8 Brain Games for Kids Essential for Concentration

8 Brain Games for Kids Essential for Concentration

Brain games for kids are important for improving focus. Concentration and focus are a vital part of completing any tasks successfully. But, with so many distractions and multi-tasking, concentration levels are gradually sinking.

Building concentration requires discipline, taking an active role, and subjecting yourself to different exercises that build your brain’s core to improve focus. The good thing is that you can check recent answers online for games like crossword and compare with your answers.

For most people, getting that much time to work on concentration is a challenge. But, with a little help from brain games, it’s possible to improve concentration levels while making the process fun and engaging.

 

Here are the top 8 brain games that will give your brain that much needed work out and get your concentration levels up!

  1. Sine Line

This game involves the unending journey of an oscillating particle. Sine Line is unique in various ways. Unlike most brain concentration games, this one is fast-paced and exciting.

The goal of the game is to guide the particle through different obstacles without crashing into them. How the game works is that the longer you survive, the higher your score.

To give the game more spice, there are styles, streaks, and combos you can use to get better scores. The fun and indulging game is the perfect way to work the mental muscles for both kids and adults while kicking out some boredom at the same time.

  1. Brain Dots

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Brain Dots is one of the most popular brain games on the market. Given the online reviews and number of downloads, it’s safe to say it’s also one of the most effective games.

The game is simple and straightforward. The clean design takes away most of the distractions and allows you to make the most out of the few minutes you can save for the game.

The concept is simple. Do whatever it takes to get the two dots on your screen to meet and touch! You can draw different structures, shapes, or even lines.

At first, the levels look easy, but you quickly realize that looks can be deceptive. The levels are harder than they seem.

As a reward for going through the different levels, you get pens that have different shapes, colors, and sizes.

  1. Opus: The Day We Found Earth

Improving your concentration doesn’t have to take all your free time. With short brain games like Opus, you can make the most out of your short break to give your brain a quick workout.

The game not only works your mind but tugs at your emotional strings as well. The relaxing stargazing game revolves around finding different planets around the universe that resemble earth and naming them what you like. The main character is a smudgy robot full of ideas and is the invention of one Dr. Lisa.

You have to remember the planets you’ve discovered by analyzing the details and differences. Discovering new planets opens up new areas of the shop, which gives the game some rhythm. The best thing about Opus is that it’s engaging. It’s only ranked lower because it takes up more space than the other brain games listed here.

  1. One-Touch Drawing

One-touch drawing is a leading brain game. It’s revered for its unique simplicity but imposing challenges.

All you need to do is draw different shapes in the game without your finger leaving the screen. To build confidence, the game starts simple and gets harder as you go up the levels.

If you prefer taking your time to understand the game and not having to rush through, this is the perfect game for you.

Take all the time you need. Analyze the different shapes and figure out a strategy. Just remember, once you touch the screen, you have to draw out the shape without your finger leaving the screen.

The best part is, you don’t have to pay a cent for this brain game. The addictive puzzle game is free and perfect for building and improving concentration.

  1. Piano Tiles

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Piano Tiles is one of the oldest games on the list. The popular brain game leverages on the love for music to help players improve their concentration and coordination.

The idea behind the game is simple. You have some music playing in the background. You also have black Piano keys flying across the screen. The goal is to press the keys that are in sync with the music playing in the background to score points.

The coupling of songs and taps practices your listening skills and concentration to help you master which keys to press at what time.

  1. Flow Free

The vibrant colors of Flow Free are perfect when you want to engage your child in some concentration boosting games. But, even adults will find the game useful.

Like the other games featured on this list, this one also has a simple idea placing most of the focus on concentration.

The game has two dots of different colors in different squares in a grid. Your goal is to connect the two dots of the same color in the grid. But, the ‘Pipes’ connecting the two dots cannot intersect with pipes of a different color.

As you advance, the size of the grid increases, and so does the level of difficulty. Flow Free is perfect for players that can only spare a few minutes at a time.

  1. 2 Cars

If you’re taking improving your concentration a little seriously, this game will be the next level for you once you master the others.

In 2 cars, you have two cars and four lanes. Two lanes for each car. The two cars speed up along their strips of road, and ahead, you will find heaps of circles and squares blocking the road. You have to collect the circles and avoid the squares blocking the lanes of each car.

It’s the ultimate concentration brain game that will test your ability to multi-task and control different events at the same time.

  1. Dancing Line

To close down the list of the best eight brain games essential for concentration, let’s dial down a notch and help your mental muscles cool down after a vigorous workout.

Dancing Line is a straightforward puzzle game that both adults and kids will love. The game is diverse to make it a little more interesting, but the concept remains simple.

Guide the red line through different obstacles without crashing into them. The line starts slowly to help you warm up, and the speed of the line, and obstacles gradually increases. You have to keep a close eye on the screen and have quick reflexes to avoid the challenges that keep popping up.

 8 Brain Games for Kids Essential for Concentration Levels

Conclusion

Building concentration and focus in both children and adults is essential. The numerous brain games and exercises available are a testament to how important it is. If you’ve not considered it in the past, it’s not too late to start, and these eight games are everything you need to start boosting and improving your concentration.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Siggers is a Teacher and passionate writer. She enjoys writing about the Kids learning activities, Parenting tips, effects of Puzzles and Crosswords all around the globe. She has been workingas a freelance writer for quite some time now. Through her writing, she hopes to influence as many people as possible to help kids grow their mental skills.

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How Passionate Shooters Can Prevent Kids Using Their Guns by Accident

How Passionate Shooters Can Prevent Kids Using Their Guns by Accident

There are many reasons why gun safety shouldn’t be overlooked. Unfortunately, though, there are many parents who undermine the importance of taking all the means of precautions when it comes to gun ownership. Statistically speaking, children are killed weekly due to the attention lapse of adults, leading to tragic accidents and even deaths. In 2018 alone, no less than 73 children were killed in accidents, due to the fact that adults didn’t secure their guns accordingly.

Concurrently, according to this source, in 2017, 285 children got hold of a gun and accidentally shot someone else or themselves. Adolescents should be factored in as well. That’s because they are at a higher risk of committing suicide especially when there is an unlocked gun inside the house.

Irrespective of these staggering facts, 2 million children live in houses with unlocked, loaded guns. What should a responsible, passionate shooter do in this respect?

How to Reduce the Chances of Injury?

There are many ways in which you can diminish the likelihood of such incidents happening in your house. For one thing, you should acknowledge that the dangers are real. Children are likely to be victims in accidents when there is a loaded gun inside a house, and it isn’t stored adequately. Therefore, what can you do as a passionate shooter? Most likely you don’t want to give up on your hobby.

