Tag Archives: skills

Learn How Povi Helps Children Develop Their Emotional Intelligence

Today’s environment has taken a toll on children’s emotional development. Overwhelmed parents and overly connected kids are leading to a lack of developing critical emotional intelligence skills.

Povi image

The Povi app and plush toy provide creative stories that teach children emotional intelligence based on input from experts.  Povi connects parents and caregivers to a network of child development specialists.Stories are written and curated  by expert psychologist, parents and teachers to help children develop their emotional intelligence.

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These stories help children work through situations and develop social skill helpful throughout life  by gaining understanding of how Povi would react in a situation. Povi helps spark conversations and can help children deal with feelings of disappointment, frustration, anger and sadness.  Povi  can help guide parents through what normally would be difficult conversations with their child. Povi is designed for children 3-8 years old. Check out the Povi Kickstarter campaign now!

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Povi isn’t a one-size-fits-all toy: it has stories for everyone. The app enables downloads of new content based on age, interest and ratings. It also provides follow-up questions for parents to spark discussion. The app enables users to rate stories and authors,this allows Povi to track interest in content and make suggestions.

 

 

Emotional intelligence  is one of the most important factors for  children’s happiness and success. Homework, extracurricular activities, both parents working outside the home and other commitments have made it harder than ever to have the necessary conversations with children to develop their emotional intelligence. Povi was created as an answer to this problem. Povi is loaded with real-life stories children can relate to and provide endless conversation starters.

povi app

The concept for this conversation-starting innovation came from Povi founder Seow Lim’s own experience with her son. “I always felt that I paid lots of attention to my child’s development and was very surprised when a school counselor said, ‘Your child is really smart, but he is not happy.’ It was so painful to me that I didn’t know this about my own son! In the process of transforming my parenting style from Tiger Mom to getting more connected to my child’s emotions, I created Povi.”

According to multiple studies, preschoolers who participate in social-emotional skills programs exhibit less aggression and anxiety and become better social problem solvers. Prosocial behavior in early childhood is closely tied to future academic performance and mental health.

Thousands of schools now use programs with this goal in mind. Povi enables parents to implement social-emotional development at home.

You can stay in the loop with Povi via their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Also, be sure and check out their Kickstarter page to learn more or to help with their mission. Let me know what you think of Povi in the comments.

 

 

This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Povi. I received compensation for my participation, but my opinions are my own.


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Add This Book To Your Young Reader’s Summer Reading List-Book Giveaway

In New York we still have several weeks of school left.  I know that in the southern states some schools are letting the kids out for summer this Friday!  No better time to start thinking about some great summer reading books for kids. Reading keeps kids entertained, their reading skills sharp and fuels their imagination. I have a great book I want to tell you about that may be one you want to add to your child’s summer reading list. Fans of Polly Horvath or Roald Dahl will love this quirky story of a determined girl, and some extraordinary chickens.

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UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER

Unusual Chickens Book

by Kelly Jones; illustrated by Katie Kath

Sophie Brown and her family have inherited her dead uncle’s farm—a place vastly different from her familiar hometown of LA. Due to her family’s lack of funds, though, operating a fully functioning farm is out of the question. But what happens when the farm animals come to them? Sophie begins to see chickens—very unusual chickens—appearing on her land. She chronicles their activity and her challenges in a series of fun-to-read letters to her deceased relatives. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe. Readers will become immersed in the narrator’s honest and endearing tone. Young readers will root for Sophie and her chickens until the very last page. UNUSUAL CHICKENS is an original, clucky classic in the making.

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About The Author:

KELLY JONES has been a librarian, a bookseller, and a teacher, and is currently a raiser of (much-loved but fairly ordinary) chickens. Now she has published her first middle-grade novel, UNUSUAL CHICKENS FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL POULTRY FARMER (On sale May 12, 2015 / Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers / $16.99). Written entirely in letters, to-do lists, and quizzes, with several black-and-white drawings, this is a quirky story of a determined, strong-willed girl with some very unusual super chickens.

