Comments (12)

By Mom Unplugged, November 7, 2007 12:59 am

Sometimes I am a glass half-full type of person, and sometimes I am more inclined to be a glass-half empty type.

About peace…I think I am running on empty. I feel that throughout history there never has been peace. There never will be peace in the future either. It is just human nature to fight.

Religion, which is supposed to be all about peace (no matter what the religion), seems often to make matters worse. The Crusades, the Inquisition, etc. I’ll stop my brief list there so as to not get myself into too much trouble.

The glass half-full part of me says: “Hey, wait a minute! Why not start with the children?”

Well, why not start with the children? What an excellent idea. If all the world’s children could learn about and appreciate other cultures, races, and religions, then wouldn’t there HAVE to be peace?

Glass half-empty says: “There is no way to teach every child in the world these things!”

Glass half-full says: “Maybe not, but the way to start is with our own children. Let’s teach them about the beauty of diversity.”

Yes let’s.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Here are ten thoughts on how to do that:

1) Have your child learn a foreign language, either through their school or through home, online or language school study. The US is one of the only countries in the world where a child/adult can get all the way through school, and even college and beyond, without learning another language.

2) Take your children to local multicultural events such as Chinese New Year celebrations, Greek festivals, etc. Check your local paper for details.

3) Travel with your children, which leads to the next suggestion:

4) Get your child a passport now so that he or she can travel with you when old enough, and the opportunity for foreign travel arises. Passport processing is taking a long time these days, so why not simply put it on your to-do list and get it over with right away. (Most US post offices can issue passports and even take the passport photos, it is very easy). By the way, passports are now required for air travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, even for infants.

5) If your children are teens and are interested…let them be an exchange student. I did it as a teen (twice) and it totally changed my life!

Youth for Understanding (the program I used)

AFS Intercultural Programs

ASSE

6) Host an exchange student in your home (it doesn’t have to be for a year, it can be a semester, a summer, or even less!) Check out links above, or Google “international student exchange.”

7) Get your child a penpal. Google “penpal” for some sites that can arrange this. Being the paranoid parent, I would check it out carefully first though before signing up. I would choose a “snail mail” penpal over an email one, and would monitor the whole thing very carefully. Check with your child’s school too. Often penpal arrangements can be made through a teacher at school. If a teacher has contact with a teacher in a foreign country, many times classes can exchange letters.

8) Go to the library and check out an international cookbook. Cook an exotic foreign meal together, talk a little about that country, and find it on the map or globe.

9) If you and your family are really in the mood for adventure, either rent a house in a foreign country or do a house swap. A house swap is where you trade a month in your house, for a month in someone else’s house for example. Sometimes the trade even includes the use of a car. There are many websites dedicated to rentals and home swaps. The classifieds in the back of alumni magazines are also a good source. Many college alums prefer to rent their foreign house or apartment to another responsible alum rather than a total stranger.

Here are some house swap websites (note: I am not personally familiar with any of these):

HomeLink International

Home Exchange

Home Xchange Vacation

10) And of course the simplest and cheapest way to expose your children to other cultures, is to read to them. Go to the library. Read multicultural books to your children. Check my International Children’s Book Day post for detailed suggestions of books and web links to books for some ideas.

For inspiration, here are some of our favorite multicultural/international books. The last one is a real eye-opener: Material World: A Global Family Portrait, is geared more toward adults, but children will find it fascinating too, when read with an adult.

(For more info on two of these titles: I have written posts about Wake Up World, and Let’s Eat - plus another here about Let’s Eat)

Dona Nobis Pacem…Grant Us Peace - PLEASE!!!

Please visit Mimi’s Blog to find links to many, many, many more Peace Posts today.

Also, for more thoughts on peace, please visit my June Dona Nobis Pacem post.

Comments (3)

By Mom Unplugged, October 3, 2007 11:00 pm

Thank you all so much for the comments on Monday’s post (The Great Candy Dilemma). Your interest truly warmed my heart and I was so pleased to see a few new commenters. Thank you!

It is funny how something so small as a comment from a reader can really make a blogger’s day, and I am sure all bloggers would agree. In cyberspace, a comment can be like a handshake, a pat on the back, even a hug. It makes me happy to know that I have reached someone and they have reached back.

