As kids grow up, they become curious about many things. One such thing is "What do you do for work, Mom?"..."What is Kayla's dad's job?"..."What did grandma do when you were growing up?"
So often, if it's not a cookie cutter answer like "doctor," or "lawyer," or something easy for kids to understand, parents give up. They think it's too complicated for a young kid to understand what a wealth advisor or a creative director or a partnerships coordinator is. It's easy to say "works with money," or "ah...something complicated, too hard to explain."
And yes, a five-year-old is not going to understand exactly what it means to be a operations coordinator or head of human resources, but there are ways to introduce the subject.
So many kids enter (and exit) high school and college totally unaware of the opportunities within reach. It takes getting into the given field to start understanding the lay of the land and what types of positions even exist. We put those kids at a huge disadvantage by ignoring the education component of what the adults in their life do.
If your little ones asks what their uncle Sean does and you hesitate to try to explain what a "medical technology recruiter" is–it shouldn't be that difficult to say that his job is to help companies that deal with medical technology find the right people to work for them. Do a pulse test: ask if them if they understand what medical means, what technology is, what it looks like to find people to work with. Just take baby steps to start talking about the world they will soon be expected to function in. It doesn't matter if they grasp it fully, even a little–just hearing the words 'medical' and 'technology' together in a sentence can help pave the way for a future of deeper understanding of the professional world around them.
Now the point here isn't to try to educate kids about every single position out there, it's about exposing them to eventually develop an understanding of how complex the professional landscape is. That there are different columns holding up different ends of each industry and they can eventually combine their own, personal interests with their strengths to form an integral part of one of those structures.
It shouldn't take getting into sales to learn there is such thing as recruiting, or getting into marketing to learn there is such thing as copywriting, or even going to get a masters to learn there is such thing as project management for renewable energy technology.
A lot of grads begin their careers with a somewhat abitrary direction. A job was open so they applied and they got it. A lot of them learn so much about what is out there when they then feel they are already "stuck" on a path. That's a whole different story, but in the meantime it is important we start educating our kids on the incredibly vast world of opportunity in front of them. We're not all cowboys, astronauts, chefs, and gardeners. Those things are easy for kids to fully understand, but they are not all encompassing.
Let the kids in on the complexity a little bit, I bet they'll surprise you on how much they understand.
explain what a "medical technology recruiter" is–it shouldn't be that difficult to say that his job is to help companies that deal with medical technology find the right people to work for them. Do a pulse test: ask if them if they understand what medical means, what technology is, what it looks like to find people to work with. Just take baby steps to start talking about the world they will soon be expected to function in. It doesn't matter if they grasp it fully, even a little–just hearing the words 'medical' and 'technology' together in a sentence can help pave the way for a future of deeper understanding of the professional world around them.
Now the point here isn't to try to educate kids about every single position out there, it's about exposing them to eventually develop an understanding of how complex the professional landscape is. That there are different columns holding up different ends of each industry and they can eventually combine their own, personal interests with their strengths to form an integral part of one of those structures.
It shouldn't take getting into sales to learn there is such thing as recruiting, or getting into marketing to learn there is such thing as copywriting, or even going to get a masters to learn there is such thing as project management for renewable energy technology.
A lot of grads begin their careers with a somewhat abitrary direction. A job was open so they applied and they got it. A lot of them learn so much about what is out there when they then feel they are already "stuck" on a path. That's a whole different story, but in the meantime it is important we start educating our kids on the incredibly vast world of opportunity in front of them. We're not all cowboys, astronauts, chefs, and gardeners. Those things are easy for kids to fully understand, but they are not all encompassing.
Let the kids in on the complexity a little bit, I bet they'll surprise you on how much they understand.
In college, I lived a block from one of the more horrifying university mass shooting crimescenes of our lifetime. I heard the gunshots that killed a classmate of mine. I stared at bloodstained grass marks on my walk into town. And when I went home for the weekend to clear my head, tears welled in my eyes and the foundational questions about human life weighing in my heart, my dad said "Guns don't kill people J, people kill people." And when this week's tragedy broke news, and we heard the fatality number climb, I was having dinner with parents and the sentiment was the same. My outrage and emotional stance on the issue was met with cold facts on the legality of the constitution, the probable illegality of the weapons obtained, etc. etc.
