This is a cute little book the only words are a recipe and some signs.  You know what the lady is thinking through the illustrations. She wakes up, washes, and thinks about eating pancakes. She gets out the flour then realizes that she needs some eggs, so she goes to the chicken coop. Then she realizes she needs milk so she goes out to milk the cow.  Next she needs to turn the butter. Finally she realizes that she doesn’t have any maple syrup. She when she leaves to buy some syrup while the cat and dog are in the house. When she gets home the cat and dog have destroyed the ingredients to make pancakes. She is discouraged. But she smells pancakes being cooked next door. So she goes over there and invites herself to breakfast.

The plaque on her wall says, If at First you don’t succeed Try, Try, again.

 The lady faced several problems. At first she is missing some ingredients then her cat and dog spill them. So she couldn’t fix the pancakes. But she still found a way to get some pancakes. 

Lessons for Character Education

Goal Setting

This lady had a goal. 

Problem Solving

Her goal was to have pancakes for breakfast. But she encountered obstacles after obstacle.

What were her obstacles? (Hint 4 of them)

Perseverance

The lady didn’t let her circumstances discourage her. She looked at her messy house and found another way to reach her goal.

It is ok to get help if you need it as long as you keep moving forward no matter what the obstacles are you will eventually arrive at your goal even if it is not the way you originally started.

Enjoy your time with your child, and remember a great way to “Inspire-Your-Kids” is to read with them.

There was a man, Chirobo, who had so much wisdom. People were always dropping by so he would stop what he was doing to talk to them. No one seemed to remember he was blind.

When a stranger came by Chirobo showed kindness him. He asked if there was something he could do for Chirobo in return. Chirobo asked to go hunting with him. The stranger didn’t want to take him at first but then he agreed. Chirobo knew how to see in other ways besides his eyes. He knew when a leopard, warthogs, and rhinos were near. ( He could tell through his ears, nose, and skin. ) This knowledge helped them avoid trouble.

They set the traps for the birds and came back the next day. Chirobo’s trap had a large duck while the stranger’s trap had a small quail. The stranger told Chirobo that his trap had the small quail. On the way home the younger man asks Chirobo why people fight. He said because people try to take what is not theirs just like you have done to me. Chirobo knew the man had lied to him.

Lesson for Character Education

Honesty

The stranger lied when he told Chirobo that the smaller bird was his. Even though Chirobo couldn’t see he knew the man lied. He could tell by the way he was acting. People often act differently when they are lying.   

Leadership

Even though Chirobo was blind people were always seeking him out. There had to be a reason while people flocked to his house. You don’t get wisdom by cheating people. He saw not through his eyes but by other ways. He was always aware of what was going on around him. This is a skill that anyone can learn even your children.

Enjoy your time with your child, and remember a great way to “Inspire-Your-Kids” is to read with them.

This is such a delightful book. I love the interaction between the characters. They handle several tough decisions with wisdom.  Chato and Novio Boy are great role models.

Chato wins a cruise and invites his best friend Novio Boy.

When they arrived on the dock, a ship full of dogs are loading. They are the only two cats, but Chato has always dreamed of a cruise so Novio Boy agrees to get on the ship.

All the activities and food are for dogs, so after a couple of days they come up with their own fun and games. The dogs eat too much and get sea sick. The radio is down so Chato and Novio Boy agree to get help and promise to come back.

They meet the cruise ship they were suppose to be on, a boat full of cats. The cats don’t want to help the dogs. They enticed Chato and Novio Boy to get on their ship and enjoy themselves. They would love to, but they gave their word to get help. That is more important than enjoying themselves even though it is not what they really want to do. After getting washed up on shore, they find vets who go out and help the ship of sick dogs.

Lessons

Honesty

The cats gave their word that they would be back with help. They chose to keep their word even though it meant they would miss out on a lot of fun. They kept their word even though it mean they had to work hard, rowing the life boat.

Creativity/ Problem Solving

When they were on the ship and there were no activities designed for them, they solved that problem by coming up with their own activities. They didn’t leave their fun in the hands of someone else and took responsibility for their fun. They also used their creativity and problem solving skills to overcome this obstacle.

Social Responsibility

The dogs were sick because they chose to eat too much. They were paying the consequences of their choices. But because Chato and Novio Boy hadn’t gorged themselves like the dogs they were the only ones able to row the life boat. They felt it was their responsibility to help even though the dogs were not their own kind.

Enjoy your time with your child while they are young. And remember that a great way to “Inspire-Your-Kids” is to read with them.

This book is about two friends Spottie and Turtle. There are five chapters that cover different aspects of a child’s life.

Self-Assessment

Turtle was good at the gym. But Spottie was not. Turtle didn’t say anything or make fun of his friend. He would just help him when he could.  Turtle didn’t want to hurt Spottie’s feelings. Turtle thought singing to Spottie would lift his feelings but he couldn’t sing. Spottie started to sing and he has a wonderful voice. They realized that it is ok for one to be good at something and the other to be good at something else.  

