Book Review and Giveaway: Pink Tiara Cookies For Three

I am excited to be a part of The Pink Tiara Blog Tour today! Maria Dismondy has written a charming new book, Pink Tiara Cookies For Three. It’s a lovely picture book that helps young girls explore friendship – beyond having one exclusive best friend.

Having a daughter, teaching in schools, and working in youth organizations, I know first-hand about the challenges girls often have with building, maintaining and expanding friendships. We all know that girls can be just plain mean (though also wonderful!), so it’s nice to have a picture book to share with girls about overcoming relational challenges.

Maria’s book offers a lovely and light-hearted avenue to help caregivers explore respectful and kind friendships that can swim against the tide of the bullying and exclusion that are too often present. The drawings are whimsical, relatable, and inspiring. The text is spot-on - even my five-year daughter could easily understand the emotional struggles and the character choices exhibited in the storyline. She quickly identified the main character as choosing meanness instead of kindness throughout most of the story, and cheered when she decided at the end of the story to be a true friend.

This book would be great for counselors, teachers, and parents of young girls.

Click here to see a cute one-minute youtube video overview of the book that captures snippets of the text along with the beautiful pictures.

Click here to order an autographed copy of the book at Maria’s website.

Learn more about Maria’s expertise and passions at www.mariadismondy.com

Wanna WIN your own copy of the book, along with a tiara cookie cutter from Maria? Post a comment with your favorite book for young girls, and I will select a random winner on Friday, January 20, 2012.

Quiet Here, But Talking There

I've been a little bit quieter on this blog, because I've been writing a lot at my other blog. At The Asset Edge, I write about positive child/youth development strategies that inspire teachers, parents, youth pastors and youth workers to nurture young people. Based on research in the Developmental Assets (40 building blocks that all kids need to succeed), we empower youth and adults to live authentic lives of character, service and leadership.

I've also been investing more time in writing books. Susan Ragsdale and I are about to publish our 3rd book (Building Character from the Start), and we're writing a 4th book to come out next year. I am enjoying the writing so much - God wired me to be a nerd!

I've been quiet for the last 10 days, because I was on a wonderful vacation with my extended family on a lake in east TN. We've been b-u-s-y skiing, tubing, floating, kayaking, hiking, eating, making ice cream, playing cards, coloring, blowing bubbles, and hanging out with my parents, my 3 siblings, and all of our children. Such great memories! You can see some of the pictures on facebook.

I'll keep writing here once or twice each week, but if you want more meaty articles, you can check out my other blog. Or you can follow me on twitter (TheAssetEdge) and the updates will tell you when I post an article on either blog. Technology is crazy, isn't it?

Blessings!

Safari Greg at our Local Library

Our library has an amazing calendar of Summer Reading Programs each year. Today they hosted Safari Greg from Urban Safari. He kept 100+ children (ages 6mo to 60 years) completely enrapt with his humor, his magic, and of course his animals.

You can see some of the children holding his 13ft banana python snake in the picture below. The close-up picture from his website gives you a better picture of the snake.

But he wasn't just showing animals to the kids, he was building the asset of commitment to learning with the attending families. He ignited their curiousity and engaged them in learning about the animals' diets, habitats, and physiques. He involved the children in the show, so they were 100% active learners.

It's not surprising to hear that a library is building the commitment to learning asset, because libraries are places that we learn. But the Children's Librarian goes to stellar efforts to inspire these kids to read. Each week, children keep a log of the books they read (or have read to them), documenting the book title and the # of pages. The two children who read the most pages get gift cards donated by local businesses - and they are nice gifts like a $25 to a child-friendly restaurant or a 4 tickets to a local riverboat cruise. And she also does a drawing to give gifts to children who come to storytime and parents who make the effort to get children there. Most of all, the children's program just reinforces the idea that reading is FUN!

Their summer theme is imagination, which is a direct link to the Constructive Use of Time Asset of Creative Activities. The whole storytime room is filled with imaginative artwork, so it's a delightful atmosphere.

Isn't great that asset-building can be so full of energy and so fun?

Motivating Kids to Do Their Best - from MVParents

I like this post on Motivating Kids to Do Their Best from MVParents

Here is Lynette's intro, "You want your kids to do their best. But what is their best? How do you know if your kids are living up to their full potential? Consider these ideas."

And here is a sampling of her ideas - there are many more in her full article:

Notice how much your child is self-motivated. Some kids seem to know what they want and go after it. Others seem to dillydally a lot. Every child has a different amount of self-motivation.

