Heroes Among Us Reading Activity

Looking to find an inspiring hero? You can always find a hero in a good book! Within its captivating pages, read about the life of someone who overcame obstacles, or fought for their rights, or had the integrity to do the right thing even though they may be the odd one out. Consider some of these stories or suggest some of your favorites in the comments below.

Suggested stories or books on “heroes” may include:

After reading the poem or any of the books listed above, you can answer the comprehension questions and submit a comment to GenParenting.com comments.

The Mighty Sequoia

By Jaime Koo

Come, my daughter. Come and hear.

Your mother’s mother, the mighty sequoia

Has a story of grandeur supremely clear.

Winds howled, rain poured, lightning struck severe.

Against all odds and likelihood of survival, she flourished.

Her will to grow and to give life, nature would never interfere.

Come, my Son. come, my dear.

Your father’s father, the mighty sequoia

Has a story of gentleness most sincere.

Broken spirits found strength in his listening ear.

Under his bountiful branches, he bestowed solace and shelter.

His compassionate, comfortable breeze wiped away each tear.

Come, my child, come never fear.

You are the mighty sequoia

A hero with the grit to persevere.

Now and again, the trial of a great fire will come near.

Smoke will blur your vision, flames will threaten to devour.

Stand tall. You are much stronger than you appear.

Come, my child, come never fear.

In the face of adversity,

In the spirit of the people,

In the fury of the fire,

You are the legacy of the mighty sequoia,

A hero with the grit to persevere.

Ask your children the following questions after reading the poem or another selected book:

• Did you enjoy this story? Why or why not?
• What was the difficulty that the main character was facing? How would you have reacted in that situation?
• Imagine how this story might be different if it were set in a different culture or time?
• Do you know anyone in real life who reminds you of a character in this story?
• What are some character traits that you like about the main character in the story? What did they do to demonstrate that trait?
• What are some things you can do this week to help others?
• Does this story remind you of any other stories you’ve read? What is similar?

Listed below are relevant California Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy that support elementary school learners:

• Kindergarten – With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
• Grade 1 – Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
• Grade 2 – Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
• Grade 3 – Describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
• Grade 4 – Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• Grade 5 – Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Heroes Among Us Family Activities for Preschool and Elementary School

The summer season is a wonderful time for many families to catch a great family-oriented movie, share popcorn together, and bond over some quality time. Watch a new release at a movie theatre, or view an all-time favorite in the comfort of your own home. Go have some fun!

Current Family-Friendly Movie:

Incredibles 2, rated PG

Other Current Movies

(may be better suited for older elementary students):

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

All-time Family Movie Favorites, all rated PG:

The LEGO movie

Ferdinand

The Sandlot

Despicable Me

Kung-Fu Panda

Materials

• Movies on the “hero” theme.
• Stories or books on the “hero” theme.
• Public service officer vehicles (ambulance, police car, fire truck, etc.)
• Play house or doll house
• Stuffed animals or other plush toys
• Small figurines (Calico Corner figures, Lego characters, etc.)

Activities

1. For families with young pre-school aged children, read a story on the theme “Heroes Among Us” and use toys (vehicles, doll houses, stuffed animals, figurines, etc.) to role-play a “hero” story.
   • Who is the hero?
   • Who needs help?
   • Where does the action take place?
   • What is the problem?
   • Is the hero willing or reluctant to help? Why?
   • What can the hero do to help?
   • What obstacles are in the way?
   • How does the problem get resolved?
2. For families with older children, read a story on the theme “Heroes Among Us,” and watch a movie with the “Hero” theme. Here are some follow-up activities you can do together:
   • Families can compare the hero in the book with the hero in the movie. Host a friendly debate during dinner and choose the better hero.
     • Which hero had the greater impact?
     • How do you measure that impact?
     • Does your hero have a character flaw or physical disability?
     • Which hero had to overcome more difficult, external challenges?
     • Which hero had to conquer more difficult, internal challenges?

3. Families can research and find another book or movie about a hero to recommend to others.

4. Family members can each recognize and thank a “Local hero.” Acknowledge someone in the family        for their attributes or someone in the community for their contributions to the community.

