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“I really believe children learn naturally, and they are at their best when learning in a nature-based environment,” says Christina Payne, an educator and owner of a Colorado nature-based preschool. “Children are naturally curious. And so when we put them outside, there are so many different things for them to explore every single day that just naturally happens following the child’s curiosity.”
Payne’s Little Pines Preschool in Fort Collins is part of a growing movement that immerses students in the outdoors, focusing on nature and using play at the front of education. The popular trend is tying itself to countless studies suggesting outside is better. Students spend the entire day outdoors, regardless of the weather, on unique campuses in the woods, near ponds and even on public lands.
There are now around 800 nature-based preschools in the U.S., according to Natural Start Alliance, a project within the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE). The organization recently released a new survey reflecting the movement’s growth.
The data shows that nature-focused programs were essentially nonexistent before 2010. Since then, they have grown exponentially, increasing each year and getting a significant boost around the start of the pandemic.
“It’s really exciting to see the growth of this approach to early learning in the United States,” says Emily Van Laan, a communication specialist for Natural Start Alliance. “In terms of comparing the data that we collected in 2017 to 2022, you can see that nature preschools in 2022 are spending more time outside. We think that’s probably driven a little bit by the pandemic, with programs understanding that it was safer to operate outdoors.”
The survey says nearly a third of schools spend the entire day outside, while the remaining schools spend close to 70% of their day outdoors. The Natural Start Alliance website explains that educators use the natural world to teach children. While there is still a focus on the basics, the curriculum uses things like counting plants in a garden or singing songs on a hike to promote these ideas. Parents can expect the kids to come home caked in mud with art projects made from gathered sticks and leaves. Many schools keep environmental stewardship front and center.
“There’s a lot of misconception that kids can’t learn that way or this isn’t safe for children,” says Van Laan. “I think a big piece is just getting information out there of not only the statistics of how well children do learn but helping parents understand the validity of this option.”
The NAAEE is based in Washington, DC, where the organization and the Natural Start Alliance lobbies lawmakers for more access to these programs. Their work involves overcoming legal hurdles for educators and changing the general public’s minds about education standards.
“We know from a growing body of research, especially over the last decade, that nature is one of the best learning settings we can offer young children,” says Van Laan. “Not only are kids going to get a great academic education, but they’re also going to be laying the foundation for lifelong learning and an investment in our planet.”
There is a lot of evidence backing the benefits of simply being in nature, with a similar amount of data focused on learning. These studies include everything from best-selling books to white papers and Montessori educators. Must cite the creativity and individual learning that comes with outdoor education. Studies show time spent outdoors helps a child’s emotional resilience, with added benefits for ADHD and autism due to the calming effects of being in nature.
British adventurer Bear Grylls, who also serves as the United Kingdom’’s Chief Scout, is a firm believer in integrating the outdoors into an overall education. “To paraphrase Baden-Powell, who started the Scouts movement: a week in the field is worth a year in the classroom. He was right and the outdoors is always our best teacher as well as best healer.”
And there are foundation life skills to be developed from spending time learning outdoors. “It’s where we develop confidence and skills and quiet pride,” says Grylls. “It is where real courage and friendships can grow and it is where we can find space and time and quiet to let nature work her magic in our hearts.”
Outdoor educators say their classrooms allow children to thrive in new ways.
“Nature-based education is self-directed, whereas typical learning is more teacher-centric with a teacher crafting a learning experience,” says Payne about the approach at her school. “In a nature-based education experience, a child might show an interest in a flower which might lead to a counting game where we look to see how many of a specific flower we can find, or we might take out a measuring tape and measure the different parts of the flower.”
The growing number of these schools, combined with work by organizations like Natural Start Alliance, is starting to move nature-based education into the mainstream.
States like Colorado and Washington have recent laws supporting these new schools, while Maryland and other states are working towards pilot programs to license these schools. Places like Minnesota are showing support through grants, with clever titles like “No Child Left Inside.”
Besides licensing, nature-based programs still have plenty of work to navigate. These roadblocks include parents worried about the weather. With schools from as far north as Fairbanks, AK, to the humid temperatures of Miami, FL, there’s plenty to account for.
“I would want to convey to parents that these programs are prepared to adapt to your child’s needs. No learning can happen when a child’s uncomfortable if they’re afraid of the weather or they’re too hot or too cold,” says Payne. “As an educator, it is my responsibility to be watching for signs that a child is uncomfortable and adjusting. We’re always going to adjust to the child who’s least comfortable.”
The lack of diversity is another topic that is top of mind and a focus of the Natural Start Alliance’s survey. Despite a growing number of schools, the demographics for nature-based education remain overwhelmingly white.
In the original 2017 survey, 82% of children were white, compared to the 2022 survey, which had white children at 78%. While this may look like a step in the right direction, the increase in diversity may have come from Natural Start rewording the question. The student percentages more or less reflect the makeup of nature-based educators.
“In order for this to change, we need to further explore why these discrepancies exist, which will require additional research,” says Van Laan. “In the meantime, we are focusing on policy changes that will direct more public funding to nature-based programs.”
Van Laan says a big focus of her organization is working to change the perception that this form of education is a luxury. The Natural Start Alliance argues that we need to remove this mindset to focus on the benefits of learning in nature.
Natural Start Alliance has a growing map showing where these schools are based. Nearly every state has at least one program with an increased opportunity for more.
For now, this form of education is primarily available for preschool-aged children. Still, there is a growing movement to create elementary and higher levels of education with a similar standard.
“Parents who have enrolled their children in nature preschools and see how beneficial it is for them often report disappointment when they age out of the preschool program,” says Van Lann. “Today’s elementary schools have become more academically based rather than play-based. There has been a push for more nature-based programs, especially in those early years, the primary grades, kindergarten, first, second.”
With a 200% increase in these programs since 2017, there doesn’t appear to be many things slowing down the growth of a natural education. Parents and educators involved say they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I think the resilience that naturally comes from learning outside is just tremendous because our kids are getting used to being uncomfortable, and life is not always comfortable,” says Payne. “So learning how to navigate that is the biggest bonus. How do I take care of myself in this environment?”
The post Nature Preschools: Is Putting an Emphasis on Outdoors Play The Key To Early Education? appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.
]]>Today, we are talking with our friend Jim Sheils about his book, The Family Board Meeting. Jim is a father of five and is passionate about helping families have the best relationships they can. He talks about the importance of putting down your phone and having scheduled one-on-one time with your children as well as weekly dates with your partner. We hope you learn some helpful tips on how to dramatically strengthen your family!
Jim Sheils talks at length about the importance of quality time. Quality time is intentional, planned, and strategic time together. With certain principles added, it is the difference between success or failure in your relationships with your children and your partner. There are three primary principles to complete a successful family board meeting, according to the book. They are the one-on-one principle, the intermittent tech fasting principle, and the fun activity and focus reflection principle. Let's break them down for you so you can walk away with some basic steps to create closer and more connected bonds with the people you love most.
The one-on-one principle is the most crucial. This means dedicating individual time with each family member to nurture and strengthen your unique bond with them. By setting aside distractions and creating an intimate environment, you can have deeper conversations and connect with your children on a more personal level. Sheils highlights the significance of these one-on-one interactions, particularly with teenagers who may be more inclined to open up without the presence of siblings or other family members. You may be tempted to include your spouse and make it a two-on-one, but Sheils emphasizes the importance of not doing that. No friends, no spouses. Keep it one-on-one.
Sheils assured us that this focused attention is not meant to replace or diminish the broader family dynamic but rather to enhance it. By understanding that the purpose of these sessions is to deepen the parent-child relationship, Shiels feels strongly that both partners will likely support and understand the value of this intentional bonding time. He encourages allowing the children to be in charge of the planning process for their one-on-one days, allowing them to choose activities that interest them. This empowers children to take ownership of the experience, making them more enthusiastic and engaged.
