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Decorate Your Child’s Room for a Strong Identity

Every kid wants a room with personality. White walls, beige carpet, and a gray bedspread just won’t cut it. Your kids want a room that is fun, functional, and uniquely theirs. Setting up your kid’s bedroom decor with culture and their favorites can be a great way to bond with him or her (or them!)

Think about these ideas for making your kids’ rooms something that they’ll enjoy and love. It also helps a child build a stronger sense of identity and take ownership of their likes, dislikes, culture and more.

Go with a theme or use the below elements in the room to build empowerment.

Set up the bedroom decor by culture or likes.

Sports Central

If you’ve got a kid who loves everything with a ball, bat, or field, it’s easy to make a great bedroom that brings out that interest. If basketball tops your player’s list, it’s easy to find affordable laminate flooring to give the room a great court side look. Carpet in shades of brown and green will replicate outdoor playing surfaces.

Some pieces of PVC pipe painted yellow and cut lengthwise can be mounted to the wall to make goalposts. It’s also easy to create a putting green with a small elevated space made of plywood. A bench-style folding chair at the desk might make homework more enjoyable than it’s ever been.

Hollywood Glam

If you’re raising an aspiring actor, you can turn his or her room into a glitzy place to rest and play. A red carpet from the door to the bed is a must. You might even be able to simulate the Walk of Fame with gray hardwood and print stars with the names of family members, friends, and pets to scatter around for “tourists”.

Of course, no ordinary vanity will do. Classic big bulbs around it are the only way to get dressed in such a room, and your star also needs a nameplate on the door so that the little people know who they’re dropping in on.

The Rock n’ Roll Dream

Or maybe the pop dream, the country dream, or even the heavy metal dream. Musical kids love to immerse themselves in their chosen sound, whether they perform it themselves or just love being a fan. Any yard sale probably features old vinyl that can be used to decorate the walls. Foam egg carton soundproofing will make a great studio look for the kid who needs a little more cowbell.

No stage is lit up like an office, of course. You need a rainbow of colors, preferably one with full control for changing moods, so that the room can look like a stage. Just leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals.

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Cultural Heritage Room

A great way to not only decorate your child’s bedroom but also show off your cultural heritage would be to decorate with patterns and colors that match where you are from. For example, if your family is from India you might decorate with a beautiful Mandala painting and fun bright fabrics. There are many ways to add this into your child’s bedroom decor whether they be small decorations or big ones. Decorating to celebrate their heritage is a great way for them to feel connected to their ancestors and their cultural history.

The Upstairs Library

Books are such an important part of learning. If your child loves to read, it’s easy to make a bedroom that fosters that educational effort. Built-in shelves up to the ceiling can provide lots of storage, and you can make a simple rolling ladder or stepstool (whichever is safer) to allow access to those highest selections.

It’s not enough just to store all those books, of course. Books are meant to be read, so a bedroom made for reading just makes sense. Make it an environment of imagination, with big canvas prints to inspire readers. You can find places to print large canvases in your area, for instance, if you live in Canada you can look for big canvas prints in Canada. Create several reading spots in the room–maybe a comfortable armchair here, a beanbag there. Make sure there’s plenty of lighting and that the furniture you choose encourages proper posture.

The Construction Zone

Some kids just love to build. Plastic, wood, or any other material, they don’t care. They’re constantly creating cityscapes, space stations, fantasy worlds, and frontier homesteads. This type of hobby is great for learning problem solving and motor skills, and what better way to feed that education than to support it with the room’s decor?

Construction toys usually take a good bit of room, so organize the furniture for maximum available floor space. Consider drawers located under the bed. A hard surface will also be necessary for all those buildings and vehicles. Walls can be painted to match different scenarios–sky blue for earthly buildings, a starry backdrop for space, and woodsy settings for adventure toys.

A child who is happy with his or her room will take better care of it, learn more, and feel involved in what happens in the home environment. These five themes are just the beginning. It’s easy to take stock of your child’s interests and launch a project to create a room that won’t just be for dreaming but also for making dreams come true.

More ways to help your child develop a strong sense of identity.

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Virtual Learning Tips to Empower Children to Succeed

It was not long ago I was homeschooling my middle son for tennis. He struggled at first with homeschooling but we eventually found a groove that worked for both of us. The following tips are from two years of virtual learning with EPIC. And while I believe home-schooling and crisis online schooling are entirely different, they share many of the same foundational tenets.

It wasn’t until I empowered Kobe with the resources to succeed that he began the confidence building activities that will serve him for, I believe, life. Children naturally want to please and succeed, but they may not always know how. Giving them the freedom to take control of their day allows them to make mistakes and learn from them and eventually achieve success.

From my experience with Kobe, who loses focus quite a bit, I created the 3 Ps method – Prepared, Polite, Positive. All of the items listed below each tenet can be done by children ages 5 and up, with the exception of emailing.

Be Prepared

Charge my device.

Prepare Supplies and quiet workspace.

Dress properly.

Eat and use restroom prior to class.

Be early/Mute mic/Turn on camera

Be Polite

Eliminate distractions – iPhone, tablet, toys, food, drinks.

Turn off TV/radio

Move animals to another room.

Focus and listen

Raise my hand and wait my turn.

Be Positive.

Stay positive.

Use checklists or schedules to feel accomplished

Since older children may be required to attend online school for longer periods of time, special attention should be paid to eye health. For all ages, physical and mental states are very important to attend to, as well. Some advanced learning tips for older children include:

1.) Remember the 20-20-20 rule created by eye doctors for your eye health: Every 20 minutes, look up for 20 seconds at something 20 feet away.

2.) Make time for friends, even if it means seeing them virtually.

3.) Exercising daily will keep you very positive.

4.) Revisit your schedule. How did it work for you? Do you need to revise your plan?

5.) Self reflect on the experience learning from a distance. Look in the mirror; smile; say you are proud of yourself and pat yourself on the back.

6.) Share your learning with someone at home!

And I saved the best for last – online etiquette. Being polite involves focusing on the speaker as he or she is speaking. This involves 6 body parts and can be broken down to:

  • Ears are listening.
  • Eyes are looking.
  • Mouth is quiet.
  • Hands are still.
  • Body is facing the screen.
  • Brain is thinking

Online school may seem daunting at first, but remember that change is inevitable and adaptability is key to success. 

For more information on Mary Nhin’s books, please visit eNinja or download the free Virtual School Success Cheat Sheet or Online Etiquette pdf.

Mary Nhin loves being the guinea pig for all her husband’s kitchen creations. She is a mom of 3 boys, life coach, and author of multiple best selling books. For 20 years, she has been serving families through her companies, Nhinja Sushi and Grow Grit. She has been awarded the Forty under 40 and Inc 5000. Visit marynhin.com for freebies, follow @marynhin on IG/FB, and email her your feedback at growgritpress@gmail.com

DOWNLOAD MARY’S LATEST BOOK e ninja TO HELP YOUR KIDS SEE FOR  THEMSELVES THESE AMAZINGLY SIMPLE TIPS TO FOLLOW EVERY DAY!

 

Click here to access a complete list of comprehensive websites and educational resources to supplement virtual learning.

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Extracurricular Activities That Impart Valuable Life Skills

Extracurricular activities are the activities done outside of class. They are essential because not all academic activities aim for all-round development. Through these activities, kids learn necessary life skills such as problem-solving and teamwork.

The following are examples of extracurricular activities you should teach your kids.

Sports

 

Kids must involve themselves in sporting activities because they teach them the importance of teamwork. Other sports teach kids how to strategize and how to be competitive. These types of games include tennis, football, rugby, etc.