 

  • Safe Storage Is the Key

 

First of all, adequately storing and locking your guns will most likely diminish the likelihood of such tragic outcomes. In this respect, there are massive locks and high-quality gun safes that are made to provide maximum protection in all case scenarios. The good thing is that there is a wide variety of safes on the marketplace to choose from, depending on your needs. At the end of the day, there’s no such thing as being too careful when it comes to your children’s safety, is there?

With that in mind, all the guns you own should be located in a safe. Concurrently, all guns should be unloaded, for safety reasons as well. Plus, the law clearly states that as a shooter and a gun owner, you are responsible for storing the weapon/s in a secured container. In addition to that, you should also disable it with a gun lock.

Sadly, though, the reason why accidental deaths are so frequent is precisely due to the fact that many shooters overlook the importance of practicing adequate gun storage practices. In addition to that, in some states in the US – such as New York, California, Connecticut and others – the law states that you should keep your ammo and firearms separately. This is another important measure of protection that might reduce the likelihood of accidents. As for the ammunition, it should also be locked and appropriately stored.

It goes without saying that the storage location must be out of reach for children. Before placing a firearm in the safe, you should double-check to ensure that it is unloaded. Accidents can happen when you aren’t careful, so don’t take safety for granted.

 

  • Storing Your Ammo and Firearms Separately

 

It might seem unusual that many passionate shooters don’t keep their firearms and their ammo separately. But when you have children in the house, this is a necessity – whether the law in your state requires it or not. The last thing you want is for your children to get a hold of the gun while having ammunition readily available.

The thing is that children tend to be curious and they are normally attracted to the things they can’t understand. Guns can also seem intriguing to adolescents and even toddlers. For convenience purposes, you might choose to keep your ammunition and firearms in the same place. Still, this is contraindicated for safety reasons. This is applicable if you have children of your own or if you have families with children visiting as well.

You might say that there’s no use in having a gun inside the house if you can’t store the ammunition in the close proximity. There is a solution to this problem as well. You should invest in a container that is separate from the safe where you keep your guns.

 

  • Other Important Guidelines to Increase the Safety of Your Children

 

You should always store your ammo and your gun in a safe container. This is a golden rule that applies in all case scenarios. Another important piece of advice would be to avoid hiding your gun or guns around the house. Many shooters choose this approach so that they would have immediate access to a gun in the case anything happens.

In addition to that, you should never disclose the code to the safe to anybody. Of course, the only case in which you should do so is if you really trust the other person as he/she is reliable. But be cautious.

Always, but always double-check a gun before placing it in a safe. Doing proper maintenance checks is a necessity when you own a gun, especially when there are children in the house. In addition to that, although your knowledge of guns is far-reaching and you are constantly learning new things, you shouldn’t assume that you know everything. Keep an open mind and acknowledge that unprecedented situations can happen to anyone. Although practice and experience are important, this doesn’t mean you can’t exclude the likelihood of an accident altogether. Precaution is always best.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, if more shooters would embrace a responsible behavior when it comes to storing and using their guns, the numbers of accidents would be drastically reduced. It’s up for us to acknowledge this and do our best to maximize the safety of our loved ones. Doing something as important as purchasing an appropriate safe for your guns can dramatically reduce the incidence of accidents. Make sure you don’t overlook this. Stay safe!

Know the Family's Heritage Language to Stay Rooted

Know the Family’s Heritage Language to Stay Rooted

Rita Rosenback is a Family Language Coach, speaker and author. Her book “Bringing up a Bilingual Child” is an easy-to-read guide for parents navigating them across the “Seven Cs of Multilingual Parenting: Communication, Confidence, Commitment, Consistency, Creativity, Culture and Celebration”. On Rita’s website www.multilingualparenting.com you can find more than 300 posts and Q&As on the topic of raising children to speak more than one language. Rita is a Finland-Swede, now living in the UK. She has two multilingual adult daughters and is currently helping to pass on Swedish to her grandson.

  1.   Tell us a little about yourself and your family. 

My name is Rita Rosenback and I am a Family Language Coach, author and speaker on the topic of raising bilingual and multilingual children. I am originally from Finland and moved to the UK over 20 years ago. I have two adult daughters and two wonderful grandsons, who are growing up to become bilingual in English and Swedish.

  1.   Which cities have your lived in/ visited in your lifetime? Which is your favorite?

I was born in a little village on the Swedish-speaking west coast of Finland. I then moved to Turku in the southwest of Finland to study languages and also lived in Göttingen, in the then West Germany, while studying German. When my eldest daughter was small, we stayed a couple of months in Phagwara, Punjab, with her Indian grandparents.

I now live in Derby, UK. Choosing a favorite place is like answering the question “Which one of your children do you love the most? – an impossible choice. Every place has its charm.

My home village in Finland will always be very dear to me and a peaceful place for the whole family to return to every summer. The cities I studied in will forever have a magical memory of learning, growing as a human being and making life-long friends from across the world. India fascinated me with its warm people, natural beauty and vibrant communities. My current “home” city is Derby in the gorgeous Derbyshire in the middle of the UK, close to the magnificent Peak District.

Part of my heart is in each of the places I have lived – on my bed I have an embroidered pillow with the phrase “Home is where your heart is,” and in my mind I always add “and your heart can be in many places.”

  1.   What brought you to what you do ?

Family Language Coach – Languages have always been close to my heart and most jobs I have done have been somehow related to speaking more than one language. I grew up bilingual in Finnish and Swedish, Both my daughters grew up to speak the family languages: Swedish, Punjabi and later English.

My eldest daughter also learnt Finnish while we lived in Finland. When we moved to the UK, I noticed that my daughters were able to speak their father’s language, Punjabi, better than many children who had been brought up by two Indian parents in the UK.

I was intrigued by this and also saddened by the loss of the family language in many cases. While analyzing what we had done as a family to successfully raise our daughters to speak three/four languages, I noticed the differences in our approach compared to those families whose kids were not fluent.

This inspired me to start my blog multilingualparenting.com and later to write my book “Bringing up a Bilingual Child”. I am passionate about this topic and know that parents can be successful in passing on their languages. Sometimes they need a little bit of support and advice and this is where I can help.

3. What is one aspect in raising multicultural children do we need to be MOST aware of.

 When raising multicultural children, the most important thing in my opinion is to make sure that they are aware of and proud of all cultures that are part of their identity. (Of course, this comes after making sure they are fed, safe, loved and educated.) Because of what I do and what I am passionate about, I will bring up the importance of sharing the family languages with our children, to the best of our ability.