It's frustrating, most issues. But my Dad is not some evil, hateful person. He is a responsible, loving, and respectful member of the community. He raises his voice and comes fully loaded with years of conservative rhetoric to most conversations. He gets mad when I make accusations against him and his party, and usually has the facts to "win" most arguments. But he is no villain.
Then every once and a while when I bring up a conservative outlook to my intelligent, well-versed and liberal peers, I'm met with the same raised voice, deck of empirical evidence, and (to be honest) judgement that I would even dare to speak of another viewpoint. The father (whom I respect very much in most cases) of a close friend once said he thought Republican's brains were probably the size of a lizard's. My friend elbowed him and remarked that he shouldn't say things like that in present company (me, daughter of a Republican). The truth is, he shouldn't say thing like that, ever. But he is no villain either.
There is something wrong with the way this (always) shakes out. It is no secret that our country is facing a gaping bipartisan divide and the civil war of words and will is very much alive. I have a distinct vantage point- I see the day-ins and day-outs of two sides of the story. Spoiler: media is f**cking convincing. It's like it's their jobs to be persuasive or something. The left hears the highly intelligent, well-equipped leaders of the left rhetoric. The right hears the same, but only on their respective side.
One thing I can say with certainty is that I've seen the emotion and pride of it all cloud judgement. Nobody is willing to reach across the divide, to listen, to internalize the opposition of the opponent. Nobody likes debating because the result is usually two separate streams of conscience. I don't see leaders of opposing sides talking together, or working together, or attempting to empathize. That's something we could use more of. This is not a country of right vs wrong. It's just not that simple. It can't be. We'll all be better off to try to understand, to really listen to our opponents and understand why they think the way they do.
We'll be better at articulating our stance if we listen to that of the other side. Padding our opinion with affirmation with our media of choice or acting like an opposing opinion is inherently "evil" is not drawing us any closer to bipartisan resolution.
Empathy for an opponent is never easy, but I'd argue it's worth trying to get to.
Illustration by Amélie Fontaine
]]>1. How do you bring up the topic of diversity in the classroom?
My students are mostly black, with the exception of two Latino students. Given the racial injustices of our society, I've made this topic very open with my students. Every morning in my classroom, we watch CNN student news. Often the topics are dense and difficult for them to fully grasp, but they often see politicians that they believe are racist and don't have their best interests in mind. I encourage them to talk about why they feel that way, ensure them that their culture is valued, and discuss how to be a person in the world that works towards a more accepting society.
2. What is the biggest problem you see facing today's youth?
For my students, in particular, I worry about the school-to-prison pipeline and the message that's sent by suspending students. My school has taken an active, conscious approach to lowering the number of suspensions this year by providing therapeutic services instead.
3. What is the most promising trait you see in this upcoming generation?
Although it took time to adjust to the common core curriculum at first, I believe that it teaches students to truly engage with the material and explain their thinking. This teaches them to be advocates for their learning and approach/solve problems from multiple directions.
]]>1. Chia Pudding
Ch-Ch-Chia! If you're not already using chia seeds in your everyday cooking, you're missing out. Sometimes I just add it to water and the kids FLIP for the fun, gooey, texture it produces. These little powerhouse seeds pack a healthy punch of omega-3s and fiber, to keep your kiddos feeling full and feed those growing bodies. If you add your favorite nut milk and soak overnight, you've got yourself a super healthy, super easy, super portable pudding snack the whole family can enjoy. Top it off with fresh or dried fruit, some nut butter, yogurt, and granola for a superfood parfait.
2. (Elevated) Ants on a log
Snack as old as time... this classic is a favorite quick, packable snack of ours. Spruce up this old classic with some new twists. Fill your celery boat with cream cheese, greek yogurt, almond butter, sunflower butter, goat cheese, chia pudding, tahini... get creative! Your topping can go far beyond the raisin too. Think: goji berries, carob chips, your favorite dry fruit (chopped into smaller bits if necessary), chia seeds, or even slices of fresh fruit if you're going to be eating right away!
