World AIDS Day 2013

World AIDS Day 2013

Lynnsey @ Kids Matter

“I'm a real person, and I'm angry. I'm trying to use this celebrity thing to get people some help. AIDS, poverty, racism - I want to be one of the hands that helps stop all that. I'll put it on my shoulders. I'll charge it to my account.” Jamie Foxx

His name was Ben. I see his smile every time I look at the person I love. I see the pain he caused and the people he left behind. Ben had buried his truth so deep that his only option became to leave his family.  Years later, Elizabeth, his daughter, would meet him for the first time, and as they cried in each other’s arms, saying nothing, it became painfully clear that this tearful reunion would be short-lived. You see, Ben was dying of AIDS. And as his daughter watched him become an 80 pound shell of the man he used to be, she vowed to be his voice and to educate those around her about this horrible disease.

It is this passion that embodies the idea of World Aids Day. Originally conceived in 1988, it is a day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic worldwide. Today, more than 35 million people are living with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). It is an epidemic that, since 1981, has claimed the lives of more than 25 million people and has become one of the world’s most serious health and development challenges[1] Three decades ago, it was seen as a disease exclusive to a specific community, however, we know now that though people may discriminate, AIDS does not. It affects both men and women of every race and does not care if you are gay or straight or young or old. Some of the scarier statistics show that 95% of new infections (half under the age of 25) occur in individuals that reside in low- and middle- income countries particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where access to prevention education, care, and treatment is scarce.[2] Many who are infected with AIDS are unaware of their infection which can lead to unknowingly passing the virus to another person.

Many will ask, “What can I do to make a difference on World AIDS Day?” The answer is simple. AIDS is a preventable disease. Just making the personal commitment to yourself to never have unprotected sexual intercourse can save your life and the lives of others. If you wish to take it a step further, contact your local AIDS organization. Non-profit organizations are always looking for volunteers who are willing to participate in community outreach and other programs that help educate our communities about the prevention, care, and treatment of AIDS. If nothing else, start a dialogue with a coworker or change your profile picture to a red ribbon. Get the word out. Together, we can not only honor the millions like Ben who have succumbed to this disease, but also ensure that future generations have a brighter and healthier story to tell.

1.      http://kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-global-hivaids-epidemic/

2.      Global Health Policy

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A History of Thanksgiving

A History of Thanksgiving

Lynnsey @ Kids Matter

Most of us have grown up on the classic story of the first Thanksgiving. You know, the autumn feast of 1621 that saw the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians peacefully come together to celebrate the harvest of that year. It was a rare example of two colliding civilizations that, for a brief moment, transcended the atrocities that were to define their relationship for centuries to come.  It began with a group of 102 separatists (those wanting to separate from the Church of England) who, aboard the Mayflower, made the treacherous journey across the Atlantic to the New World in search of religious freedom and the promise of personal prosperity. After a brutal winter, which many of the original settlers did not survive, the settlers were helped by an English speaking Abenaki Indian named Squanto. Squanto would not only teach the Pilgrims to cultivate crops, but to survive in an environment different from everything they had ever known.  Most importantly, Squanto helped to solidify the alliance between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians.

And so you have the first Thanksgiving; a three day festival celebrating the autumn harvest.  It was a celebration that offered a menu very different from that of our Thanksgiving meals today. In fact, very little historical evidence exists that can tell us exactly what they ate, but historians generally agree that lobster, seal, swan, and corn were on the menu. Absent were the pounds of turkey and pumpkin pie that now fill our plates every November.

Truth be told, this was neither the first Thanksgiving nor the one that solidified the festival as an annual holiday. Harvest celebrations date back to the beginning of time throughout all religions. For many Americans, the tradition can be traced back to the time of the English Reformation when the idea of giving thanks for various reasons (such as the celebration after Queen Elizabeth’s defeat of the Spanish Armada) first took hold. Furthermore, after the 1621 celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Thanksgiving celebrations were often dictated by local leaders and individual communities. It was not until 1863, during the height of the Civil War, that Abraham Lincoln (click to see President Lincoln’s proclamation in its entirety) declared the last Thursday of each November an annual national holiday. Later, in 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the holiday from the last Thursday of the month to the fourth Thursday in an effort to boost an economy still recovering from the Great Depression by extending the Christmas shopping season by one week. Prior to this change, it was culturally frowned upon to advertise or shop for Christmas presents before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The history of this holiday is ancient and complex. It was celebrated across many generations, religions, and groups of people.  Factor in our modern consumerist culture and it can be difficult to always remember the true meaning of the holiday. Furthermore, as a history buff, it is hard for me to ignore the violence and genocide that would later erupt between the Native American’s and European settlers, so any talk of the first Thanksgiving is always met with my infamous brand of skepticism and dramatic eye roll. Now, with FDR’s economic recovery plan still in full swing, we see retailers opening their doors at 6:00pm on Thanksgiving Day. This strategy of pushing Black Friday back further and further each year in order to maximize profits at the cost of employees having a whole day with their families is just, for lack of a better word, unethical. We shouldn’t stand for it, but we do. Why? Because saving a few bucks is more important than the person at the cash register having a day off to be with his or her family. We tend to forget that the whole purpose of the first Thanksgiving was to come together as a community, not just individual families, and celebrate the teamwork, friendship, hard work, and, most importantly, the self-sacrifice it took to bring a group of strange looking settlers back from the brink of extinction.  Our lack of empathy for others and our inability to sacrifice our own wants for the good of all only showcases just how far gone we are from the original Thanksgiving. And so, on this day dedicated to giving thanks for all that we have (and we do have a lot), I urge all of you to reconnect with the true reason we set aside a day to give thanks because, trust me, not everyone is so lucky. As for me, I will spend the day giving thanks not for my material possessions, but for the people who mean more to me than any bargain television ever could. Unfortunately, I will have to do it from afar as I do not have time to drive home to be with my family and still make it to work by midnight where I am expected to serve the lines of customers camping out waiting for those bargain deals. Happy Thanksgiving, America.