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Giveaway:

Penguin Random House is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of Unusual Chickens For The Exceptional Poultry Farmer. Thank you Penguin Random House for the review book  and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Unusual Chickens For The Exceptional Poultry Farmer Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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Enhance Your Life and Career With Thousands of Free Online Courses From Distinguished Universities!!! See our list!!!

online-learning

If we’re lucky we will learn at least one new thing a day, every day, until the last day of our life.  I can tell you the last few days I have learned quite a few things about sewing.  I finally feel like I just may learn to love my sewing machine which has intimidated me for almost 2 years.

Learning new things keeps us sharp and current.  If you are wanting to gain some new business knowledge, learn how to build apps, or delve into product design, journalism, photography, storytelling for work, leadership skills, teaching, chemistry, philosophy, math, medicine, coding, Facebook marketing, blogging, content marketing, poetry, technology, design and much more, I have great news!  Did you know there are a multitude of classes and courses you can attend online for free?

Free courses from Harvard, MIT, Stanford and other distinguished universities are available for you to take online!   I have compiled a list of some of the top resources and hope you find them helpful.  So go on and embrace that knowledge, it could change your life but it will definitely enhance your life!

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Coursera– an education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide, to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free.  Coursera envisions a future where everyone has access to a world-class education. They aim to empower people with education that will improve their lives, the lives of their families, and the communities they live in.

Kahn Academy– Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. They’re a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education for anyone anywhere.  All of the site’s resources are available to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher, home-schooler, principal, adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up in earthly biology. Khan Academy’s materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.

Academic Earth-Academic Earth was launched on the premise that everyone deserves access to a world-class education. In 2009, they built the first collection of free online college courses from the world’s top universities. The world of open education has exploded since then, so today their curated lists of online courses are hand selected by our staff to show you the very best offerings by subject area. They also make sure there is something for everyone: whether you want to explore a new topic or advance in your current field, Academic Earth brings the amazing world of academia to you for free.

Open Culture-Get 1000 free online courses from the world’s leading universities —  Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Oxford and more. You can download these audio & video courses (often from iTunes, YouTube, or university web sites) straight to your computer or mp3 player. Over 30,000 hours of free audio & video lectures, await you now.

Learn when you can

NovoEd-NovoEd partners with leading education institutions and corporations to offer collaborative, experiential online courses.  Choose the Free courses and search for a great variety of courses.

edX-EdX offers interactive online courses and MOOCs from the world’s best universities, and institutions. Online classes are available from MITx, HarvardX, BerkeleyX, UTx and many others. Topics include biology, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, finance, electronics, engineering, food and nutrition, history, humanities, law, literature, math, medicine, music, philosophy, physics, science, statistics and more. EdX is a nonprofit online initiative created by founding partners Harvard and MIT.

I am still learning

Alison- Their mission at ALISON is simple: to enable you, wherever you are in the world, to learn and get certified – at your own pace – using their free, interactive, multimedia. Every course is standards-based and certified. That means bragging rights with family and friends, an edge in your first job or new job, and inspiration to be all you can be. There are 600 free courses for you to choose from!

SkilledUp-Our ultimate vision is to transform education as we know it — how it’s delivered, how much it costs, how quickly it helps people get to a career they love.

Open Education Database OEDb-The most comprehensive collection of online college rankings and free courses anywhere online. They welcome learners of all levels to explore their interests and prepare for exciting new careers, build on existing foundations of education and experience, or just satisfy a craving to learn something completely new.

Open Culture-Get 1000 free online courses from the world’s leading universities —  Stanford, Yale, MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Oxford and more. You can download these audio & video courses (often from iTunes, YouTube, or university web sites) straight to your computer or mp3 player. Over 30,000 hours of free audio & video lectures, await you now.

E-learning or distance learning concept


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Celebrate National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend And Kick Off Cookie Season!!! #CookieBoss

As a blogger in the  Mom It Forward Blogger Network I was compensated  by GSUSA for my participation in this promotion.  As always my views, words, and opinions are 100% my own.

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National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend #CookieBoss

Do you know what season it is?  Maybe you are thinking about football and the upcoming Superbowl but that’s not what I’m thinking of. Are you ready for some COOKIES?!!!  That’s right, Cookie Season is almost here! Girl Scout Cookie Season, and In New York City the Girls Scouts of the USA will celebrate the start of the season by taking over Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal on Friday, February 7th, from 8 am to 7 pm to give the big apple residents their first taste of this year’s cookies.  Are you ready to celebrate National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend?

