how do you stay optimistic in a world that isn’t having any of it? I learned three lessons that day.

  • It is unwise to base your feelings on the emotions of someone else, even those closest to you
  • Being annoyingly optimistic and obnoxious about it can only irritate others
  • When someone closest to you is down, it’s sometimes best to give them the space to feel their emotions

We ended up having a great trip. I learned a valuable lesson about relationships. And yes, we both have learned a lot about optimism over the years.

Cartoon of an angry girl and a drenched boy
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children cartoons K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine

Do You Have the Courage to Go Out There?

Cartoon of two boys talking. One says, "There's an excessive pollen warning for this area, and they're taking us outdoors. Don't they care about severe weather warnings?"
Previously published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine"

There are warning signs that are legitimate. As I write this, we are experiencing the beginnings of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 spread in the United States. It would be foolish to ignore the warnings such as those broadcast by the World Health Organization:

  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Cough into your bent elbow
  • Don’t travel to places that are in the midst of the outbreak

At the same time, there can be a lot of misinformation out there. And if you spend enough time on the Internet, you will find warnings that are overly cautious or just plain wrong.

When I drew this cartoon, I thought about how we can get overly cautious. It’s true that pollen can really mess with people. I’ve had hay fever over the years and I am not a fan of the time of year when goldenrod is in full bloom. Still, for most people, it’s not a severe weather event.

There are times when it takes courage to go out there into the world. It remains to be seen if all the conferences that are getting canceled due to COVID-19 are legitimate or overkill. We won’t know the full impact until much later. But in the meantime, we need to keep living and do the activities that make life full.

How are you handling this outbreak and all the warnings? Let us know in the comments.

Cartoon of two boys talking. One says, "There's an excessive pollen warning for this area, and they're taking us outdoors. Don't they care about severe weather warnings?"
Previously published in “K! Kidzmatter Magazine”