Teamwork

Chapter two is about working together. Turtle and Spottie are planting a garden. Spottie sings to the plants to see them grow. Turtle sings to scare away the animals that would eat their plants.  They invited their other friends to come over and eat, then they let the other animals have some.

Conflicts/Negotiation

 In chapter three Turtle and Spottie go to the movies.  They put butter on only half of the popbugs. They combine the juices. They sit in the middle row because one likes the front and one likes the back. They chose to have brunch the next day, because one likes and breakfast one likes lunch. They chose to compromise better than demand that their preference was met.

 Self-Assessment

 In chapter four Turtle wanted to do something nice for Spottie. He takes him to a fancy place to eat and they pretend to be posh. When they got the food they almost threw up. The waiter kicks them out, so they go to McMollusks which was like a fast food place they loved. They eat slug nuggets and cricket fries. They decide they need to be who they are and not to be someone else.

 Relationships

 Chapter five Turtle and Spottie decide to take a hike. They hiked so far they didn’t have the strength to get back, so they took turn carrying each other. “It would be hard to carry yourself, but you don’t have to when you have a friend.” (Page 39)

Friendships are so important. They can be a corner stone in our lives. It depends on how we treat them. If we are willing to help, speak kindly and support our friends, we will have much more happiness in our lives.

Francisco’s grandfather just moved in with Francisco and his mother. He doesn’t know English, so Francisco goes with him to be hired for a day’s work on a Saturday.

Francisco talks with a man. Who is looking for someone to pull weeds. Francisco uses the common ground that they are both wearing L.A. Lakers hats. He tells the man that his grandfather is an excellent farmer and the man will get two for the price of one.

When they get to the field the man, named Ben, tells them to pull the weeds. Francisco show his grandfather which ones to pull and which ones to leave alone.

They worked hard all day and they feel good when they are finished. When Ben arrives to pick them up, he was shocked because his plants were pulled and the weeds were left.

Francisco told his grandfather that they pulled the plants and left the weeds. His grandfather realized that Francisco had lied to Ben.

He asked Ben through his grandson if the plants would live though the night, they would come back and re-plant the plants and pull the weeds the next day.

Francisco tries to get out of it by telling his grandfather they had to go to church. His grandfather said they would miss it as that It was the price they had to pay for the lie.

Francisco’s grandfather refuses to be paid until the work is done rightly.

Ben said, “I could always use a good man for more than one day’s work. The important things your grandfather knows already. And I can teach him gardening.”

Honesty

Francisco’s grandfather and Ben could not communicate. Francisco thought it was ok to lie because they needed to work, but that lie caused him to do the work again the next day and to miss the Laker’s game as well as church.

His grandfather’s integrity granted him more than one day’s work. What is on the inside will shine though no matter what you say or don’t say and people will notice it.

Honesty is the backbone of healthy relationships. And if we as parents want our children in healthy relationships we need to give our children the tools necessary to live with integrity in their lives.

Tomas Jefferson said Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.

I know I want my children to have wisdom in their lives. I hope you desire the same for your children.

How can you as a parent help your children learn about honesty?

The first step is to stress honesty in your children’s lives. You are laying a foundation that will help them succeed in life for without honesty, our children will be less likely to make friends, succeed in a career, or have a happy marriage. Even if it seems hard it is one of the best things you can do for your children.

The next step is to catch your children being honest especially in tough situations. If you praise them when they are honest it will encourage them to be honest more often and brag to people about how proud you are of your children’s honesty.

The last thing for you to do is to expect honesty, you will get what you expect from your children. No one is perfect. One of my teenagers tells me lies every now and then, even so I still expect the truth.

It is hard to be honest, but when you are, people know that they can trust you and when people trust you. You will be able to go far.

We are going to discuss three ways to help your children learn honesty.

1.Most importantly, you are their role model. If your children see you being honest with them and with others, they will more likely be honest with you. Tell your kids when you are honest and when you struggle with dishonesty.

It is hard to tell someone “no” to their face. It is easier to tell them in a text that something came up and that you won’t be there, than to be honest in the first place. Let your kids know that you struggle with these types of choices too. Remember, it is still a lie if you tell someone you will do something when you really have no intention of doing it.

2. Encourage honesty in your family by making comments like
This family tells the truth
We don’t take what is not ours
We tell the truth no matter how hard it is
When you tell the truth people will respect you
You will have consequences from an action, but you will have more negative consequences if you lie about that action.

3. Don’t put your children in a position where you know they will lie to you. Asking questions in anger will almost insure you will be lied to

Did your break that? Who spilled the milk?
Your children can see your anger and they don’t want to increase it. They are afraid so they lie. Fear is the number one reason children lie.

Life happens. Things spill or break and if you don’t over react, your children will be more likely to tell you the truth. Isn’t truthful children what you really want.