The next step is intermittent tech fasting, which is exactly what it sounds like. Phones and other devices are not invited to one-on-one time. Sheils says that quality interactions cannot happen if you are constantly being interrupted by the buzzing of your phone. Uninterrupted connection is so important. Your children will not feel safe or comfortable to open up if your attention keeps getting pulled to other places. He believes turning off phones during family board meetings, weekly date nights with your partner, and even daily family dinners will help foster deeper conversations and stronger connections.
He teaches that intermittent tech fasting is crucial for reducing family strife and improving relationships. Creating periods of unavailability to disconnect from technology and engage fully with loved ones is so important. He also recommends having time each evening when no one is on a device. This will help foster an environment of deeper conversations and fewer distractions. Shiels assures that setting boundaries with technology will not lead to catastrophic consequences for your business or professional life.
More information here:
Best Financial Books for Doctors
This principle is all about letting your child plan the day's activities and going all in on their choices. Sheils shares examples of how he followed this principle with his own children, allowing them to have ownership and fun in their chosen activities. He has attended countless princess parties as well as going fishing, hiking, or adventuring with his children. He emphasizes the importance of open communication during these board meetings. He said to offer sincere compliments and genuine apologies on these outings to help your children feel loved and supported but also to see that you are not superhuman. Allowing them to see the real you—and that you are not perfect—will help your children grow in beautiful ways and to trust and open up to you. Sheils also highlights the significance of the reflection time at the end of the day where you can talk about your favorite parts of the day. This is a great time to offer a sincere compliment or have other positive and vulnerable conversations. This time is not for lecturing or imposing rules.
The board meetings are intended to build relationships, and Sheils said not to use this time for lectures or disciplinary talks. He encourages parents to be vulnerable, admit their struggles, and engage in meaningful conversations with their children. The focus reflection at the end can be as simple as expressing gratitude for the time spent together and the desire for more of these moments. Authenticity and enthusiasm in these reflections are important. These conversations often leave a positive and lasting impression on your kids, and they foster their desire to participate in future board meetings.
The third edition of the book was just released, and a significant addition is the emphasis on the importance of weekly date nights for couples. Sheils emphasizes the necessity of scheduling a consistent day and time for date nights to ensure they happen regularly. That makes it easier for couples to arrange for a babysitter, avoid conflicting commitments, and have something to look forward to each week. Sheils talked about how he and his wife, Jamie, have been writing deep and meaningful questions and bringing one or two of them to date night for years. It is too easy to sit and talk about the details of life which would mean you miss the chance to really foster deep conversations and strengthen the bond between partners. He talked about how much he has learned about his wife by skipping the surface discussions and diving into these meaningful questions and discussions. He believes that establishing a regular date night routine contributes not only to relationship satisfaction but also to asset protection, as it can help prevent the financial strains associated with divorce. Sheils talks about how consistent date nights can foster trust, alignment, and friendship between couples, contributing to both relationship and financial success.
More information here:
The White Coat Investor Philosophy: 12 Timeless Financial Principles for Doctors
Sheils knows the hard work and dedication of doctors and their drive for perfection in their professional life. That drive can sometimes trickle into their personal life too. He wants us to know that there is no perfect family and not to impose the expectation of perfection on ourselves, our spouses, or our children. He believes that family life is not about achieving perfection but about embracing imperfections and cherishing the time spent together, as the future is uncertain. He has never come across a perfect family in the thousands he has encountered, and he says the notion of a perfect family is misguided. He encourages us all to release ourselves from the pressure of attaining a perfect family and instead to enjoy our loved ones more fully as we are today.
If you want to learn more about The Family Board Meeting, be sure to read the WCI podcast transcript below.
#124 — 2-Doc Couple Splits Their Student Loan Plan and Finance 101: The 5 Money Activities
This two-doc couple has created a great plan for getting rid of both of their loans. He is going for PSLF, and they just paid off her loans. He said meeting with studentloanadvice.com, refinancing, and then having a plan and sticking to it were the keys for tackling these loans quickly. He said they maximized their retirement accounts while paying down the debt. They didn't live exactly like residents but kept costs down and didn't live lavishly. They were still able to enjoy their lives while they did.
Finance 101: The 5 Money Activities
The five money activities are earning, saving, investing, spending, and giving.
By understanding and effectively managing these five money activities, you can develop a balanced financial approach that supports your goals, secures your future, and allows you to make a positive difference in your own life and the lives of others.
To learn more about the five money activities, read the Milestones to Millionaire transcript below.
Today’s episode is brought to us by SoFi, the folks who help you get your money right. SoFi has got exclusive rates and offers to help medical professionals like you when it comes to refinancing your student loans—and that could end up saving you thousands of dollars. Still in residency? SoFi offers competitive rates and the ability to whittle down your payments to just $100 a month* while you’re still in residency. Already out of residency? SoFi’s got you covered there, too, with great rates that could help you save money and get on the road to financial freedom. Check out the payment plans and interest rates at sofi.com/whitecoatinvestor.
SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Additional terms and conditions may apply. NMLS 696891.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
This is White Coat Investor podcast number 321 – The Family Board Meeting with Jim Sheils.
Today's episode is brought to us by SoFi, the folks who help you get your money right. They've got exclusive rates and offers to help medical professionals like you when it comes to refinancing your student loans. That could end up saving you thousands of dollars.
Still in residency? SoFi offers competitive rates and the ability to whittle down your payments to just $100 a month while you're still in training. Already out of residency? SoFi's got you covered there too with great plans and great rates that could help you save money and get on the road to financial freedom. Check out their payment plans and interest rates at sofi.com/whitecoatinvestor.
SoFi Student loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Additional terms and conditions may apply. NMLS# 696891.
All right, it's great to be back with you. I've been off on a few trips. Not the one I told you about though. We had to cancel our climb of Half Dome. The main reason was because it rains all summer in Yosemite these days. I think for 14 days straight. It was supposed to rain in Yosemite and we just didn't want to be camping on a tiny little ledge hundreds of feet in the sky at 9,000 feet getting rained on for some reason. So we've had to postpone that trip.
But I was able to have a wonderful trip with my family. We went to Europe, visited London and Paris and Normandy with all four kids and just had a wonderful time over there. Very stressful to travel in new countries with all kinds of family members, of course, and lots of jet lag and all that sort of thing. But I had some really wonderful experiences with them there and had a good time.
Managed to fit in one adventure in the time that we were going to spend in Yosemite and went down to Zion National Park. It wasn't raining there. And did the Zion Narrows. This is a really hard hike to draw a permit for, to do the narrows from the top down. But you know what I discovered was very easy? It was to get a permit to float it. And in the spring when the water's too high for them to allow hikers in there, they will issue you a permit to float it. And so, that's what we did. We carried our packrafts for a few hours until the water got deep enough to float it, inflated them, and then floated out what used to take eight hours a hike, and we floated in two hours. It was wonderful. It was a great way to see the narrows. We had to skip a couple of rapids. They were just way too much for us to do in our packrafts, but easily portaged around. And I had quite an adventure doing that.
So, today we're going to be talking a little bit about family with the guest that we have on today, but I got a few things I need to get out of the way before we get into that interview.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
The first is our quote of the day. This one comes from PT Barnum of Greatest Showman fame, although I don't think he ever said this in the movie. He said, “Money is a terrible master, but an excellent servant.” I think that's so true because it is something that you can do a lot of things with. But when it becomes the most important thing in your life, you're going to have some problems in your life. And I think today's interview is going to really speak to that as well.
I also wanted to make sure that I thank you for what you do. Yesterday I was flat on my back. I was so sick I could not even sit up. And it only lasted six or eight hours, just some viral syndrome. But man, I felt terrible. And I know there's people out there that feel that way for far longer than six or eight hours. And you're the people working on the front lines helping them to get better. And that is a worthy work and I appreciate you. Even if I didn't need a doctor yesterday, I was very grateful for Ibuprofen and Tylenol and Gatorade.