3. Oodles and oodles of zoodles (and other faux-noodles)
We highly encourage the purchase of super affordable (you can find as low as $5) spiralizer. This magical tool turns zucchinis, carrots, squash, jicama, sweet potato, cucumber, parsnip... seriously the possibilities are endless. We do suggest starting with zucchini for best results. Some kids love their silly shape all by themselves, some love a little marinara on top for a healthier "spaghetti'–experiment with their favorite flavors to make them into veggie lovers in no time.
4. Nice Cream
Yes, you read that right. If you're not on the nice cream train, hop on because you and your kids are going to love it. You'll need a high power blender or a food processor for this one, but the prep is simple. Freeze some bananas (we find shredding pre-freeze works best), coconut meat, apples, berries, zucchini, cooked cauliflower... you name it. Again, we do recommend starting out with banana and then experimenting with textures from there. You'll add a splash of liquid– again feel free to get creative with different nut milks, regular milk, juice, water...we do like almond milk best for a nutty, light feel. Once you get the texture you like, start playing with add-ins. Superfood spirulina powder will give you a fun, cotton-candy blue. Activated charcoal will give you a spooky, Halloween themed grey/black (be careful on this, a little goes A LONG way). Once you pour your nice cream into the bowl, you're once again free to get creative with toppings. Dried fruit, fresh fruit, chocolate or carob chips, nut butter, chia seeds, granola... you could even set up your own little toppings bar for a fun, healthy dessert activity.
]]>Hey–we love sandy color schemes and white on white on white as much as the next amateur interior deco enthusiast, but the truth is that decorating kids rooms and play-rooms should ABSOLUTELY be approached with a little more pizazz. Here are some tips and tricks to fun, DIY, interactive interior fashion that won't break the bank, because we all know it can be a little bit soul-crushing to pour time and money into rainbow floor mats and unicorn wall art they'll grow out of before you get around the getting anything framed.
1. Repurpose
Is your kiddos new favorite color neon green? Sparkly pink? Rainbow?It can be fun to repurpose old furniture to create their "dream" room at just a fraction of the price, even if that dream will only last a month or two. Check on Facebook marketplace, Craigslist free section, and neighborhood garage sales for dirt-cheap furniture options perfect for furniture spray-painting their favorite color this year. The best part? You can change it up whenever they've got a new favorite and you've got an extra day of spray-painting energy in you. It won't look perfect, but hey– it'll brighten their world and won't break the bank.
2. TWO WORDS: magnetic chalkboard.
You can buy one or DIY one, but either way, this is a perfect addition to any kids room. It provides a reusable creative canvas, a place to decorate for fun events such as "Amy's 1st of school!" or "Happy Birthday Jonas." Making sure it's magnetic will only add to the fun. You can add letters and magnetic toys such as the My Family Builders magnetic wooden set that allows for toys that are not only interactive but decorative and (hopefully) stay off of the floor.
3. Commission an artist (hint: it's one that lives under your roof).
Get a big roll of butcher paper or some large poster boards, some paint, any arts and crafts materials you have lying around the house, and even some glitter if you're willing to handle the clean-up. Put on some music, prep some snacks, and start a big art day. They'll paint, spill, create, restart, get bored, need to eat, need a bath, want to restart, take a break...you get the picture. But hopefully, by the end of the day, you'll have some beautiful, big works of art ready to frame and hang on a wall. You choose the frames, they'll create what's inside. It's the best way to make their artistic chaos look like it's part of a well-executed kid's room.
4. Surround them with friends and family.
If there's still room on the wall, choose a few favorite photos of your family's favorite people to frame or pin/magnet on the board. Surround them with the people that love them, people they'll look up to, and people that have been instrumental in getting your family to where it is today. Smiles, laughing, poses– anything goes, and we KNOW there is a lot of material stored up on your phone and cloud storage. It may inspire stories of grandma, help them recognize family they don't see often enough, or open their minds to the many types of people that are sure to come into their lives.
Image credits: etikaprojects.com
]]>If I couldn't plan for a stable life 6 months from now...
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I sat down with our founder and CEO, Ezequiel Karpf, to talk about the moments of the My Family Builders journey that has meant the most to him. My Family Builders toys are built on values, first and foremost, and watching those values resonate with people is what makes the hard work worth while. There's a particular return on investment that has nothing to do with revenue and the following highlight which of those has meant the most to the My Family Builder's founder.
