Plus, expressing gratitude, keeping music in their lives, Diwali time
|  | Sunday, November 8, 2020 | | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY WAVEBREAKMEDIA, GETTY IMAGES
| | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
Last week as I was binging some Karate Kid nostalgia via the Netflix series Cobra Kai (because, why not?), I started hearing high-pitched chanting outside my window. Looking out at the park across the street, I saw what has become a common site here in D.C.: Children marching.
I’m not sure what they were protesting—they had signs and a mantra, both of which were too far away for me to decipher. But it felt good to know that a day after I had made my voice heard by voting early, people far too young to vote were doing whatever they could to make their voices heard as well.
Despite many adults’ assumptions that young people don’t care about much of anything beyond TikTok videos and snacks, kids are actually passionate about many issues—and they want to make a difference. After all, it was children who started walking out of schools all over the world to bring attention to climate change, and kids who organized gun-control marches after yet another school shooting. (Read Nat Geo’s interview with teen activist Greta Thunberg.) Racial justice, school, and—nowadays—healthcare are also top-of-mind. (What issues are your kids passionate about? We want to know.)
Parents are crucial when it comes to helping children find their voices, whether it’s simply having conversations at home or sussing out a safe protest for them to attend. “As parents, we’re helping build some muscles in these kids that they can use in other areas of life,” Caroline Paul, author of You Are Mighty: A Guide to Changing the World, tells Nat Geo in an article about empowering kids to make a difference. “Civic action shows children that they’re not powerless, that their actions have meaning and consequence—even though they’re ‘just kids.’” (For kid-friendly ideas on making a difference, check out the Nat Geo Kids book 100 Ways to Make the World Better!)
And it turns out having a voice is healthy for children. “When kids feel empowered to speak up on an issue, they gain the ability to find their voice as they develop their social-emotional skills,” psychotherapist Rwenshaun Miller says. “These skills can help them resolve conflicts, manage stress, resist negative social pressures, and improve their decision making.”
So support your little vegetarians. Don’t get too upset when they spill paint on the floor from making window signs. Listen to their passionate arguments—even if you disagree. Because raising them to speak their minds will help them become informed, engaged adults who will make the world a better place—even if their biggest concern right now is a lack of TikTok videos and snacks.
If you want to get this newsletter every week, sign up here. If you want your kids to get Nat Geo Kids magazine, subscribe here. For Nat Geo Little Kids, subscribe here.
| | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY F:NALINFRAME, ALAMY | | An attitude of gratitude. The approaching holidays are often a time for families to express what they’re grateful for. This year, though, well … yeah. But experts say that teaching your kids to have a gratitude mindset will help them overcome challenges—including this year. “Gratitude is like a secret ingredient to happiness, or a superpower to foster positive feelings,” pediatrician Hina Talib tells Nat Geo’s Heather Greenwood Davis. “There has never been a more important time for youth to practice flexing their gratitude muscles.” Experts recommend tips like expressing your own gratitude around your children (even if it’s simply “Today I’m grateful I can remember that it’s Wednesday and not Thursday”) and paying it forward by doing something like sending notes to a retirement community because they’re grateful for their own grandparents.
We asked, you responded. Last week we wanted to know what parents were doing to encourage civic engagement in their children. Besides taking kids with them to vote, moms and dads (and some grandparents) reported encouraging their future leaders to “practice vote” in presidential and local elections, watching and discussing debates as well as the candidates, and urging children to ask plenty of questions so they can make decisions for themselves. Hey, parents, have we mentioned how much you rock lately?
Family discussion: Have you and your neighbors ever gotten together to do something to help another neighbor? To fix something in the neighborhood? Or help pull a motorist out of a ditch? National Geographic Explorer Asha de Vos told us about how when at least 100 whales began beaching themselves last Monday on the sand in Sri Lanka, she and her neighbors made a frantic effort to help push them back to sea. Nearly all the whales were saved, the marine biologist told our Animals editor, Rachael Bale. It was hard work, de Vos said, but “it was incredible to see the compassion everyone had for the animals.” Here’s more from her Instagram page.
| | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSE LUIS PELAEZ INC., GETTY IMAGES | |
And the band plays on. Apparently my cousin is still practicing with his high school band—they’re just all playing instruments outside while standing six feet apart. And he’s lucky. Because of pandemic closures, many schools have nixed music education courses and activities this year. But when children engage with music, they can decrease their stress levels as well as grow brain areas responsible for thinking, memory, emotion regulation, and motor coordination. That’s why—as Nat Geo’s Gulnaz Khan writes in this article about the health benefits of music—it’s important to try to incorporate it into kids’ everyday lives. Have an after-dinner dance party. Sing, even if you can’t carry a tune. Bang rhythmically onto some pots and pans. (OK, maybe that’s just a monthly activity.)
We’re going nuts. Sorry—we couldn’t help it. But we’re loving these pics of a chipmunk influencer named Thelonius Munk (get it?) that’s living the life with some custom-made tiny dining options. And since this is a serious family newsletter, here are some educational facts about chipmunks.
| | | |
| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY KAPHOTO, DREAMSTIME | |
Festival of lights. This Saturday, introduce kids to Diwali, one of India’s most important holidays. The five-day celebration is known as the Festival of Lights for the clay lamps (pictured above) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness. But the holiday also includes fireworks displays, yummy sweets, and family feasts. Watch this video about the celebration, or check out this Diwali episode from Mira, Royal Detective on Disney Junior or in the DisneyNOW app. (Note: The Walt Disney Company is majority owner of National Geographic Partners.)
Meet real-life adventurers! Kids can connect in real-time with scientists and explorers through Nat Geo Education’s Explorer Classroom, a live YouTube show. This week, children can hear tales from large carnivore biologist Christina Wilkinson, plus celebrate Geography Awareness Week. On hand for that will be scientist Lydia Gibson, who’ll show kids how she maps rainforests, and geographer Alex Tait, who’ll wow viewers with stories of mapping Mount Everest. Get more details and register here.
This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and Rachel Buchholz. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead! | | | |
Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply.
This email was sent to: agaogroups@gmail.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.
This email contains an advertisement from:
National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036
You are receiving this email because you elected to receive marketing communications from National Geographic under the terms of our Privacy Policy.
Manage all types of email preferences with National Geographic Partners.
Unsubscribe from this type of email.
© 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved. | | |
{Litmus Here}
0 comments:
Post a Comment