Be aware of the difference between extrinsic motivation (being motivated by others with rewards and bribes) and intrinsic motivation (being motivated internally to do something). Although it’s okay to try to motivate kids from time to time with rewards, try to get in touch with what makes your child motivated from the inside and focus on that motivation.

Look for fun ways to spice up activities that your child doesn’t enjoy, such as certain chores or doing homework for least-favorite subjects. For example, play music and dance while you dust. Or let your child sit with a favorite stuffed animal while doing homework.

For parents with children ages birth to 5
A key point for this age group is to give kids stimulating activities that encourage their curiosity—rather than kills it. Kindergarten teachers say they can always tell which kids have had their curiosity nurtured when they arrive at school the first day. These are the kids who have had parents who take them to interesting places (zoos, children’s museums, the library, the playground, the grocery store) and also have provided interesting, stimulating activities, such as reading aloud, going for walks and identifying colors, and building towers out of blocks.

For parents with children ages 6 - 9
Young children are still highly relational. They tend to be motivated to do well when they adore the adults they’re with. Connect them with trusted, competent adults who care about them.

For parents with children ages 10 - 15
Notice the new interests that get your kids excited. Sometimes it’s giggling about the opposite sex, reading comic books, or fashion. Kids at this age are highly aware of which social groups they fit into and don’t fit into, and so many are motivated to look—and act—a certain way.

For parents with children ages 16 - 18
Keep tabs on how competition is affecting your teenager’s motivation. For some teenagers, competition motivates them more. For others, competition paralyzes them. Give suggestions on how to handle competition well.

Share the Love - Building Assets through Valentine Traditions

Holidays offer a great opportunity to be intentional about building assets, building memories, and having fun together. Valentine’s Day, in particular, is a great time to show others that you care, leading to a more caring school climate, a more supportive home environment, stronger intergenerational relationships and healthier friendships. Here are some ideas you can use in the weeks surrounding Valentine’s Day.

Loving Words
• Hide conversation hearts around the room for children to find. Let children hunt and hide them again and again.
• Get sneaky – put mini love notes in each other’s pockets, lunchboxes or on their pillows during the week. On each note, share a specific trait you admire about that person such as, “Your hugs every night make my day,” “I love your ready smile,” or “Thank you for your helpful spirit.”
• Send cards to people you care about. Draw pictures or write poems to tell them why they are important to you.

Loving Hands
• Make Valentines on the computer. Create labels using your own photo, add a Valentine message, and then stick the label to treats.
• Remember old fashioned paper weaving with paper strips? Weave pink, white, and red placemats.
• Get creative – make valentine t-shirts with paints or draw hearts and fill in with words and pictures that represent things that each is proud of themselves and each other.
• Make ‘stained glass’ hearts using recycled crayons and waxed paper.

Kitchen Celebrations
• Incorporate red, pink, and white foods into your Valentine’s Day meals
o Red: strawberries, apples, dried cranberries, red peppers, raspberries, red hots, spaghetti, lasagna
o White: bananas, cauliflower, yogurt covered raisins, marshmallows, vanilla yogurt, alfredo pasta
o Pink: strawberry ice cream, strawberry milk, strawberry yogurt
• Hide a Valentine message and candy treat as a surprise.
• Write ‘love notes’ with a sharpie marker on the peel of a banana or a sandwich bag
• Cut out hearts - sandwiches, pizza, pancakes, cookies, rice crispy treats, napkins, placemats....
• Have friends over for a pancake breakfast. Make heart-shaped pancakes using a metal cookie cutter. Serve with raspberry or strawberry preserves and a dollop of whipped cream.

Show Some Love to Others
• Volunteer together to help someone in need. (Need inspiration? For young children, read Berenstain Bears’ Think of Those in Need by Stan and Jan Berenstain. For pre-teens and teens consider reading our book, Ready to Go Service Projects: 140 Ways for Youth Groups to Lend a Hand.)

In the Classroom
• Children and youth alike will enjoy these classic picture books: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine by Marjorie Sharmat, Queen of Hearts by Mary Engelbreit or Olive, My Love by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh.
• Do a health study on sugar, a gift commonly given during Valentine’s Day.
• Study the heart in science class.
• Language arts: write poems or stories about love and friendship.
• History: interview older adults about their Valentine’s traditions, or study the history of Valentine’s Day.

On the Big Screen
Spread out sleeping bags and enjoy a box of popcorn as you enjoy classic movies about love and friendship. Some of our favorites include: Ever After, Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, Shrek, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Lady and the Tramp, Cars, The Lion King, or The Princess Bride.