1. CROSSROADS MOMENT "After 10 years of developing consumer goods with no higher mission than to produce revenue it was refreshing to develop something I care about and to connect back to the origins of why I studied design in the first place." Karpf is an accomplished designer with a unique values proposition to the upcoming generation and their parents. Investing his time in this product has proven to be quite rewarding.
2. THE PROOF IS IN THE PICTURE It's always nice to hear positive feedback about My Family Builders. One piece in particular has really stuck with Karpf. One parent sent him an email commenting that after playing with the My Family Builders toys, her daughter had started coloring many different shades of skin color in her drawings as well as drawing many different families besides the stereotypical (one mom one dad) family. "It is amazing to see that our toy was able to open a girl's mind to a world of possibilities and have lasting effects on her," he said.
3. COMMUNITY BUILDERS Reaching a funding goal is a fond memory for any entrepreneur. When Karpf reached his Kickstarter goal, he was thrilled to see 95% of the investors were complete strangers. "It was amazing to feel that a lot of people believed in what we were doing and decided to jump in and be part of the journey of making our toys to celebrate diversity a reality," he said. It's one thing to get people to agree with a mission, but an entirely different thing to have a mission so compelling that people will put their own money behind it.
4. PICTURE PERFECT Karpf mentioned that some of his favorite My Family Builders moments have been the photos he's received of children playing with the My Family Builders toys all over the world. As someone who holds diversity as a fundamental pillar of his company, it has been and continues to be an exceptional feeling to see his product thriving in a global community.
5. A BIG WIN - Karpf didn't get into the toy business to win awards, but when you build an exceptional product it's just part of the territory. He said one of his proudest My Family Builders moments was "when we won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award 2016. It was great to feel welcomed and celebrated by the one of the most prestigious institutions in the toy industry."
]]>Creativity is not always valued in our culture. We tend to think that reading and math are all that matter. Our schools are indicative of this. Most kids hardly get any arts education anymore. It just isn’t valued. If this continues, the world will become quite boring. Math and reading and science all matter. They matter a lot. However, so does art and entertainment and beauty. We have to find ways to encourage these skills just as much as we teach long division and reading comprehension. If your kids aren’t getting enough of this at school or if you want them to get more then read on for 5 simple ways to encourage their creativity.
Play music. This sounds simple… and it is. But, playing music is a great way to creative juices flowing and encourage dance, singing and even the playing of instruments. It will also teach kids to appreciate music. Even if they never become a musician they will understand the value of music. Play music as much as possible and let them learn to enjoy it as a part of their everyday life.
Keep art supplies available. This can be tough because parents, understandably, don’t want to leave paints and play-doh out for the kids to use as weapons of mass destruction all over the house. However, you can choose some less messy supplies and keep them out for your child to use when they feel the urge. Try leaving out tissue paper to be cut or torn, washable crayons and scrap paper, childproof scissors and (if you trust them enough) stickers. That way, when the urge hits, they can go get busy one some art.
Encourage dramatic play with dress up clothes, props, etc. Let your kids be whatever they want to be. When they come to you dressed up, don’t say “Oh you’re a princess!” Instead, ask them “What are you today?” You may be surprised by their answer. Moreover, join in on their play. If they are a roaring dragon, run and act frightened. If they are serving tea, sit down and have a sip.
Encourage them to tell stories even before they can write. You can record some of their stories for them and write them in a book. You can also make videos of them telling their stories. Once they can write, give them a journal (with a lock!) and never intrude on it. Allow that to be a sacred space.
Take them out into the world and show them art. Bring them to art galleries, concerts, plays and more. Let them go to bookstores and revel in the creativity of others who wrote wonderful works. Teach them that art is everywhere and point it out wherever you see it.
If art is important to you then it will be important to them. If you value creativity, they will too. Your child may never be the next Van Gogh but that’s not the point. An early love of the arts will foster an innovative and inventive mind, a respect for others, confidence and a general sense of happiness and joy.