By the way, if you're looking for a little extra income that you can do on the side while you're commuting or while you're watching TV or something to wind down on the evenings, check out our paid surveys at whitecoatinvestor.com/paidsurveys.
People actually pay you hundreds of dollars. Some people even make thousands of dollars a month taking surveys. Particularly if you are in a medical specialty that prescribes expensive medications. I'm talking rheumatology, I'm talking oncology, neurology, those sorts of specialties. You'd be surprised how much money you can make doing these paid surveys. They really do want your opinion on stuff.
INTERVIEW WITH JIM SHEILS
All right, enough about this. Let's talk about your families. Let's talk about your marriages. Let's get Jim Sheils on the line. You might know him from the real estate world, but we're not going to be talking about real estate today. We're going to be talking about how to strengthen your family. So, let's get him on the line.
My guest today on the podcast is Jim Sheils. Welcome to the podcast, Jim.
Jim Sheils:
Thanks for having me, Jim. Good to be here.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Now, by way of disclosure, Jim and I have a bit of a business relationship. His company, Southern Impression Homes, helps White Coat Investors find turnkey properties that they want to invest in. But that's not actually what we're going to be talking about today. Today we brought Jim on because he's an author, an author of a very important book called The Family Board Meeting. And we're going to get a little bit into that and why he decided to write that book and what its message for you is. In the meantime, Jim, tell us where we're recording this from. Where are you at?
Jim Sheils:
I'm in Costa Rica right now, Jim. One of our favorite spots to try to get away to and work and play from.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Now you say we. Who's we?
Jim Sheils:
My whole family. Me, my wife, and we got five kids. So, it's quite the gang.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. Oldest is how old and youngest is how young?
Jim Sheils:
We go from 20 to one. So, we've got quite a range.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
And you've got the 20 year old down there too.
Jim Sheils:
Yeah, he actually just left to go back because he has business, but he was down here. They love it here. This has been one of our favorite adventure spots. That's a big core value for our family, adventure. That's just so important to us and this is one of our favorite spots to do it.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Very cool. Well, the book we're talking about today just came out with a third edition and I understand it's been rated pretty highly by the Wall Street Journal.
Jim Sheils:
Yeah, this is kind of exciting. My first podcast since I got the news because I got the news about an hour ago that we hit number one on Wall Street Journal, which our publisher called and said, this is incredible. Because it's normally fiction books. And we were the first non-fiction kind of self-help book to hit. And not only hit the list, but hit number one. So, we're really excited. I think it just shows people are really, really yearning for this family message and for some strategy and structure to help that important part of the life.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah. Now the copy I have is still the second edition. I haven't gotten my hands on the third edition yet, but I think we could probably work from that to talk a little bit about the message about the family board meeting.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
But before we talk about what the family board meeting is, let's talk about your motivation to write this. This came out of you kind of interacting with a bunch of other entrepreneurs and seeing a problem. Tell us about that problem.
Jim Sheils:
Yeah. It was many years ago, I went to support a friend who was going through detox, through an addiction treatment center. And on the final day, most people brought in family members to support this friend. And it was very interesting, Jim. I was in a room of a lot of parents. They all shared something in common. Two things in common. One, they all had a child who was an addict, which is a very, very difficult thing to go through.
The second thing is they were all successful in their career. They either owned their own practice or their own business. And it hit me like a cold baseball bat to the knees and just “ugh”, just to watch it. And there was this concern that I saw that these people in best intentions had built these bigger businesses or practices, but they had sacrificed so much quality time at home. The relationship had suffered and then sobriety had suffered as a result.
And it really made me think well before I even had a family of how could I do things differently? And that's what I wanted to do was do things differently. So I wasn't in that situation, or at least hopefully I would do everything to avoid that situation later in life.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Let me read a little bit from the book from this section. You said, “That day I watched successful grown men and women sobbing at the clear knowledge they hadn't been there for their children when it was most important. It was enough to change me forever. That day I learned there was something more important than money, more important than fancy private schools and more important than empty gifts. That's something that's called quality time.
I sat in that room listening to the devastating stories and the heart wrenching regret of each parent as a hundred different threads wound themselves together in my mind. The disconnected entrepreneurs and corporate warriors I'd met over the years, the disconnected parents in the support group, the memory of my friends disconnected upbringing. It was like a slap in the face, an abrupt shock that left me wondering, what happened to these families?”
Tell us what you mean by quality time. This is something that's been thrown around a lot, but don’t know that anybody really ever puts a definition on it. What is quality time?
Jim Sheils:
Let's start, Jim, by saying what quality is not. Quality time is not putting your kid in the back seat, taking two phone calls and having the radio on and calling that quality time. Quality time is not being in a huge group and unavailable to the people that you love the most where you're giving them maybe 10% of the attention, maybe less. That's what quality time is not.
What quality time is, is intentional, planned and strategic time together. With certain principles added it is the difference of success or failure. And that was something that I really got honed in on and what creates quality time. And it's only a few components, which I'm sure we'll go over today.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Very cool. All right, let's talk about an important question, and you call it in the book the most important question in the world. Can you tell us what the most important question is?
Jim Sheils:
Well, the most important question is have you spent time one-on-one with your child without electronic distractions for a day or a half a day? And if so, when and if not, why not? That's the underlying question that I ask so many people.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
It really boils down to what's more important, your work or your money or your children?
Jim Sheils:
Yeah. And in a lot of this, Jim, there are people so well intentioned. We both have families. There is pride, there is a deep responsibility to provide for our families. And for my doctor friends, couple that with the Hippocratic Oath. That's a very sacred oath to a lot of my doctor friends. So, there is some pull, there is some confusion.
But what I've found is the people that are able to put their family in a priority position and still not give up those other responsibilities seem to be happier and more well-adjusted than people that do not. When you put yourself in the position where your family just is constantly getting what's left over and we know from all the business, if we just give them what's left over, it can be very small. That's where I start to see problems really arise, at least with the thousands of families I've worked with over the last 12 years.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Now, I think this concept, this idea of a board meeting might not be intuitive to doctors as much as it is to a corporate warrior. Tell us what a board meeting is and then let's transition that into what the family board meeting is.
Jim Sheils:
Yeah. A board meeting for me, Jim, when I first made up this term, it was a play on words because as you know my pastime is surfing, so I love surfing. So you hear about surfers talking about having a board meeting. They're not really in the boardroom, they're out on their surfboards. And so, that's what we originally called it because we had so much beach time. So it was kind of a play on words and it might sound a little more serious than it is.
But for our doctor friends out there that might not be so into this more business realm, they're more into the professional realm. A board meeting for everything that I've seen in successful companies is a time when you get together every 90 days to reunite the team and look forward to the next 90 days. That's what a real successful board meeting is for entrepreneurial companies that I've either owned or worked within.
And I decided a long time ago I wanted to do that same with my children. They are my most important investors, clients, key team members, and I wanted to make sure I gave them that time. So, every 90 days I get together one on one with each one of my children and I reunite my relationship with them. We have fun and we look ahead to the next 90 days. And I've been doing this now for 12 years, along with thousands of other families. We have to make this simple rhythm is probably being practice by over 300,000 families.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Let's get into the nuts and bolts. How do you plan and carry out a board meeting?
Jim Sheils:
Absolutely. First thing, Jim, as we've talked about before in success, that which we schedule gets done. I know my doctor friends would never not schedule appointments with their patients. That just wouldn't make sense. So, that which we put on our calendar gets done.
Every quarter I schedule a day, half a day to a day with each one of my children. And then I follow three guiding principles. The one-on-one principle, the intermittent tech fasting principle, and then the fun activity and focus reflection principle. We can go through each one. When you combine these three, it is an absolute unfair advantage for having a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your children.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay, let's go through the principles. Let's start with the first one.