Music

This involves singing and playing instruments. Kids may choose to specialize in one or both. Music plays a significant role when it comes to psychological and emotional development. It is also important because, through music, kids learn more about culture and history.

Swimming

Letting your kids take swimming classes helps them be aware of personal safety and handle emergencies, which are essential life skills. This activity is also a great exercise that helps refine your kids’ movement skills.

Martial arts

Martial arts help your kids attain high self-confidence, discipline, and self-respect. They also learn how to protect themselves in dangerous situations as a way of self-defense.

Horseback riding

Horseback riding can be done for fun or as a sport in which you can compete. Letting your kids learn the art of horseback riding Is vital because it boosts their memory and improves their problem-solving skills. German dressage horses or horses that are well trained for riding are best when your child is beginning horseback riding because such horses have balance and they are obedient.

Dance

Dance is an essential activity because it is an excellent way of expressing feelings. It builds confidence in such a way that children make mistakes, and they keep trying until they get it right. Dance requires a certain level of discipline, which helps your child developmentally and physically.

Cooking

Cooking is a crucial life skill. At some point in life, kids will become independent, and so they need this skill. Through the following of recipes, kids learn the importance of communication and togetherness.

Sewing

It is crucial that kids learn how to sow when growing up because some of them want to be fashion designers when they grow up, and this is the first step of achieving their dreams. Sewing builds your child’s confidence and self-esteem and helps improve their creative abilities.

In conclusion, all work with no play makes children dull. Children’s extracurricular activities help improve what your kids have already learned in class. Extracurricular activities also contribute greatly when it comes to your child’s decision making because it helps in advancing children’s minds.

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Travel, Learn and See Your Friends

Promote diversity, learn mandarin and be entertained with a wonderful story. This is what this book is bringing to your home. We certainly simply enjoyed reading this book together figuring out things along the way. You will know what I’m talking about when you get this wonderful book for your kids.

The book interestingly talks about all aspects of diversity in simple ways, like food, connecting with people, the family itself in many subtle and obvious ways.

How friends can work together to solve problems and the importance of learning a new language and how it enriches us all.

This is one of the first books that was so fascinating for me to open, more than my kids. The bilingual aspect of it, makes it perfect for us to share with the world.

The illustrations are so vivid and bright. I love that it took us on a little trip to a part of the world, we will possibly not see. We also learned a bit about a new language. Books in multilingual languages seems to be a new trend and we are certainly loving it.

The story takes us through experience of Dean and Ethan, learning a new language, growing to be friends who use creative thinking. A must read for all little kids. I believe ideal for kids aged 6+

This would make a great step into early chapter reading since it’s quite a big book for the kids to do over. My daughter specially had a fascination for the Mandarin Chinese on every page. Though, we wish a glossary was given so could understand  it also. But the book is a wonderful starting point for sure.

Description per the author –

Written in English and Mandarin (Simplified Chinese & Pin Yin), Travel, Learn and See your friends 走学看朋友 is a story about two first-graders attending a Mandarin Immersion school. Dean and Ethan become fast friends. Dean is ethnically Chinese, and his reasons for learning Mandarin are more cultural. Ethan is an African-American and through his language journey, he learns about himself, his family, and the world. TLSee your Friends is an illustrated story book written in English, Simplified Chinese, and Pin Yin. This bilingual book is targeted at Mandarin Immersion students, but can be read by non-native speakers of Chinese.

About the author –

Edna is a physician anesthesiologist and mom, who was motivated to write a bilingual Chinese children’s book, inspired by her son’s friendship.

Although she is not a native speaker of Mandarin, she wanted to read to her children in Mandarin. She found a limited selection of books for this age group so she created them. These stories include English and Mandarin with pin yin to facilitate different reading levels.

SNEAK PEAK INTO THE BOOK

Grab the books by the author below –

Book Description –

Written in English and Mandarin (Simplified Chinese & Pin Yin), Travel, Learn and See your friends 走学看朋友 is a story about two first-graders attending a Mandarin Immersion school. Dean and Ethan become fast friends. Dean is ethnically Chinese, and his reasons for learning Mandarin are more cultural. Ethan is an African-American and through his language journey, he learns about himself, his family, and the world. TLSee your Friends is an illustrated story book written in English, Simplified Chinese, and Pin Yin. This bilingual book is targeted at Mandarin Immersion students, but can be read by non-native speakers of Chinese.

About the Author:

Edna is a physician anesthesiologist and mom, who was motivated to write a bilingual Chinese children’s book, inspired by her son’s friendship after he enrolled in a Mandarin immersion school. Although she is not a native speaker of Mandarin, she wanted to read to her children in Mandarin. She found a limited selection of books for this age group. So she created these stories to include English and Mandarin with pin yin, to facilitate different reading levels. Her stories celebrate friendship and cultural diversity. When she’s not in the operating room, she enjoys traveling with her family. You may have seen her on either SURVIVOR or Shark Tank.

You can follow the author and all her work on her website here.

Discover her adventures on Twitter or Instagram both @EdnaMaMD.

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5 Things You Should Encourage Your Child to Try in College

You want your daughter or son to gain more than a degree. As you try to ensure your child receives a well-rounded education, you need to make sure they’re taking on new experiences. Check out this list.

Here are the five things that your child could enjoy while in college. Encourage them to try one or more of these suggestions. Any of these activities could be perfect for your daughter or son.

1. A Part-Time Job

If your child hasn’t worked a job before, now would be the time for you to possibly suggest it. Have them check with their school. Know that there likely are jobs that will work with their class schedule. If you two can’t locate the desired position on campus, you still have options.

Popular part-time jobs for your kid to consider are bartending or waiting tables. Retailers likely have schedules conducive to your child’s classload, too. Finally, think about companies that hire people with their major. Even if the business only wants to give your child an unpaid internship, realize that the experience could be very valuable for them.

2. Studying Abroad

When you encourage them to broaden their horizons through travel, you will create a more experienced and well-rounded adult. Your daughter or son will better value different cultures. Add their coursework into their travels, and you have even more reason to facilitate this activity. Also, your kid will create magical memories to carry with them through their life. If you’re worried about paying for this, you can locate financial assistance.

For those of you who are worried about their safety, understand that every year college students take off for study abroad programs. Say your child wants to study in Canada. You can utilize the services of a credentialed company whose goal is to prepare your kid for success.

3. New Friendships

Also, encourage your child to meet a lot of new people from various walks of life. Let them know that college is a wonderful time to forge new friendships. Remind them that adults of all ages, too, can become new friends.

Make sure they are getting to know their professors beyond their coursework. Some instructors will invite their class out for a happy hour. If your kid is 21, then you should be okay with this. Be certain that your child is establishing relationships with the right people in their major of study to facilitate internships and to serve as references for their post-college job application materials.

Your daughter or son also should be networking within various organizations on campus and in their community.

4. Fraternities and Sororities

Have you and your child ever discussed the benefits of joining a Greek organization on campus? Did you know that some of the most successful people in the world belong to fraternities and sororities? Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, Matthew McConaughey, and the late Dr. Maya Angelou are a few names that might ring a bell for you.

If you’re worried about their grades slipping, know this. Pretty much all of your Greek organizations require certain academic standards. While a pledge and before being initiated, your child will have to attend designated studying sessions to make sure their grades won’t take. Not only will your kid have to maintain certain grades, but you also might appreciate that they have to participate in various community service projects.

5. Volunteering

Fraternities and sororities aren’t the only organizations where your child can volunteer for causes. Usually, in their major, your kid has clubs they can join. All across campus, too, you should know they have opportunities.