]]>Every parent has a love/hate relationship with their kids’ toys. You love them because they are good for your kids – they inspire imagination, help them to develop and are just plain fun for kids. However, you hate them because they are messy, create clutter and, if you are like most parents, you have stepped on a Lego or a matchbox car at one time or another. Your living room may look like a brightly colored hurricane rolled through leaving stuffed animals and board games in its wake. So, what is a parent to do? Here are 5 quick tips to help you out:
These 5 tips are not exhaustive and, of course, there are some more complicated organizational strategies. However, these are a good start and, in reality, you’re not going to be able to keep everything completely tidy all of the time. That’s just not how kids are. Do your best and make sure they are helping, but if a Barbie is in the wrong bin or if a stuffed animal winds up on the floor, take a deep breath and put it into perspective.
]]>Kids are the future and the planet is in danger. If we hope to save our planet and become more aware of the environment as a culture, we must teach them to value the environment and work to keep it protected. They may not be able to scuba dive at the coral reef or spend time cleaning up rivers just yet. They may not be ready to work with endangered animals or start up their own non-profit. They don’t own a car, so watching their fuel consumption and emissions is not really plausible.
But, there is one thing that every single kid can do. It’s so simple and easy that most 3 year olds can help with it and it will instill an eco-conscious mindset early on. That one thing is recycling and here are 5 simple tips to get them started:
•Put a recycling bin in an easily accessible area and help them to sort out which items are recyclable and which are not. This is also a great way to get some pre-math skills practice. Sorting is a beginning stage of math. You can also count while you put the recyclables in the bin.
•Teach them the joy of making DIY crafts with old items like toilet paper rolls, scrap paper or old milk cartons. Make telescopes, treasure boxes, musical instruments, robots and more. Let their creativity run wild.
•Help them to choose recycled merchandise at the store. Show them the symbol on the package that indicates that it is made from recycled items. Explain to them that these things have been made from OTHER things rather than just making more garbage.
•Model it. If you want your kids to do something the very first thing that you must do is DO IT YOURSELF. They look to you to show them what to do and they will likely do what you do and not do what you do not do. If you want them to recycle then be sure that you are. If you want them to reuse old paper then don’t let them see you throwing away scrap paper. Find uses for it like making lists or wrapping gifts.
•Appeal to their sensitive soul. Most children are very loving and kind and are horrified to think that animals, plants or other people are being hurt by their choices. If you explain to them that animals can be in danger when we pollute their environment or we cut down their tree habitats, they will be shocked into action.
•Check how long it takes plastics to break down. Infographic
Kids will recycle if they are taught to do so. If they see you do it then they will follow suit. If you explain to them the problems that face the environment, they will care. You just need to take the time to make it a priority for your family.
]]>Whether it’s choosing balanced meals or helping with homework, every parent feels instinctually empowered to keep their children safe and happy. One of the most impactful, yet least emphasized areas of parenting is play time. Alongside making healthy choices and math problems, parents have an obligation to choose toys conscientiously and encourage creativity through play.
Children tend to remember lessons they learn while having fun and rely on their parents to set good examples for proper use and maintenance of toys. Remember, supporting creativity at a young age can significantly affect creativity, self-esteem, and adaptability as adults.
Below are 5 easy tips for picking toys:
1. Make sure the toy complies with the federal toy safety standard. The toy safety standard refers to ASTM F963 a must for all toys intended for use by children under 14 years of age. The ASTM F963 standards incorporate relevant safety measures already required under federal law and include additional guidelines and test methods to prevent injuries from choking, sharp edges and other potential hazards. In addition to requiring toy safety standards, the law sets strict limits on lead content in children’s product and all toys need to be phthalate free (not exceeding 0.1%).asdf
2. Buy toys in consensus with the suggested age range. Don’t expect a toddler to benefit from a toy intended for an adolescent. All toys’ packaging include age-relevant information, and buying advanced-age toys for children won’t make them smarter. Many toys intended for older age groups contain small and potentially hazardous pieces that could harm younger children, thus parents should buy toys in accordance with the physical and mental capacity of their children by following the guidelines marked on the packaging.
3. Size matters. Until your child turns 3, toy parts should be bigger than his mouth to prevent the possibility of choking. To determine whether a toy poses a choking risk, try fitting it through a small object choking tester. If a toy or part of a toy can fit inside the cylinder, it’s not safe.