Jim Sheils:
Yeah. This one, and I know I'm not supposed to say this, Jim, but I'm going to say it. If people stop listening after this one, I'm going to tell you, just listen to this one. Because it has made the most difference and it's so overlooked and so underrated. It still baffles me.
And this is the one-on-one principle. What I've learned with successful relationships between spouses, between them and their children is separate the parts to strengthen the whole. You have to get one-on-one with each member of your family to strengthen that individual relationship.
One-on-one time takes away distraction and it puts the magnifying glass on that individual relationship in a positive way. Big family gatherings are great. I come from an Irish Catholic family, which means I have like 4,000 cousins. And that's great.
But the real deeper conversations with my children, especially my teens, happens on one-on-one time. Because there's a lot of things we might not want to talk or open up with without that comfort of one-on-one.
And if you are the busy professional, you're a busy doctor or a busy business owner, and you're away from home more, well, it's really important that you have this one-on-one time because your child might naturally tend to lean towards your spouse who might be home more. So, one-on-one time is the starting point. And we found even this scheduled one-on-one time takes the relationship to a deeper level.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Now, what if your spouse wants to participate? They don't want this to be one-on-one. They want it to be two-on-one. How do you break the news that this has to be one-on-one?
Jim Sheils:
Our book is a great starting point because it really does break it down in a non-aggressive way of why this is so important. Again, you're not taking away from the family dynamic by not all being together all the time. You're adding to it. In our days, if you remember the Brady Bunch, Jim, none of us want the next Jan Brady, you know, Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. This fights against that.
And really, you want to show your spouse this is not going to take away from the relationship. It's going to add to it. What I found a lot of the times, especially if there's a spouse at home more, they're going to support this because they want to see you, the busy professional that's outside the house, get this time because man, it's so important.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
What about when the kid pushes back? Can I bring my friend? They're always more willing to do stuff if there's a friend with them. How do you respond to that?
Jim Sheils:
Well, there's a couple ways. First, and this is principle three, and we'll jump ahead to it real quick and then come back to it later. I let them plan the day. Now, if it's something that I'm planning, Jim, I like surfing and one of my sons loves the ocean but he’s not in the surfing. If I go out to a surf spot with him for the day, he's not going to be as excited as if he got the plan the day.
So one of the things I let them do is plan the day. And then I just basically explained to them, “Hey, I'd like to bring my best friend too”, and I'll name one of my close friends. This is about you and me today. We'll have other times where we're getting together with John or Sally or whoever, but today is about me and you. And that is really important that we get time just the two of us.
I don't say it aggressively, I don't say it with authoritative action. I just kind of hand open say that to them. And I've yet to see too heavy a pushback. Maybe in the beginning if you haven't been spending time. But there are some things you can do to keep to open that up. But get them on that first one and we'll go over some things to make sure you don't betray that trust to help do that. And I think you're going to see results that most people are so scared to even ask this. They find out it was just a phantom. They were pretty scared about things they didn't.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah. All right. Let's talk about the second principle.
Jim Sheils:
This one's really important.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
This is the one about your cell phone, right?
Jim Sheils:
Yes. Intermittent tech fast. We have lots of health professionals on here, and I'm no health expert, but I've practiced different forms of intermittent fasting where from what I've read, it helps revitalize the organs. Weight, maintenance, weight control. And you're not giving up eating, Jim, you're just deciding to eat between this time and this time. It's a disciplined action of when you're choosing to eat.
This is the same thing I encourage with quality time with your family, especially starting with this family board meeting that you do with each one of your children every quarter, or as in our third edition, when we start to talk about the importance of having a weekly date night with your spouse. My phone is not invited.
So, when I go onto these days with my children, Jim, my phone is not invited. You start to realize when you read the studies, how much interruption occurs and you never get below the surface or give full focus to people in front of us if we get that one text, if we get that Facebook thread that you don't even need to read, probably ever. If you're taking an email, that phone call, it pulls you out of the situation.
I'll tell you a quick story. Maggie's now eight. About three years ago, she's five years old. We go out, on a day coming home every day, I turn off my phone for one to two hours when I get off. So they can't contact me. I need to be completely and totally unavailable sometimes for my family. We go out, she says, “Daddy, let's get on the trampoline.” So it's her time. I get on the trampoline, Jim, I break my own rule. I left my phone in my pocket, and I hear that dreaded noise. Now, you know that noise. Everyone on here knows that noise.
We don't even have to look at the phone yet, but our mind's going into seven different things of what it could be. I pulled it out and I was doing a real estate closing on a deal that I was closing, and something fell through. A simple part of the title, and it was supposed to close. It didn't happen. Oh man.
So here I am frustrated, standing on the trampoline, talking in my head, and there's nothing I could do. It's 05:30, it's going to have to wait until tomorrow. And I have a moment of clarity, and I stop and I look, and there's my five year old daughter standing in front of me. She's got this really sad look on her face. And she goes, “Oh, daddy, why are you so mad at me?” And I'm like, “Oh, just turn the knife.” It just was so, so shocking to hear that I had been so out of it.
We think we can handle two things at once. We don't realize what it's doing to people in front of us. And that's why I want time to complete and total unavailability. You cannot reach me when I'm on one of these board meetings with my children and I follow suit. I set the example and they have to turn off their phone because we all know if all of a sudden we're about to get into deep conversation, we float into a social media thread or get a text or a phone call, the moment stops.
So, what I've found for the most successful family connection points is we got to turn off technology. I'm not telling them they have to move to a survival ranch in Montana, although that sounds tempting to me sometimes.
But what I'm saying is, have times of unavailability. Interesting fact as well, 60 years ago, Jim, the average family dinner was about 90 minutes, which you and I look like, “Gosh, 90 minutes. That's a long time.” But today, the average family meal for dinner is 12 minutes. 12 minutes.
I have the belief and experts I've talked to that people are rushing off to something. And normally it's to electronic device. So, I'm saying, look, if you're going to go on a date with your spouse, turn off your phone for the night. Have one emergency phone with a babysitter. If you're going to go on one of these board meetings with your children, have your phone off for those four to five hours. Your business or practice should not explode.
If you're coming home every day, take an hour, one hour where everyone's phones are off because then you're not rushing away, then there's not distraction. Then there's deeper conversation. Intermittent tech fasting is one of the most important principles that I found to settle family strife and even distance and bring people closer together.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Very cool. All right. Well you alluded to this earlier, but let's talk about the third principle.
Jim Sheils:
Yeah. People say, as you said, Jim, well, what if they don't want to do it? What if they're not wanting to spend the time? Well, I got to tell you, what I found is for me, I'll guilt myself. When I'd want to spend time with my older boys or any of my children, in best intentions sometimes I would try to pick the day and they might want to do something totally different if I let them build out the day on their own. So, that which we help create, we take ownership in. A fun activity of their choice. Every quarter they plan the day and I go all in. I've had more princess parties than I probably want to admit to you, Jim. But that's what my daughter wanted to do and I went all in. And that's their currency of fun, going in on what they want to do.
My son, for example, he loves fishing. Now I like fishing Jim, but if I have a chance to go surfing or fishing, I'll choose surfing 10 out of 10 times. But my son loves to fish. So starting in age seven, when we started to take these board meetings and he started doing fishing, we did that a lot. I went all in. Well, today he owns his own charter fishing business.
So you never know where these things are going to turn out. But thankfully I didn't say, “No, let's go surfing. No, let's go to this.” Because that's what seems to happen. We let them build the day and go all in.
And then at the end of the day, you have the chance to have some open communication. See what occurs when you can read about this in the book, when you're four to five hours in, you've had no distractions, you're having a good time, you've probably shared a meal. There's something that occurs that’s called decompression. It's almost like the guards have come down. This is when real communication can happen.
And what I've found for thousands of people I've spoke to, and even myself of my own recollections, this is the time where if I make a sincere compliment or genuine apology, I go deeper with my children. Look, we all get short, we all get impatient. We all have times where we make a promise and it gets run over by career goals, deadlines, this and that. We have times where our children have worked really hard on something and we haven't taken the time to actually give them some credit where credit is due or a real compliments.
