Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day On Oct. 10 With Your Children

       Columbus Day is a national federal holiday that is observed on the second Monday of October and on this year, October 10.  Last October, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation for Indigenous Peoples Day, stating that “our Nation celebrates the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, recognizes their inherent sovereignty, and commits to honoring the Federal Government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations.”  Although it is not a national federal holiday, Indigenous Peoples Day continues to be celebrated on the same day as Columbus Day.

       In my opinion, it is very important for our children to learn more about and to honor indigenous peoples, not just on one day but also throughout the year.  Below are some activities for your children with website links listed at the end of my blog:

• The Hennepin County Library in Minnesota has a website page filled with ideas and suggestions, including books and movies.

• The Smithsonian National Museum has a list of 5 things to do.

• Indian Country Today has a listing by state of activities.

To learn more, please visit:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/10/08/a-proclamation-indigenous-peoples-day-2021/

https://www.hclib.org/about/news/2022/October/celebrate-indigenous-peoples-day

https://nationaltoday.com/indigenous-peoples-day/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-american-indian/2022/09/26/five-ideas-for-celebrating-indigenous-peoples-day-2022/

https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/more-joy-this-october-an-indigenous-peoples-day-event-list

Christians in Sports: 12 Christian Football Players in the NFL Your Children Should Know About

            It seems that, all too often, we hear or read about the athletes who are involved with drugs or getting arrested on a criminal charge.  It’s important to know that there are Christian athletes who can be good role models for your children.  Today’s blog post is about 12 Christian football players in the NFL.

            In her article on christianleaders.com titled 12 NFL Players Who LOVE Jesus (and Football), writer Stephanie Martin gives us the names of those players and a short description of each athlete’s faith:

Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs - “On a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) video, he says, ‘Before every game, I walk the field and I do a prayer at the goalpost. I just thank God for those opportunities, and I thank God for letting me be on a stage where I can glorify him.’”

Dak Prescott – Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys – “While recovering from surgery, he thanked supporters for their prayers and said he’s ‘excited for God’s purpose and plan.’”

Christian McCaffrey - Carolina Panthers running back – He was sidelined for an injury and said “It’s easy to have faith when everything is going well. But a true soldier has faith in times of adversity.”

Ryan Tannehill – Quarterback for the Tennessee Titans - “Guys are watching and listening to how you walk daily.” That’s why he “always [tries] to be conscious of that and reflect God’s light and shine into the paths of everyone around me.”

Case Keenum - Journeyman quarterback having played for 7 different teams - “I’m a Christian who happens to be a football player. Faith doesn’t leave when I hang up my cleats and put on my street clothes.”

DK Metcalf - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver - “I look at football as a platform to help other people or to spread the word of God.”

Trevor Lawrence - Quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars - “Football’s important to me, but it’s not my life. It’s not the biggest thing in my life. I would say my faith is.”

Justin Simmons - Denver Broncos safety - “My walk with the Lord has been an amazing journey,”

Kirk Cousins – Quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings - “Win or lose today, God is still on the throne, and I take comfort in that.”

Derek Carr - Las Vegas Raiders Quarterback - “The greatest decision I ever made is to give him Lordship over my life.”

Carson Wentz – Quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts - “The Bible talks about having a renewed mind (Romans 12:2). And so for me, that’s a daily thing to have my mind renewed by the Word and just fully surrender to the Lord.”

Nate Solder – Veteran offensive tackle who played with the New York Giants - “As scary and bleak as life can sometimes be, we know that the God of the universe has all things under his control, and his plans are and will always be for our good.”

To read the entire article, please visit:

https://churchleaders.com/news/331424-15-players-of-faith-to-watch-this-year-in-the-nfl.html

Helpful Advice and Actionable Steps for Fathers: the Book “Dad on Purpose” by Tim Dunn

When I come across good books or websites, I have shared them with you. This week, I wanted to share about the author Tim Dunn and his book Dad on Purpose. I love the title because being a good dad requires intent and action.

Tim is a father of 4 and had good role models for fatherhood yet struggled to be a better dad. During the Covid 19 pandemic, he founded a community for dads and established a website www.dadathlon.com. He also wrote the book Dad on Purpose: The Busy Dad’s Playbook for Loving Better, Doing More and Breathing Easier.

