My teacher of life
My daughter has Down syndrome. She is only four years old, but we have dreams for her future. Some of those dreams look like possibilities, like a chance to go to college, a chance to get married, or a chance to have a job. She
Family table talk
Recently, I had a great chat with my nephews. I asked them some fun questions, while waiting for their parents. Honestly, it still amazed me how much I got to know them as individuals in that short period of time. Can you imagine how much you would get
Coaching Your Kids: Speak Purpose
My oldest son Marcellus used to be chaplain for several sports at a large university, and one evening I was listening to him talk to a group of pro athletes. He was really challenging them, saying, “Guys, you gotta have purpose.” He pointed at me and told a story
WIN a Wooden Toy from The Wandering Workshop
Christmas is just around the corner. The Wandering Workshop, whom we featured in the Nov/Dec 2014 edition, would like to offer Kids Nation mag readers a chance to win a set of two wooden Spinning Top (valued at USD26). This wooden spinning top is eco-friendly and uniquely handcrafted in Greece. It encourages creative play and will also appeal
Reading and Writing Tips from Global Educators
Reading and Writing Tips from Global Educators We are excited to have these great teachers from Australia, Bangladesh, Japan and Cambodia share their excellent tips for helping children read and write. Enjoy! Melinda Crean Primary school teacher, the creator and writer behind Top Notch Teaching blog. I also provide one-on-one
A starry breakfast
Father’s Day in Australia falls on September 7 this year. Make this breakfast for all star dads! Ingredients: Bread Egg Star cookie cutter Butter and cooking spray Cocktail sausage Mushrooms Your fave salad leaves Salt and pepper for seasoning How to: Lightly toast your bread. Cut out a star shape using the cookie cutter. Melt a little butter
How you can influence your daughter’s self esteem
I’ll probably never fully understand the pressures girls and women feel in our culture related to their appearance, and how that affects their self-image. But a few things I know without a doubt: Physical appearance is a big deal to girls and women.
I wish you could see what I see
It’s no secret my girls have special needs. You can easily see the facial characteristics of Down syndrome, or the walker, wheelchair, and poor gait that points to cerebral palsy. Delays, poor speech, clumsy steps. I know you see the behaviors, I know you hear the labored
Fun Play
These are some fantastic handmade learning toys from around the world. STOCKISTS: Math dice: Cake in the morn (USA) Painted stones: Happy Emotions (Latvia) Wooden puzzle: Siam Collection (Thailand) Felt food: Mummy Made It Me (UK) Lion amigurumi: Daydreams by Meri (Turkey)