Assets Built through These Valentine’s Traditions: * Family support * Positive family communication * Other adult relationships * Caring neighborhood * Caring school climate * Service to others * Positive peer influence * Creative activities * Youth programs * Time at home * Reading for pleasure * Caring * Equality and social justice * Planning and decision making * Interpersonal competence * Self-esteem *

To learn more about positive youth development and the Developmental Assets, visit www.TheAssetEdge.net or www.search-institute.org.

Clifford Big Ideas - a Philanthropic Valentine

I received this email today, so I thought I'd share it with you. It's a great opportunity for Clifford-loving kids to consider their values and actions, while having a little fun. And everytime you play, you can know you've helped give money to a good cause - without spending a dime!

HandsOn Network and Scholastic have joined forces to launch a cause campaign with Clifford The Big Red Dog® to raise awareness for how CLIFFORD'S BIG IDEAS can make the world a better place.

Throughout the year, Clifford's BE BIG! campaign will create unique opportunities to promote CLIFFORD'S BIG IDEAS (Share, Play Fair, Have Respect, Work Together, Be Responsible, Be Truthful, Be Kind, Believe in Yourself, Be a Good Friend, Help Others). Clifford's BIG Ideas inspire children and adults to think BIG and act BIG in their communities.

Starting Feb. 2 you can create and send a virtual Valentine's Day Card to Clifford; for every card delivered through Feb. 28, Scholastic will donate $1.00 to The BE BIG! Fund at HandsOn Network (up to $20,000).

Free valentine's newsletter about healthy children and youth

I just published the February Asset Messenger, the Center for Asset Development's free e-newsletter that talks about practical ways to nurture children and youth. This month's issue highlights ways to build developmental assets during the Valentine season. You can get your free e-copy by emailing me at ann(at)theassetedge(dot)net.

Research Says: Eat Dinner Together as a Family!

I just posted an article titled, "Ten Benefits of Frequent Family Dinners" at www.TheAssetEdge.net. It contains really powerful statistics that prove the more often children and teens eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs. It will remind you about the importance of sitting down to eat together - even in the busyness of life!

Speaking of eating tonight, I haven't planned what we're having for dinner! I need to get myself into action!!

Giving Kids the Edge They Need to Succeed

I spent yesterday moving my "Giving Kids the Edge They Need to Succeed" blog to blogger. I've used the blog associated with our website for 6 months, but it's archaic in comparison to blogger.

Here's the blog description - it has great info for moms, so I hope you'll stop by to visit!

We give kids the edge they need to succeed – the asset edge. Based on research in the Developmental Assets, we empower youth and adults to live healthy, caring and productive lives; and we help build healthy, caring schools and communities. We hope our ideas will inspire and equip you to nurture the youth around you!

My Newest Book - Building Character From the Start

Our newest book is finally finished - well at least the first stage of publishing is finished. Susan & I just turned in the final draft of our latest book, which will be published by Search Institute Press in fall 09:

Building Character From the Start

201 Activities to Foster Creativity, Literacy, and Play in K-3

Here is a brief description of the chapters included:

• Unit One: Finish the Pictures – Opportunities for children to draw and write stories that ‘finish the pictures’ on the page.
• Unit Two: Experiencing Books – 98 books that encourage self-expression, healthy relationships, creativity, and strong character. Each book connects to talking points and activities for further exploration.
• Unit Three: Masterpiece Creations – full of story starters, activities with food, and artistic explorations.
• Unit Four: Play and Move - games that promote literacy, creativity and play.

We're very excited about the books, games, and writing activities that will inspire children in homes, schools and other youth organizations. We thank God for his many blessings!

If you want to receive an email when the book is released, leave your contact info in a comment box or email me at mommysecretsblog(at)gmail(dot)com.

If you want to take a peek at our other books, click below:

• Great Group Games: 175 Boredom Busting, Zero Prep Team Builders for All Ages
• Ready-to-Go Service Projects: 140 Ways for Youth Groups to Lend a Hand
  

Building Positive Identity in Children and Youth

Positive Identity is one of the 8 categories of strengths (Developmental Assets) that all children need to succeed. The Search Institute defines positive identity as “young people need to believe in their own self-worth and to feel that they have control over the things that happen to them.”

The characteristics listed under positive identity are:
1. Personal power. Young person feels he or she has control over “things that happen to me.”
2. Self-esteem. Young person reports having a high self-esteem.
3. Sense of purpose. Young person reports that “my life has a purpose.”
4. Positive view of personal future. Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.

Read the full blog post on my other blog at www.theassetedge.net. Or visit www.search-institute.org, where you can learn more about the research behind assets, and discover many other resources to promot your journey to nurture healthy youth.