For children to know the heritage language of their parents and grandparents makes it so much easier to learn about and stay connected with their culture. Knowing more language also makes children more open-minded and aware. They will be able to act as bridges between generations, countries and cultures – something what is badly needed in today’s world.

  1.   What is one personal challenge you have overcome growing up? 

When I was 21, my mother died in pancreatic cancer within three months of her diagnosis. At the time I was still finding myself and my place in this world. It took me several years to find my feet again. Based on my experience I would like to tell young people that you can recover from anything.

Advice: Don’t ever suppress your feelings of grief. Ask for help and take it when offered. Speak to someone about your challenges.

  1.   Share with us two parenting hacks that have made your/child’s life easy.

It may be an old-fashioned view, but I think children should learn the importance of working/doing chores early on in life. The earlier you start, the easier it is. I have let me daughters help me since they first were able to walk! Allow them to empty the washing machine, moving on to the dish washer according to their capability. Instill the pride of doing it themselves and it will become second nature – and this of course goes for both boys and girls! If we wait on our children hand and foot when they are small, we cannot suddenly expect them to participate in chores when they are teenagers.

Another “hack”, if you can call it so, is to trust your children. I believe in giving children responsibility and trusting them to do the right thing. Of course, you must be a good role model for this attitude – never expect of your child anything that you are not able to model yourself.

  1. What projects are you working on next? 

I am writing my second book, which is a fictional diary of a bilingual mother. The book follows a multilingual family’s journey over several years and touches on the joys and challenges of raising children to speak more than one language.

  1. What is one piece of advice you would give to children?

Depends on the age, of course, but after they are past the age of “follow your parents’ advice to keep you safe” I would say: Keep an open and inquisitive mind, keep asking those difficult questions and believe in yourself!

  1. Tell us three things that are on your bucket list? 

Just crossed off one of my bucket list items by visiting Iceland – still remaining: parachute jump, visiting lake Titicaca and publishing my 10th book!

    1. What 3 books OR movies would you say changed your life? 

I read Wayne Dwyer’s “The Sky’s the Limit” when I was a young adult, and it made a deep impact on my vision on life. I struggled after my mother died and the book gave me a new belief in my future. No other book or film comes even close, so I will leave it at that.

  1. Do you have any freebies for our readers/listeners? 

Once a month I hold a free live Facebook session where I answer parents’ questions about raising bilingual and multilingual children. Everyone is free to send in their questions. Previous episodes are recorded and can be accessed through my Facebook page.

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4 Activities to Help Your Child's Social Skills

4 Activities to Help Your Child’s Social Skills

Building a solid foundation of social skills for your children from a young age can help them make friends more easily and assist them in becoming independent as they get older. There are several activities that you can have your child engage in that will help them develop strong social skills.

Board Games

Board games are not only fun, they are also educational and teach critical thinking skills and social skills. Games like chess really challenge the brain and allow children to master skills like strategizing and thinking independently, both of which can help them socially as they age.

To improve your child’s chess game, enroll them in online chess lessons. An online instructor can provide them with the one-on-one attention necessary to elevate their game without the need to add another outside class to your child’s already-busy schedule.

social skills

Reading

A child that reads can open up an entire world inside their brain. Reading not only enhances speaking skills and expands a child’s knowledge, but focused topics like making friends, preventing bullying, and handling life transitions can greatly assist them in expanding their social skills.

Going to the library with your child is an excellent way to bond with them. They can also meet new friends at programs through the library which cater to specific ages. They’ll expand their social circle while also expanding their minds.

Treasure Hunting

Searching for something, either as an individual or as a team, is a great way to develop a child’s social skills. Scavenger hunts, geocaching, and Pokémon Go are all terrific ways for children to get outdoors and interacting with their peers.

The competitive vibe of treasure hunting pushes a child to think outside-of-the-box. Keeping things fun and interactive by providing treasures that appeal to your child will keep them engaged and looking forward to treasure hunting again in the future.

Thinking Games

There are games that don’t require anything but a mind and conversation. Games like “Never Have I Ever” or “Would You Rather?” will have your child picking their brains to come up with the best possible answer. This teaches them important decision-making skills that will be crucial as they grow up and enter into adulthood.

The most important thing you can do for your child is to provide plenty of opportunities to engage in fun activities with their peers. The more they are exposed to, the more social skills they will develop.

4 Services You Need for Your Family’s Next Road Trip

Make Camping a Wholesome Experience for Little Kids

Camping is a very fun activity and it really helps to make a strong bond and connect with your kids. In this post I’m going to share with you some tips while camping with your kids.

1. Give them Jobs

Give your kids something to do as soon as you reach the site of camping.

It will keep them busy and they will not do any mischief. Especially at the beginning of camping you will have to set up the tent etc so you can give them job or something to do related to the setup. It will keep them busy and they will not bother you while you are doing your work.

This also makes kids responsible and part of the camping experience.

2. Make Rules

You should make some rules before camping or during the camping.

The rules could be as simple as “No shoes in the tent”. If you allow your kids to bring the shoes in the tent then it will make everything messy inside with dir, grass etc.

So you can set up little rules like this, it will enhance your camping experience.

Another example of a good rule is not watching anything on screen like tablet etc. You can also not take tablets with you all together.

While camping you should play board games or outdoor games and avoid digital games. Setting up rules while campaign also helps to build discipline in children.

3. Storage

Get some cheap containers and take them with you while camping.

During camping you have very little space so these containers will help a lot. You can put things in containers. This will make your camping experience very organised and avoid any kind of mess.

It is very useful especially while you are camping with kids. Also make your kids to put things in storage container at their place every time, this will build a habit of organisation in kids.

4. Make Simple Meals

While camping with kids don’t spend a lot of time preparing meals.You should get some simple meal ideas from Pinterest before camping. The meal preparation should be simple. It should take very little time and it should not be complicated and include a lot of ingredients.

Make Camping a Wholesome Experience for Little Kids

5. Prepare Before Camping

You should prepare before camping as much as you can. As mentioned in the above point. You should decide your meals and its ingredients.

Carry fresh and pure water purified by a good water filter with you as many diseases spread through impure water.

If you have been camping before then remember that experience and make a list of things you should carry with you accordingly. Imagining you are at the camping, will also help you to make a list of things you should carry with you.

6. Carry Medications

You should always carry a first aid box with you while camping. Also if you or any of your family members have any kind of allergies then you should carry medicine related to it as a precaution.