The Benefits of Early Childhood Education

“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.” – John F. Kennedy

We all know the earlier our children begin learning the better. Whether it’s listening to music in the womb, reading to your child before you tuck them in at night, or enrolling your child in preschool, the benefits of early childhood education are endless. But what are these benefits? Can you name them? When you hear of funding being cut, teachers losing jobs, school buildings being outdated, and resources being scarce, does it ever really hit home? Do you ever stop to think about the long term consequences of living in a society that does not place the highest importance on educating its population?

Evidence shows that early childhood education may reduce delinquency rates, dependence on welfare, and even arrest rates. Sure, it can be a costly investment initially, but the return on that investment can yield countless benefits. Evidence also shows that early childhood education improves a child’s social skills early on. These same kids also go on to do better in school and are more likely to pursue higher education. The United States Department of Labor reported that, in 2012, a person with a bachelor’s degree, on average, earned $1,066 per week. However, a worker with only a high school degree earned $652 per week. Furthermore, the unemployment rate for a person with a bachelor’s degree, in 2012, was 4.5% compared to 8.3% for a high school graduate (link). These statistics highlight the link between education and higher wages, but the benefits of early childhood education reach far beyond one’s own bank account. With drops in delinquency and arrest rates, we see prisons, often funded with tax payer money, become less crowded. And with a drop in welfare dependence, we may finally see a break in the cycle of poverty for families who have struggled for generations.

The consequences of an uneducated workforce can not only weaken our economy, but it can also diminish our role on the global stage as other countries produce educated workers qualified to do the jobs of the future. It all begins with access to early childhood education, so the next time you hear of decreased funding, call or write your state representatives and make your voice heard. It is only when people like you and I make education a priority that our government and society will do the same. 

Lynnsey @ Kids Matter

Habla Espanol

The number of Americans who speak Spanish as their first language has doubled since 1990. Everywhere we look, Spanish is becoming a part of our everyday lives. To many, unfortunately, this signifies the end of American society as we know it. The reality of the situation need not be so scary or apocalyptic, and can, instead, be an opportunity to think outside the box and open our hearts and minds in a new and exciting way.

I suppose this fear of the unknown isn't entirely our fault. We live in such a large country where a person can travel a thousand miles in each direction and still be surrounded by people who look and speak like him or her (although my southern accent has turned a few heads).  It would also explain why most of us are monolingual. Simply put, we have never had to speak anything else. Thankfully, the world is changing. And because of technology that is allowing us to be more connected than ever, we are slowly becoming global citizens who are more aware of the world around us.

OK, so you may be asking, “What does all this have to do with me, my family, or my childcare?” Well, as you may have noticed already, our classrooms are changing. Our students are now required to work side by side with others who may come from a different culture, religion, or even speak a different language. This can be a wonderful, enriching experience that not only opens your child’s eyes to a different world, but can also help them become more compassionate and accepting adults. 

How your child deals with these experiences, however, is ultimately up to you. Encourage your child to become friends with a student from another country. Play music from a different culture in your home! Cook a dish from a different country once a week! The possibilities are endless! Lastly, although few of us have ever lived in another country where everything is new, different and weird, encourage your child to become a more empathetic and compassionate individual. Teach them to be patient with a student who may have trouble completing the assignment in English (Can you imagine having to write an essay in Chinese?).  And always, ALWAYS, encourage them to stand up for what is right and good even in the face of bullies or at the risk of being unpopular. It is when, and only when, we stop seeing those who are different as the “other” that we can finally begin treating each other with the love and respect that we all deserve as part of the same human family.

Finally, we all want our children to succeed in their careers and personally. And in a world that will ask your children to do things differently than we did, teaching them patience and acceptance is the first step to ensuring that our kids live in a more inclusive, peaceful, and loving world.

Que tenga un buen dia lleno de paz y de amor. (Have a good day full of peace and of love.)

Lynnsey@ Kids Matter