On Teacher Appreciation Day, Jimmy Fallon kicked off his show with an original tune dedicated to teachers. His lyrics include, “Teachers should make a billion dollars.” After two months of homeschooling, I’m sure we all can agree with that.
Fallon has been shooting TheTonight Show from his home with his wife serving as the cameraperson and daughters, Winnie and Franny helping out as well. He has sympathized with celebrity guests wrangling their own kids during the work day. Listen to Jimmy’s sweet tribute and send some gratitude to the educators who have touched your life.
The essential workers putting their lives on their line to keep us safe are true heroes. Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, will publish a picture book honoring essential workers entitled THANK YOU, HELPERS: Doctors, Teachers, Grocery Workers, and More Who Care for Us. The ebook will go on sale Jun. 9, 2020, followed by the print paperback edition on Jun. 30, and will be accompanied by a donation to Americares, a global health-focused relief and development organization that is providing critically needed protective supplies, training and emotional support for health workers in the United States and around the world.
A celebration of all essential workers, THANK YOU, HELPERS features upbeat, rhyming text from Patricia Hegarty and illustrations by Michael Emmerson. From health care workers to delivery people, grocery workers, teachers, and more, this joyful read-aloud honors those who help us every day and provides caregivers an opportunity to practice gratitude with the young children in their lives.
Barbara Marcus, President & Publisher, Random House Children’s Books said, “This book celebrates the heroic efforts of essential workers everywhere who keep us safe and healthy all the time, and especially now during the crisis we are facing. Thank You, Helpers provides an important opportunity for families to talk about the role of, and express their appreciation for, the many helpers in their communities. Our donation to Americares will support the transformative work done by the health care workers in America and across the world.”
“Now more than ever, health workers need our support,” said Christine Squires, Americares President and CEO. “Random House Children’s Books’ generous donation will allow us to provide more protective gear and training to keep these brave men and women safe and supported during this difficult time.”
School looks different right now, but we want to show our appreciation to all of the teachers and support staff that are working extra hard to make sure our children are getting the most from this time at home. During Teacher Appreciation Week, Chance the Rapper will shine a light on teachers through “The Twilight Awards,” a special award show to recognize and thank teachers for all they do each and every day. Through three live broadcasts on Instagram, Chance the Rapper will surprise teachers with supplies, donations and more on behalf of Box Tops for Education to help them continue doing what they do best.
For more than 20 years, Box Tops for Education has been focused on helping families easily earn cash for schools. Since its inception, more than 70,000 schools have earned more than $934 million to fund supplies, field trips, playground equipment and more. Through “The Twilight Awards,” Chance will donate $300,000 directly to 10 deserving teachers and schools in need on behalf of Box Tops for Education. Teachers were selected by showing dedication, originality and creativity in helping their students thrive.
After donating $1 million dollars to Chicago Public Schools in 2017 and working with SocialWorks to create the “New Chance: Arts & Literature Fund,” Chance personally connected with teachers and principals while working inside Chicago schools. He quickly realized the need to both recognize and celebrate the work these educators do for students, their families and the community both inside and outside the classroom. To acknowledge and honor them, he developed the idea for “The Twilight Awards,” a national award show highlighting their dedication to students across the country.
“The Twilight Awards” will be broadcast live on Instagram at 7 p.m. CT on May 6, 7 and 8, 2020. Follow Chance the Rapper on Instagram to watch these special broadcasts and see which teachers Chance the Rapper surprises next.
To help teachers at your favorite schools earn even more, Box Tops for Education will offer Double Box Tops on all receipt scans from May 3-10, 2020. Limit 10 claims per receipt. Offer valid while supplies last up to $250,000 or until end of promotional period, whichever comes first.
Moms deserve to be celebrated for all they do for us, especially during hard times. We may not be able to see our mothers, grandmothers and other important women in our lives this Mother’s Day, but we still need to show our love and appreciation. CVS Pharmacy is surprising and delighting customers with free unique, on-trend Mother’s Day cards to ensure no mom goes un-celebrated.
CVS has already committed to free prescription delivery to get customers the medications and essentials they need through the crisis. Customers receiving delivery orders will also be surprised with two free greeting cards to brighten a loved one’s day. These cards, designed by the hard-working team at CVS were created to spread joy and ensure that no mom goes card-less this Mother’s Day.
Obviously, our world has changed. We are navigating an upside-down world of social distancing, self-isolation, uncertainty, and changes to our daily routines. Less obvious is how teenage girls are experiencing this pandemic, some are not talking yet and others are immersed in their digital devices.
I was wondering how teenage girls were adjusting to these changes so I asked teenage girls five questions. Their answers may not only surprise you but also give you some insight and ideas for how best to help them and for how not to hinder them. If you are like me, you assumed that our over-reliance on screens and virtual living would be their dream come true. Simply put: this is not true.