And so, I found that if I will go all in, stay open to conversation, just ask the question, “What did you enjoy today?” And have myself have the courage to make an apology or sincere compliment, which honestly I didn't really get as a child. So, weren't easy for me. This is where the relationship can get strong.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. So, this activity that they plan and you've turned your phones off for and it's one-on-one. How does this work? Give us a couple of examples of family board meetings you've done.
Jim Sheils:
Okay. Well, let me give you one in the book that has gotten even more famous now, because we did a catch up, where are they now, my kids. My son Leland, he's six years old. You've been, I think to St. August. We have a beautiful lighthouse there. Just the view is just sprawling. His big brother, a quarter before had gone the lighthouse. He said, “Dad, I want to go to the lighthouse. I want to go the lighthouse for my next board meeting.” I said, okay, no problem.
Now the catch here is, Jim, Leland was terrified of heights. He could not stand heights. And I'm going, “Okay, how is this going to work? He's scared of heights. I know big brother just went.” So we get to the base of the lighthouse, he starts freaking out. And I'm like, “Look buddy, we don't need to do this. This is your day. We'll go all in, do what you want to do.”
I said, “I tell you what. What if we just climb the first landing? When you go up, there's landings and there's benches. We could climb the first 20 steps and sit there. If you want to come back down, we'll come back down.” So little hem and hawing, we get out, we do that. We get up the first landing, finally. We sit there for a while. “I don't know about this. – Well, hey, why don't we just try the next landing?” We go up again. Boom.
Then we get up another landing and another landing. And now he's like, “Well, I'm not sure.” And I'm like, “Well, look buddy, we're closer to the top than we're at the bottom. Maybe try one more landing.” Well, we do this the whole way up, Jim. He gets to the top. He is proud as punch. The view is just such a reward. We rushed down, we climb it two more times. And he's just ecstatic with himself.
We leave, we go have a meal at his favorite cafe that he likes to eat at. And then we stopped near our home before going home, just climb on some jetty rocks. And I said, “What was your favorite part of the day today, buddy?” And he was like, “Oh, climbing the lighthouse. I can't believe that I was able to do that.” I said, “Yeah, I was really proud of you.”
And he stopped and said something to me, which at first with the male bravado, you should be proud of. And then I was like, “Wow, I'm really not doing a good job displaying who I really am.” He said, “Dad, have you ever been afraid of anything?” And I thought, “Ah, what?” Because coming from a six year old and grown man who still has plenty of fears and setbacks and hesitancies, he's thinking that he's trying to live up to someone who was never afraid. And that just was not true.
So I had to say, “Wow, buddy, let me list as far as I can remember, back around your age, all the things I was afraid of.” And it was just such a connection point to that day. First of all, he overcame it. And I was able to see something that I was seriously doing wrong. Where, yeah, I was in good intention, make him strong, make him self-reliant. But if I'm setting up this Superman image that I have no vulnerabilities, first of all, it's a lie. And secondly, how can he ever feel as a six year old that he can relate to? And that was a really important thing.
Fast forward to today, Jim, this little boy who is afraid of heights, and I didn't even realize this till our editor said, “Do you realize that this famous story of him being afraid of heights, he now owns a gutter cleaning business where he is up on roofs all day?” So, that's one of my favorite stories.
Another story. I know there was a friend of mine who owned a large practice, had a messy divorce. His daughters were teens, twins. He started to practice these board meetings and he said on the second board meeting both of his twin daughters who he did them separately with, they were always together, but he got together with them separately and had a day with each one of them.
He said, they said the exact same thing and he knows that they didn't script it to each other. They basically said, “Dad, we didn't care about the big practice. We didn't care about any of the big stuff. We just wanted time with you.” And he said it was an absolute aha. It was a comfort, it was a rebuilding of his confidence. And it changed the way that he went into the next phase of his career, the rest of the relationship he had with them into adulthood.
So, those are just two stories that stick out. But we're lucky to have thousands and thousands of people using this system though. But those are just two that are good to share.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Let's talk about what you're supposed to do at the end of this time together. This sort of reflection time. Tell us about that and how hard it is, how involved it is, how easy it is, etc.
Jim Sheils:
You remember those old commercials, Jim, with the crash dummies for cars? And they say you can learn a lot from a dummy. I always joke, I say, you can learn a lot from a dummy, meaning me. What you don't want to do when you first get on these board meetings is you don't want to try to fit in 50 lectures. You don't want to get on your soapbox and start disciplining of the ways they can improve their life, the things that they're not doing right. This is a betrayal of trust and it will kill the magic of the board meeting.
And as you said, that's what's going to prevent your kids from wanting to go on another one. Keep the next 50 lectures for another time. This day is not about that. This day is about just a relationship, not about the rules, not about all those other things. They can wait.
So, during these reflection times, it's a time to be vulnerable. It's a time to lower your guard and admit things. Like I've said, I have two young sons going to their own businesses. I share my struggles on our recent board meeting all the time because I know they're going to be able to relate to that. And I don't leave it like, “Hey, it was terrible. It was awful.” I say it was really hard. Here's what I tried to do to work through it. And after they ask me questions.
I always try to let them have the playing field and not make them talk too long. A focus reflection can honestly be four seconds. They say, “What did you like about today? – Just getting the chance to spend time with you because I don't do it enough and I'd like to do it more.” Boom. A sentence like that can really implant into a child and make them wanting to come back for more. Especially if you're doing it enthusiastically and authentically. Obviously you don't want to try tactical. But that's all that the focus reflection is about, Jim. It’s just, again, sincere apologies. Maybe you're holding back a compliment. Maybe there's a story at their age of yourself that doesn't make you look like a superhero but it's certainly not about lecture.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Well, let's talk about the third edition. I haven't read the third edition. What's in the third edition that I don't have in my book?
Jim Sheils:
In the third edition, there's just some more stories. We went deeper into a few of the principles, the one-on-one principal, the intermittent tech fasting, and this fun activity with focus reflection, which by the way, that's the shortest definition of experiential education.
But what we added was this rhythm that my wife, Jamie, and I have been teaching at different business groups. And that is the importance of date nights. We were working with some pretty influential groups out there and I would say, “When was the last time you went on a date with your spouse?” And they're like, “Oh, seven months ago, eight months ago. Yeah, we tried.”
One thing that my wife and I got really good at out of necessity was the weekly date nights. And there's a little system to how we do it to make sure that we don't miss it and we make the most of it. And that's what we go into in the book is adding the principles of the one-on-one, the intermittent tech fasting and then also adding some guardrails of what date night looks like.
And this is something really important. If you're not having a weekly date with your spouse, I believe you are setting yourself up for a dangerous situation and nobody wants to be in that situation. And if you do do it, it is such a reset. It's something to look forward to. It's continually built the love and friendship that I have with my wife today. And I'm happy to share a few of those main points that people can chew on.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Sure. Let's hear some of those main points.
Jim Sheils:
Okay. Well, hey, our doctor friends, Jim, they're really busy. A week goes by in blink of an eye. If we're every week saying, “Okay, let's schedule a date. Well, how about Thursday? Well, no, Thursday. Well, maybe Friday. Tuesday, yes. Tuesday. Oh, we can't get the sitter on Tuesday.” It moves too fast.
So going back to Burt Ward, days of Batman, same bat time, same bat channel. See, I'm an entrepreneur, Jim, you know me pretty well. I need structure. I need some structure, some guardrails around me. And I used to miss eight night and it would break my wife's heart and I'm really ashamed to say that. But once we put it on the same day, every Wednesday, 05:30 to 08:30. Every Wednesday, 05:30 to 08:30.
What does that do when you put it on the same day and same time? Well, first off for us, we can get a sitter. We have a standing babysitter every Wednesday night. We don't take podcasts on Wednesday nights. I don't do client dinners on Wednesday night. I can work around it. I know if I'm traveling to an event, I usually can leave Thursday morning. So it's right after that. That's how we picked our date.
