GenParenting

Parenting resources for all who love and care for children

An Educator’s Reflection on George Floyd’s Tragic Death

An Educator’s Reflection on George Floyd’s Tragic Death

I am the Executive Director of Youth Policy Institute Charter Schools in the Los Angeles area. Last week, I sent the following message about George Floyd’s tragic death to my schools’ staff members.

As the mother of a 21-year-old son, I am stunned, angered, and not surprised, once again by the inhumane treatment of African-Americans. The images of today’s events, along with memories of stories repeated and passed down from one generation to another in my family are so clearly seared in my mind. The events leading up to George Floyd’s death and after have been extremely challenging for me to process as an adult. I am certain that it has been the same for many of our staff and children who have been living through the violence. [Read more…]

Helping Our Children Manage Their Feelings

Helping Our Children Manage Their Feelings

I just survived another challenging Monday morning in the classroom. My second-grade students were scheduled to attend an educational assembly early Monday morning until a series of power outages forced the staff to cancel the assembly. Then we returned to our classroom after completing a few exercises.

We started our classroom activities by talking about feelings for the day. We listened to a guided mediation where two children have built sand castles on the beach. After a couple of hours, the ocean surf washes away the sand castles. One child is happy while the other child is sad. [Read more…]

What Our Kids Learn Through Taekwondo Classes

What Our Kids Learn Through Taekwondo Classes

My grandson starting taking Taekwondo classes in Kindergarten. During his first year of classes, he became passionate about:

  • the kicks
  • punches
  • physical fitness games that required cognitive thinking while completing a pattern of activities

Becoming Culturally Sensitive

As my grandson worked through his program, he became more culturally sensitive when learning the Korean words for the various moves. A significant experience is the spirituality and respect the children learn for others that is reinforced in all individual and group activities. This respect is reinforced when my grandson:

  • Learns how to bow and make eye contact with his instructor and with his classmates when starting an activity
  • Is taught courtesy and self-defense when completing his kicks and punches
  • Becomes respectful of others and the environment
  • Is taught how to center himself in in relation to others and the environment

[Read more…]

Toy Buying Considerations for Our Children

Toy Buying Considerations for Our Children

It’s the season for giving and many parents ask us what they should consider when buying children’s toys. We have observed that children learn best when playing with toys that can be used in many different ways.

Toys for All Ages

Summarized below are our seven favorite types of toys for children of all ages:

  • Cuddly toys provide bonding, cuddling, and lots of situational and pretend play. These include stuffed animals, dolls, character blankets, busy blankets, toys with different types of tags, and puppets.
  • Situational toys support children’s creative expression and lifestyle problem-solving skills. Cooking items, food supplies, kitchen appliances, and cleaning supplies can be used to play house. Situational play kits that may include pirate ships, school houses, and cabins with furniture and supplies can be used to act out various imaginary activities.
  • Building and construction toys help children develop eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, and foster our children’s cognitive skill development. Building blocks, Lego, Magna-Tiles, and Brio kits provide endless options for constructing a multitude of items and reinforce Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills.
  • STEM exploration kits stimulate science, technology, engineering, and math problem-solving observations, experiments, and product construction. Elenco’s Electronic Snap Circuits, KEVA Catapult, Engino’s STEM Machines Engineering Kit, Rubik’s cubes, math puzzles, games, and science lab toys provide endless opportunities for children to apply math and science explorations and problem-solving skills.
  • Large muscle toys aid muscle growth and essential coordination skills. Push toys, wagons, trikes, bikes, scooters, balls, sand toys, and gardening tools support healthy large muscle development.
  • Books of all types help our children discover the world of reading, imagination, and problem-solving. When we read with our children their abilities to explore expand as we can discuss many possibilities of how a story can relate to our lives. Nonfictional books help our children learn about the world beyond their daily experiences. Artistic books without words allow are children to create their own stories and conclusions.
  • Art supplies help our children express their creativity, imagination, eye-hand coordination, and manual dexterity. Large crayons, marking pens, finger paints, watercolors, collage objects, glitter, glue, stickers, and lots of different types of paper and shapes reinforce our children’s discovery of art in relation to their world.

[Read more…]

Developmental Disabilities

Developmental Disabilities

A couple of months ago, I shared about identifying educational services for children who have special learning needs When Learning Disabilities Arise. Today, I am sharing about Developmental Disabilities. This subject is close to my heart because one of my sisters has this type of disability.

Some children have conditions that require deeper attention and support. These conditions may interfere with their growth and development. When parents realize that their child is not developing as other children do, they often ask:

    • Could my child have a developmental disability?
    • How can I get help for my child and myself, as a parent?

[Read more…]