5. Families can write a thank you card, present home-grown flowers, or bring homemade cookies for       their favorite family member or local hero.

Common Core Standards

Listed below are relevant California Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy that support elementary school learners:

• Kindergarten – With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
• Grade 1 – Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
• Grade 2 – Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
• Grade 3 – Describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
• Grade 4 – Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• Grade 5 – Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Being Your Child’s Advocate for School and for Life

This past academic year was a bumpy one – and that’s putting it mildly! We have encountered so many challenges and obstacles in our family life, in our work world, and in our children’s academic needs. When thinking about all the difficulties that you had to navigate to keep your child’s learning momentum going, I urge you – keep going. Once students return to school in the fall, whether in person, some form of a hybrid program, or heaven forbid a terrible outbreak and distance learning starts again, they will still need you – their parent – to be their advocate. Stand up for what is best for your child, whether by nudging your child gently, or by intervening on their behalf. Here are some ways to continue guiding your children and showing them you care.

Mental Health

Above and beyond all else, please check in with your child and connect with them on a daily basis. Regular interactions in which you can express love and affection to your child in a way that speaks to their heart is the best way to go. A lot of external factors can be swirling around in a teen’s world, but children need you –  their parent – a constant source of affirmation. If things are rocky between you and your child, try to find another trusted adult role model who could provide a regular check in for your child. If your child is completely withdrawn and sullen, seek advice from your medical provider, your school counselor, or other professional help.

Physical Health

The old adage “You are what you eat” comes to mind here! Eating healthy, nutritious food gives you a foundation for a healthy body and a clear mind. For middle schoolers who are experiencing puberty, healthy eating helps regulate mood. Steer clear of sugary snacks and drinks, as they lead to inflammation and can cause acne, among a host of many other health problems. Drink plenty of water and get enough sleep at night. Take advantage of cool mornings or longer daylight hours in the evening to make sure you and your teens are getting regular exercise.

Family Life

If there’s a positive aspect to come out of sheltering in place, it is the regular interaction with family members in your household. Thankfully, we are in a post-shelter-in-place environment now, and hopefully, you will continue the good habit of eating and communicating regularly with your children. Even as society transitions into a post-pandemic reality, children still need the stability of regular relationships and positive connections with their family members.

Friendship

I always thought this practice was strange, but when my middle school aged daughter attended get-togethers at a friend’s house pre-pandemic, she would tell me that they would watch movies on their device or be on their phones talking about memes they sent each other over text. During the pandemic, children might not have had any choice but to connect with friends virtually, and maybe even participate in online games. It is my sincere hope that they don’t return to in-person get-togethers – only to revert back to online interactions! Suggest that your children and their friends ride their bikes at the park, visit the beach, or plan outdoor picnics. Gently wean them from reliance on their devices so they can appreciate and nurture true human interaction.

Media and Technology

While we’re on the topic of screen time, cell phones, social media and all things technology for our tweens and teens, please do check out Common Sense Media for their age-appropriate and thoughtful reviews of books, video games, apps, movies, and more that your child may be consuming. As for cell phone use, consider these convincing points presented by Wait Until 8th. To adopt a healthy perspective and relationship with technology, check out recommendations made by the Center for Humane Technology.

Life Long Learning

Acquiring knowledge does not happen at school alone. Now that summer break is upon us, I highly encourage a brain break for your kids! Opt for enriching activities that emphasize critical thinking as applied to life skills. For example, your children might find it enjoyable (and delicious) to research and plan healthy recipes, prepare a budget for grocery shopping, and cook a family meal. Kids who are interested in learning how to invest money might find it captivating to take some online financial literacy classes and participate in mock stock market simulations. Other topics to consider exploring – play an instrument, learn to code, design a webpage, create art using a new medium, start a home business, take up photography, or learn a new language. The possibilities are endless!

These next eight weeks of summer blogs will feature a variety of activities that you can share with your children and family throughout the summer break. Happy play and learning!