Ask them to go into their school’s student activity center. Tell them to see what needs there are. In the community where your daughter or son’s school is located, there also should be opportunities for you two to consider.

Five Great Ideas for Your College-Age Kid

Any of these aforementioned suggestions could be perfect for your child. Why don’t you send this over to them to see what they think? Remind them it’s important to gain more than their degree.

Best wishes to your child’s success. Go with one or more of these recommendations to help steer them in the right direction. Don’t give up until you find something they will enjoy.

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Nine Questions About Yoga Answered

As Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist for children and young adults, I get asked a lot of questions around yoga. And I believe that there are no stupid questions at all, each question brings us closer to the truth. Today I wanted to share some of the yoga stereotypes I have been asked the most, and my interpretation of them.

  1. Is Yoga a religion?

Yoga is not a religion. It does have spiritual philosophy attached to it, but you can choose to ignore it if you wish to. I know many Catholics, Christians and Hindu practising Yoga. It’s about your personal development not about what you believe in. And I always say that to my students, never believe in what I say, experience it and it will become your reality. If you just cognitively memorise it, it becomes another story created by your mind.

  1. Do I need to be flexible to do Yoga?

You don’t need to be flexible, thin or fit, you just need to attend with open mind and experience it yourself. If you have current medical conditions, you need to consult your doctor if physical yoga would be suitable for you before joining the class. Also, it is important to tell the teacher about any medical conditions. Any experienced and qualified teacher will be able to adapt any postures to your needs.

Dr McCall (2007) in his book ‘Yoga as medicine’ states that” if you feel that you couldn’t possibly do yoga, then yoga might be especially helpful for you. It’s those who find yoga the most challenging, think that they are terrible at it, and can’t seem to quiet their minds, who have the most to gain.”


  1. Is Yoga about the physical postures?

Asanas (physical postures) are part of yoga practice, but they don’t have to be. Yoga is so much more. Asanas are there to support us in the journey inwards, journey to get to know the true Self.  Asanas were designed to bring our mind to stillness. In yoga sutras (chapter 1, sutra 2) we read “ yoga is stilling the modifications of the mind” (1) and that’s the aim of yoga, to align our mind, body and energy and bring them to a point where we feel happy and at ease. Asanas are used in different types of yoga for example: hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga, yin yoga, Iyengar yoga etc. However, there are also different types of yoga we can use not only on the mat but also in daily life. I mention only few of them. If you wish to know more about meditation, I recommend reading “Meditation from tantras” by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (2).

  • Raja Yoga – the science of mind as I call it. It focuses on meditation, mindfulness practices which allow us to get insight into our mind. From psychology (3) we know we are aware of 10% of our mind. 90% is hidden in the subconscious and unconscious mind. Meditation allows us to become more aware of the 90% of the hidden mind. I practice meditation every day and it transformed my life completely, however if you have existing mental health problems, please consult with your healthcare professional before attending classes.
  • Mantra Yoga – the yoga of sound. Is focused on repetition of combination of sounds. And when I chant, sing the sounds, it’s not really about meaning of the sound, it’s about vibration it creates in the body. Try it yourself, close your eyes and sing your favourite song, and after that keep your eyes closed and feel what is happening inside. The vibration is created. I believe in times of X factor, we are afraid of being judged and we don’t sing enough. I encourage everyone to sing as often as you can, in the shower, in the car, in the kitchen, just let yourself go and sing with all your heart, bring all the emotions into it and let yourself go. It’s like having a shower for your internal organs, isn’t that beautiful?
  • Karma Yoga – in this type of yoga we focus on doing the work. However, the difference is we do the work with complete awareness and non-attachment to the outcome. That doesn’t mean not to care about what you do. It means give your 100% but don’t expect the reward. It moves us away from our conditioned mind, and we move away from likes and dislikes, and helps to change the perception of the external world.

There are also others like Bhakti yoga – yoga of devotion, jnana yoga – yoga of knowledge/wisdom or yoga nidra – the yoga of sleep and others which you can search and read about. And that’s why I always say there is a yoga for everyone.

  1. Do I need to become vegan to do yoga?

 You don’t have to change anything in your lifestyle to do yoga. Just join the class and try it, experience what yoga means to you. And yes, with time, if you practice yoga daily possibly your perception of life will change. You will become more aware of your body, mind, energy and external environment and you will see life in a different light. And that’s the beauty of yoga.

  1. Do I need a Guru when I decide to practice yoga?

Word Guru comes from Sanskrit and means teacher, expert, or light and darkness. Whichever yoga you start to practice, it is useful to have someone to guide you. Someone who is a little bit further on the way than you because they will know what you are going through. Having a teacher is a bit like using shortcut. Although I still believe in the most important teacher – our inner teacher, in each and every one of us, and that’s the teacher you need listen to the most, our inner voice, your intuition.

  1. What If I don’t like the Yoga teacher?

That’s ok. Just find a new one. I always say to my students, if I am not your cup of tea, go and find someone who resonates with you, but don’t give up yoga. Only with time we move away from likes and dislikes in life, and we understand that person triggering something inside of us, actually help us discover the depth of our unconscious mind. On my yoga journey I found the most helpful teachers were those who challenged my belief system and showed me a different perception on reality. But again, I wouldn’t worry about it too much, your brain is there to protect you, if you are not ready for something, it will reject it.

  1. Does word Yoga mean anything?

In B.K.S Iyengar “Light on Yoga “(3) we find that the word Yoga comes from Sanskrit and means to ‘bind’, ‘join’ or ‘direct’, it also means ‘union’. Yoga is connecting us with present moment. We are aligning our mind, body and energy and become fully aware of what’s happening now. Most of our life we think about the past or the future and life is disappearing in front of our eyes. Focusing on present moment allows us to live our life fully. The way I explain it, to the children is this: Yoga is the light inside of us. Like a bright shining star. We are all born with it. With time we cover it with different scarfs (thoughts, feelings, memories, experiences, definitions, stereotypes) and it disappears and stops to shine. Yoga helps us to re-discover it and let it shine through, and this light is what connects us all, no matter what gender we are, what colour of skin, what nationality, we are all the same.

  1. Am I not too old to do yoga?

You are never too old to start yoga, it is never too late. I have people in my class ages 19 – 80, and we are still finding common grounds in the class. Research in neuroscience shows that creating new pathways in the brain (learning abilities) do not depend on age. There are no more excuses not to learn something new even if you are 100! (5)

  1. Isn’t yoga too boring for children? My child cannot stay still for 2 seconds.

I have taught many children over the years, and I have never had anyone complaining that yoga is boring. Yoga can be defined as finding stillness in action. It does not have to be sitting still with eyes closed. A good teacher will be able to adapt practice to children’s needs and abilities and make it fun and engaging. If you wish to introduce your children to yoga, I write yoga stories for children ages 3-8. It is based on the programme I delivered for the last few years – called Yogi Superhero series. You can try and see if your child enjoys doing poses and breathing. Yogi Superhero relaxation is coming in August, based on the traditional Yoga Nidra practice, but adapted for children.