So if you find them a day that's going to work, and we found on the weekends it might be harder to get into our restaurants. Plus we like hump day. But we know when it is and what to expect. And I find that most people, as I said before, why do our board meeting strategy with children fail is because most people don't schedule. If they will just schedule the date night for that same night, it doesn't take away excitement, it doesn't take away any enthusiasm. Actually, it gives you something to depend on. And it's really nice.
Now, once you get on the date, Jim, I ruined plenty of dates in the beginning, sad to say because I had my phone. That text, that phone call. I'm embarrassed to think back of that guy who was at the table with my beautiful wife. So, my phone's uninvited.
But when we go on a date, I don’t know about you, Jim. My wife is my best friend. We have a great relationship, I’m really attracted to her. But even with that, we can get stuck in the fast of life with the surface questions. How was the kids' day at school? What's the weather supposed to be like tomorrow? What errands are we running on Saturday? Real romance builders, right? And we want to avoid those.
So what Jamie and I started to do is we started to bring, because we read something of better questions, better relationship. And so we started to mount up and just find questions from the internet in different spots of really deep, powerful questions to help us get to know each other, to keep dating each other.
And actually, as we built them, we put them as a joke into a deck of cards. 52 questions and a little one you could fit in your pocket. And we'd bring these on our date. And every date we ask one or two of these questions. Not 17 for our overachievers. This isn't a contest. But one or two. And one or two questions, Jim. Instead of how's the weather today? It's like, “Hey, tell me about the most influential teacher you had, whether from kindergarten or college. And why?” That one question, what I learned about my wife and what I learned, she learned about the person who influenced my life to a huge degree, a teacher was huge.
What were our best three vacations and which one would we take first again, if we could? Name a time that we were going through a tough time and you feel like I didn't show up for you and how I could have done that better. Now that's a tough one. The duke's got to go down, right? Lower the guard.
But the beauty here is, Jim, if you set it up at same bat time, same bat channel, for us every Wednesday, 05:30 to 08:30, every Wednesday, 05:30 to 08:30, and every week I'm asking one or two powerful under the surface questions to my wife, think where you'll be in a year compared to the last year.
Now, a lot of the groups that we've worked with, they've only gone on four dates and asked one of those questions. You feel more aligned, you feel closer to each other, you feel more respected, you feel more heard. All the things we all want.
And so, that is a big part of the addition number three. Because the relationship between us and our children is one of the most important things to me in my life, Jim. I love real estate, but it's very secondary to the relationship I have with my family. And that can't just be with our children. I believe it has to be with our spouse. And that's why we added that in the book.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
It's very true. And I've been saying this for many years, that date night is your best asset protection move.
Jim Sheils:
There you go.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Because doctors are all worried about losing their money to their patients. And the truth is, almost no doctors ever lose any of their personal money to a patient. Almost always, even when they're sued successfully or have to settle something, they're playing with the house money, they're playing with the insurance company money. Who do they really lose their money to? Spouses when they get divorced. That's where they lose their money. So even if you look at it just from a financial perspective, date night is a great move.
Jim Sheils:
It's a great move. Yes. And it's got equity in many, many different areas. And so, what I found is too, as we went onto more dates and asked more of these questions, the level of trust we've had has grown.
And for financial success, Jim, my wife and I are very aligned financially, in our mindsets and our goals. We both know where our assets are, how they are working. And I'd like to say that that wasn't always the case, but we built a trust and a camaraderie through these dates that really binded us.
And I can tell you our wealth, not only have we been far from the side of divorce, but we've grown our wealth more sustainably and more enjoyable. And that makes all the sense in the world to me and hopefully to a lot of people listening.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah, absolutely. In preparation for this, I read through some of the reviews of your book on Amazon. I don’t know if you've ever read these, but it's always fun and you have lots of very nice reviews. 91% of your reviews are four or five stars. Lots of people say very nice things about you.
I found the worst review on here. This is from a lady by the name of Laura W who said, “One star. Let me save you the money. Spend time with your kids one-on-one doing something they like to do. Tremendous waste of time with very little content. In fact, I can save you $10 by giving you the entire message reiterated 50 times in this pathetic book. Spend some one-on-one time with your kids. Here's the big secret, the twist. Doing something they want to do. Seriously? That's it? The title and subtitle of the book are more interesting than any of the content. Frankly, I'm embarrassed that I bought this book, who would give it zero stars if that were an option.”
Now here's my question for you, Jim. If you had a chance to sit down in a room across from Laura W, what would you talk about?
Jim Sheils:
I would try to very nicely ask “What have you done with your children to keep a strong relationship?” And sometimes when people are that charged, it doesn't feel like they're mad at me, Jim, they're mad at someone else. And so, I can kind of laugh at those a little bit. But I would say, “Wow, you really summarized my book well.”
Because here's what I would say is what I've learned, Jim, and I would tell Laura, this is a short book. We made it like that on purpose. And the concepts are simple to understand and to put into action. We did that on purpose because I'm always saying “Today, especially, gosh, for different strategies for strengthening your family or relationships, it's almost like you have to a psychologist or family therapist to understand them.” And not all of us have the time or the desire to do that.
The world is choking on content, but starving for execution. My book is not content overload. In fact, it's very content generalized and how do we put it into action. Because honestly Jim, the book is a failure if you don't take action. That's the biggest compliment I can get. It's too simple.
And what I've found is, sadly, I've had some friends who are good friends and they'll say, I thought it was too simple. I ignored you. Three years later, I finally started. Now I get it.
I'd say with Laura, also, “Have you practiced this? Have you tried it? What were you doing before?” Because back in the day, Jim, I’d cross my arms, “Who's this Laura? Where does she live? Do I have her Facebook?” You take it very personally, but now I'm starting to see it's very vulnerable when we start to talk to people about their children. This is a very personal relationship. We put a lot of pride in it. We have a lot of hurt, we have a lot of resentment towards ourselves. And so, I see when people write comments like that, luckily I don't get many. They're probably not mad at me. They're mad at something else, normally themselves.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah. Well, awesome, Jim. It's been great spending time with you talking about the family board meeting. You've got the ear now probably of 35,000 or 40,000, mostly doctors, but high income professionals for the most part. What have we not talked about today that you think they ought to know?
Jim Sheils:
Jim, I have a lot of doctor friends as you know. They are some of the most hardworking, honorable people I know. They're also very hard on themselves because they had to be of that perfection to learn their skill set, which thank God they do. You know the stories of what I talk about at white coat events, anything from kidney donations to what doctors have done are huge.
Just know even with all your skills, there is no perfect family. And don't put that pressure under you, your spouse or your children. Family life, if I've learned anything, is not about perfection. It's about bridging our imperfection and making the most of the time we have together, because that is a huge unknown. And I learned that more and more each day that I live.
So, I just tell all of my friends, but my doctor friends out there, you guys are working hard. You're doing great work. Don't put the pressure of perfection on you for the perfect family life. I don't know whoever created that silly saying the perfect family. I haven't met the in thousands and thousands of families and that's not what it's about. So when you take that pressure off, you might actually get to enjoy each other a little.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Very cool. Thanks for sharing. So, if you're interested in the Family Board Meeting, you can get it on Amazon, make sure you're buying the third edition now. It's brand new out. But if you look for the ones with the most reviews, that'll be the first or second edition. So, look for the third edition to make sure you get all that good stuff about date night in there.
If you're interested in connecting with Jim professionally, the best link to use is whitecoatinvestor.com/sihomes. And that'll take you to his professional pursuit, which is obviously not his greatest priority, but if you're interested in getting into turnkey rental properties, he can assist you with that as well.
Jim, thank you for your time. Thank you for coming on the White Coat Investor podcast and sharing your thoughts on how to strengthen our families and our marriages.