His goal is to help fathers build their strengths in three areas, similar to a triathlon:

1. Connecting: helping fathers to develop bonds with the people who matter most – their children and their mothers;

2. Providing: setting and achieving financial goals; and

3. Living: living a lifestyle that is healthy, happy, and long-lasting.

I interviewed Tim on my podcast Be Convinced! Sharing Lifechanging Stories of Hope. Please listen to it as I know that you will certainly enjoy our talk and be filled with hope!

Tim provides many suggestions and actionable steps in his book and is always open to more recommendations that help fathers. His website is filled with interesting articles and words of encouragement to help build a community of “like-minded, well-balanced dads”.

6-Year-Old Nora Donates $8.15 for Clean Water and Sparks a Fundraising Drive to Bring Clean Water to Communities All Over the World

Children can have a heart for service and impacting others from a very young age.  Meet 6-year-old Nora who is the inspiration for today’s blog post. 

Nora’s dad showed her a video about the nonprofit organization charity: water and the tremendous impact that it is making all over the world by providing clean water to communities.  In many communities, it is the women and girls who must walk long distances carrying heaving containers to find and bring back water.  Often this water is dirty, causing much sickness.  Nora was so touched by what she heard and saw that she committed to donating her own money - $8.15 – to the organization so that children could have clean water.

To watch the video about Nora and learn more about charity: water and the film that inspired her, please visit https://archive.charitywater.org/nora/.

Stories to Inspire Your Children: Wilma Rudolph Overcame Polio To Become an Olympic Sprint Champion

Growing up, I loved to read biographies and autobiographies of people who had overcome many challenges. Their stories of determination to accomplish their goals truly inspired me! Today, I would like to share the story of Wilma Rudolph, an amazing woman who overcame polio to become an Olympic champion. Her story is one of many struggles and ultimate successes achieved by faith.

She was born in 1940 Tennessee and was the 20th of 22 children. By the age of 5, she had been sick with scarlet fever, pneumonia, and polio. As a result, she lost the strength in her left leg, and had to wear a brace until she was 12 years old. Because there was very little medical care for African Americans in her town, her family sought medical treatment for her at a historically Black hospital, Meharry Medical College, which was about 50 miles from where she lived. For two years, Wilma and her mother took a bus each week for treatment for her leg. Because of the medical treatment and frequent at home massages on her leg performed by family members, she was able to walk by age 12 without the leg brace or wearing an orthopedic shoe.

Wilma later said: "My doctors told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother."

It was during her high school years that she began to excel in sports, especially track. She attended a summer camp for track and then by her junior year, she participated in 1956 U. S. Olympic track and field trials and qualified for the 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics. Although she lost in the preliminary rounds, she gained experience that was critical to her future career. During her senior year in high school, she became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter Yolanda. She went on to attend college at Tennessee State University (TSU) where she continued to be coached in track and excelled.

She competed in 3 events in the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in each: the 100- and 200-meter sprints, as well as the 4 × 100-meter relay. She was the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in a single Olympiad. Wilma became very popular and known as “The Tornado – the fastest woman on earth.” The Italians called her “The Black gazelle”. In addition to winning the gold medals during her career, Wilma also won a bronze medal and broke 3 world records.

In the mid-1960s, Wilma left sports and returned to TSU to earn a degree in education. Wilma said: "When I was going through my transition of being famous, I tried to ask God why was I here? What was my purpose? Surely, it wasn't just to win three gold medals. There has to be more to this life than that." And, for Wilma, there was! She became a teacher and then actively participated in the Civil Rights Movement. She received many accolades and awards during her lifetime and was inducted to numerous Halls of Fame.

I will continue to write blogs about people whom I believe will inspire your children. Please be sure to share my blog posts with your children and discuss them.

To learn more about Wilma, please visit:

http://wilmarudolph.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilma_Rudolph

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/wilma-rudolph

Labor Day – Teach Your Children About the Working Person’s Holiday

             What do you know about the history of Labor Day, a national holiday that falls on the first Monday of September each year?  It is known as the working person’s holiday. 

             In June 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed into law the creation of a national holiday known as Labor Day, seen as a way to appease workers.  There had been unrest and dissatisfaction among American workers all over the United States who believed that they were underpaid and forced to work too many long hours, often in dangerous conditions.  For almost a decade, there were strikes, boycotts, and riots.  