7. Allow Your Kids Cook

Cooking is a fun activity. You should allow you are kids to do simple things while cooking. They will love it and will enjoy it.

It will make them apart of the camping experience. Just keep an eye on them.

8. Take Some Games with You

While camping with kids you should take some outdoor games with you. Games like football, ring toss, capture the flag are very fun to play during camping.

9. Give Children Freedom

While camping with kids you should give them some freedom. Nowadays kids spend most of their time indoors and camping is the only time to spend outdoors with nature.

So let them observe things and let them touch things. Just keep an eye on them.

Make Camping a Wholesome Experience for Little Kids

___________________________________________________________________________

Akash Sharma is a blogger from India. He likes to write helpful articles especially on parenting topics. He loves camping, reading and writing.

5 Gifts Kids Can Easily Sew for Fathers

5 Gifts Kids Can Easily Sew for Fathers

Every parent loves it when their child gives them a present, whether it’s for their birthday, Christmas, New Year, or any other holiday actually. And when that present is something that the child had made themselves, the parent’s joy is even greater, accompanied by a sense of pride and fulfillment. Here are gifts kids can easily sew for fathers.

Most of the time, kids create something for their mothers, but this time, we’ll be showing you something a little different. We’ll show you five gifts kids can easily sew for their dad. Dads also like presents, so this time, it’s all about them.

Denim bookmark

This is an ideal gift for fathers who enjoy reading and always have a book by their side when they’re relaxing. Since the material in question is denim, an adult will have to help the child just a little, when it’s time to use the sewing machine.

Necessary materials for this present are a piece of denim which you can cut out from an old pair of jeans, a piece of fabric that will act as a stabilizer, a pretty ribbon, a pair of scissors, a sewing machine and a thread.

First thing you have to do is to cut out the denim in the size you wish the bookmark to be, two pieces of almost identical dimensions, one being just a bit smaller than the other. Then cut out the stabilizer in the same dimensions as the smaller denim piece. Lastly, cut the ribbon about an inch or two longer than the denim piece and burn its endings so that they don’t fray.

Now it’s time to start sewing. Denim is a tough type of material, so you should use a needle specifically designed to pierce denim. A heavy duty sewing machine is also recommended, because it can sew with denim easily.

Position the longer denim strip first, then put the stabilizer, then the second denim strip, and finally, the ribbon, all on each other. Stitch the ribbon to the fabrics and you’re done. You can cut off the excess stabilizer material, just be careful not to cut too much.

Keychain

Gifts Kids Easily Sew Fathers

This one can be done by hand, which means that your child can do it by themselves. Cut out a piece of fabric in the form you wish, a square, a circle, an octagon, anything works. Then stitch a second cutout to the mentioned piece by hand. Try to make the second cutout something that looks nice, like a heart or a star, it will make the keychain look much better. Then just attach an actual keychain to it and that’s it.

Laptop sleeve or bag

Useful and pretty, a laptop bag is a great gift for dads. All you need in order to make it is a piece of fabric, a zipper or a button, and a sewing machine. Cut out two pieces of fabric in dimensions slightly larger than the laptop and then stitch them together on three sides. Insert the zipper on the fourth side, or add an overlap with a button and you can hand it out to dad.

Phone or glasses case

Gifts Kids Easily Sew Fathers

This is even easier than the previous gift, and is smaller in size. As long as you can sew in a straight line you can totally make this case. All you need is fabric, felt, thread and your trusted sewing machine. You’ll be using wool felt as a lining in order to both cushion and protect the phone or the glasses from scratches.

Pajama pants

This is the most complex project on this list, meaning that only older kids who have experience with sewing can make it. Steal dad’s pajama pants for a while and trace them to make a pattern or use on the free pajama pants patterns here. Then choose a nice and soft material and start cutting out the patterns. Stitch them together, insert a string at the waistline and maybe add some pockets and the gift is ready to be wrapped in decorative paper.

Check out more crafts you can make for your family here.

Now you know how to make a gift for dad and surprise him on Father’s Day. Whichever one you decide to create, dad will surely love it and treasure it.

Timeless Travel Tips for Every Family's Ideal Vacation

Timeless Travel Tips for Every Family’s Ideal Vacation

Traveling as a family is both a joy and a challenge; parents may find it difficult to find a balance between their interests and their children’s. Locations that were once considered exotic are now impractical.

Don’t worry. You can still travel the world and experience what life has to offer with kids in tow, and the journey can be all-the-more magical as you get to see amazing new places through their eyes.

Before you start to travel overseas as a family, here are four tips to help make the voyage easier.

 

1. Arrange Travel Before You Leave

Airplane tickets are just the beginning. How do you plan to leave the airport when you arrive at your destination? You may think it’s as simple as hailing a cab, but after a long flight, finding good transport to your hotel can be overwhelming.

Instead, look up the airport you’ll be flying into and read about their transportation options. If cabs are always waiting, then you’re good to go. If you have to call out for one, get the number and have it ready before you go. You may even want to call a car service and have a ride waiting to take you to your destination. For larger groups, a maxi taxi can be a great option.

2. Pack Extra Essentials

Bring more underwear, socks and t-shirts than you’ll need. These are light-weight items that you can’t go without. Kids are more prone to lose or soil their garments, and you don’t want to be running around a foreign city trying to find new clothes at the last minute.

You should also save time at the baggage claim by combining belongings into one or two large suitcases, as opposed to every family member carrying their own half-full checked bag.

3. Accommodate Dietary Restrictions

Make sure that you research the cuisine of your destinations for those who are gluten or lactose-intolerant or have food allergies. Find restaurants in the vicinity of your hotel that offer food you can trust. You don’t want to arrive at a destination only to realize you can’t eat 95-percent of its cuisine.

4. Build an Itinerary

Wandering aimlessly is fun when you’re a lone traveler or backpacking couple, but families are better off planning an itinerary. Book guided walking tours that will allow you to take in each location’s landmarks while learning something interesting. Avoid getting lost or having the kids complain of boredom by including plenty of fun activities and excursions, from hang-gliding to horseback riding.

Planning as a Family

Even preschoolers can get involved with organizing the next family vacation. Research different locations together, and explore walking tours and sightseeing videos on YouTube. The best trips you take together will be ones that you’re all equally excited about.

Read here our tips for traveling with teens.

With the whole family on-board, even a one-hour road trip to the next town over can be a great time.