Yogi Superhero:

Yogi Superhero adventures in Nature – Forest:

Yoga and Calming Meditation for Kids – Yogi Superhero Series

Bibliography:

McCall T., (2007), Yoga as Medicine

Anna Smithers is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist for children and adults. yogi book series super hero forest Poetry and writing were always present in her life. Even as six year old girl, she was creating the stories and drawing her own illustrations. Later in life, poetry took more serious direction, and she was using poetry to express her feelings and emotions. When she was 18, her poems were published in local and national newspapers and magazines. Some of these won competitions. However, life has taken her on a completely different journey. After Anna gained her degrees in Science and Business Management, she stopped writing. It was only when she started Yoga that the inspiration to write returned to her. You can connect with her books via – http://orangelotusyoga.co.uk/yogi-superhero-book-kids-yoga/

 

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How to Raise High Achieving Kids

To raise Happy, Confident and High Achieving kids, we as parents need to be involved in their life by, providing them with support, guidance and praise, independence to succeed, while giving them the room to fail and experiment. And one thing that we as parents always have for our kids is the gift of our time, be it at home or outside in school or activities.

My husband Sudeep and I are raising two high achieving boys Atiksh (8 years old) and Akshaj (15 years old).

Our 15 years old son Akshaj is a Published Author, is thriving in Academics, Music and Community Service Projects. Our 8 years old knew his Times table, when he was in Preschool. Atiksh who self-taught himself Addition and Subtraction Multiplication and Division is a great Pianist and has been playing Piano since he was 4 years old.

Despite both our boy’s early success, my husband Sudeep and I are realistic about where their talents may lead them and we realize the fact that the boys will eventually have to live in the “Real World”, where the trophies and accolades aren’t going to be a measure of self-worth.

So our priority always has been to raise Happy and Empowered boys, who are able to use their mind in understanding their strengths and thoughts to create: joy and success in their lives, which I know could have different meaning to each of the boy.

Following are the essential key elements for raising children to become motivated, successful and goal-oriented adults.

Follow their lead

For my son Akshaj, we followed his interest of writing, which was evident since he was 4. His passion for writing quickly shifted to become self-driven, and he published his first children’s chapter book “Super Mouse” at the age of 8. As a mother when I recognized Akshaj’s potential and flair of writing, I supported his increasing interest by finding writing workshops, writing contests and other platforms, where he can share his articles, essays or poems. Because, we wanted our boys to be well rounded, we also made sure to encourage their other interests which are Music and Math. Both boys started learning and playing piano at the age of 4.

Nurturing vs Pushing

As we all know, nurturing is when we follow our child’s lead and pushing, on the other hand is when we want our child to follow us or want him to do what we want him to do.

 In our family’s case: We followed both our sons lead and supported their interests of Writing, Math’s and Music. Finding right platforms to nurture their interest and creativity like Math / coding workshops for Atiksh and Creative Writing workshops for Akshaj

Words of Encouragement 

Encouraging your child literally means “putting in courage or belief” in your child. This support from parents enables them to “see” themselves as they are: competent and can achieve what they set their mind on. My youngest son Atiksh, now age 8, had his Piano Recital two years back. He was excited and really nervous at the same time. My husband Sudeep took him on a side with a smile on his face and pat on his back, Sudeep said, “Baby, you can do it! Mom and I believe in you”. He did it! He played 2 full songs for his recital just like that. Just those two sentences of encouragement made all the difference.

 

We help set achievable short term goals (Transfer of Power)

 In order to empower our children, we allow them to have the power to make their own decisions. We do work together with both our sons to set short term goals. We sit down with them bi weekly to discuss how long it will take them to finish their Homework assignment / project, what days and time will they work on it. It does not work always work always as planned especially with my 8 year old. But, we try to let go and give them space to make mistakes and let them learn from it. Although we are transferring the power to them by letting them set their goals and work towards it, we still are there to provide guidance, support and love to develop their own confidence and self-esteem

Practicing Gratitude:

People often tell our son’s that your Mom is your biggest cheerleader.  And,

Akshaj has always mentioned in several of his articles and TV interviews that unconditional love and support from his parents always keeps him motivated 🙂 This is an example, where we are actually practicing Gratitude by appreciating each other’s efforts and presence in our lives.

When we parent to encourage, support and love unconditionally, we raise children who live with deep feelings of self-assurance and pride. Through positive parenting, we are not just making an effort to remind them of their potential and abilities but, raising motivated, creative, self-aware, emotionally intelligent children. Our reassurance of love and support “no matter what”, surely keeps them motivated and gives them the strength and capability to pursue the opportunities that come their way.

Sacramento based mother to two boys. First Indian woman to be appointed as Parks, Youth and Community Enrichment Commissioner in the District. Serves on several Natomas Unified School District committees. She also made guest appearances on ABC 10 digital series “Moms Explain All” and “Three Moms and a Dad”. Has been Nominated for N Factor Community awards.

 


 

I Want to Raise Happy Kids : Not Just Miserable Overachievers

I am the Mom of the Average Child

Exercise Activity Family Outdoors Vitality Healthy

Get Kids Active Outdoors During Summer 2020

As many people continue to quarantine their families for the summer, the question arises about what to do with children. After all, the weather is beautiful and sunny. Most children want to get outside and enjoy the fun. However, this summer looks different because of the coronavirus. Thankfully, there are ways to make sure your little ones get outside (and OFF devices) and remain active this summer.

Consider the following ideas.

1. Rollerskating/Rollerblading

There’s nothing quite like putting on a pair of roller skates. Even though it’s not quite like the experience of flying, it can come pretty close. In order to maintain distance, take your children to a local empty parking lot. If you simply go to an area that won’t have any car traffic or foot traffic, it’s okay to let the children roam freely as they enjoy their skates or rollerblades for a while.

Be sure to provide knee pads and safety gear for the children as they roll around. Even though they might not want to wear the safety gear, they have to remain safe. Plus, the hospital isn’t necessarily the safest place to go during a global pandemic. If you can avoid any serious injuries by providing safety gear, it’s better to put those protocols in place.

2. Water Play

If you have some open space in the front or the back of your home, you can set up a water park at home. If you have little children, you can purchase a kiddie pool that’s inflatable. It can provide tons of fun. If you have big kids, toys like water guns will always go over well. You can also let everyone fill up balloons

3. Walking

After dinner each day, take your children out for a walk around the neighborhood. If you’re going to be in an area where you’ll come across a lot of walkers, make sure you all walk with your masks on. The evening hours are perfect because the temperatures tend to be a bit cooler. Lather sunscreen on everyone before heading out. After a simple mile or two, everyone will be ready to come back inside to relax. It’s a simple way to get some fresh air on a daily basis.


4. Biking

Biking is the perfect way to get kids to remain active and safe. They’re not staying in one spot for too long. They don’t necessarily need to wear masks if they’re in an open space where people aren’t around. It’s so important for children to wear their helmets and any other safety gear. It’s also wise to make sure the tires are in great shape. If you’re doing your best to make sure your children remain safe from the virus, you don’t want to drop the ball in neglecting the care of the bike tires that will be carrying them around.

5. No-Contact Sports

No-contact sports can be awesome for times when you all visit an open field. Pack a picnic basket and bring the entire family out to a local park where there’s a field. You all can enjoy no-contact sports like baseball. Don’t underestimate the beauty of simplicity either. Let the children play catch. Play with a frisbee for a fun time. Soccer and dodgeball are great options that you all can play as well.

When you’re going to a local park, it’s not uncommon to find a playground. Ideally, it’s best to avoid the playground altogether. If there are children already at the playground, avoid it all costs. If no one is currently playing there, bring disinfectant spray and wipes to cover all of the surfaces. It might seem like overkill, but it’s better to remain as sanitary as possible. While you all enjoy the no-contact sports in the open field, there are other ways to remain occupied when they’d like a break. In addition to enjoying the picnic food, bring other activities like puzzles, bubbles, and jump ropes.