             The event that prompted action by Congress and the president was known as the Pullman Car Company strike in Chicago in 1894 when workers went on strike to protest cuts in their wages and the firing of union representatives.  The strike shut down railroads all over the country.  In response, the federal government sent in troops, resulting in mass riots with 13 workers killed and 60 injured. 

             Labor Day is often celebrated as the last day of summer.  It is a time to plan many fun-filled family activities.  Before you do so, please teach your children about this working person’s holiday and how it came to be established. 

             Below is a link for Labor Day ideas for children.  Labor Day can be celebrated throughout the year, as many of these activities can be done at any time, not just on this holiday.

 To learn more, please visit:

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/labor-day-1

https://www.countryliving.com/life/g28648945/things-to-do-on-labor-day-near-me/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBMxtn7GnzE

https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/labor-day-activities/

Inspiring Your Children: 11 year-old Hero Davyon Johnson Saves an Elderly Woman from a House Fire and a Classmate from Choking

             What an amazing true story this is! Davyon Johnson is just 11 years old and attends 6th grade in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  December 9, 2021 proved to be a very exciting and memorable day for him and others. 

            While in school, one of his friends tried to open a bottle of water with his teeth.  The cap came off and went down his throat.  The boy said, in a whispering voice, “I’m choking, I’m choking.”  Davyon had seen the Heimlich maneuver on YouTube videos and went into action, squeezing the boy’s abdomen.   He saved the boy’s life!  His principal said: "He's just a very humble and old spirit.  He's responsible, reliable, friendly, just a kind soul."

            Then, later that day, he and his mother were in a car on their way to church.  As they drove down a street, she saw what she described as smoke coming from a house.  Davyon asked his mother to turn around and as he ran toward the house, he observed that it was on fire.  Everyone had escaped except an elderly woman who was struggling with a walker.  He ran to help her and guided her across the street, far from the fire.

            What did Davyon have to say at the end of his day? "It makes me feel incredible that I saved two people's lives in one day."  When asked why he did what he did that day, Davyon said that he knew that was what his father would do.  A few years previously, his father had entered a burning apartment complex to make sure everyone was safe, and he was not a fireman.  Sadly, his father had passed away that August due to Covid.

To read more about this hero, visit:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/26/us/davyon-johnson-student-saves-classmate-fire.html

https://people.com/human-interest/davyon-johnson-11-sprang-into-action-i-saved-two-peoples-lives-in-one-day/

Educating Your Children About Litter Prevention and Recycling

According to a 2021 study by Keep America Beautiful (KAB), a leading nonprofit that seeks to improve our community environment, littering continues to be a major problem in the United States. Who is littering? There is no one profile of a litterer as adults and children litter as well as peoples of all races and cultures. Why do people litter? Generally, it is because they expect someone else to cleanup for or after them. One of the main keys to solving the littering problem is through education, especially with our children.

What can we do? Here are some suggestions:

1. Research to find out if your local government has a litter prevention program and what type of information it provides. It will have a lot of written information that you can review with your children and even have them take to their classes.

2. Join a litter prevention group. KAB has many programs and initiatives on its website.

3. Ensure that your trash containers that are placed outside are sealed tightly so trash does not escape, or animals get into it.

4. Keep a litter bag in your vehicle and use it.

5. Join with your children in community cleanup days. They will see for themselves all the trash and truly appreciate the beauty of the environment once the area is cleaned up.

6. Teach your children about how important it is to recycle. This link has some activities that you can do with your children to help them learn more. https://www.naturesphttps://naturespath.com/en-us/blog/19-activities-kids-learn-recycling

Also, have your children help you with separating your family’s trash into what is recyclable and not.

There is so much that we can do to educate our children and get them involved in anti-littering initiatives and programs.

To learn more, please visit:

https://kab.org/

https://cvwma.com/cvwma-education/litter-prevention/

https://naturespath.com/en-us/blog/19-activities-kids-learn-recycling

Preparing Our Children for and Helping Them Through Hurricanes and Other Storms

I’m from the Caribbean and know all too well the anxieties associated with the hurricane season, which runs generally from June through October each year. In other parts of the United States, there are different seasons for storms, such as tornadoes and ice. As adults, we know that we need to take appropriate measures to be prepared so that we can keep ourselves and our families safe. How can we prepare and help our children who are also experiencing these severe storms?