After they have been able to calm down ask your children to think about the situation:
• What happened?
• What was going on?
• What emotions did they feel?

By asking these questions they will gain knowledge to improve their self-control.

Here is an activity you can do with your children to introduce the concepts of self-control.

Play a game like Operation or Jenga. These games take slow careful movements. You can talk about self-control as you are playing them.

What are the consequences of your moves?
How do you feel when you make the buzzer ring or when it falls down?

Self-control is more than keeping your cool when you are angry. It can also be not complaining about a situation or someone or waiting to get something you really want now, or even choosing not to eat that extra cookie.

Aristotle said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.”

The greatest victories we can have in our life is over ourselves. Self-control might be hard, but it is possible. Encourage your children to take control over themselves.

People with high self control don’t react to someone else’s emotions. They are able to think clearly and stay focused under pressure. No one can control the events or the people surrounding them, but they can control their own emotions and actions.

How do you have self-control?

1. By choosing what you think about. What feelings are your thoughts producing? Those feelings will dictate what you do or don’t do, so be careful about what you dwell on.

2. Don’t let your feelings get the best of you. If you know you are feeling upset with someone or you are craving something you know you shouldn’t have, do something to get your mind off the situation; listen to music, exercise, or read. If you find yourself dwelling on those feelings again pick up on the activity again. (It may take several times before you are able to conquer your feelings but you can do it.)

3. Take deep breaths. This can help you calm down if you feel like you are loosing it.

4. Repeat the above over and over again until you know you have self-control. This is where perseverance comes it. It won’t be better the first time you try to have control but like everything else you will be able to control yourself better and faster with practice.

Once you have practiced self-control, you are now able to teach it to your children.

As we have learned about the different types of Multiple intelligences and what children excel in, there are also three different ways children can learn; visual, auditory and Kinesthetic.

VISUAL LEARNERS (cover approximately 65% of the population). This type of learner is best at collecting information with their eyes.  They usually prefer graphics, illustrations and charts. They are able to remember details and ideas in picture form, typically what they’ve seen before.  

AUDITORY LEARNERS (are approximately 30% of the population). This type of learner is best at collecting information with their ears and they usually think out loud.  This includes listening and talking.  Although easily distracted, auditory learners learn by memorizing sound.  For instance, they learn instructions by repeating them over and over again, even in silent form.  They often like background music to block out interrupting noises.

KINESTHETIC LEARNERS (are approximately 5% of the population). This type of learner is best at collecting meaning through touch and movement.  Kinesthetic learners learn through physical interaction; most are young children. In essence, touching is a way of seeing. 

Now that you know what your children’s intelligence is and their learning style, you can help them excel in their gifts and talents.

Picasso said, “My mother said to me, If you become a soldier, you will be a general; If you become a monk you’ll end up as Pope.” Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso. 

Picasso’s mother gave him the ability to believe that what ever he did he would become great at it.

You can give your child the same gift.

It is so important to know which area your children excel at so you can help them to develop their skills. By doing this you are helping them to recognize their natural abilities which will enable them to know what career will be good for them. Then when they will be able to choose a job that they will enjoy and energize them so it won’t seem like work. 

The first intelligence for today is musical intelligence.  These children enjoy singing, playing an instrument, and a variety of music. They sometimes use their body to make music.  Jobs they like are; musicians, DJ’s, jingle writer, singers, sound engineer or composer.

Another intelligence, is termed people intelligence. These children makes friends easily, prefer team sports over individual sports. People come to them for help. They like to organize activities, enjoy parties versus staying home and they are comfortable in a crowds. Jobs they excel at are; a counselor, coach, psychologist, talk-show host, business leader, office manager, nurse, police officer, teacher, waitress, travel agent or social worker.

The next one is self intelligence. These children are sometimes classified as shy. They enjoy being by themselves versus a group of people. They write goals, meditate and keep a journal. These children don’t care about what others think because they are strong-willed. They spend time reflecting on their life and are interested in religion or psychology and typically have deep wisdom and/or intuitiveness. The jobs they are interested in are; writers, entrepreneurs, religious worker, psychologist, personal life coach, guidance counselor, personal trainer, artist, detective, or poet.

The last intelligence we will discuss is nature intelligence. These children love doing things that relate to animals and outdoors activities. They enjoy going to parks, hikes and zoos. They care about the environment and like to grow things and they enjoy gardening. The jobs they like are; forest rangers, farmers, rancher, fishing, ecologist, environmentalist, inspectors, volcanologist, veterinarians, marine biologist, zoo keepers, pet trainers and pet babysitters. 

This information is designed to give you just a little bit of information. There are lots of books available that go deeper into each type of intelligence. I suggest you get some of them and learn how to increase your children’s intelligence in the area they have natural abilities in. This way they will be happy and successful in their lives.

Enjoy your children.