Posts tagged 'girl power'

In this story, your child steps into the shoes of six outstanding women who have changed history. She gets to become an astronaut, an activist, a scientist, a mother, and so much more—teaching her that she can be anything and everything she wants to be, just like these real-life women. This book will teach your little girl to take pride in her intelligence, bravery, kindness, and capacity to love.

It's Election Day!

Men and women have been fighting for years to make sure we all have a voice. Make sure you use yours by getting out today and voting. Make sure your children learn to use their voices.

(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.

Show your daughters how to dream big with the two personalized books below!

I am excited about Poppy the pig being a part of the Put Me In The Story personalized platform because it's such an innovative and creative way to really engage a child's imagination within a book. There's no better way, in my eyes, for a child to connect with a story than when they are the star of it! So just like Poppy, I can see how Put Me In The Story will encourage kids to Dream Big!

Picture books, by their very nature, are meant to entertain, inspire, and foster love.

In Dream Big, Little Pig!, Poppy plans to do just that! Whether she's auditioning for Swan Lake, singing on Singing Stars, or modeling for Supermodel Search, Poppy gets support from friends and family. Like me, when she encounters the ice rink, Poppy finally realizes that this, in fact, is her dream. Regardless of how many times she falls, or how many people tell her she can't do it, Poppy persists.

My older daughter, Keara, named "Poppy." I chose a pig because I have always loved pigs, was born in the year of the pig, and collected anything "pig" when I was younger. They have been good luck to me. And a pig did seem to present a fun personality that came along with her own challenges. Aside from naming Poppy, my girls gave a little feedback on what Poppy's wardrobe should be like. They are a good test audience and are very honest on whether they like the story or not!

Poppy and the story were inspired by my two daughters. It was more about letting them know that dreams take hard work and there are challenges along the way, but they should never give up. My husband and I do try to encourage our girls to dream big and to be positive—all the while teaching them that it takes hard work too!

Having been born with deformed feet, I know what it means to face adversity from personal experience. I wore plaster casts on my legs until I was a year old. When the casts came off, I wore corrective shoes connected by a brace to turn my feet until I was about two.

Skating wasn't assigned to me, but when I expressed an interest in it at the age of five, the doctors said it would help. I remember seeing Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill and wanting to capture the magic of those shows. Through persistence and hard work, I overcame my challenges and achieved my dream of becoming an Olympic champion.

Like Poppy, I learned about adversity and the importance of perseverance. As the mother of two young girls, I'm hoping that Poppy will inspire kids to do the same.

The motto "Always Dream" has served as my personal inspiration for many years. It is my constant reminder to dream big, never lose sight of my goals, and strive to become a better person. This book represents my desire to share that with children everywhere.

— Kristi Yamaguchi

Download a FREE Dream Big Little Pig! Activity Kit