On a blog on the website for Nemour’s Children’s Health, which is one of the top children’s hospitals in the United States, there are 5 recommendations for parents. These recommendations can apply to any severe weather that your family may experience. Importantly, children learn how to respond based on what they hear and see happening around them, so it is important to communicate with them and keep them involved.

Here are the 5 recommendations:

1. Talk with your children. Use simple words to describe the nature of the storm. Assure them that you will do all that is necessary to keep them safe.

2. Try to remain calm and rational yourself. If your children see or hear that you are anxious, they are likely to become anxious too. Remember that they learn from you how to react in and to situations.

3. Involve your children in preparations. There are many hurricane and other severe weather kits and instructions to help you plan and prepare. Encourage your children to read and help you with what needs to be done. Discuss whether you will stay in your home or seek shelter elsewhere. There are many decisions that must be made, and children can be involved in making some of them.

4. During the storm, be sure to have your children’s comfort items close by, such as favorite stuffed animals, blankets, and toys. Also, have a variety of materials to keep them engaged such as board games, coloring books, puzzles, and books. If the electricity goes out or the internet goes down, you will need to have activities for them that do not rely on electricity or the internet.

5. After the storm, ask your children to participate in cleaning up. Also, try to avoid too much media coverage as the news may make them anxious and scared. Importantly, closely monitor them for signs of excessive stress, such as sleep problems.

In addition to these recommendations, please consider not telling your children “don’t be scared”. Instead, say “it’s ok to be worried, but we will do everything we can to ….” It is best not to downplay their fears, but show compassion and understanding.

To learn more, please visit:

https://blog.nemours.org/2016/06/preparing-kids-for-hurricanes-without-freaking-them-out/

https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/hurricane/2022/06/07/its-ok-to-be-scared-how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-hurricanes/

Inspire Your Children to Participate in a Spelling Bee This Year!

Spelling bees are an important activity for your children to learn new words, better grammar, and make lots of friends. Here is the inspiring story of 14-year-old Zaila Avant-Garde from Harvey, Louisiana, the national spelling bee champion who, in July, 2021, made history. She was the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in its 70-year history. Along with the beautiful trophy and accolades came a prize of $50,000!

Zaila was home-schooled and blocked out 7 hours a day to study words. Her parents invested in her through spelling tutors and computer programs to help her learn words and spell better. But, that is not all she did. She also holds 3 Guinness Book of World Records: the most bounce juggles in one minute with 4 basketballs and the most basketball bounces in 30 seconds with 4 basketballs; and she ties the record for most basketballs dribbled at once.

When asked what the “coolest” part of the competition and her celebrity status was, Zaila said: “I became visible to a lot of young girls who are minorities, and they just saw me.” Yes, she has become a role model for many young minority boys and girls.

I have written before about the wonderful learning experience spelling bees are for children. In my blog post titled In Spelling Bees, All Children Are Winners! , I list 5 ways that children can benefit from learning new words. Please take a few minutes and read it. Your child may not be the next Zaila Avant-Garde but participating in a spelling bee will build a lot of memories and help them with their education.

To learn more, please visit:

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/17/1017366768/zaila-avant-garde-talks-success-following-historic-spelling-bee-win

https://time.com/6080654/zaila-avant-garde-spelling-bee-equality/

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-03-22-zaila-avant-garde-made-spelling-bee-history-what-will-the-15-year-old-do-next

Bossy Children? Here are Some Tips to Handle Their Behaviors

“All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble toward everyone else. The Scriptures say, “God opposes proud people, but he helps everyone who is humble.”

-1 Peter 5:5 (CEV)

What does “bossy” mean? The Cambridge dictionary defines it, when applied to a person, as someone who “is always telling people what to do.” As a mother of two sons, I can readily admit that one of them exhibited “bossy” behavior more often than the other. This type of behavior can be very challenging to parents, siblings, friends, and others who have any form of interaction with a child. What we do not want to do is squelch any leadership tendencies, but this behavior must be addressed. What can parents do? This blog post is from a Christian’s perspective and relies on scripture from the Bible.

Here are some helpful tips:

1. Do not allow your children to get away with bossy behavior. Often, people will comment or laugh and say, “She is so cute when she does that!” or “He just has a quick temper.” Bossy behavior should not be ignored or tolerated or laughed at.

2. Use scripture to guide your discussions and discipline. Read and talk about various scriptures with your children. In this blog post, I quote 1 Peter 5:5 (CEV) which stresses that children should obey their elders and be humble. Remember that you are the parent and remind your children of that.