Though it can be a very challenging experience to get children to follow the rules when it relates to remaining safe during the pandemic, make sure they’re not overwhelmed. As a parent, you can create experiences that will keep them safe as they continue to have fun. Even though you won’t be able to experience the summer in the way you might’ve planned, get creative. It’s still possible to have the most memorable summer yet.

Far Beyond the sun

Far Beyond the Sun – Look Far, Dream Big

This book may seem like it teaches about the sun but it is so much more than that. It is so important to encourage kids’ curiosity and questions. A child wondering about simple things can make for a great teaching moments and all our children can learn from each other’s innocent wondering of the world.

As we look at what is here and what is beyond, this book uses fun illustrations to help your child learn about themselves as well.

My kids and I specially enjoyed the different subject matters in this book, and that is provides a great educational tool for every child. This educational book is great for kids from age 5 and up and explores science, math, geography, and history.

As you read the book, kids learn many interesting facts as well as the values of family love and the desire to grow far beyond, through big thoughts.

You can get your copy of this interesting, learning experience here .

Get the book here.

Origin Story of the Book

One day as we laid down on our sleeping bags and watched the sky. We saw the millions of stars out there and I started telling her about our galaxy and how, in our solar system, every planet orbits the sun. Then, I moved on to talk about galaxies that are much further than the sun. And even though the sun is high above the earth, the other stars are much further away from us. She seemed puzzled about the whole distance thing and then asked me that one question I was not able to answer immediately- “Daddy, can I be taller than the sun?”

I was stunned for a couple of seconds because I had no straight answer to give her. And it bugged me. Aside from an astronaut on a mission to another galaxy, which is possible, but has never been done before, is there another way to go beyond the sun? And then it hit me and the wheels in my brain started spinning. I decided to turn it into a story, which I’m happy to share with you. It’s called ‘Far Beyond the Sun’ and it talks about a boy who wanted to be higher than the sun and that wish takes him on a journey through history, geography, math, and science as he finds the way to achieve his goal.

About Dolev Zaharony:

Dolev is the founder of Squeedeal.com, an online e-commerce platform that supports nonprofit organizations.   A tech marketer and entrepreneur by day – a writer and musician by night, Dolev started writing children’s books after his first child was born, as his children provide endless sources of inspiration. Their imagination takes him back to when he was a kid, connecting between unrelated things and blending them into a story. As a parent, he uses the same method in his stories, each time with a different message that will help children overcome the obstacles of life they have to cope with.

 

His next two books are in production now:

Milo the Albino Dino – about accepting the unique and different
The Neighbor’s Ferrari – about materialism and finding the joy of life

Click here to find out more recommendations by us and if interested in a feature, email us at contact@raisingworldchildren.com

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When Your Child Loses a Pet

My eyes just swelled up when I started typing this. It’s been a little over 3 years that we lost our chirpy wagger, Tusky, a Pomeranian to an illness which rapidly overwhelmed her ever-so-energetic body.

The grief, the emptiness is still very fresh. We lost our pet when my now feisty 5-year-old was very little and understandably she has feeble memories of Tusky. Sometimes, she would see a picture and ask a few questions about her and why she is not around, questions, answers to which are not as simple as, ‘why does grandpa not have any hair’, jolts me out of my comfort zone.

I have been elusive to such questions as to what happened to Tusky or why is she not around. I have always shuddered when I thought how the young impressionable mind of a 5-year-old would react had we lost Tusky now. And as is said, whatever you try to shove beneath the carpet the most, might suddenly come and stand in front of you. Somebody said it so very bang on! My daughters’ friend from preschool very recently put their 10-year-old dog to rest and the news percolated to my girl. What started off as our effort to divert her attention from the grim realities of life to building the new LEGO bridge, took our family of 3 on a trip reliving the memories of Tusky, the slobbery kisses, the torn bed sheets {yes, unlike most dogs Tusky had her affinity towards chewing pretty bedsheets!}, the never used fancy food bowls {she had her ways of using our ‘katories’ instead} to illness and finally letting her go and embracing the happy memories.

The innocent questions like why did she have to die? Or did I do something wrong with her? Did you not take care of her? When is she coming back? All the questions resonate with everyone who has a pet or rather another four-legged child. I would be honest, initially, the questions were so in-my-face, that I had almost resorted to false comfortable statements like, ‘Dora went on a trip’ or ‘She ran away with her best friend’ or even worse, ‘she’s sleeping’. We actually started feeling bad about misleading a young mind and shielding her away from the truth fearing the subsequent grief and sadness.


A child however young has the right to grief, be sad, and miss their pet. The best support we could possibly give them is our patience rather than expecting them to quickly get over it. We told our little one, that Dora was not keeping well and that her body stopped working and she died. We were clear that we’ll not be shoving her questions into the cupboard and wanted the verbiage to be calm, composed, and direct. We had read up many child psychologists harping on avoiding vague terms and euphemisms like ‘sleeping’ or ‘gone away’. A friend of mine {who had recently lost her Great Dane, Cindy} suggested what she did when faced with a similar situation. She told her daughter that Cindy was not well and that God took her away so that she could get better and might someday return as a small cuddly pup to her. The idea was indeed ingenious and even had room for a future addition!

But I wasn’t sure if I could deal with all the separation agony again. Because all the pet parents out there, we all know with the joy of having a furry baby comes the latent fear of heartbreak, agony, and the feeling of void.

From the outset, we were clear about being truthful to the child and that we wouldn’t mask the adult emotions as well. We would show her that we were sad too and that being sad and missing her furry friend was absolutely normal and in fact completely appropriate emotion for the situation.

We as parents in the best interest of our child try to shield them and sometimes that means even in their grief we tend to hover around them.

Tusky – Copyright Ananya

Again, we do that because we do not want to leave them on their own. But sometimes, letting them be could be one of our approaches as well. I was sure my daughter would get over this sadness and all we could give her is time and our patience.

Ok, so can’t harp on this enough, we promised ourselves that we’ll encourage her to express emotions and honor her feelings. We would absolutely try not saying that it’s ok and quickly move over to a Dr.Seuss book. We would let her ask her side of questions and be respectful if she cries, howls, or just wants to be quiet for some time.

Grieving is a cathartic process; don’t press your child to overcome it because it’s been a long time. As I just mentioned our patience could be a great healer for their grief.

Stringing together the good memories and creating a poignant goodbye. We have this on our mind but we’re not there yet. Dora was not our pet but she was an important part of my daughter’s life. My girl, her friend, and Dora would often play together in the lazy afternoons after their 4K class. We have plans to put a picture of my daughter and Dora on our mantle but not just yet.

Ever since we came to know about Dora we had decided that bringing in another pet into the household would not be our way of compensating this loss.

We reminded ourselves that now might not be the right time to get another one, at least not right away. After all, we were not looking for a replacement. I’m sure many would agree with me!

After Tusky, we had always shuddered at the thought of bringing in another furry baby in our lives, the pain of separation is just too much to bear. Dora somehow had filled in that vacuum. And we were heartbroken to hear her news, it was a whole dejavu feeling just in a negative way.

Just a few hours later we broke the news of Dora’s death to my daughter, she was quiet. It was a bit unusual for a child who asks almost 10 questions in 10 minutes and tries to speak even in her sleep! We tried books. I read ‘The Rainbow Bridge …a Dog’s Story’ by Judith Kristen to her. At that point I am not too sure that she was processing much of what I read but she listened. We are reading the ‘Dog Heaven’ by Cynthia Rylant now and she has gradually started asking questions. Reading to her was my way of bringing solace and I’m sure there are tons of other ways.