Jim Sheils:
Thank you, Jim. I appreciate you having me.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
All right. I hope you enjoyed that interview. I thought it was great. It was really good for me. I read the book a while back, but because I hate scheduling stuff, and ask White Coat Investor staff members how much I hate scheduling stuff, I have not actually implemented this despite meaning to after reading the book. And that is the hard part, isn't it? It’s implementing and following through.
So, I'm going to make a commitment to all of you, 35,000 of you or whatever, that are going to listen to this podcast. I'm going to do a far better job implementing a weekly date night and a quarterly family board meeting with my kids and do a better job of strengthening what really does matter the most to me. And I hope you'll join me in doing the same and shoot, send me an email, let me know how it goes.
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This is the White Coat Investor podcast Milestones to Millionaire – Celebrating stories of success along the journey to financial freedom.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
This is Milestones to Millionaire podcast number 124 – The two doc couple splits their student loan plan.
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Good ad to run today, as you will hear in the podcast. Our podcast guest actually is a client of studentloanadvice.com, as you'll hear.
All right, if you want to be on this podcast, this is the Milestones to Millionaire podcast. These drop every Monday. The regular White Coat Investor podcast also on this same feed drops on Thursdays. It's driven by what you want to hear. Guests you've requested, questions you call in about.
But this podcast is designed to inspire you. We bring you on. We want to celebrate your financial successes, whatever milestone you've reached, and use them to inspire other people to do the same. If you'd like to come on and share your milestone, you can do that at whitecoatinvestor.com/milestone, and we'll bring you onto the podcast and use your stories to inspire others. So, thanks for the 123 others who have come on in the past, and I'm sure there's 123 more people out there with great financial successes that we can celebrate.
Okay, let's get the interview and then stay tuned afterward, we're going to talk a little bit about what I call the five money activities of your life.
INTERIVEW
Our guest today on the Milestones Millionaire podcast it's Caleb. Caleb, welcome to the podcast.
Caleb:
Hey, Jim. Thanks for having me on.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
You have accomplished actually a couple of milestones. Let's talk about the debt one first. What have you done?
Caleb:
We just paid off my wife's loans. She had about $130,000 of student loan debt, and we paid that off just a couple of months ago.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Awesome. Congratulations on that. That's awesome. Okay, we need some background information. What do you do for a living? How far are you out of training? What does she do for a living? How far is she out of training?
Caleb:
Sure. Yeah. I am a pediatric hospitalist. I'm about two and a half years out of training at this point. And then she is an OB-GYN. She's about a year and a half, so about a year more of training for her. And we're up in northeast Ohio area, so Midwest.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. And we're talking about her loans today. Why don't you clue us into what's going on with your loans too?
Caleb:
I have about $255,000 or so. I'm working on PSLF. Paying minimum. I’m paying nothing right now during the deferment period but I’m planning on paying minimum until I can get that paid off. I got another about four and a half years until PSLF will hopefully take effect.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah. It wouldn't surprise me if your payments as they start up here in September are still what they were in training.
Caleb:
Yeah, hopefully.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Because you haven't recertified in a while, right?
Caleb:
Right, yeah. I made sure that we were on the right payment plan, just since we're doing married filing separately to make sure that her income doesn't affect that for me.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
You're playing all the games, married filing separately. Are you enrolled in pay?
Caleb:
Yes. The pay one. Yeah. Andrew, actually helped us out with that to make sure that we were on the right plan for that.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Hey, that's a beautiful advertisement. He's talking about Andrew at studentloanadvice.com. If you need help, if you have a complicated situation like this, one of you is going for PSLF, one of you isn't, and trying to figure out how to file your taxes and which retirement accounts to do and which plan to be in, it’s a great reason to spend an hour with Andrew at studentloanadvice.com. It's flat fee and just make sure you're doing it all right because it's worth a lot of money. How much do you expect to have forgiven?
Caleb:
I can't remember. I believe it'll be about $200,000. It'll be a little tricky depending on when the payments actually start up again and where my payments are to begin with. But I believe about $200,000 will be forgiven.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah. $200,000 plus in after tax money.
Caleb:
Yes.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Even to a two doc household, that's a significant amount of money.
Caleb:
It's huge. It's huge.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
How many more years you got?
Caleb:
I believe about four and a half at this point. Yeah.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. So making progress. Well, maybe we'll have you back on the podcast in four and a half more years. But for today, let's talk about wiping out her loans. Why is she paying off her loans, where you didn't? Her job's not at the same place as yours or something, what's going on?
Caleb:
Yeah, it was more the financial. Her income was higher, so she makes about $300,000. Compared to her student loans were only about $130,000. So because of that, if she would've tried to go for PSLF, she would've ended up paying it off through the IDR, so it wouldn't have worked out. So, we just decided we were going to refinance hers, got a low rate on that and we just kicked it in the butt and did everything we could to get rid of it.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
What rate did you get?
Caleb:
About 3%.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
3%. And that was how long ago?
Caleb:
That would've been about a year and a half ago.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Year and a half ago. Wow.
Caleb:
Yeah.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Nobody's getting 3% today, unfortunately.
Caleb:
Yeah, we initially got a variable rate and that started to climb up. We actually refinanced again and got 3%. So, it all worked out really well.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
It's interesting because the people that got a variable rate a year or two before that, it went down, not up. It was actually a great move for them. Funny how interest rates changing changed that, but a lot of people are going to be looking at this in August and September. “I'm coming out of the 0% period, do I refinance? Let's check rates.”
And what they're going to find is they're going to be able to go from their 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8% loans to 5.5, 6. Maybe you can get 5% now, but even that's going to be tough. So interest rates are higher. Those who waited to get maximum time in the 0% plan aren't going to get as good a rates as those who pulled the trigger earlier. Which one works out better I guess just depends on how long you take to pay them off.
Caleb:
Right. I'm glad we had our plan early and we went for it and it really worked out well for us.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. So how'd you guys do this? I know it's two docs. It's a hospitalist and it's an OB-GYN, but still $130,000 in a year and nine months. You wrote big checks each month. How'd you do that?
Caleb:
Yeah, we sure did. I figured out it was over $7,000 every month on average that we paid off. So, there were a couple different pieces. The biggest thing was that as soon as she got out of training, we really sat down and we wrote down what our financial goals were going to be.
And of course, the big one was going to be trying to get rid of her debt as soon as possible. We would budget pretty much every month and it wasn't so much, “Oh, we got to cut back here”, but it was just making sure what money is going where. Is this following our goals? Is our money doing what we want it to do? And like I said, we refinanced. That made a big difference. And just having that plan and sticking to it.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
How'd you balance investing versus paying debt?
Caleb:
Well, for us initially, it wasn't too tricky of a situation. We wanted that debt gone and so, we certainly maxed out our 403(b)s, did our backdoor Roth, did all of those retirement accounts that were beneficial to us. But pretty much everything else, we just put it towards all those student loans.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah. So, when people asked you student loans or invest, you said yes.
Caleb:
Right.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. Which explains this other milestone you hit. Tell us what other milestone you hit recently.
Caleb:
Yeah, we were also back to broke back in October of 2022. So, that also felt really good to see.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah, just two or three years out, depending on which one of you were talking about, back to broke. Which this might sound dumb to those of you who aren't doctors listening to this podcast. This is a big deal for a doctor to get back broke. We started our professional lives, in this case you guys, it sounds like you started almost $400,000 in the hole. So, just getting that net worth up $400,000, even though you still have debt is pretty significant milestone and maybe the first one most people hit. So, congratulations on that as well.
Caleb:
Thank you.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
All right. So, paying off this debt. Easier or harder than you thought it was going to be at the beginning?