Question 1: What are the greatest changes you’ve experienced so far? Whether we are talking about school closures or how we grocery shop, girls are faced with daily interruptions in their routines, inconveniences, and scary uncertainties, change is happening. When I asked girls what the greatest of these changes were, many told me their routines have been drastically disrupted. Girls, who once woke up at 7 a.m. to hit the gym, now can’t. Girls who jumped out of bed to dash to catch the bus for school, breakfast in hand, now don’t. Girls who loved being “out and about” during the day, grabbing a Starbucks iced tea and the buzz of life around them, are forced to stay home. Each day feels like the day before and often blurry at that, they say. One teen told me that procrastination is all too real as she sits at home and has little to no motivation to do much of anything, much less her online school work. “There is just no point and it’s so hard to stay off my phone. My screen time is through the roof,” Mackenzie shuddered.
Question 2: What are you missing most? Without question, all girls are missing out on socializing. Society has often made fun of and shamed this generation for their lack of social skills and their phone addiction. Yet, at this point, human connection is exactly what these teen girls are longing for. Sophie said it this way, “I definitely want to be with people now more than ever—and I’m an introvert.” Kayla added to this insight, “I never realized how incredibly valuable human interaction is; there is nothing like a conversation with someone, face to face.” Girls remember how simple and idle chitchat in the lunch line up felt so good. Girls also miss going outside without fear, taking walks and shopping in real stores, and being outside without carefully considering how close they are to the next person.
Question 3: Can you think of any benefits or “silver linings”? It can be difficult, even ludicrous, to consider the benefits of a global disaster when you are still in the thick of it. Yet, girls were already thinking about all they’ve gained. Other than a new-found appreciation for people, many said it’s been nice to slow down, reflect, work on creative projects there was never time for, and—wait for it—spend time with their families. That’s right, every girl I spoke with said she has enjoyed family time to talk and those nightly dinners together where nobody is rushing off to a practice of work event. Everyone is home, helping each other through this, talking and listening, and being together. Des said it best when she commented, “Life is so busy and this situation has given us a gift. It has reminded us to slow down and be grateful for the amazing people we have in our lives.” 15-year old Jen said, “I have also been able to get more sleep, eat well, and wear comfortable clothes. Not worrying about what I am going to wear each day or how I am going to style my hair has been really freeing.” Elizabeth told me she has liked that she’s not spending any money on meaningless stuff and eating out.” One big silver lining, mentioned by a few girls, was the big picture perspective that the environment is appreciating the pause on production and pollution.
Question 4: What are you most looking forward to when life resumes? When life gets back to a version of normal, several girls told me they cannot wait to go back to school, to see friends. They are looking forward to working in their coffee shop and restaurant jobs. Some are keen to go to the movies. Most were looking forward to eating out at restaurants. All teens were anticipating hugs and high fives all around and an appreciation for all they took for granted.
Question 5: Right now, what or who, is helping you most and what or who, is hindering you most? This has, no doubt, been a stressful and anxiety-provoking time for everyone. Girls are finding help though, by connecting with friends online, talking to their parents, watching the news and getting accurate facts and trying to maintain some normalcy like sticking to a daily routine or focusing on gratitude, not disappointments. What hinders them is too much talk about the pandemic and obsessing with watching the news and waiting for some positive reports.
If you have a teenage girl and you are wondering how she is handling (or not handling) the COVID-19 outbreak, just ask her. Phrases such as, “I’d love to hear your thoughts on all this” or “This is such a big life adjustment for everyone, how are you finding your way” all open up the conversation to hear from your girl, who needs to talk and who also needs to feel heard and validated.
For more information about raising confident teenage girls, check out: Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years andRooted, Resilient, and Ready now available on Amazon and Audible and the website Bold New Girls.
I am a girl advocate and girls champion; the founder of Bold New Girls, teaching and coaching for girls and their parents. As well, I am the author Growing Strong Girls and Rooted, Resilient, and Ready (available on Amazon and Audible). I am an international speaker and an instructor with Udemy.
Reese Witherspoon’s brand Draper James wants to thank teachers who are tirelessly working to educate children during the coronavirus pandemic. Many teachers are figuring out how to navigate remote learning and broadcasting lessons virtually. To show their appreciation, the Draper James team is giving free dresses to teachers across the country.
The caption of Draper James’ Instagram post says, “Dear Teachers: We want to say thank you. During quarantine, we see you working harder than ever to educate our children. To show our gratitude, Draper James would like to give teachers a free dress.”
The brand also encouraged fans to tag a teacher they know that might need a pick-me-up.
Teachers can fill out a form with their contact information starting Thursday until this Sun., Apr. 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Eligible teachers will then receive an email on Apr. 7 with details on how to receive their free dress.
I know from my own experience as a parent with young children that the costs of a night out plus paying the sitter can sometimes make even the briefest outing… out of financial reach. So I’m not surprised when parents ask questions relating to compensation for the occasional babysitter. What is the going hourly rate? Should one tip? What about providing meals and snacks? Should you provide access to Netflix, etc…?
As it turns out, I was just in the position of hiring a babysitter for my granddaughter, so I had recently pondered some of these same queries myself.