Before I get all mushy and sentimental here, I’d better get to my point. A comment makes me happy. When I am happy, I make my kids happy. They then make their teachers and class mates happy, etc. etc. etc. Pay it forward. Good karma. What goes around, comes around. Whatever you call it, it is a fact of life, and one that I would like my children to learn.

My pleasure from all your virtual hugs and handshakes reminded me of a few books that we have that help kids understand the whole “pay it forward” idea.

Love and Kisses (Author: Sarah Wilson, Illustrator: Melissa Sweet):

First is a book for little ones called Love and Kisses. I read this to the baby tonight, it is one of her favorites although she is probably too young to “get” the deeper meaning. I bought it in board book format when my now seven year-old was a baby, and it has held up really well even after being loved by three children.

The story begins with a little girl blowing a kiss to her cat, “Blow a kiss and let it go. You never know how love will grow!” On the next page, we see the little girl kissing her cat again. On the following page the cat kisses a cow, who kisses a “giggling goose,” who kisses a fish, etc. etc. You get the idea. The kiss passes through a variety of very sweetly illustrated animals and ultimately ends up where?? Yes of course! Back to the cat, then to the girl. The last two pages say: “Kisses! Kisses! Smooch and smack! You’ll have your love and kisses back!”

This is such a happy little book. Even though the message is profound, it still makes for a happy, uplifting bedtime read that toddlers can enjoy. The text is a melodic rhyme and the illustrations are really cute and funny.

The book comes new in a board book or paperback format (both are eligible for Amazon’s 4-for-3 promotion), or you can find used hardcovers. I personally recommend the board book version since mine has lasted forever, and toddlers really like this book!

Because Brian Hugged His Mother (Author: David L. Rice, Illustrator: K. Dyble Thompson):

This book tells the story of little boy Brian who woke up one day and decided to run into the kitchen and give his Mom a big hug and kiss, and tell her he loved her. Of course, “Brian’s mother felt loved and appreciated” and made Brain and his sister Joanna their favorite breakfast. So, at school, Joanna helps her teacher, who then does something nice for the new principal, who was so happy, that she was lenient with a misbehaving student and so on, and so on.

Of course, after passing through many different people in Brian’s town, the kindness eventually ends up with a police officer who catches Brian’s Dad speeding, but because she is feeling “supported and honored,” she gives him a warning instead of a ticket. Brian’s Dad, feeling “grateful and relieved” reads an extra long time with Brain before bed. That made Brain feel “loved and treasured” so he had pleasant dreams, slept well, and awoke feeling great. He then ran to the kitchen to give his mother a hug!!

As you can glean from my summary, not only does the book teach the concept of karma very simply and plainly, but it is also provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss feelings. Each character feels differently (in a positive way) after being the recipient of a thoughtful deed. A discussion of words like “valued,” “accepted,” “respected,” or “honored” can really enhance a child’s understanding of the many nuances of positive emotions.

The illustrations consist of quite life-like watercolors that nicely depict the scenes of daily life that accompany the text.

Because Brian Hugged His Mother is available new in a paperback (another 4-for-3 book at Amazon!), or used as a hardcover.

Karma Cards - Kids Set

OK, I promised books, but this is not a book. It is a set of cards. “Santa” left these cool cards in my oldest daughter’s stocking last Christmas. For a long time we were doing one of these every morning and a Sweet Dreams Card every night before bed. While the Sweet Dreams Cards are still a “must” before bed, the Karma Cards have fallen a bit by the wayside lately, perhaps due to our hectic morning schedule (ie. Mom isn’t a Morning Person). Well, we rediscovered them during a room cleaning and my daughter is “into them” again!

I am not a baby flashcard sort of mom, but for the right child, these cards seem to be a fun way to teach the pleasures of positive actions. Since my daughter is so hooked on the Sweet Dreams Cards, these work for her.

The idea is that a child chooses one of the 25 cards and does what the card says at some point during the day. Some examples are: “Choose one of your toys to donate to a charity,” and: “Find a penny dated the year of your birth and give it away to someone special.” Most of the cards spread kindness to others, or help you feel better about yourself. Several are merely useful in a more practical sense, such as practicing a family fire drill, or learning the words to your national anthem.

In case you feel like you could use a little karmic nudge yourself, there are also Karma Cards for adults with a variety of themes (including Karma Cards for the Environment - that is my personal area of deficiency and guilt). I have not looked at any of these adult sets, but stop by the Karma Coaching Cards website to see what else they offer. These cards are recommended for children ages 5 and up - with adult supervision.