3. Children should also honor their parents. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12). Other scriptures that admonish us to honor our parents are Colossians 3:20, Ephesians 6:1-3, and Proverbs 30:17.

4. Stop and talk with your children so that they can learn about empathy. If you are watching a television show or movie, and someone is being “bossy” or picking on someone else, stop it and speak with your children about what is happening. Ask them to think about how the other person feels. Also, when reading a book, you can do the same thing. The importance is to focus on the wrong behavior that someone else is exhibiting and speak to your children about it so that they learn.

5. Do volunteer service together as a family. Children will learn about those who may be less fortunate than themselves and the importance of being kind and loving to others.

To learn more, please visit:

https://www.cornerstonesforparents.com/bossy-child

https://www.faithfulmotherhood.com/not-the-mommy-challenge-of-sibling-authority/

Books that Help Your Children Learn About the Lives of Immigrants and Refugees

       Reports about immigrants and refugees are constantly in the news.  Your children hear about these groups of people and I’m sure have many questions about them and the lives they came from as well as the lives they are living now.   To help your children understand and learn more about them, I recommend having them read books that tell their stories as well as the history of our country. 

       Below is a listing of some books for your children.  Of course, this list is not exhaustive and I provide website links as well to assist you in doing your own searches. 

• What is a Refugee? Author Elisa Gravel, ages 3-7 – introduces a refugee

• The Name Jar Author Yangsook Choi, ages 4-8 – describes the challenge of having a name that is hard to pronounce and how it makes a child feel

• I'm New Here Author Anne Sibley O'Brien, ages 5-7 – tells the story of 3 children from different countries as they enter elementary school

• Dreamers Author Yuyi Morales, ages 5-7 – tells the story of leaving a country but still bringing all your beautiful culture with you

• My Little Golden Book About the Statue of Liberty Author Jen Arena, ages 2-5 – tells the history of the Statute of Liberty

• What Was Ellis Island? Author Patricia Brennan Demuth, ages 8-10 – tells the history of Ellis Island as the entry point into the United States for millions of immigrants who wanted to start a new life

• 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World (Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls), ages 6 and up – tells the stories of 100 immigrant women who have had an impact

• The Arabic Quilt Author Aya Khalil, ages 6-8 – tells the story of a girl from Egypt who starts elementary school in America

For more information, please visit:

https://www.readbrightly.com/books-about-immigration-for-kids/

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Children's-Books-on-Immigration/zgbs/books/271597011

The Inspirational Story of Darrion Cockrell

Darrion Cockrell was awarded Missouri’s Teacher of the Year for 2021, a prestigious award for the most dedicated and respected teachers. He is a physical education teacher at Crestwood Elementary School in St. Louis. His journey to becoming a teacher and then winning this award is very inspirational. It shows the tremendous impact that teachers and a loving family have on a child. Please share with your children.

Darrion’s mother was a drug addict and had 2 children by the time she was 16 years old. His father was murdered when he was 4 years old, and he began his life in and out of the foster system at age 6. He even became a gang member before he was 10. He lived with his grandmother for a period of time, but she lost custody of him.

Darrion says that he owes his life to a teacher named Ken and other teachers, counselors and even a school principal who gave him a second chance. Teachers used physical education to keep him interested in attending school. One teacher even picked him up for school each day from the foster care center – he saw her as a “mom” figure for at least 6 months.

When he was in the 7th grade, his football coach and wife took him into their home, and he lived with them until he graduated from high school. He eventually attended the University of Missouri – St. Louis and graduated.

As a physical education teacher, he loves what he does and the impact he has on children and their families. As to the importance of his role, he said:

"PE is just as important as social studies and science and math. As long as you understand those building blocks of fitness and health and taking care of yourself, then you can do anything you want in the world."

To read more about Darrion, please visit:

https://www.passiton.com/passiton-blog/30-former-gang-member-changed-path-in-life

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/12/us/former-gang-member-teacher-trnd/index.html

https://people.com/human-interest/former-gang-member-becomes-missouri-teacher-of-the-year/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F4etON2YvY

Teaching Your Children How to Budget From an Early Age

Because of the downturn in the economy, there are news reports of many people going to banks and credit unions seeking loans to help them get through the rough patches and meet their financial obligations. Some of those people have already defaulted on loan obligations and yet are trying to refinance their debts. I think it is critical to teach our children about budgeting and not overspending from an early age so that those habits are engrained into adulthood.