4. Supervision is essential to creating safe, hazard-free play environments both indoors and outdoors. Children aren’t always delicate with their toys, so parents should regularly conduct a toy maintenance check for safety and durability.
5. Check for toy recalls. You can check the Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s website for anything that has been deemed hazardous to children. This can help you with your purchasing decisions and to determine if something you already own is not safe.
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Q: What do you think about MyFamilyBuilders toy-set?
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Q: Sometimes kids don't see themselves represented in toys and books. How do you think this affects them?
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Q: What do you think about MyFamilyBuilders toy-set? 2
Q: How do you think toys can help kids embrace diversity and equality? |
Q: How do you see the world evolving in terms of books and toys, and what would you like to see more of?
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Q: What happens when kids don't see their reality reflected in any of the toys or books they play with every day?
Q: At what ages are children acknowledgeable about gender stereotypes?
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Q: How do toys and play activities influence a child's perception and understanding of the world?
Q: What do you think kids can learn from playing with MyFamilyBuilders? |
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Though you may think that toys are just something fun for kids to do, they are actually valuable learning tools that can aid development. Of course, they ARE fun which is why kids love them. That makes them the best educational tool in the world. They beat books, lessons, assignments, worksheets or any of the more traditional learning tools that we tend to think of. Here are 5 ways that toys help children learn.
•They cultivate imagination. When your child plays dress up or builds a castle out of blocks, they are being creative free thinkers. Imagination is so important to child development. It is a sign of flexibility in thinking and can lead to talents in fields like writing, visual art, engineering and more. You should never underestimate the importance of playing pretend.
•They help children to hone fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are things like writing, holding scissors or painting with a paintbrush. Toys like bead mazes or puzzles encourage those types of skills. Skills like these will serve them into adulthood as they learn to type on a computer, hammer a nail, take notes in school or tie their shoes.
•They encourage cultural and social awareness. The more that children are encouraged to play with toys in ways that cultivate social engagement, the better. Toys that will encourage positive social behavior include board games, building sets, balls and sports sets and, really, anything that they can share and enjoy with others. In addition, children can become more culturally aware with toys. Many toys limit children’s perceptions. For example, doll sets are almost always composed of a mother, father and one or two children. This represents only a small fraction of American families. You might encourage them to play “family” with a structure that is different from the stereotype. You can do this by supplying them with toys that are varied and making sure that they have more than one “mommy” doll, for example.
Examples of varied family structures might include: Multicultural families, families with two moms or two dads, single parents, or families with only children, or adopted children. Traditional doll sets impose limitations on a child’s imagination, which can have lasting effects. Some toys can help you remove these restrictions and opens their eyes to a world of possibilities.
•They foster spatial skills. Spatial skills are the skills that allow you to estimate how far your car is from the curb when parking or whether a table will fit in your kitchen nook. You hardly even think about how often you use these skills because they have become automatic. Toys like blocks and puzzles will help children to become more adept with their spatial skills.
•They teach problem solving. Many toys challenge children to problem solve. Puzzles, books with riddles, mazes, interlocking blocks and science sets all help children to become problem solvers. Problem solving is a skill that will help a child in almost everything that they do from now until adulthood.
Children are like sponges. They are learning every single minute. From the moment that they wake up until the moment they go to bed they are soaking up information and knowledge. Their play is not just mindless fun. It is highly educational and full of opportunities to learn new skills. Any job that they choose or life path that they take will require basic skills like problem solving, creativity, fine and gross motor skills as well as spatial skills. A painter needs creativity, fine motor skills and spatial skills with every stroke. An engineer uses problem solving, fine motor skills, spatial skills and (likely) imagination each day. The more that children are allowed to explore and play, the better equipped they will be for adulthood.
]]>Kids will be thrilled with this block set. It will provide hours of fun as children build castles, towers and more. Toddlers will love stacking them up just to knock them down. You will be glad to see them playing with these blocks because you will know just how much they are learning.
So many skills are developed when playing with blocks: spatial, problem-solving, sequential and creative skills, just to name a few. Your child will be prepared for math and science classes later in life because they will have been working on important skills since they were small.
