Teach Your Kids to Dream BIG!
It's important to provide your children with the tools they need to reach for the stars! Show them how to follow their heart and believe that anything is possible with these 5 tips.
It's important to provide your children with the tools they need to reach for the stars! Show them how to follow their heart and believe that anything is possible with these 5 tips.
This holiday season is the perfect time to remind your child that reading is fundamental (and also really fun). If you're looking for ways to show your little one that reading can be remarkable, use these 5 simple gifting tips to introduce your child to their new favorite book.
What if every day was Halloween? For one lucky little boy in Chicago, it is! Henry Corner Miller and his family are celebrating the return of the Halloween season with a new Halloween costume for every day of October. Thanks to his parents and their ingenious Halloween costume ideas, baby Henry and his wickedly cute Halloween costumes have become a big hit on Instagram. From a cute Clark Kent to a precious little pineapple, baby Henry is giving super sweet Halloween costume ideas for kids everywhere.
(Artwork from Marianne Richmond's Hooray for You!)
Whether you're Irish or not, writing limericks (or any form of poetry, really) is fun! A limerick is a short, funny riddle or poem that rhymes in a well-defined form. Limericks are only five lines long and because they're so short and rhythmic, they're quite easy to memorize and tons of fun to read aloud.
Since it's almost St. Patrick's Day, we thought it would be fun for you to sit down with your kids and do a little creative writing exercise to celebrate the Irish. It's very easy!
• The form consists of a stanza of just five lines.
• Lines 1, 2, and 5 share the same rhyme and are considered the longer lines.
• Lines 3 and 4 should rhyme with each other and are usually shorter.
• They have a fun storytelling rhythm that's great for reading aloud.
• They're usually silly—so be sure to encourage your child to find a good punch line!
• A limerick's rhyme scheme is AABBA. The "A's" in the rhyme scheme represent lines 1, 2, and 5, which are the lines that rhyme with one another. The "B's" in the rhyme scheme represent lines 3 and 4, which rhyme with each other.
• The number of syllables in each line vary, but lines 1, 2, and 5 have around 8 syllables with 3 that are accented and lines 3 and 4 have around 5 syllables with 2 that are accented. This forms the beat (or the fun rhythm!).
• Think of Mother Goose's old nursery rhyme as a guide for rhythm and beat:
Hickory, dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one
And down he run,
Hickory, dickory, dock
• Brainstorm a general subject, topic, or character for your limerick.
• Make a list of fun words that rhyme and relate to your limerick's topic.
• If you don't know where to start, start with the line: "There once was…" and go on to find five more syllables. For Example, There once was a girl from Nantucket
• Encourage your child to include a simile in their limerick! A simile is a comparison between two things using the words "like" or "as."
• A pen, pencil, crayon—any sort of writing utensil will do!
• A piece of paper (preferably a green one, cut in the shape of a shamrock)
• An imagination!
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There once was a girl named Isabella Whose hair was as purple as that Barney fellah Her imagination would roar Her dreams would soar And it was all because she'd say "My name is not Isabella" |
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There once was a boy named Alexander Whose mind decided to take a gander He imagined he was Thomas Edison And then Jackie Robinson All because he thought: "My name is not Alexander" |
(Artwork from My Name Is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry and Mike Litwin)
With all the mounting possibilities and opportunities for women, what a wonderful time it is to be a young girl growing up! As mothers and fathers, we'll want to nurture our girls with love and encouragement, give them our time, and make them always feel supported and safe.
Lead the way by being their role model! Be transparent—let them see your strengths and even a few of your weaknesses. They'll most likely learn to follow your example at a young age, so make sure your setting a good one!
In honor of International Women's Day, we'd like to share a few tips to help your daughters grow up with positive self-esteem and a strong sense of self-worth. So they can, one day, go on to accomplish their biggest goals and make their dreams a reality.
1. Allow her to be curious and persistent—to voice her opinion, knowing that you're listening. In fact, require that she does! Demonstrate to her what it means to be true to herself: strong in her stance and confident in her own skin.
2. Urge her to dream big, play dress up, and be imaginative. Remind her that she can be anything she wants when she grows up: a dentist, a teacher, a scientist, a doctor, an author. Don't sugarcoat any of the work it takes to become one of these figures, of course. You'll still communicate to her that it takes hard work, but explain that this is what makes the experience so rewarding.
3. As she enters school, make sure she is forming meaningful relationships with female figures in school or outside of school. It's important for young women to have mentors outside of their home, too.
4. Help your daughter focus on who she is—defined by her heart, character, abilities, self-worth, those who love her—rather than her physical appearance.
5. Show your daughter how to set and track achievable short term and long term goals. You can show her how to start small and stay grounded in what she chooses to write down, but also make sure she doesn't limit herself. However, it is important that the goals are realistic to her abilities. Be sure to revisit these goals together as often as possible!
Your daughter's self-esteem and development is the most malleable and impressionable in the first three years of her life. Use this stage of her life to really teach her how to value herself, her thoughts, her mind, her heart.
Don't be hard on yourself though! Remember that some girls develop a sense of independence with more ease than others, and this is not a reflection on your parenting. It's never too late to start teaching your daughter self-worth, whether she's two or fifteen.
Every girl needs guidance, YOUR help with discovering her talents and abilities, and your support in the careers, goals, dreams, etc. she chooses to pursue. With your time, patience, and guidance, she will grow up to be an amazing woman!
We encourage you to share scientist Marie Curie's story with your little girl today to inspire her to plan a big future and chase after her dreams! Marie Curie was the first to learn how radiation works and the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. This blurb can be found, along with other amazing women who have changed history, in
Jennifer Fosberry's personalized book My Name Is Not Isabella.
My Name is Not Isabella Personalized BookMy Name is Not Isabella takes your child on a journey through time to learn about some of the amazing women who changed history. Your daughter will go on an adventure of discovery—and find out how imagining to be these extraordinary women can teach her the importance of being her extraordinary self. |
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Dream Big, Little Pig! Personalized BookTurn Kristi Yamaguchi's New York Times bestselling picture book into a personalized hardcover keepsake that your child will always cherish! This customized book will make your story time an extraordinary experience you will both remember forever. |