Comments (0)

By Mom Unplugged, June 20, 2007 5:57 pm

This clever toy is really a work of art. The manufacturer (The Orb Factory) says: “The multicolored beads represent the many beautiful colors of humanity. As you manipulate this orb, think about the possibility of world peace. The series of seven rings represent the continents and oceans.”

While I would love to imagine that this toy could induce a meditative state in my darlings as they contemplate world peace, I fear that the reality is that they just think it’s cool!

Children can manipulate this wire and bead disk into different shapes or a sphere. Kids aren’t going to take this out at home and play for hours, but it is a good diversion for travel or restaurants and it is small enough to put in your purse.

Adults can’t resist picking it up either. A creative friend of mine actually wears one as a bracelet!

Comments (4)

By Mom Unplugged, June 20, 2007 9:51 am

I am having a cynical day today. I am uninspired as to a post. Why bother anyhow? Here I am pondering the great question about whether to finally write my “Magenta Drier Lint” post or publish a photo of a squirrel enjoying a meal at my squirrel-proof bird feeder.

There are wars and massacres and horrible things happening everywhere. Shouldn’t I write about that? Am I going to change the world through magenta drier lint?

I guess humans can only absorb so much negativity before the urge to escape it kicks in. Perhaps that is where my blog fits into the grand scheme of the universe.

No one really cares what color my drier lint is today (and if you do, you have even less of a life than me!), but in the minute or two that it takes to read about my drier lint we can temporarily forget the woes of the world. Drier lint connects us all. It is a commonality. A banality. A comfort that drier lint still exists for all of us amidst violence and chaos.

As my husband (who rarely reads my blog) said the other day upon reading my recent Sea Monkey post: “No wonder you are taking the universe by storm!” Well, as you can imagine, he was being a tad sarcastic.

I am not exactly taking the universe, the planet, the blogosphere, my town, or anyplace else (except maybe my laundry room) by storm. However, I guess I would like to think that it is somehow possible to change the world, one magenta fluff ball at a time.

PS. Not to disappoint my vast public (all three of you), but the great “Magenta Drier Lint” post will have to wait until a more inspired day. So stay tuned!

Question: Why do you read / write blogs? Please answer in the comments.

Comments (24)

By Mom Unplugged, June 6, 2007 12:01 am

My parents are older and English. They were school-age children at the start of WWII, and teenagers by the time it was over. They have many tales of going to school with gas masks (or “forgetting” them at home so you got to miss class to go and retrieve them!), bomb shelters, air raid sirens, blackout curtains, barrage balloons, unexploded bombs that dropped in the schoolyard, incendiary bombs that burned the scenery for the school play, and shrapnel collections. It seems that children are very adaptable, even in extreme circumstances.My paternal grandfather served on the front lines in WWI. He never, ever spoke of it.

In the safe, comfortable world that I live in, it is hard to imagine what life was like for my parents or grandparents during that time. What if bombs started dropping on my town? What if my children went to school with gas masks? I am sad that there are people in this world today who know what all this, and worse, is like.

I am sure my parents’ and grandparents’ generations hoped that those two terrible wars would be the last. Surely we as a species should have learned our lesson then. But of course, humans always seem to find something to fight about.

I remember my father telling me as a child the story of The Christmas Truce of 1914. That Christmas German and British soldiers decided amongst themselves to have a temporary ceasefire. The Germans lit little Christmas trees along their trench. The trees had been sent to them from their families. Both sides sang Christmas carols, sometimes together (apparently “Oh Come All Ye Faithful - Adeste Fideles, is a universal one).

They finally left the trenches, met in the middle, swapped cigarettes, played cards and, in one place, soccer (the Germans won 3-2). They exchanged little trinkets such as buttons, hats or small gifts from care packages with one another. They also helped each other bury their dead. In a few areas this unofficial ceasefire (which alarmed the authorities on both sides) lasted until New Year’s, at which point they began the job of shooting each other once again.

I am not a historian and I have read that there is some disagreement as to the exact details and extent of the Truce, but my wish here is to highlight the spirit of this ceasefire. People are the same. People can get along if left alone.

Dona Nobis Pacem…Grant Us Peace - PLEASE!!!

Please visit Mimi’s Blog to find links to many, many, many more Peace Posts today.