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her three-year-old husky, Snowball.

travel tips vacation

Remove the Taboo of the F* Word Early in Kids

Remove the Taboo of the F* Word Early in Kids

My husband is my pillar, my rock, my life partner. He has been nothing less than supportive of me and my career since we met. During that time I’ve run my own successful advertising agency and worked for Google.

I had three months off work with the birth of my first child and 6 weeks with the second. We married after the second – I have always joked I wanted to make sure he’d make a good father before I committed to him. The truth is, he’s the better half of our partnership.

Except.

One thing.

The F* word.

That’s right. Feminism.

Before I met him I started working with a charity that ran several women’s refuges and rehabilitation program mes for survivors of domestic abuse. When this took the form of gathering hundreds of presents each Christmas for the residents of the refuges.

It apparently didn’t occur to him that this was more than a charitable gesture from a white, middle class woman. When I talked about women’s rights and told him stories about survivors I’d met, he listened, nodded and I took this to be a shared feeling of the utter outrage I felt about the gender equality we live with day to day.

Then the charity I had been working with for 9 years went into administration. The refuges luckily were absorbed into a bigger network, but the high quality 1:1 counseling, the lobbying, the powerhouse that believed survivors deserved more than 30 days of support as they sought to rebuild their lives, that all disappeared.

I was very involved as the charity wound down and became a lot more vocal about my beliefs. This came around shortly before Weinstein and the #metoo movement. This is the point when I realized my husband is embarrassed by my perspective.

But it’s not just him, it’s also certain groups of family, friends, parents from school; both male and female. If I’m socializing and anything remotely related to #metoo or the F*word comes up it all gets a bit awkward. If anyone attempts to open up the conversation, or offer a vaguely provocative opinion they’re immediately put down with a combination of banter and deprecating remarks. And yes, when I say anyone, I mean me.

This realization came as I’d come to realize that charities, small charities especially, really struggle with funding; government and institutional grants require mountains of paperwork just to be considered, individual donors are being pulled in all sorts of directions for all sorts of causes. The only way to create real financial stability is for them to create a sustainable income stream.

So I set my mind to thinking. What product could we create that would provide this sustainable income stream for charities whilst also effecting change. My experience with social exchanges, or rather lack of, made me realize that to have any hope of progress around gender equality continuing we needed to change the conversation.

For the last 18 months I’ve been working on a set of conversation cards that are designed for families with kids age 5-12.

They have all sorts of questions on them ranging from Have you ever wondered what animals talk about? Or which of your teachers might survive a zombie apocalypse? To ‘Is it ok to call a girl manly?’ and ‘Who should have the last say in a family?’.

It’s working. My two girls love it and play it with their dad all the time. He barely seems to notice it covers conversations he’s uncomfortable having with me if I instigate them. Friends who get awkward when we’re discussing this around the dinner table are happily buying sets of cards for their kids.

You can read more about practical ways you can teach gender equality to kids here –

http://localhost/raisingworld/2017/07/07/teaching-kids-gender-equality/

The beautiful thing is the children themselves love the simple interaction they have between themselves and adults.  It’s a small thing but I hope it can make a difference.

Conversations count.

Books for this include –


 

 

Sarah is co-founder at Together Equal, specializing in producing conversation cards which raise money for charities while having a social impact by creating conversations which challenge social stereotypes. Follow Sarah and Together Equal @betogetherequal @sarahairdmash.

You can find Us On –

Twitter @betogetherequal
Instagram @togetherequal
Twitter @sarahairdmash
Website togetherequal.com

http://localhost/raisingworld/2019/03/26/5-woman-empowerment-kids-at-home/

 

The Paradox of Racing Time in Parenting

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!

5 Simple Ways to Explore Easter Traditions With Kids

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.

You can read more for making Easter memorable Here –

Educational Candyless No Prep Easter Celebrations with Kids

DIY Easter Bunny

DIY Paper Basket for Easter

Returning the Easter of Magic to Families

Accepting the Collective Historical Baggage of Our Cultures

Accepting the Collective Historical Baggage of Our Cultures

Meet Johanna C Castillo-Rodrigez, a lover of nature, culture, and languages, backyard gardener, raising multicultural and multilingual children. Supporting families in South Florida to have families that are conscious, multicultural and green!! Proud Latina Mom!

  1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

My name is Johana. I am Mama Tortuga. I was born and raised in Colombia. My mother had to immigrate after my father died. After that, I stayed with my grandparents for 6 years until when she was able to bring me to the United States. Here I met my partner for life, Francisco from Honduras. We decided after having a relationship for 5 years, we got married!!

Now, we are raising two children in a completely different culture and style of life from the one both of us were raised in. We love nature and simple living. We believe in living a life where we can be respectful with everyone and protect nature. We also believe in the power of community and the power of being ourselves!

  1.   Which cities have your lived in/ visited in your lifetime? Which is your favorite?

I really like where we live right now, which is South Florida, US. When I was a child I lived in a place called Aguazul which is in the East part of Colombia, a zone called “Los Llanos”. But I love mountains. I grew up surrounded by mountains in a city called Bogota.

  1.   What do brought you to what you do?

Definitely, being a mother. When I became a mother, that made me think about the kind of world I wanted to have for them and the community I wanted to have. Also, raising them to be multilingual citizens of the world!

  1.   What is one aspect in raising multicultural children do we need to be MOST aware of .

At this time, we need to grasp the historical baggage of our cultures, countries of origin and the dangerous trend of being oblivious to it. I believe that in not acknowledging our problems we are bind to repeat toxic patterns. Raising multicultural children in an increasing global society makes many people that haven’t heal and grasp those historical fears and pains, very afraid of others. Sadly, the white supremacists agenda masked by nationalistic points of view is really putting all of us in danger. It is a worldwide spread disease that we need to address.

Accepting the Historical Baggage of Our Cultures

  1.   What is one personal challenge you have overcome growing up?

Fear. I grew up in a very violent time and my family was constantly full of fear. I am choosing to live a life free of fear to make my own decisions and also allow my children to do the same regardless the circumstances.

  1.   Share with us two parenting hacks that have made life easy.

A relationship with your child is the most important ever. We can’t have a healthy relationship with our children if we don’t heal ourselves. That is one thing we need to work on every day. Think about it as a garden. You need to water it every day.

  1.  What projects are you working on next?

I am continually working on many local projects of activism and support to parents and families in my community. Right now, I am supporting different initiatives to support immigrants and refugees in Palm Beach County and also, supporting multilingualism in my community. Also, raising the consciousness around human and nature rights.