Wishing you well,

Jaime

Copyright © 2021 by GenParenting

Giving Tweens and Teens Freedom with Responsibility

“Wash the plate not because it is dirty, nor because you were told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.” – Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Wanting Freedoms

When my children were little, they couldn’t wait to tie their shoelaces by themselves. They couldn’t wait to brush their teeth by themselves. And they couldn’t wait to put on their clothes by themselves. Now that they are both in middle school, they can’t wait to use their own credit card, get their driver’s license, own their own car, and live in their own house all by themselves – all of which are out of reach for them at the moment! So how does the transition from childhood to adulthood happen? What should a parent do during the tween and teen years before their kids become a young adult at age 18?

Learning Independent Life Skills

In our family, we use the tween and teen years to teach our kids independent life skills as a responsibility out of deference to others. Sure, we could teach their kids to complete tasks out of necessity, or to follow direct instruction, but ultimately, we want to teach our children that true freedom comes when you choose to do a menial task that is motivated by love. To help work towards that goal, my children are assigned individual and shared household tasks based on ability by age. We want our kids to be grateful participants and productive contributors to their community as adults. Since the family is the most basic unit of society, the best practice for freedom with responsibility starts at home.

Managing Financial Responsibilities

In terms of financial freedom, we adhered to conservative spending habits and taught the girls to follow these guidelines: save 70%, spend 20%, and give 10% of their money to charity. We put their savings in a high yield children’s account so they can learn about compound interest. As parents, we always bought them items they needed and sometimes wanted, but we let them spend 20% so they can splurge on purchases for items they enjoy. So why give 10% to charity? When children are young, they easily accept that there are others in need and we should give some of our money for other’s benefit and for the greater good. We have given to the Salvation Army, participated in canned food drives, and donated funds to animal preservation organizations. Later in life, our kids will have to pay taxes, and they will approach taxes with the same mentality that it is for others – money goes to schools, money goes to maintaining the roads, money goes to upkeeping the library! Of course, they will vote on measures as to how that money is spent, but they will have adopted the habit of giving for the greater good.

Coordinating Household Chores

To help our middle school aged daughters learn responsible, independent living, they share a bedroom, share the bathroom, tidy up the kitchen together after meals, and take care of their laundry together. By design, they have to learn how to communicate effectively with one another, cooperate to complete household tasks together, and coordinate schedules to get their personal things done in the limited space they share. These life skills will help them when they have a roommate in college, a housemate as a young adult, or to live with their spouse as adults!

Gaining the Right to Drive

Once they have mastered managing their money wisely and living together harmoniously in a shared space, we can begin the conversation about driving a car. In a young person’s mind, of course, the ability to drive means freedom. However, this privilege also comes with a greater responsibility of learning basic car maintenance skills, abiding by the rules of the road, and driving defensively for the safety of your passengers – all of which are others-oriented.

Friends, what other life skills to do you teach your tween and teen?

Jaime

Copyright © 2021 by GenParenting

Can My Grandson See His Dad Yet?

It has been over a year since my grandson has been able to visit with his father who works in another country. Thankfully, Kenji and his dad continue to meet online twice a week and enjoy discussing everyday activities and plans for the future. As summer is soon upon us, Kenji’s dad is in the process of relocating his business contract to live near his son and family. This change is heartwarming and full of wonderful future shared adventures.

It is helpful that Kenji and his dad continue to build on a history of long-distance Facetime visits. For example, when Kenji was a preschooler, he needed prompts to help him talk with his dad. We would build a Lego project to share with dad and collect thoughtful art projects to discuss with dad. As Kenji became older, he would build a Lego project with his dad while talking with him on the phone. Sometimes, dad and son would build the same project at the same time in two different countries. Now Kenji is a second-grade student and he is able to carry a thought-provoking discussion with dad. They talk about important topics in each of their lives. For example, they discuss the differences of weather, schooling, and daily activities in two different cultural communities. Regardless of the topic, both dad and son are bound together with their love and commitment to each other from afar.

May each of us value the little child within us as we play with our children!

Joyce

Copyright © 2021 by GenParenting