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The Girl Scouts is the world’s largest girl-led business, the near $800 million dollar cookie program was created to teach girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision-making, money management, business ethics and people skills.  I remember fondly my time as a girl scout, the weekly meetings, crafts, earning badges, learning new skills, bonding with peers, trips and of course the cookie sale.  I loved the colorful order forms and seeing them fill up with orders, picking up all the boxes and delivering them with my mom and sister.

#CookieBoss

When I had my own daughter there was no doubt she would also participate in Girl Scouts. This time I was her troop leader, allowing me to  see and experience Girl Scouts from the other side.  I loved being a troop leader and there was so much support, we had local meetings, worked close with council, went to some tremendous, enriching leader trainings and had the chance to work with some amazing young girls along the way.  It was a wonderful experience even as an adult.

Perfect For Me!!!

Perfect For Me!!!

I will never forget the excitement of the cookie sales, how my dining room became Cookie Central for pick up and how we organized special sales with the girls to sell the extra boxes.  Setting up  the events to sell the extra cookies really helped the girls with their planning, business skills and time management.

cookie car magnet #CookieBoss

 We held brainstorming sessions about the best venue with the most traffic, what we would need, dividing up the tasks, coming together the day of the event to set up, do business and learn important skills that would be a foundation for the rest of their lives.  How to deal with people, totaling up orders, giving change, preparing for the unexpected and doing it all with a smile are what the girls would remember at the end of the day along with the laughs and fun we had.  The memories I carry as both a Girl Scout and then a Girl Scout Leader are a gift and the whole experience has enriched my life in so many ways.

Connect with GSUSA on their Website, check out their Cookie Program Page. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  The Girl Scouts of Western NY are also on Facebook and Twitter so stop by and say hi!

 

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Want to enter a great giveaway!!!  Enter a very special giveaway to celebrate  National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend. Two lucky winners will receive a basket of Girl Scout merchandise from Girl Scouts of the USA (ARV: $125). – See more HERE!!!


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Road Trips, Reviews, and Give-Aways!!!

Our Scentsationals give-away ended and Donna Woody is our winner.  Congratulations Donna, I know you will love this warmer and wax set.

So, we are planning our vacation.  We are driving down first to Georgia and then to Florida and staying for a week in beautiful Dunedin.  I have been planning and list making for this trip down with 2 toddlers.  We have a nice van so the kids are comfy, and they are kept pretty entertained with the DVD player.  I plan to bring their magna doodle pros because they really love them.   So, I was thrilled when I got a package in the mail to review of Jack Hartmann’s “Get On Board the Transition Train,” transition songs that teach.  I have listened to this cd at home and  cannot wait to play it on our big road trip.  The kids love it!!!

I cannot believe the amount of great and educational songs that are on this CD.  There are 28 songs on this CD!!!  This is great for long trips in the car to sing-a-long to and learn from.  This would also be great for anyone that runs a home daycare, nursery school or for home-schooling parents.  The quality is top notch and you should take a look at the website.  http://www.jackhartmann.com. Jack Hartmann’s Hop 2 It Music is a great site and resource.

These educational songs for children focus on the following curriculum skills:
Starting & Ending the Day – Lining Up Quietly – Good Listening – Cleanup Fun – Circle Time Learning – Positive Behavior – Playground Rules – Zero the Hero – Washing Hands – Phonemic Awareness – Bathroom Do’s & Don’ts – Calming Down – Gross Motor Fun – 100 Days of School – Positive Lunchtime Behavior – Exercising & Fitness – 60 Beat per minute Brain Building – Crossing the Mid-line.

Get On Board the Transition TrainTM
Transition Songs that Teach

Jack Hartmann’s new CD

You can see the 28 songs and listen to them on the website–http://www.jackhartmann.com/cdproducts/transitiontrain.php

 

To enter the give-away, leave me a comment on my Facebook Mommy Ramblings page of why(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382?ref=ts) you would want this CD.

For additional entries:

Share the give-away on your Facebook status and leave me the link to your page on my Mommy Ramblings Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382?ref=ts)

Share on Twitter and leave me the link on  my Mommy Ramblings Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommy-Ramblings/142284565832382?ref=ts)

Some of my readers have given up Facebook for lent so you can leave your comments on this post and it will count.

Give-away ends 12am EST April 2, 2011

Good luck everyone!!!


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