There is an excellent online article written by Anna Baluch titled Budgeting for Kids: How to Teach It and Why It Matters. The article stresses the importance of teaching budgeting skills so that children understand the importance of saving for long-term goals and developing good habits for financial solvency from a young age.

It is generally understood that our first mentors for handling money are our parents so why not teach our children these important skills. When should parents start? The article recommends as early as 8 years-old, even younger, at age 5, if it is just teaching about saving.

The article lists key takeaways as follows:

• Budgeting teaches critical savings and spending skills that children can use to achieve financial health in adulthood.

• It helps children learn how to identify financial goals and develop a specific plan for achieving them.

• You can use real-life examples to teach children about budgeting so they can relate to the lessons.

The article recommends having a simple budget sheet that is a sheet of paper with 3 columns – goals, savings and cost. Discuss it with your children and then keep them on track.

To read the entire article, please visit https://www.thebalancemoney.com/teach-kids-to-budget-money-454012

The Tremendous Benefits That Reading 20 Minutes A Day Has on Your Children

       Yes, you read the title of this blog post correctly!  Studies have shown that your children can read for just 20 minutes a day and have tremendous benefits. 

       What are these benefits?

• Your children will be exposed to a tremendous amount of new vocabulary.   By reading 20 minutes a day, or being read to, your children will have been exposed to 1.8 million words a year.

• They are likely to score in the top 90th percentile on standardized tests.

• Their brains will be activated allowing them to develop stronger and healthier brains.

• Their imaginations will be enhanced.

• Their writing skills will improve as they learn about putting thoughts and sentences together.

• They will be more relaxed and ready to sleep at bedtime as their stress levels will be lowered.

• They will develop empathy as they learn about different peoples and cultures.  

To learn more, please visit:

https://specialedresource.com/benefits-of-reading-20-minutes-a-day

https://kidskonnect.com/articles/why-children-should-read-20-minutes-a-day-and-how-this-impacts-your-kids-development-at-any-age/

https://illogicalscript.com/how-reading-20-minutes-a-day-affects-our-life/

Teaching Your Children About The 4th of July And Then Celebrating With Them

The 4th of July or Independence Day holiday weekend is approaching and what do you have planned for your family’s celebrations? I recommend spending some time with your children teaching them about the historical facts that lead up to the 4th of July and the founding of our great country and then having a lot of fun activities afterwards.

The history of our Independence Day is riveting and powerful. One way to help your children learn about it is by reading my book It’s Not About You Mrs. Firecracker – A Love Letter About the True Meaning of the Fourth of July. It is historically accurate and has colorful illustrations and lots of humor. There are many other books available as well. Since we are a diverse country filled with immigrants and refugees, consider having your children read as well about them. Some recommendations are: I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien; Landing at Ellis Island by Dr. Holly Karapetkova; The Journey by Francesca Sanna; and Dreamers by Yuyi Morales.

I have written two prior blog posts that have very helpful tips: Teaching Your Children the Importance of What Happened on July 4th and Celebrate with Your Children the Freedoms We Have This July 4th.

In addition to my blog posts, there are many websites that have suggestions of activities. Make this July 4th weekend extra special by planning some teachable time with your children and then fun outdoor activities.

To learn more, please visit these websites:

https://www.weareteachers.com/fourth-of-july-activities/

https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/g4463/4th-of-july-activites/

Helpful Tips for Building Good Nutritional Habits in Your Children

Have your children made the same or a similar comment to you as the girl in this cartoon when you are encouraging them to eat vegetables and fruits? It seems to be an age-old challenge for parents. An excellent online article from the American Academy of Pediatrics has many good suggestions to help parents build good nutritional habits in their children.

Here are some helpful tips from that article:

1. Be a role model to your children. If they see you eating more fruits and vegetables, they will too.

2. Begin with learning what is the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables for children. Visit choosemyplate.gov for more information.

3. When grocery shopping, limit the amount of purchases of sugary snacks such as cookies and candy as well as sugary drinks.

4. Keep fruits and vegetables washed and easily accessible as snacks. I often had dips as well to accompany the vegetables as snacks.

5. Add fruits or vegetables to meals. For example, if your children like to eat cereal, add a banana or blueberries. For school lunches, pack snacks of veggies with dips.