Standard Unit Blocks retail price is $50]]>This puzzle is well-made, high quality and absolutely adorable. It is also challenging and will push your child to think outside of the box. You can quiz your child on animal vocabulary, animal sounds and more as they play and you will be delighted to see their face light up when they put it all together!
The individual pieces can also be used as stacking blocks or for imaginary play. The possibilities for this toy are really varied and your child will be entertained for hours. You will be glad to see them learning while they play as they hone skills that will serve them later in life.
Safari Jumble retail price is $36]]>By creating such an environment, they not only pass on their languages, but also their cultural heritage. When you learn another language, you also learn about its culture. Culture and language are, in fact, very closely intertwined and cannot be disconnected from one another. Therefore, cultural heritage not only refers to a country’s general traditions, customs, norms and values, but also to its language and the way the members of that culture communicate.
So how can parents introduce their children to other languages, and why is it so important?
In general we can say that one of the best ways to teach children different languages is through fun and playful activities. Parents could e.g. consider: enrolling their kids in a language course where learning languages is combined with music, dancing and other creative activities; joining an international playgroup; hiring a babysitter who speaks the target language; going on vacation to immerse themselves in the language and culture. Another great way to raise multilingual kids, and this is probably the easiest and most natural way for parents who already speak the target languages fluently, is to simply use the languages regularly and consistently during all the fun, daily activities with children: reading, playing, coloring, crafting, watching cartoons, singing etc.
Whether parents are monolingual or multilingual, and whether or not they speak the target languages fluently, one of the most important things is to make the child’s learning experience as natural and enjoyable as possible. That is why at GeoCom for Kids we like to give parents the opportunity to introduce their children to foreign languages in a fun, natural and easy way, by designing a variety of cheerful and engaging language products, such as interactive games and coloring books, free online animations and various free printables.
Whichever language strategy and tools parents decide to use, one of the most essential aspects is to take the child’s needs, personality, preferences and family situation into consideration, and adapt the learning process accordingly. The gift of languages is one of the best gifts that parents can give to their children, and one that they will treasure for the rest of their lives. It will not only broaden their horizon and give them the possibility to communicate with more people around the world, learn about different cultures and have better job opportunities, but it will most likely also broaden their minds. Being aware of different languages and cultures from an early age will make cultural diversity more natural to children. It will therefore encourage them to be more open-minded and see cultural and linguistic differences not as an intercultural communication barrier, but rather as an asset and a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other’s differences. So let’s start introducing our kids to foreign languages now, and have lots of fun along the “intercultural way”!
To learn more about raising multilingual children, you can visit: www.bilingualmonkeys.com www.multilingualparenting.com www.bilingualavenue.com and www.trilingualmama.com
This blog was written by our great friends from GeoCom for Kids, To learn more about our multilingual project, please visit: www.geocomforkids.eu
]]>This beautiful wooden vintage-looking toy car is built with quality and design in mind. Your child will love making it zip around the kitchen table or their bedroom floor as they blare their imaginary sirens.
This type of imaginary play is essential to development of creativity and self-esteem. It is also how children gain information about the world around them. Kids who engage in pretend play are more aware of how things work, more social and better prepared for life. This would be a great toy for a child fascinated by the police cars that she or he sees on the road.
The Police Cruiser retail price is $35]]>1- A book. A book about racism is an easy way to open up the conversation and break down the concept for them. Children’s books about racism and tolerance are written to be understood by little ones. They often don’t specifically use the word, “racism” but talk about tolerance and open minded, loving behavior. They may broach the subject of people looking or acting differently and how a child can behave in such situations.
2- A movie. Similarly to children’s books, there are children’s movies that teach tolerance and cultural awareness. They may talk directly about racism or may just talk about being kind to those that are different. The most important thing is that you don’t pop the movie in and go have a cup of coffee. You need to sit with your child and watch the film and then discussed what he or she learned afterward.
3- Use toys to start easy talks about diversity. You can do this in two ways. First of all, and most importantly, make sure that all of their toys are multicultural and demonstrate different skin tones, ethnicities and cultures. If your child is Caucasian, all of their dolls should not be white and their books’ characters should be diverse. The second way in which you should use toys to help them understand racism is to use those toys and books to demonstrate important concepts about diversity and tolerance. Some ideas include:
•Using their action figures/dolls (who are of different races) to act out scenes of love and harmony.
