May 21, 2019 - Raising World Children

Empower Your Mom Friends One-Click at a Time!

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Abraham Lincoln

Raising global children has become a mission many mothers have dared to take over in order to empower their kids with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in a globalized world. It is such a sweet and time consuming endeavor, but worthy without a doubt.

I am one of those “mamás” working on preparing her children for a more peaceful and diversity aware future. And I’m loving it!

But lately there is a question “living” inside my head that it refuses to move away.

Who empowers those relentlessly active moms?

How do we make sure that moms around the world receive enough support to continue the beautiful path of raising global children?

Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, says in his book The Little Book of Lykke that “there is a four-point happiness gap between the happiest and unhappiest countries, and three points of these four are explained by six factors: togetherness or sense of community, money, health, freedom, trust and kindness.” How do we work together as women for women to procure these six relevant factors?

Women empowered by social media. Photo credits for Pexels.com

After many thoughts and relentless nights, I have come to the conclusion that at this moment my most powerful “weapon” to promote happy moms is the Internet and social media contacts. If you are an “online active” mom that is registered in different social media outlets, then you are armed with this effective tool as well!

Social Media Networking

You only have to look at the rise of female influencers to see women calling the shots, changing the global conversation, and creating new careers and job opportunities from behind the screen of their computers, tablets or mobile devices.

Whether via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instragram, social media provides ready communities for women around the world. These outlets represent a great opportunity to “meet” other people with the same professional goals and to promote our ideas, products, and services in a fast and very low-cost way.

Social Media Networking provides togetherness for women who have previously felt marginalized and powerless, being this the case of many moms in different countries. Let’s not forget that due to cultural or religious beliefs, expat assignments, trailing spouses, and motherhood, many moms find themselves isolated raising their children with no support of family and friends.

“Social media outlets help mothers find a tribe and amplify their voice”. – Flor García

Empowering one click at a time

Empowerment is a construct that links individual strengths, competencies, natural helping systems and proactive behaviors to social change. When we share with our Instagram audience the profile of other moms and their entrepreneurial skills, small businesses, ideas, and services we are becoming the voice and marketing solution for those whose experience could improve the life of many. Employers, recruiters and other entrepreneurs could benefit greatly from any of the talents offered by many moms online.

How much does it cost to you to share somebody else’s business on Instagram? Think about it! And the pros for that mom with a new idea could be endless. Imagine how amazing to be an agent of change!

Promoting online can make the difference between a desperate mom and an emotionally healthy one. Which one do you think will have more energy to focus on raising world children? Money isn’t happiness, but it helps big time to focus our attention on what really matters.

Therefore, an empowered mom producing income would be a great addition to the cultural awareness equation we want to promote at home. Also, it isn’t all about money, remember that empowerment suggest that individuals work with others (sense of community) to achieve goals (trust), efforts to gain access to resources (health and education) and some critical understanding of the socio-political environment of the place where we live (integration).

Workshops, Webinars and Learning

Many studies show that social media is contributing to women empowerment but there is still virtual gender gap due to lack of literacy, cybercrime and cyber bullying so many women are not able to fully utilize the new space and explore the many benefits of the World Wide Web.

Here is when our expertise and academic knowledge play a relevant role in the fight for women literacy and independence. Have you thought about how much a mom can benefit from the knowledge and experience of other women? If you are an expert on areas such as entrepreneurship, cultural integration, diverse communications, arts, languages and web resources, the amazing power you have to enhance the lives of many moms is indescribable!

Dare to offer online seminars or workshops, do it for a low-cost or free. Count it as your good deed for the month… or year. Jump into the wagon of helping other women. Become that mom willing to be an activist from the comfort of your own home. Generate awareness for social transformation favorable to empowerment of women, specially moms around the world.

In conclusion, I leave these lines feeling a little bit better. I know that many of the women reading this article will find their way to support other women using social media and other online hubs as their tool for change. Please, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Empowering women online has been proved to be a powerful vehicle for raising women’s rights awareness and income equality for many moms around the world.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

The Paradox of Racing Time in Parenting

To say that I’m time-obsessed would be an understatement. But it is also true that I was not like this all my life. I have always been the laid-back kid who never feels the urge to rush. I took my own sweet time to get around to doing anything.

I took time to warm up to people. I took time to understand a new concept being taught. But something about having my own kids changed my entire perspective.

The clock-obsessed lady was hiding under the surface of that calm, slow little girl. Now everything that I do revolves around the clock. I have to finish cooking by 10, sit with my son to do his homework from 4:30 to 5:30, take my daughter to a class at 6, pick up my son from his class at 4:30 and so on so forth. The time obsession has moved on to such level that I get impatient if I feel any member of my family seems to be relaxed, a little too relaxed in my opinion, especially if we are all getting ready for some event.

And of all the events, doctor’s appointments are the worst! The fact that you have to be somewhere at a fixed time can get your blood pressure raising very high. And if you add traffic in to this mix, it can really cause you to hyperventilate.