Also, right now, I am having a series of IG Lives, presenting community friends from around the world that are making a positive change in the world! #mamatortugacommunityfriends

  1.  What is one thing piece of advice you would give to children?

Be yourself and nature is your best friend. Learn from nature and play!

  1.  Tell us three things that are on your bucket list?

Visit Japan and get into an onsen. Watch the Aurora Borealis. See a world of World Peace.

  1.  What 3 books/movies  would you say changed your life?

This is a hard one!! But 3 of my favorite all time books:

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Pax by Sara Pennypacker and The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Mpho Tutu.

Movies: On the Way to School, The Embrace of the Snake, Ready Player One, 50 First Dates.

  1. Do you have any freebies for our readers?

Yes!! I have a series of Latinamerican Women that Transcended, study guide in English and Spanish https://www.mamatortuga.org/latinamerican-women-series

You can follow Johanna here —

Where to Turn When Your Child is Diagnosed with Down Syndrome

Where to Turn When Your Child is Diagnosed with Down Syndrome

If a doctor has just given your child a diagnosis of Down Syndrome, you’re likely experiencing a huge range of emotions. Children with Down Syndrome, of course, are a blessing to any household, but just getting started in terms of organizing care and financing can be overwhelming. However, there is a vast community available that has resources ready to help you get the information, care, and financial aid you need to give your child everything they need. Here are just four major resources available to parents of children with Down Syndrome that you can tap into.

The National Down Syndrome Society

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is one of the most comprehensive resources at your disposal in terms of finding support. It works with hundreds of affiliates to provide you with easy access to local support groups or online forums where you can chat with people all around the world who might be experiencing feelings similar to yours. If you want to find other parents that can understand what you might be going through, the NDSS is a great place to start. Through this organization, you can also gain valuable tips on how to handle various common symptoms involved with Down Syndrome, find social groups that you and your child can join, and learn more about what medical complications to expect and prepare for along the way.


Explore Financial Plans

Living with a disability or caring for one or more children that have Down Syndrome can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be financially overwhelming. Several organizations can work with you to develop financial plans and provide you with medical insurance to promote a high standard of care. You can work with an NDIS plan management specialist to ensure that you are financially covered for any conditions related to your child’s disability that may arise. Many organizations that can help with NDIS plans are nonprofit and are dedicated solely to supporting you and your child through your medical needs.

Get Help with Skills

There are ways you can help your child with Down Syndrome improve both motor and communications skills. Several guides offer tips and strategies for helping your child to work on fine and gross motor skills as they grow and learn new things. You can choose educational materials in easy-to-digest book or video formats for your convenience. Children with Down Syndrome often communicate with you in their own ways. You can learn how to understand those ways and meet your child’s needs. The National Association for Down Syndrome (NADS) has a variety of resources to explore in this area and can provide specialized programs for helping your child in their motor skill and communication development.

Consult a Child Psychiatrist

Many psychiatrists work exclusively with children and understand how young, developing minds work. Some of these professionals specialize in children that are not neuro-typical and have developed strategies to help those children succeed. These professionals can also help you better understand your own coping mechanisms and the next steps you can take. Child psychiatrists are also great in coordinating various forms of treatment, prescribing medications, exercises, and activities that can help your child reach their fullest potential. Having a professional that specializes in Down Syndrome is especially beneficial, and they will be able to give you greater insight into what you can do to support your child’s development and growth.

Any medical diagnosis that affects the life of your child can be a scary thing. However, you are not entirely on your own when it comes to caring for and nurturing your child with Down Syndrome. Don’t be afraid to reach out of the financial and emotional support that you need. Modern medicine and understanding of Down Syndrome has increased spectacularly over the years, making it easier for parents like you to get the support you need for you and your child.

1

5 Awesome Travel Hacks When Traveling With Your Teens

 

Traveling with your teens is something extraordinary, but you cannot ignore the challenges it brings along. As your kids start getting older, from toddlers to early childhood and teenage, the travel challenges keep on changing, so you require new strategies every time you travel. This way you can have a new kind of holiday every time you plan a trip.

When children become teenagers, they get to experience a new set of challenges and most of all, new kind of vacation.

As the teens get to fine-tune their choices as well as teen personalities, their pals become more important to them than anyone else. Disney and all the fairy tale characters are replaced with outdoor activities and sports.

So here we have a few awesome travel hacks when traveling with teens. They will help you enjoy each other’s company and make everything less hectic.

  • Involve your Teen Child in the Trip Planning

Children mostly behave in the most casual ways, most of the time when you will ask them about what to do on the holidays or where to go, they will casually reply with a ‘whatever.’ But it is crucial to involve them in the trip planning and take their suggestions. Each teen out there wants to be heard, no matter what they say or how they act.

If the kids are involved in the trip planning at an earlier stage, they will enjoy it more and would not complain much. It will teach them how to compromise.

My teenage twins, son and daughter, are the two I discuss everything with, from the trip location to the cost. They are the ones who mostly decide the holiday destination. Both of them have different choice and taste; however, we always pay attention to anything particular that either of us wants. So we compromise for each other and respect each other’s choices.

  • Download Google Maps for Offline Use

When traveling with children, be it toddlers or teens, you don’t want to risk anything. In such cases, ‘Google Maps’ is a lifesaver. Make sufficient space in your tablet or mobile phone and download the ‘Google Maps’ app to browse it later in the offline mode when exploring and moving around the new places.

This app is simple to operate. You can ask your teen kid to the job for you. All the little heads these days are technology freaks; therefore, they know everything about the virtual reality.

Bonus tip: You can also download the ‘Google Translate’ app on your phone. It is another app that is quite beneficial when traveling. When you don’t know the native language of the particular country you are visiting; Google Translate is a true blessing. The best part about this app is that you don’t need an internet connection to make it work. So now you can understand any language and can reply in seconds with the help of this fabulous offline tool.

  • Pack Everything Together

Parents are mostly in panic when packing for themselves and their children. They don’t want to forget anything. When traveling, our brains are mostly consumed a lot, and we often feel overwhelmed, so we forget most of the things here and there especially children, they are more likely to forget things.

Ask your children to help you when packing. It will help them learn the value of things. Packing is an excellent time to teach your kids accountability. Ask your teen kid to prepare a packing list first, so nothing gets left behind. It is something that will make your whole experience a lot less stressful.

Make sure not to over pack. When flying, your luggage bag should weigh according to the weight requirements. It is quite challenging to make last-minute adjustments; therefore, you should pack sensibly.