•Reading books about different religions and belief systems.
•Encouraging them to care for a doll of another race.
•Encouraging them to dress their dolls in culturally diverse clothing.
•Encouraging them to build different families with their action figures/dolls and teaching them about all the types of families there are out there.
4- You can also simply ask your child if they have any questions about racism. You might ask if they have ever felt picked on or put down for being different, you can also ask if they have ever witnessed bullying or other inappropriate behaviors because of race or ethnicity. Then, you can ask them how they handled it and discuss what they might do in the future.
5- Discuss the word, “normal” with them. Ask them what they think is normal. Then ask them if they think they know anyone who they don’t think is normal. Allow them to answer honestly even if you aren’t pleased with their answer. Then, use the discussion to lead into a conversation about the word “normal” and how it means something different to everyone. (Ex. For an American, bread is “normal.” For an Indian, naan is “normal”) Explain that no one person’s “normal” can be wrong.
These conversations aren’t always easy, but they are necessary. Your children are exposed to all kinds of opinions on TV, in books, at school and during extracurricular activities. You need to be sure that they are learning the things that you want them to know.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_tweetmeme type="none"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_facebook type="standard"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_googleplus annotation="none"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_pinterest type="none"][/vc_column][/vc_row]]]>This building set will change the way you look at playing with blocks! Your child will be enthralled by the colorful magnetic blocks and spend hours creating and re-creating castles, bridges and whatever else strikes their fancy.
This type of play is essential to their development as it allows them to be creative and imaginative as well as build cognitive and motor skills. These skills will serve them later in life when they start science and math classes in high school and beyond. Your future mathematician, engineer or technology guru will thank you for starting them out right!
Magna-Tiles retail price is $51.50]]>These blocks are way more than just fun building toys. They are an innovative new way to help children grasp mathematics skills. Many children just need to SEE math and with these well-made wooden blocks, they can do just that. They can practice addition, fractions, multiplication and more and become the star of their math class.
Early success in math will lead to a love of learning as well as confidence. Entirely too many children these days lack self-esteem in regard to math and science. However, math and science skills are absolutely essential to so many careers these days. The sooner you can help your child to feel good about math, the better!
SumBlox retail price is $119.99]]>These colorful magnetic blocks will surely generate hours of fun for your children. It is the type of set that will ignite a passion for building and creating in your little one. Their creative juices will flow as they play with this award-winning toy. You will be thrilled to see the things that they build – cars, boats, planes, castles and more! The possibilities are endless.
These types of toys foster the skills that will encourage children to be interested in math and science. Your future engineer or architect will thank you some day!
Tegu 42 piece set retail price is $110]]>•What do you say about others? You may not think that they are listening or you may think that they are too young to understand but kids pick things up. They hear when you are angry or when you have been let down. While an adult might hear an intolerant statement and brush it off, knowing that it is not indicative of your character or true beliefs, a child will internalize it and repeat it.
•Talk to them about how the wonder and beauty of different cultures, skin tones and ethnicities of the human race, as a whole. Don’t talk about differences as though they are divisions. Talk about differences as a chance to learn new things and meet new types of people.
•Travel. Sure, it’d be great if you could travel to Asia, Africa, India or South America. It would be nice if you could fly across the country once or twice a year, too. In reality, you may not be able to do that. In that case, travel outside of your neighborhood, outside of your city, outside of your child’s environment. The more that they see and the more that they experience, the more open and tolerant they will be.
•Choose their toys and books with attention to race and culture. Make sure that some of their dolls or figurines are of a different race. Look for books that embrace cultural diversity. See to it that the movies and TV that they watch do not encourage stereotypes or use derogatory language. If you notice something in a book or on TV that you think is intolerant or inappropriate, point it out and explain what you don’t like about it.
•Encourage them to try new foods, new clothing styles, new types of music and more. Never give them the impression that they are not supposed to enjoy other cultures.
Just as racism and intolerance can be taught, so can tolerance and love. The single most important thing that you need to do to ensure that your kids are tolerant and open-minded is to be that way yourself.
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