So you’re sitting there, not moving an inch, in the midst of the worst traffic of your life (to be honest, they all seem like that), one eye on the road hoping the car ahead of you will move and another eye on the ticking clock, your pulse raising with every increase of the minute hand.

You sit there wishing that you had started earlier than you did from home. You sit there trying to resist the urge to say some mean things to the guy who cut in front of you, after-all the whole point of this whole circus, the apple of your eye, your little son is sitting right behind you. You wonder why did everyone have to step out of their house exactly on the same day and at the same time when you were running late just a few minutes, only to find that now you’re running a lot more than a few minutes late. And as you have nothing else to do, you drum on the steering wheel, make loud sighing noises and the merciless clock just keeps ticking and ticking and ticking.

For a second, you wonder if all the clocks in the world should be trashed in some dumpster for mocking your helplessness and then let out another huge sigh and drum some more on the steering wheel. Finally, after what seems like zillion minutes, the traffic lets out, and you feel like you’re flying through the streets.

Your turn to mock the clock. And so the dance continues, you win some you lose some.

Neha Narayan is a 9th grader in high school. She likes biking, drawing, and, well, watching YouTube. She hopes to be successful in whatever she decides to do.

Sangeetha Narayan likes to do everything. From writing, reviewing books, and being a great mother (even if she does say so herself) she keeps herself busy. She hopes to continue writing and reviewing and become successful.

Grab Your Copy of Strong Roots Have No Fear – The book for children to thrive with strong values in a multicultural world!

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5 Simple Ways to Explore Easter Traditions With Kids

In the Christian calendar, Easter is the most sacred festival. It marks both the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and his promise of eternal life. Christian families choose to celebrate Easter with many activities including attending church services, taking part in fun traditions and enjoying delicious food.

Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox, which is anywhere between late March and late April.

Easter traditions vary from country to country across the world. However, because Easter coincides with the start of the spring season for many, celebrations of new life are a common theme to traditions. Symbols for Easter include spring flowers, eggs, chicks, hares, rabbits, and other baby animals.

Christian children very much enjoy the Easter holiday, but for non-Christian families, Easter is also a great time to learn more about this religion and culture. Like many other festivals, it’s full of fun and color and is the perfect time to engage kids in learning about different traditions and cultures around the world.

Here are five Easter traditions that your children will love to join in with:

1. Egg painting

Alongside spring flowers, colorful eggs are a way of decorating homes for Easter. In Germany, the streets are also decorated with eggs strung from branches.

Children adore painting eggs in whichever color or pattern they choose. You can hard boil them first to minimize the risk of mess. Alternatively, make pretty garlands by cutting paper into egg shapes, decorating, then stringing them together.

2. Easter bonnet parade

Every Easter, children around the world make a game of decorating a hat and parading their designs. It is thought that this tradition originates from a time when Easter would have meant buying or making new clothes to welcome in the springtime renewal of the year.

Children start with a simple hat which they can then adorn in any way they choose. Flowers are the most traditional way to decorate an Easter bonnet, but other Easter symbols such as fluffy toy chicks, colorful eggs, and the Easter bunny often appear. The only ‘rule’ is to make your hat as fun and as colorful as possible.

3. Egg hunts

This is one of the most popular Easter traditions across the world and is a huge favorite with children, Christian or otherwise. It’s the perfect Easter opportunity to gather friends and family together for a big celebration.

According to folklore, an egg-laying bunny visits gardens at Easter and lays its eggs in the grass. The act of searching high and low for these eggs delights children. Of course, it is the parents who hide the eggs, which are nearly always made from chocolate. Once the game is finished, the feast can begin.

Many families turn this game into the main event for a big garden party. To make this gathering a success, kids party entertainers would recommend adding extra amusement centers such as inflatable castles or mascots for the kids to enjoy before or after the hunt. You can include an Easter bonnet parade into the event, too.

When you add a delicious buffet of food and some pretty decorations, you will have a certifiably fun event for all your family and friends to enjoy.

4. Egg rolling

The annual White House egg roll is one of the world’s most famous Easter events for children. The US president has been hosting this event in the White House gardens since 1878.

This a big event in the Washington DC calendar and is always much anticipated by those families lucky enough to have tickets. The principal game of the event is to roll eggs across the White House lawns to see whose can go furthest without cracking. There are many other games featuring eggs, however, and as everyone leaves, guests are handed a wooden egg souvenir.

This would be a delightful event to replicate. With the help of professional event planners, you can organize a sophisticated gathering like this in your own gardens or at a nearby venue.

5. Hot cross buns

No festival is complete without delicious food, and Easter celebrations are no exception. Aside from chocolate eggs, hot cross buns are the most well-known Easter treats.

Hot cross buns are made from a sweet dough combined with dried fruit. Each bun is decorated with a cross on top to symbolize Jesus on the cross.

Easter time is the perfect time to gather your children, friends, and family together. Enjoy the family-friendly traditions as well as some quality time together. Or, make the most of lovely springtime weather and throw a big Easter celebration.