Did you ever confront a similar situation? How did you cope with your child’s reaction? Tell us a bit about your experience and the way you chose to comfort your child. After all, we are all here to raise strong and resilient children.

Hey all, I am Ananya. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a Master’s in Strategic Communication in 2018 I took to freelancing. Currently, I freelance as a SEO Writer. Writing blogs on travel, lifestyle, wellness, and food is my jam though I would love to write a campaign critique on any given day! I write blogs, articles, and sales web copies for websites. And when I am not fretting over a delivery deadline or running errands, I am probably trying to keep up with my ‘always-so-energetic’ 5-year-old girl or indulging in a bit of self-love on the elliptical at Planet Fitness! I also hold a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a MBA in Marketing, from India.
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Get Kids Excited About Science :

You’re starting a new and exciting job teaching science, but you aren’t sure how to get kids excited about science. The following are a few helpful tips that’ll make this goal more attainable.

Taking it Outside

One thing you can do is go outside. You can find science in nature, and you can use that to your advantage. Kids can learn about living organisms, or you can teach them about foraging. If you take science outside the classroom, you allow your kids to connect your lessons to everyday life.

This is exciting for kids who think science is not something you can take outside a book or classroom. Ideally, you want to go to a nature preserve where your kids can be guided by an expert. Doing this could help support the nature preserve by raising awareness since the kid’s parents are going to hear about the experience.

Let Them Create it

It would be a good idea to allow your students to create science. Something is exciting about being able to create nature in the palm of your hands. This is the reason kids get excited when they see their hairs stand when learning about static electricity.

You can take things much further with bigger projects. One of the most popular is the volcano project, but there’s so much more you can do in the comfort of your classroom. You could create stream tables in your classroom to help the students learn more about this world’s ecosystem. You’ll get to explore some of the biggest questions kids have about this natural world.

Take it Home

Another thing you can do to make science exciting for your kids is to allow them to take the lessons home. You are going to be asking them to experiment at home so that they can bring it back to you. Teach them a few things about science, and let their little minds figure out the rest.

You can come up with a list of interesting and safe experiments that your kids can do. Ask them to see which one interests them the most so that they can do it at home. Most likely, their parents are going to help, which is going to make this experience more fun for your kids. Have your kids present their experiments in your classroom. Doing this makes them little teachers at least for the day, which is exciting as well.

What Lies Beneath

A fun way to teach your kids about science is to lead them to discover what lies beneath. There’s so much science in everyday things that kids aren’t aware of that you can teach them. For example, you can teach them why a cake rises when you bake. This fun experiment doesn’t open up their eyes to things they didn’t know before, but it’s also just tasty.

You also teach them about magnets and how powerful they are. To most kids, a magnet is something you place on the fridge, but you know there’s much more to it. You know magnets are so powerful they can lift heavy items. Show them how and see their eyes brighten with excitement. Kids who don’t like science will see they can’t escape it because it’s everywhere.

Ask Questions and Wonder

General wonderment is going to help you get your students excited about science. You want to get them to see there’s always a question to ask. Talk about things you don’t know but are excited to learn about. Doing this is going to get your kids excited about their questions.

You also want to ask your kids about everything. If you treat your kids like scientists, they are going to start thinking they are. Ask them about their experiments, work, and why they like the superheroes they like. Every question you ask is important, and make sure you follow up. If you treat kids like their opinion matters, then their curiosity should grow.

These are some things you can do to excite your students about this subject. It might be a good idea to talk to other teachers in your department who have a little more experience to see what they’ve got to offer you.

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Top 25 Indie Books that Encourage Diversity and Inclusion

In a time when we are so secluded, it is so much more important now than ever to teach kids about diversity and inclusion. For the danger is now more than ever for them to get a one sided view of the world, that is more a rainbow than just one color.

Today, I bring to you books by various authors from around the world who have written books that promote the same.

What is diversity?

It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

What is inclusion?

The action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure.

A global world view, building kindness and social skills all need a child to understand the essence of these two.

And what better way than books that are different in the WAYS they bring these topics forth.

For if we hope our children to grow to build a world together, to be allies of each other and stand tall, we want them to know all the above, from within.

Download our FREE ACTIVITY BOOK for helping kids build a global mindset early.

 

UNIQUE CULTURES

The Secret about Hummingbird

Created by an elementary teacher to educate and inspire, children will love learning about the Taíno culture through the retelling of their indigenous folklore, bringing an ancient cultureー and a young loveーto colorful life. This is a beautiful retelling of an old Taino legend about how the hummingbird was created. The way the story is retold is both easy for children to understand but not “dumbed down” either. I enjoyed the story and found the illustrations bright, colorful, and descriptive.

Adventures of Neel and Maya

Join Neel and Maya as they tour India and celebrate festivals full of color and joy. You will be astounded by the various traditions and cultural traits the books in this series have. It is so wonderful to show a bridge between our US Diversity and the country of cultural origins and to show young people engaging in understanding their heritage. It was so well written to explain the celebrations.

Hasta Mañana Mexico City

This book takes kids to a world away and opens their minds to a cultural experience outside of their world. It’s an English book with references and details on real locations. This story takes children through the heart of the city, which is full of wonderful history and vibrant places.

Travel, Learn and See Your Friends : Adventure Series

This bilingual book is targeted at Mandarin Immersion students, but can be read by non-native speakers of Chinese.About the Author: Edna is a physician anesthesiologist and mom, who was motivated to write a bilingual Chinese children’s book, inspired by her son’s friendship after he enrolled in a Mandarin immersion school. She found a limited selection of books for this age group. So she created these stories to include English and Mandarin with pin yin, to facilitate different reading levels. Her stories celebrate friendship and cultural diversity.

Womagis – First Multilingual Children’s Book in 18 Languages

Womagis is illustrated as an innovative template, displaying 18 languages simultaneously, as a multilingual frame. Each language changes its place from page to page, so the book is also a game, where you must look around in order to find your native tongue, just like a smart detective. It includes some activities to inspire parents and educators so they can work together with the children by creating a universe of adventures and games around the book. Womagis is a new book that inspires children to create their own language of tolerance and love, all in one story, all in one page!

BODIES & ISSUES

Devin’s Discovery

Devin’s Discovery is a story about an ordinary boy who happens to wear orthotic braces. He realizes he’s not as different as he thought as he discovers there are many other children who need special orthotics and prosthetics to support them, too! A story of acceptance and embracing what makes us all unique, this is a book for EVERY child! Devin and his three friends represent four unique ethnic backgrounds, which adds to the elements of diversity and inclusion already portrayed throughout the story.

B is for Breathe

From the letter A to the letter Z, B is for Breathe celebrates the many ways children can express their feelings and develop coping skills at an early age. Fun, cute, and exciting illustrations, this colorful book teaches kids simple ways to cope with fussy and frustrating emotions. This book will inspire kids to discuss their feelings, show positive behaviors, and practice calm down strategies.

Hi! I’m Me

In this heart-warming tale about a mother and daughter, first-time author Kelly Vurinaris captures the beauty in human differences.She takes the reader through everyday experiences in the life of Chloe, a little girl with facial differences. Since she’s been going out into the world, Chloe notices people staring at her. To connect with others and break down initial barriers, she quickly discovers that she just needs to introduce herself. It helps kids identify that being different is okay, and that we are all people. It is the perfect story for parents or teachers who want to teach children about inclusivity, and how everyone has equal value no matter how they look.

