Raising Kind Humans

What a special treat this interview was! I was able to reconnect with my former middle school teacher.  Remember those awkward teen years? Yeah, she watched me grow through them! 

She has two book series out that I'm head-over-heels for, Big Ideas for Little Philosophers and Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists, and they are both perfect introductions to great humans doing beautiful things.  My son particularly took to the one called LOVE which introduces Plato. 

These books would make amazing gifts for any little ones in your life.  They are great conversation starters for big topics.  You can find them at MaureenMcQuerry.com as well as all of the other books she has written!

Find Maureen on Instagram @maureenmcquerry

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

Meet Tracey Macdonald!  She's the senior area executive director of the California and NW area for Autism Speaks.  Tracey has a child with autism and has so much knowledge, wisdom, and insight to share. 

On their website, their mission states, "Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the lifespan, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism, and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. "

Autism Speaks Support Line: 888-AUTISM2

www.autismspeaks.org

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

In this episode, you will hear from children's book author Miranda Paul and the Queen of Recycling: Isatou Ceesay!

Isatou turned one plastic bag into a beautifully crocheted purse that sparked a movement.  Not only has she cleaned up her community, but she has inspired millions around the world to protect our planet.  She empowers women and encourages the next generation to get involved. 

She is currently working on creating clean-burning coal that doesn't involve cutting down trees in local forests.  Her efforts also include replanting forests.

Please support her efforts however you can:

OnePlasticBag.com

MirandaPaul.com

WomensInitiativeGambia.org

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

Faith Pray is a children's book author and illustrator that has a beautiful message of kindness to share with the world! 

Faith's bio:

 "Faith Pray (yes, that’s her name by marriage) is the author-illustrator of THE STARKEEPER (Random House, June 2020) and PERFECTLY IMPERFECT MIRA (Little Brown, 2022). She regularly wrangles four wildebeests - twins plus two, plus two cats in the Pacific Northwest. 

Faith has been making up stories since she was small, but when a stroke several years ago left her struggling to find her writing again, Faith took picture book illustration classes with hopes of finding a back door to stories. Faith fell in love with picture books and set out to grow herself as a children’s book author and illustrator.    

Faith’s wand of choice is pencil, finished with variations of watercolor, colored pencils, and a sprinkling of digital magic on top.  She is excited about literacy, rainstorms, silver linings, and sharing kindness."


Find her at www.faithpraybooks.com or on Instagram @faith.pray

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

You are in for a treat with this conversation with Hannah and Alex from Discover Corps!  Do you love to travel?  How about traveling with purpose? Discover Corps's mission is to "inspire travelers to become advocates for our planet's natural wonders, cultural treasures, and local communities through immersive and sustainable vacations with purpose."

Each trip is designed to impact the communities and wildlife that travelers encounter.  They focus on wildlife conservation, women's empowerment, community development, and environmental preservation.

Find out more on their website:

 www.discovercorps.com

or on Instagram:

@discovercorps

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

Raise your hand if you have wiggly kids! I know I do.  Entering a 5K run with your kid can be beneficial to both their overall health and the charity involved! In today's conversation, you'll hear from Ilana; founder of Run for Good Racing Company.

Run For Good's mission is to provide fun, accessible and unique running and walking events in the Pacific Northwest Region with an emphasis on charitable giving. Each event will benefit a specific community organization. Run For Good strives to bring good into individuals' lives by bringing healthy opportunities to get out and exercise and contribute to the community in a fun way. Run For Good also strives to have a significant impact on local organizations by providing funds and exposure through fun runs and walks.

So why should you give a 5k a try?

1.  It's good for the body to get out and move.
2. They often have kids' dashes for the little ones.
3. SNACKS.  Most races have yummy treats at the end!
4. It benefits a local nonprofit or charity.

Want to run in a Run for Good race? Email me at [email protected] and let me know! I'll enter you in the drawing for a chance to win a race entry to either the Good Karma 5K or the Run Scared 5K (this one has a virtual option)!

Let's get out and give back together.

Instagram: @run4goodracing
website: runforgoodracingcompany.com

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

Ellie Peterson writes and illustrates the cutest stories that are useful tools for us as we raise our kids to be kind, confident, and well-rounded individuals!  She speaks about body autonomy and teaching our kids it's okay to say no thank you to a hug or handshake.  Even from a family member!  Her picture book, How to Hug a Pufferfish, offers a kid-friendly way to approach this conversation with children.

In Ellie's own words: "Hi there! I'm a picture book author, illustrator, and educator living in the Seattle area. My work is inspired by the countless interactions I've had with kids after 20 wonderful years as a classroom teacher and my experience growing up as a biracial army brat. My goal is to make books that amuse, intrigue, and inspire children of all ages."

Follow her on Instagram @ellie_pete

Website: www.elliepetersonart.com

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

Amber has a beautiful book called A Place to Belong- Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond.  It's a wonderful guide for families looking to authentically embrace the fullness of their diverse communities.  We get to dive into several topics that I know you will love!

"A Place to Belong offers a path forward for families to honor their cultural heritage and champion diversity in the context of daily family life by:

1. Fostering open dialogue around discrimination, race, gender, disability, and class

2. Teaching “hard history” in an age-appropriate way

3. Curating a diverse selection of books and media choices in which children see themselves and people who are different

4. Celebrating cultural heritage through art, music, and poetry

5. Modeling activism and engaging in community service projects as a family"

You can check out all that she has to offer for resources as you root your children in their own culture so that they may openly embrace and love others with their whole hearts here:  www.heritagemom.com

Follow her on Instagram @heritagemomblog

Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter at teamkindhumans.com

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

You may have seen these stands at your favorite restaurant or grocery store! Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is making huge strides in funding childhood cancer research to help find a cure.  September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month and they are celebrating ten years of the Million Mile: A flexible fitness challenge that lets anyone, anywhere run, walk, and cycle to help kids fighting cancer.

You can form your own team or you can join mine!  Let's log some miles together as we raise money for these cancer heroes.  This is a very simple way for you to give back as a family! 

Join the Team Kind Humans team or start your own!

Follow them on Instagram @alexslemonade or check out their website alexslemonade.org.

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.

Hear the story of how Leaping Letters got started!  Leaping Letters was born from an idea of merging two passions into one class and then was catapulted to the online space during the pandemic.  Did I plan to create an entire playful preschool online? Absolutely not.  But thanks to a worldwide pandemic and a need for something fun for kids I have over 40 hours of content for families to play through.  Every letter is explored through different character traits like empathy, open-mindedness, tolerance, and determination.  We get messy creating fun art projects and have fun learning through movement.  Play-Doh, story time, letter recognition and writing, gymnastics...it's all there whenever you want to hit play.

I also have the option of purchasing a Koala Kit filled with every supply you will need for the entire program.  Each supply is precut, traced, measured, etc. for every art project, all movement activity supplies are made, and the alphabet cards and art binder are printed for you.  This is a great option if you just want to open and go.  Or, if you have a lot of craft supplies on hand then the digital download is the way to go!

You can find everything you need at www.leapingletters.com!

Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter at www.teamkindhumans.com and you can always email me at [email protected].  Thanks for being here.

Head to kindclassroom.com or follow me on Instagram @teamkindhumans.