6. Serve salads often with lunches and dinners.

It is key to remember that your goal is to build life-long, good nutritional habits in your children. When you start them from young eating nutritiously, they will continue as adults.

To read the entire article, please visit:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/How-to-Get-Your-Child-to-Eat-More-Fruits-and-Veggies.aspx

Help Your Children Protect Themselves From Cyberbullying

        Cyberbullying is essentially bullying using cell phones or social media.  What can parents do to protect their children from these types of bullies?

        The Child Mind Institute, a leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health, has an excellent online article about cyberbullying and what parents can do to help their children.  Some points covered are:

• How can parents know if their child is being cyberbullied?  Because children often are embarrassed or ashamed when they are bullied, they may not tell their parents.  Parents usually find out after the situation has gotten worse.  Talk with your children frequently and be open to discuss topics that are challenging them without judging them.

• When should parents intervene?  It is important that parents gather facts before they intervene.  Talk with your child about what has happened.  Come up with a plan together.

• What can a child do when being cyberbullied? The article recommends taking many actions such as turning off the computer and walking away; not responding or retaliating; blocking the bully; saving and printing out bullying messages; and talking with friends and trusted adults.  

• How can cyberbullying be reported? If it happens using a form of social media, contact the company and report what has happened.  If it happens by text, contact the cellar company, and report it as well as change the cell number.  If the bullying continues, seek the help of others such as your children’s friends, coaches, and teachers.

        The article has many links to other online resources, so please take the time to learn more about cyberbullying.  As parents become educated about it, the sooner they will be able to talk to their children and discover what has been happening so that they can help their children protect themselves and avoid suffering.

To read the entire article and many relevant links, please go to:

https://childmind.org/article/help-kids-deal-cyberbullying/

Children Who Are Making An Impact on Improving Our World

The Foundation for a Better Life promotes so many great causes for adults and children.  Its website www.passiton.com has daily quotes of encouragement as well as weekly articles with good news to make us smile and be uplifted.  My blog post this week is about its online article Born to Make a Difference - Kids Who are Changing Their World.

            Adults often complain about the younger generation, with complaints ranging from lack of respect to too much involvement in social media.  However, this article highlights many children who are movers and shakers in helping to change their world.

Captured in the photo for this blog post are Jamil Jackson and sisters Melati and Isabel Wijsen.  Jamil started when he was 9 years old to distribute “Blessing Bags” to the homeless in Chicago.  These bags are filled with important items such as toiletries, food items and other essentials.  Sisters Melati and Isabel started a successful campaign to free their beaches in their country Bali from plastic.  Beaches there are now plastic free!

The article mentions the names of several other children who are involved with projects for recycling and even some who are inventors in their communities.  And of course, there are countless numbers of children involved in projects to raise money for worthy causes. 

The next time you hear anyone criticize the younger generation, be sure to mention all the good things that children are doing all over the world!

To read more, please visit:

https://www.passiton.com/passiton-blog/80-born-to-make-a-difference-kids-who-are

What Parents Can Do To Improve Their Children's Mental Health

       May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month.  The theme this year is “Getting Back to Basics” which seeks to promote learning more about mental health conditions and what can be done to improve our mental health.  This coincides with several recent articles that center on the growing mental health crisis among children.

       One excellent article is The Mental Health Crisis Among Children and Teens: How Parents can Help from Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School which was published in March.  The article begins with this call to action: “We are in the midst of a pediatric mental health crisis — and parents need to take action.”  One of the main results of the pandemic is the “alarming amount of anxiety and depression in our children and teens.”

       What can parents do? The article suggests the following:

1. Understand that your children’s mental health is just as important as their physical health.

2. Have regular times to communicate with your children in a nonjudgmental way.

3. Make sure that your children have time to relax and do things that they enjoy.

4. Encourage more sleep and physical exercise.

5. Monitor their social media so they develop safe and healthy habits.

6. Keep in touch regularly with other adults in their lives, such as their teachers, coaches, and parents of their friends, to ensure that your children are getting the support they need. 

7. Try not to judge them so much by having “expectations without judgment”.

8. Ensure that your own mental health is taken care of as well.

The article provides many resources that you will find very helpful.  Please invest the time and effort in doing what you can to improve your children’s mental health.

To read the entire article, please visit:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-mental-health-crisis-among-children-and-teens-how-parents-can-help-202203082700