Orange Sparkles

Relocating to Israel is bound to be an unforgettable adventure for 11-year-old Megan, 8-year-old Noah, and their little sister, Elise. But a whole new country, backwards-written language, and leaving everything they’ve ever known? Should they be excited or terrified? While their dad starts his new job and their mom works out the details of the clinical trial for Elise who has Cerebral Palsy, Megan and Noah explore a nearby tunnel – discovering magic and cryptic messages. Noah’s excited about the amazing flips he can do, while Megan is certain the magic must be an incredible opportunity – but for what?

 

Beyond the Clouds

My book is about a girl named Kippi who goes to visit her grandfather in his cloud house after he passes away. She learns that even though he’s gone, he’ll always be with her, watching over her. I think it’s a very important topic for children, especially in today’s world.

How Our Skin Sparkles

How Our Skin Sparkles is a book of empowerment through acceptance, of self and others. With easy to read rhymes, sibling love and thoughts to explore, this story talks about how one can truly see everyone as they are inside. This book is a must have for any child who wants to learn a little more about themselves, the world around them and how we truly sparkle! The Raising World Children – Empowerment Series for books for global kids is geared for kids aged 3-10. Perfect for boys, girls, early readers, primary school students, or toddlers. Excellent resource for counselors, parents, and teachers alike.

Where Am I From

How do you answer this question, when a child is ‘from’ multiple countries, can speak and understand many languages and is not living in the country they were born in? Children from seven countries each have a turn to answer in their own way. Each answer is correct, and yet still not the whole picture. When the youngest takes his turn, he shares a different view, one that has nothing to do with borders on a map.

ANIMALS THAT HELP

Schneider the Spider and His Unusual Friends

Schneider the Spider is the biggest and brownest daddy longlegs in the woods. His big stature and spiky hind legs scare other spiders away. Sad and alone, Schneider finds an unusual friendship in a butterfly. Together, the duo flies around the lake and meets other unique and kind friends along the way. Schneider finds something special with all his friends and begins to accept his differences. This story sends a message that we are all different and unique. Schneider the Spider pairs well with any Character Building Curriculum to encourage kindness, compassion, appreciation, respect, attitude, and empathy.

The Unstoppable Rexie

Rexie is one cool dinosaur. He loves an epic imaginative adventure and he has one, every day of the week. Rexie has a bionic arm that he uses for daily tasks, like brushing his teeth. He doesn’t mind being a little different than the other dinosaurs. Although he may seem like a pretty ordinary T-Rex, he is extremely unique in how he views his world. Rexie and his sidekick, Dax, go to some exciting places and escape some powerful characters along the way. The Unstoppable Rexie is about being kind, being yourself, not letting any obstacles get in your way, and having some major laughable fun. Everyone can be Unstoppable, just like Rexie.

The Purple Grasshopper

The Purple Grasshopper follows the journey of a quirky grasshopper who struggles with accepting that she is different. She tries to be like the other grasshoppers at first, but quickly learns the power of self-love and that friendship is abundant. Celebrating your uniqueness is not as difficult as it might seem!

Shells

Helix and Sammy live on opposite sides of the garden fence. When Helix discovers what life is really like on Sammy’s side, there begins an adventure of revelations and revolution. Every evening, best friends Helix and Sammy meet at the vegetable patch to feast on delicious lettuce. Shells is a book aimed at helping young children better understand systemic racism, the nature of privilege and the importance of standing up for equal opportunities for all.

Hannah the Honeybee Has a Dream

Industrious honeybees are a great way to deliver the message that working hard and contributing to society are important. This book will offer great opportunities to parents to discuss the importance of bees to the well-being of the planet and all of us who enjoy it. This first book is about ‘making a difference,’ with the aim to show readers that we can all contribute to society in our own way. We don’t have to be rich or famous or like anyone else to make a difference. It is more important to be ourselves.

DIVERSE CHARACTERS

J.R.’s Biggest Fan

J.R. ‘s Biggest Fan shows the never-ending encouragement a mother gives her son. This heartwarming story teaches that with every failure, keep trying, believe in yourself, and you will always have the love and support of your biggest fan, your mom. It is critical for children to see diverse characters in a book to broaden their world view.

Aurora’s Orchid

Aurora, a beloved mom to four young children, is determined to create memories with them in her childhood home in Rincon, Puerto Rico. One year, she plants an orchid with her children and spends the summer teaching them to tend to it in the hopes that it would grow into the beautiful plant she knew it could. As the days, weeks, months, and even years pass, Aurora teaches her children patience as they skeptically wait for the flowers to bloom.

Sister Girl Collection

Readers are left with a sense of pride in family, and also themselves. Sister Girl is easy to relate to and the message of not giving up can be received by anyone, at any age. The Sister Girl Collection is an empowerment tool to encourage young girls to be courageous, creative, and live productive lives. Each book teaches a new lesson, skill, or touches on exploring the world. Readers can grow with Sister Girl as they also experience new things in their own lives. Families can add this collection to their home library, sharing the stories and lessons for years to come.

My Journey with Jimmy

My Journey with Jimmy is a simple story about a girl who grows up befriending a boy from school of a different race named Jimmy. She expresses her appreciation of Jimmy’s kindness towards her over the years. As their friendship grows. she admires Jimmy’s helpful personality. When Jimmy decides to help others as a police officer she decides to follow his lead. This is a great story to start a discussion with early readers about diversity and civic responsibility. The story is written in meter and prose to make it easy for young readers to follow along.

What Should I Do Today

Join 6 cute kids with beautiful curly hair in a colorful, fun story as they deal with the biggest daily hurdle for any toddler: What should I do today? mTargeted to children ages 0 – 4, it is a fun and engaging read that features simple wording, bright colors and whimsical artwork.

FOR PARENTS

Strong Roots Have No Fear

Winner of the global literary Author Academy Award and Royal Dragonfly Award, this book is a must for your personal library for growth as a parent. Aditi Wardhan Singh is a leading voice on growth mindset and cultural sensitivity. This book has heart warming stories, easy to implement ways and conversation starters that enable you to use your child’s strengths to make them independent, with good decision making skills. Building a global mindset that helps children stay rooted in their heritage and values.

 

How to Raise Confident Multicultural Children

This is the uniquely empowering guidebook to the bilingual / multilingual and multicultural parenting journey. It includes practical tips and ideas for even greater success raising confident and resilient kids of mixed ethnic backgrounds who can speak many languages.

 

To have us feature your book, email contact@raisingworldchildren.com .

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Yoga and Calming Meditation for Kids – Yogi Superhero Series

Life today is not how it used to be years ago. The stress levels are astronomical, even for kids. This Yogi Superhero book series gives you the opportunity to help children build calm from the inside out.

We got these two books from the author to review and found it very interesting to say the least. What is specially nice is the way the author has explained the different poses in the simplest of ways.

Yogi Superhero

A Children’s book about yoga, mindfulness and managing busy mind and negative emotions

Key points about the book  –

  • “Yogi Superhero” is an introduction to yoga for children ages 3-8.
  • A meaningful book which demonstrates mindful yoga poses and breathing exercise.
    The perfect picture book for parents, carers, and Yoga teachers.
    It teaches basic poses which help to self-soothe and self-regulate in our crazy world and help with managing negative emotions.
  • Easy to follow poses are perfect for a bedtime or morning yoga, or to be enjoyed as a bedtime read.
  • Readers will learn techniques for relaxing the body and the mind.
  • Book is based on the Yogi Superhero programme for children ages 4-12, delivered for the last few years, which combines passion for yoga and creative teaching.