  • Don’t Forget About the Basics

Everyone knows about the basics, but they are of great significance so mentioning about them is crucial. You need to take care of all the essentials when packing, for example, extra outfits for you and your family, a few favorite outdoor gadgets and a first aid box including all the frequently used medicines like painkillers for headache or stomach pain, anti-allergy, cough syrups and more.

You never know what the trip brings next for you; hence, you should be prepared for everything ahead of time. Besides, packing the outdoor gadgets when traveling with teens is a wise decision, for instance, you can pack a pair of skates, a football, hoverboard or even a scooter.

You may be wonder what a hoverboard is? A hover board is all the rage these days. It is something that every teen loves. It is like a scooter having a board and two wheels, you just need to balance it well, and you are good to go!

  • Take the ‘Me’ Time

Personal space is mandatory for everyone, be it your husband, parents, or your teen kids. When you are traveling, take out some time for yourself and give some personal space to your teen kids as well for everyone needs time to rejuvenate and relax. Consider it one great way to spend amazing family holidays!

Not everyone shares similar interests; it is as simple as that. Therefore, giving each other space to experience different things is not a bad idea. A dull plan of sightseeing can be sometimes exhausting, so you need to set a good set of rules, and then you can let your children roam around freely to all the nearby sights including shopping malls, beaches, restaurants and more.

Furthermore, trips should not be forced. So let your child rest in the hotel room while you hang out with your partner if they don’t want to come along.

Make your traveling time the best time of the year! All these tips and tricks mentioned above are simple yet quite efficient in their own way. Understand how your teens think and work and try and mingle with them at every step to make it work. Have an amazing trip!


Images Source: pixabay.com

About the Author:

Lara Stewart is a fitness expert and gym owner. She is obsessed with physical health as well as healthy eating. She has in-depth knowledge about the fitness needs of the body and how one can stay healthy on a budget. She regularly posts at Scooter Scouter.

5 Awesome Travel Hacks fo Traveling with Teenagers

Bilingual Teens Have Better Job Opportunities

Bilingual Teens Have Better Job Opportunities

Raising kids in a bilingual, or multilingual, household benefits them in many ways. Multilingual kids have been shown to do better in school than their monolingual peers. Speaking multiple languages opens up social opportunities for kids, in and outside of school. There have even been studies that suggest bilingual adults have a lower risk of stroke!

As your kids get older, being bilingual may help them in other ways. Bilingual teens have more and higher quality work opportunities available to them! Using their natural gift of language can give them a leg up at the beginning of their professional lives.

Competitiveness in the Job Market

Even when searching out traditional job opportunities, being bilingual may give your teen the advantage. In most communities, a significant population speaks a language other than English in the home, with Spanish being the most common. In urban communities, the number of different languages spoken goes up significantly. Despite this, most Americans don’t speak a second language and rely solely on English for communication. Speaking a second language, any language, is incredibly valuable in a professional position and stands out on a job application.

Career Prospects

According to the United States Bureau of Labor, translators and interpreters are among the top 15 fastest growing career fields. Everyone from the Armed Forces to Fortune 500s need bilingual or multilingual employees to increase their global reach. For bilingual teens, this means a potentially lucrative career path that they can explore before college. These positions may be with local businesses, large corporations, or remote. Whether they are looking for part-time, flexible, or summer work; your bilingual teenager could commodity their second language.

Earning Potential

Being bilingual may mean earning more money. Teens who are bilingual may be able to find jobs that pay an extra bonus or hourly rate for that specialized skill. Though much of the benefit of multilingual differential pay comes at the management level, starting in a position at a younger age can mean more earning potential as teens progress in their career.

Travel Opportunities

For many young people, their first work experiences are summer jobs. For multilingual teenagers, being a camp counselor or summer intern could mean traveling to a foreign country. Speaking the language will make you and your child more comfortable exploring these options. When they are comfortable communicating in a different language, you can rest easy that they will be able to handle any challenges of world travel.

These types of summer opportunities are great, safe travel experiences for teens to immerse themselves in another culture. Most camps that hire foreign counselors cater to young people, providing plenty of training and supervision. Working with young children in a foreign country is a great way to practice their language skills and learn about cultural differences.


Niche Opportunities

Even as an adult, being bilingual can open up specific niche opportunities. As a teenager, being bilingual can mean the difference between landing a high value position or being rejected. A great place to look for niche positions is education and child care. Speaking and listening to a language is critical when kids are first learning.  Foreign language teachers are often looking for fluent speakers to help tutor younger students, or just to interact with them in the target language.

Working with ELL populations, English Language Learners, is another area that bilingual teens can thrive in. Even if your child doesn’t speak the same language as every student in the room, the experience of learning a second language is similar across cultures. With proper training and supervision, a bilingual teen can be an ideal teacher’s aid for an ELL class.

Remote Work

Technology has connected the globe and fostered the growth of global business. Being bilingual is a critical skill for finding remote and flexible work online. Translation and transcription are both competitive jobs that teens can start with little experience. Fluency in a second language is a sought-after skill in these industries. Teens as young as fifteen can find opportunities online that require fluency in more than one language, or opportunities in their second language.

Local Business and Organizations

Being bilingual offers teens more opportunities in their local communities, as well. Reaching out to local businesses can increase a teenager’s professional contacts, and eventually lead to meaningful work within the community. For business owners, a bilingual employee is a valuable member of the team.

Bilingual teens can take advantage of their skills to land high value positions at a young age. Job opportunities that utilize those language skills offer a myriad of benefits to your teen, as well. Teenagers who communicate in both languages on a regular basis will maintain their language skills better than those who don’t.  Taking advantage of travel and remote opportunities gives teens hands-on, cultural education. Plus, these opportunities look great on college apps and CVs as your teenager moves through their professional journey! Encourage your teenager to take advantage of their language gifts.

Ron Stefanski is the founder of JobsForTeensHQ.com and has a passion for helping teenagers find jobs. He created the website because he feels that teenagers need to focus on their professional passions much earlier in life and aims to teach them how they can do that. When he’s not working on his website, Ron is a college professor and loves to travel the world.

Don’t forget to make use of the below resources to give your child the head start in learning languages.

 

 


Understanding the Duality of Our Child's Identity

Understanding the Duality of Our Child’s Identity

We bring to you the fascinating Niyati Desai-Kadakia. During the day, Niyati runs her tech start up – Nulern. She is also an expert packer-of-lunchboxes, kid activity coordinator, chauffeur and PTA enthusiast. At night she moonlights as a story-teller, spinning tales to answer the darnedest questions posed by her twin daughters. Her stories are mostly inspired by her own experiences of being an immigrant student and then a first generation Indian-American mother. Her stories focus on questions, concerns and feelings children have as they are being raised by parents who grew up in a different culture than theirs, which encourages them to create their own unique identity that is whole and complete.

