I have been a busy bee lately, I apologize for the lack of posts! This one will make up for lost time. I hope. I was reminded of something invaluable during the San Francisco International Film Festival, and it was all thanks to one little 5 minute puppet show called Jillian Dillon. In the charming short film by Yvette Edery, a hippoplatypus named Jillian Dillon saves the day, "transforming her 'flaws' into the powers that resolve conflict and drama in her town, proving that a Hippoplatypus is indeed, a good thing to be." --IMDB
As parents and educators, there are a zillion things to think about...we want to make sure kids are learning their math skills, their handwriting is legible, their reading comprehension is up to par, they're eating right, taking their multivitamins, getting exercise, having fun, treating others with respect, and so on and so forth. But there is one thing that trumps all...we need to make sure kids love themselves. They need to treat themselves with respect and be confident in who they are. You can send your kids to the best school in town and sign them up for every extracurricular activity out there, but if they aren't confident in themselves, they will have a hard time translating all of the skills they've learned into success.
We don't want a bunch of arrogant monsters running around, but we do want strong, assertive children with plenty of self-respect. There are tons of children's books and programs for building self-love in kids. They can be valuable resources. You can start with these books, recommended by Geek Dad. It is also essential to be a model self-confidence for your children. Show them what it means to love yourself, respect yourself, and be confident in who you are. They will learn from example.
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