Book Review

When we began reading the first book, my son loved that the superheros element was used in the book. He figures it would be very exciting for kids who love superheroes. It is so important actually to help kids learn about different concepts, but built around the things they love already. It makes imbibing things very easy.

Fun illustrations make this book a charm to read. I specially liked how the author has made it appealing to kids with describing each pose and connecting it to how yoga can make us feel. The steps to managing breathing was a great help to us and we found ourselves doing the actions along with the book.

The different kids in the book help make the book much more visually diverse. It is a book I imagine would be a must re-read for kids who you want to help imbibe calm into. Also, never hurts that yoga is one of the best exercises to do.

This colour book tells a story which allows children to understand that we are already a Yogi Superhero, we just sometimes forget about it.

 

You can get the book from USA here – Yogi Superhero

Yogi Superhero Adventures in Nature Forest

A Children’s book about yoga, mindfulness, kindness and managing busy mind and fear.

Key points about the book –

  • Basic yoga poses are related entirely to the forest story, they help to self-soothe and self-regulate in this crazy world and help with managing emotions.
  • An introduction to yoga for children ages 3-8.
  • Book is based on the Yogi Superhero programme for children ages 4-12.

Book Review

What a wonderful read it turned out to be.

In a forest, one wants to find the peace of mind that we all crave In our busy lives. The kids here inspired my little one to get into the poses with them. She specially loved that all her favorite animals have been mentioned. The colorfully bright illustrations made for a calming read. We again found ourselves doing the exercises as we read since they were so well explained.

Get your copy here – Yogi Superhero – Adventures in Nature 

About the Author –

Anna Smithers is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist for children and adults.

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Poetry and writing were always present in her life. Even as six year old girl, she was creating the stories and drawing her own illustrations. Later in life, poetry took more serious direction, and she was using poetry to express her feelings and emotions. When she was 18, her poems were published in local and national newspapers and magazines. Some of these won competitions. However, life has taken her on a completely different journey. After Anna gained her degrees in Science and Business Management, she stopped writing.

It was only when she started Yoga that the inspiration to write returned to her.

You can connect with her books via  – http://orangelotusyoga.co.uk/yogi-superhero-book-kids-yoga/

More book recommendation lists and reviews here – Kids Corner Books

 

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A Children’s Book in 18 Languages – Womagis

In Womagis, her mom tells Olivia, she’s talking gibberish. What follows in a wondrous discussion about languages and how amazingly important it is to partake in multilingualism and create your own language even. Today we review Womagis USA. The book available to us in the United States.

If you would like your child to open up to learning new languages, this just might be the place to start. Experience many languages at ONE time. Multilingualism directly translates to a different way of thinking. When you have another language to use as a resource, it opens your mind and makes you more empathetic. Womagis USA gives you an opportunity like no other. To get a glance into what another language, one that you have not yet seen or even heard of feels like.

In today’s world where we are more divided than united, it is imperative we take every single opportunity we can to introduce our children to different worlds.

If you want your child to be a global citizen, this book is for you. Even if you do not understand the languages mentioned, it is a wonderful way to introduce your child the many ways different languages feel and read. To try to sound them out and let the story grow with you.

In every page, the position of each language changes places, making the book a game. This book really blows your mind though, in the fact that all the text is side by side.

Marta Villegas is the spanish children´s book author and founder of Womagis. Through this book, she hopes to help children build a world of their own. To get creative in their play and reading methodology.

This is one book when the methodology of story telling is more important to focus on when reading than the story itself. Consider it an experience and you will take more about it than just reading a book. 

In short, she and her creative team, aim to shake things up!

Get your copy now!

Parents with different nationalities have the possibility to read Womagis with their children.
Children that want to learn new languages can take their first steps with Womagis and in the process make them realize that there are other alphabets and cultures in the world, increasing their sense of tolerance.

At first glance, it is a daunting book. It is so important though, to stay with this book. I would say, this is a great book for kids 5+ and an interactive experience for kids with parents on the first read.

The final pages of the book are filled with activities that help kids get creative with building language blocks of their own. As for the languages themselves, you will find 18

English, Navajo-Diné, Lakota-Sioux, Inuit-Eskimo, Hawaiian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Tagalog, Italian, Chinese, Polish, German, Greek, Hindi, Korean, Portuguese & Vietnamese,

out of which the Hindi and English parts read true to the language which was very reassuring.

The message itself is one of hope and love.

My kids found it interesting and after a few reads now have found their own ways to use this book to get inventive.

You can connect with them here. Write a letter or get the books into your stores.

You can also find a number of activities to do via their website.

We at RaisingWorldChildren.com, pride ourselves in finding books that break barriers and build a growth mindset that is global in nature. For more of our book reviews and lists, you can find them all here.

Review of Womagis

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Recognize the Signs of Eating Disorders in Kids & Preteens

Eating disorders can emerge much earlier than you might expect. As the concepts of body image, self-confidence and identity begin to evolve, young people compare themselves to others and “ideal” images portrayed online in the media. In today’s hyper-connected society, children and pre-teens are conditioned to believe that certain body types and appearances are more acceptable than others.

The need to fit in and belong is inherently human, but children and pre-teens are more likely to validate themselves based on others’ approval. Those who are overweight or don’t fit a certain image may be bullied at school or online, which only reinforces the idea that who they are is not good enough. Being liked becomes equal to being pretty or fit, and children can start to develop the beliefs that lead to eating disorder behaviors early.

If you are concerned that your child or pre-teen may have an eating disorder, here are some telltale warning signs to look out for.

Avoiding Food or Eating Non-food Substances

In children under 12, one of the most common expressions of an eating disorder are food aversion. Children may frequently complain of a stomach ache, claim to be ill, or flat-out refuse to eat.

Children in this age may also begin to eat substances like dirt or soap, a condition known as pica. This behavior typically falls outside of their developmental stage, e.g. a 10-year-old eating chalk or paper vs. a 2-year-old curiously sampling a handful of dirt.

Digestive Problems

If your child or pre-teen uses the bathroom excessively or frequently complains of stomach aches related to constipation, they may be malnourished. These symptoms are also associated with changes in appetite or food consumption. This undernourishment may be because they are not eating enough or because they are purging what they do eat.

You should speak to your child and their doctor about these changes immediately. Early intervention is the most important factor of recovery in eating disorders. Eating disorder treatment facilities for children can help stop the progression of anorexia and bulimia into life-threatening stages.

Hoarding Food

Some children will hide food in their rooms or somewhere else so that they eat later. Others may try to conceal their lunches or other meals to convince parents they’re eating more than they actually are. Some children will restrict their consumption to virtually nothing while others fast for periods of time only to binge large portions later. They may make themselves sick afterward and attempt to “clean” their body of the food they’ve eaten.

Closely monitor your child’s food consumption and comfort levels when eating. Are they claiming to eat regular meals despite losing weight? Some children, especially pre-teens, can be quite crafty about disguising their eating disorders. parents have to do a bit of investigative work to truly get to the bottom of their behavior.

Being Overly Concerned With Their Appearance

Children begin to compare themselves physically to their peers around age 7. Pre-teens are even more worried about looking “cool” and fitting in with their classmates. However, if your child is extremely worried about appearing fat or thin, they may be struggling with an eating disorder. Keep in mind that beliefs precede behaviors; early anxieties can and often do turn into harmful behaviors when left untreated.

Remember to approach your child with love and concern. Do not force them to eat or scold them for their feelings. They are just as confused and pained by the experience as you. Eating disorders are not a choice, and they are not something that can be resolved by simply eating more or dieting. The best thing you can do in this situation is to reach out to your child’s doctor and a licensed psychologist right away.


: Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.