It appears that compensation varies from community to community, and you can get a good idea about the going hourly rate by asking around. The best practice is to inquire directly with the sitter about rates before booking. Rounding up to the nearest hour seems to be a common practice, whereas tipping is not. In our case, we knew that the sitter had traveled at least 45 minutes on the NYC subway in each direction, so we factored her nearly two hours of travel time into her compensation.
Of course, if your sitter pitches in to do a major clean-up or takes on some other household tasks, or if they are called upon to stay much longer than initially planned, they deserve additional compensation beyond their hourly wage.
I can’t stand the idea of not sharing food—when it seems that I always have way more than I need—so I usually encourage sitters to help themselves. However, that is an individual thing and may depend on the hours that the sitter is in your home. For example, a caregiver who is there from four until ten should be provided with dinner.
As someone who started babysitting as soon as I hit the double digits, age-wise, I have a great appreciation for the profession.
I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.
When was the last time you cuddled with a billy goat? How about the last down you planked with a goat playing jockey? At Chicago’s GlennArt Farm in the Austin neighborhood, families are welcome to shop for fresh milk and cheeses, strike a yoga pose or just chill with the friendliest herd of goats you’ll ever meet. Read on and then hoof it to this for west side mini-farm.
It’s perhaps the least likely place in the world where you’d expect to find pastoral bliss: smack dab in the middle of Chicago’s west side. But GlennArt Farm has managed to carve out an almost idyllic, country-like space.
“We have found that goats have a niche to play in the development of sustainable urban agriculture,” said Carolyn and David Ioder, who both descend from Midwestern farming families. “They produce milk for an alternative food source, their manure gives an immediate use for fertilizer, the goats love to eat down overgrown lots and they are gentle when interacting with people.”
The duo launched the farm in 2011, much to the surprise of neighbors who suddenly found a herd of goats making their daily trek to pasture through the alley.
During high season from April to November, the couple makes cheese, milks goats seven days a week while also selling their all-organic eggs and honey.
If you want to skip to the front of the line for locally produced milk and eggs, become a member of GlennArt Farm’s Goat Guardian Guild and you’ll receive six free quarts of raw goat milk, discounted prices on additional milk, extra educational experiences and invites to down-home social gatherings on the farm several times a year. Best of all, you’ll have the opportunity to name newborn baby goats, a.k.a. Kids.
Milk and eggs is nice and all, but it’s their herd of dairy goats that draws in the most visitors, as the small farm hosts yoga classes and “goat chills”.
Goat Chill participants simply hang out in the pasture with the super sociable goats. Feed them delicious, goat-approved snacks, give them a good back scratch (goats don’t like to be petted but always enjoy a good back scratch) and relish in their endless affection and extreme silliness.
Goat yoga, also open to kids, is hosted in the middle of the small field, where nature has reclaimed its glory, ignoring the urban grit and grime, blooming amidst the concrete and construction.
“Kids of a goat kind like to play and check out new things, just like kids of a humankind,” said urban farmer David Ioder. “And kids of a humankind not only enjoy the discovery of kids of another kind, but their world also expands and so does their appreciation of nature and what it offers.”
So, next time you’re looking for a unique family to-do, consider unwinding with GlennArt Farm’s goats.
5749 W. Midway Park, Austin Hours: Hours vary; call or check the farm’s website before your visit Getting there: Green line to Austin 847-612-7315
Online: glennartfarm.com
It’s never too early to start giving kids a lesson in music appreciation. Fisher Price is helping you school your tots in the legends of rock with new KISS and Beatles Little People.
Whether your tastes run classic or hair band, Fisher Price has got you covered with two new special collections of Little People to serenade the animals on your Little People Farm. The Beatles Little People Collector set features John, Paul, George and Ringo dressed up in their Yellow Submarine outfits.
The Fisher Price KISS Little People set comes packed with Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in their signature outfits and full makeup. And yes, Little People Gene does have his tongue sticking out.
The sets are part of a new series of limited edition celebrity Little People, which also includes a WWE set featuring Ultimate Warrior and Macho Man Randy Savage. Keep your eyes out for more Little People celebrity send ups rolling out.
All three sets are available to purchase on Amazon. The Beatles and KISS sets are priced at $19.99 and the WWE set is $9.99. The boxes are labeled for ages 1-101 so you don’t have to feel bad if you want to keep playing with these bad boys long after bed time.
This Fri., Sep. 13 Sky Zone is welcoming families to celebrate this special anniversary with complimentary 30-minute jump passes at locations nationwide. In addition, if you book your own birthday party at Sky Zone between Sep. 9-15 you’ll earn three free months of visits for the Guest of Honor.
“We want to celebrate our birthday by showing appreciation to our dedicated community of over 100 million people across 160 cities who have supported us these past 15 years,” said Jeff Platt, founder and CEO of Sky Zone. “We hope this special one-day event helps families jump into the new school year by encouraging kids and adults to engage in active play and have fun!”
Timing of the free 30-minute jump varies by location, so check with your local Sky Zone to see what time it will be offered on Sep. 13. You can find your nearest location here.