She founded KidzBelong to meet a pressing need to have picture books address needs of children of immigrant families who are particularly vulnerable to feeling marginalized and different.

Niyati holds a B.S. in Biochemical Engineering from USC, B.A. in Literature from Scripps College and M.A. in Biotechnology from Columbia University. In the past, she has worked as a scientist in several biotech start ups and innovation centers, that specialize in Brain Health and Drug Delivery. She has lived in 3 countries, 5 states and 8 homes (although not all at once) with her husband and daughters. She currently enjoys life with them in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

(A long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away), I came to the US from India, to study for my bachelors. I met my husband, Niraj, during my under-graduate studies and we noticed that we laughed at each other’s’ jokes, when others around us didn’t and we liked the same movies, so we decided to get married.

Soon after we got married, we found every chance to camp, backpack, binge on TV shows and make moderately edible food together. Although all that was a whole lot of fun, we proceeded to bring twin beautiful girls into this world – Nivedita and Niharika. In our sleep deprived state, we went on to live in 3 different countries, 5 states and 8 homes. We continue to camp, backpack and binge on tv shows – we just do it with our 10-year-old daughters now. Life has never been more fun.


Which cities have your lived in/ visited in your lifetime? Which is your favorite?

It is virtually impossible to pick a favorite city. Each place that I have lived in has so many beautiful and cherished memories that picking one out of them would be unfair.

 I have liked living in the following cities:

Baroda, Gujarat, India – this is home for me. I grew up here, went to school here and learn ow to ride a bike here.  I describe this city with the words – home, roots, security, family, food and love.

Los Angeles, CA – I studied here at USC and Claremont. I also met my to-be husband here. I grew from a girl to a young woman here. It is also the first city I landed in as an immigrant student when I came to study in the US. So this city always brings back a lot of emotion. I describe this city with the words – studies, competition, immigration, homesickness and letters.

New York City, NY – I did my graduate school here, at Columbia. I decided to get married in this city – and have some beautiful memories from here. I moved on from being a young woman to a wife here and made some of the most important decisions in my life in this lovely city. I describe this city with the words – love, marriage, energy, immigrant crossroads.

San Jose, CA – I lived here soon after I got married. I was getting used to getting called someone’s wife. This is also the place where I started my professional life as a scientist and worked in several biotech startups in the bay area. I earned my first paycheck here and learnt what a 401K is here. I describe this city with the words – married life, natural beauty, adventure, money and profession.

Philadelphia, PA – My husband and I moved here, while my husband studied towards his business degree at Wharton. My twins were born here. 2 Biotech startups I worked for also got acquired while I worked for them here – so lots of activity here! I became a mom in this city and will owe a lot to the hospitals that helped my preemie babies. I describe this city with the words – motherhood, chaos, prayer and family.

Bombay, India – My family lives in Bombay, so this city is (sort of) home for me too. We also moved to Bombay with our daughters to try-out moving back to India. Although we enjoyed our life there, we could not settle down professionally and returned back to North America. I describe this city with the words – immigrant decisions, homesickness (but homesick for the US), citizen for the world, identity crisis and dual culture.

Toronto, Canada – My kids went to kindergarten in this beautiful city. And started elementary school here. I describe this city with the words – diversity, acceptance, home and friends.

Denver, CO – We live here currently and love the mountain that surround us. My daughters move from elementary to middle school in this city. I started my own startup here and am trying to manage being a mom-entrepreneur. I describe this city with the words – mountains, parenthood, entrepreneurship and family.

What brought you to what you do?

I run an online learning startup – Nulern. Nulern enables live, 1 on 1 learning in lifestyle based skill sets with globally accessible, vetted experts.

Since our family has moved a lot, we felt the need to start an online learning platform that makes learning proactive and removes restrictions like geography, time and location from accessing wonderfully nurturing experts in skill sets that are under-represented in our current learning environment, like music, language, cooking and art.

What is one aspect in raising multicultural children do we need to be MOST aware of ?

While raising multicultural children, I most emphasize on the empowerment of having a duality in the child’s identity. While it is easy and often natural to select one or the other definitions of identity for a child (I am Indian or I am american etc), it is important to emphasize the completeness in also having more than 1 identity (I am Indian, American and canadian etc)  and still being whole, complete and unique.

My daughters have 3 passports and while they often talk about patriotism in confusing terms, I encourage them and those around them to see them as complete individuals without any 1 patriotic leaning or cultural heritage, but more than 1 heritage and still have a wonderfully complete and complex identity.

What is one personal challenge you have overcome growing up?

I learnt about how money works much later on in life and wish I had learnt those lessons when young. 🙂

Share with us two parenting hacks that have made your/child’s life easy.

My husband and I set rules that we never break – there is almost no argument in our home because of these rules (no phones around family, no tv on weekdays, read 30 min before bed, no shoes in the house, in bed by 8:30 etc).

We always sit together and eat for dinner (this enables us to connect as a family and talk about what is happening in each of our lives).

We write letters to family abroad (helps with practicing how to write a letter for kids and helps them keep in touch).

Door are never locked in our home (enables us to be open and receptive at all times)

We emphasize that school and grades are not everything.  Believe it or not, this has helped them look at life quite differently.

What projects are you working on next?

I am the co-founder to an online learning startup – Nulern. I am consumed with that.

What is one thing piece of advice you would give to children?

Be good, kind and useful. Everything else is extra.

Tell us three things that are on your bucket list?

To hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim.

To backpack across the country.

To maybe one day, meet the Dalai Lama.

What 3 books/movies would you say changed your life?

As a Man Thinketh by James Allen

The living Gita by Swami Satchidananda

Where this is love, there is God by mother Teresa

Millionaire next door by Thomas Stanley

‘It’s a wonderful life’ movie

Green for life – Victoria Beutenko

Do you have any freebies for our readers/listeners?

Buy one get one 1/2 off (non-amazon orders only)

Readers can place orders on kidzbelong@gmail.com or call/whatsapp 720-899-2590/or my PMing of FB/Instagram

You can find & connect with Niyati on social media here —

https://www.facebook.com/KidzbelongBooks/

https://www.instagram.com/kidzbelong/

Make sure you pick up copies of Niyati’s books to read to your child to help them understand the duality of their identity.

Also, be sure to grab a copy of our bestselling book for you for practical tips to better parent your multicultural child to thrive.

 

Understanding the Duality of Your Child's Identiy