Caleb:
I would say it was easier. Once we had that plan in place, it really just kind of took care of itself and we did our best not to let our lifestyle creep up. I wouldn't say that we were quite living like a resident for these past couple of years, but we did our best. We went on vacations, but they weren't anything lavish. We did what we needed to do in order to get that student loan taken care of. So, it ended up being easier for us than I thought.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. There's a lot of pre-med, early medical students that are worried about the debt. They're like, “I don’t know if I want to go to medical school because it's really expensive and I'm going to have to borrow it all.” Yet, here you are two to three years out of residency, hers are gone. You've got a solid plan in place for yours, which sounds like it's going to work out great. What do you say to that person that's like, “I don’t know if I can be a doctor, there's no family help coming for me? I'm going to an expensive school, I'm going to borrow it all. Maybe I'm going to owe $400,000.” What do you say to that person?
Caleb:
It certainly seems daunting. And when I was applying for med school, I don't think it was anything I really considered that strongly, but once you're in it and it starts to pile up, it does seem quite daunting. But I think that pretty much every doc is going to be making more than enough to take care of that. All you have to do is just, like I said, having that plan in place for us was definitely the biggest thing. And we had it already. And as long as you stick to it and make sure you're living within your means, it really ended up being pretty easy to take care of.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
You still think it's a good financial investment to go to medical school.
Caleb:
Absolutely.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
All right. Both of you are enjoying your practices?
Caleb:
Oh man, we sure are. We have a couple of really, really nice jobs. We feel like very stereotypical millennials. As a hospitalist, I work 24. I only work about six shifts a month, which is full-time. And then as an OB-GYN, she is on call about every other day, but it's a home call and her service isn't that busy right now. It hasn't been since she started. So, it's working out really well and hopefully it'll keep working well now that we have a baby, just had one couple weeks ago now. So, we’re hoping that schedule works out well for us, for him too.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Yeah, yeah, certainly. Certainly that's going to cause some complications in a two doc couple. And sometimes the lesson I think two doc couples have to take there is that that's a cost of doing business. Whether it's a housekeeper or someone doing the lawn or a nanny or somebody coming in preparing some meals during the week or whatever It’s just a cost of being a two doc couple.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
What advice do you have for two doc couples out there with complicated student loan situation like yours?
Caleb:
Well, like I said, talking to Andrew, talking to him. Actually, before we met with him, I had sat down and tried to go through every situation to figure out what was best. And then the couple hundred dollars we spent talking to him was more than worth it for him to confirm that the plan that I had in place was the right one. It felt very good to have that knowledge that what we were doing was the right thing. So, that was definitely a huge help.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Cool. Well, other than you getting PSLF in four and a half more years, what other financial goals are you working toward now?
Caleb:
Well, now that we're not focusing too much on that debt, I've been able to automate some more investing. So, putting more into a brokerage. We increased our payments on our house, so planning to pay that off in at least 15 years, at most. And now that we have our kiddo, putting some money into a 529. I actually ran into a small business opportunity as well. So, I actually might be considering going back to school to get a dietician license as well.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
That's interesting.
Caleb:
Yeah. Yeah. It could have a huge benefit. We're working on the details to see how that might work out, but it could be really interesting.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
So, no Tesla or European vacation coming up soon?
Caleb:
Not right now, no. Especially now with the baby, but yeah, we'll see. Now that we have that deck gone, feeling that relief on our shoulders, maybe we'll have a little bit nicer something every once in a while.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Awesome. Well, congratulations to you. You've done fantastic. I hope your story inspires somebody else to do the same, and I wish you all the success in your career and your finances that you can have.
Caleb:
Thank you. And thanks again for having me on.
Dr. Jim Dahle:
Okay. I hope you enjoyed that interview. What I loved about that is it demonstrates the complexity of our financial lives as doctors, right? We're going to be talking in a few weeks, I just recorded a podcast that runs in about a month about the Dave Ramsey baby steps and how they work, but maybe they're not ideal for the very complex financial lives that we have as doctors and particularly as two doctor couples.
But in this situation, we got docs, they're each doing a different thing with their student loans and meanwhile they're trying to balance all these retirement accounts and they're trying to get started in their life. They're having babies and all this stuff. It's just complex. There's a lot of moving parts. Sometimes you need advice, sometimes you become a hobbyist and you become your own financial planner and investment manager.
Either approach is fine, but you got to pay attention to this stuff. Your life is just too complex and there's no guarantee. You are not guaranteed to become wealthy, to be financially successful just because of your high income. Yes, you've done 90% of the work, but without that other 10%, you can have surprisingly poor financial outcomes.
When they survey doctors in their 60s and ask them, “What's your net worth?” 11 to 12% will tell you that their net worth, everything they own, minus everything they owe, is less than half a million dollars. These are doctors who have been making $150,000, $200,000, $250,000, $300,000, $400,000 a year for the last 25 or 30 years, and they're worth less than half a million dollars. That's everything. That's their house, their cars, their retirement accounts, their investments, everything.
And that's a real tragedy. I hate to see that happen, but that's what can happen if you just let what happens automatically happen. So don't do what's automatic, get out there, live your life deliberately, take care of your financial business and don't end up like some of those docs do.
It's interesting because there's another 11% or 12% or 13%, a total of 25% of doctors don't even become millionaires by the time when they're in their 60s. So, it's a good segment of docs. If you look around your med school class of 100, 25 of those doctors are going to get into their 60s with a net worth less than a million dollars. And that puts some financial pressure on the last 20, 30, 40 years of your life that you don't really need to have. And there's really very few reasons that somebody ought to be in that situation. Most of the time it's just because they didn't pay attention to their finances.
FINANCE 101: THE 5 MONEY ACTIVITIES
Okay, let's talk about the five money activities and what are these. Well, earning, saving, investing, spending, and giving. And these are the five big things we do in our life. And if you're like most people, you're naturally good at one or two of these and you're okay at one or two more and you're really not that good at one or two more.
And so, what I want to encourage you to do is to look at your weaknesses and maybe work on those. Some people have an earnings problem. Frankly, most Americans have an earning problem. They don't earn as much money as they would like to be earning, as the lifestyle they would like to be living.
And a lot of people too just overestimate the difficulty of doubling their income. It is not as hard as you might think it is to increase your income. Now are there sacrifices involved? Yes, there are sacrifices involved. Look what you did to get a physician income to start with. Four years of undergrad, four years of med school, three to six years of residency or fellowship. It's not easy, but it's doable.
And even once you're done with your training, there are things you can do that increase your income. Other doctors have done it before you. I'm always more impressed with the intra specialty pay variation than I am with the inter specialty pay variation that you see on salary surveys.
I've met pediatricians making $80,000 a year. I've met pediatricians making seven figures. I have met plastic surgeons that are struggling to just live, to make the payments on their rental apartment, making less than a hundred thousand dollars a year. And I've met plastic surgeons that are making $2.5 million dollars.
It's not all about specialty. It's not all about where you live. There are variations. There are doctors out there making more money than you. You ought to at least know what they're doing to do that. You may choose not to do that. You may choose not to practice that way, and that's perfectly fine. But at least know what the options are and be aware and choose where you want to set that ability to earn at. And it's something that's always worth looking at from time to time, seeing how you can optimize your earning.
Of course, once you earn the money, you've got to save some of it. My recommendation is 20% for retirement. If you want to save for other stuff, you want to save for a Tesla or a European vacation or your kids' college or whatever else, that's above and beyond the 20%. 20% is for retirement.
And this is where a lot of doctors struggle. They don't struggle to earn, they struggle to save. And they get so many payments that all their money's going toward interest and it's going toward their mortgage and the mortgage on their second home and two or three car payments and maybe some credit cards. And they've still got student loans 15 years out of training. They're just struggling to save money and they're spending it all. Whether it's going toward payments or going towards their current lifestyle.
So, you've got to get good at saving. It's impossible to be a good investor if you don't have anything saved. You just need something to invest. And where that comes from, for most of us, that comes from our earnings and carving it out of our earnings. So, work on becoming a better saver.
Now, some of you are awesome savers and you're at risk of becoming Scrooge McDuck. You’re at risk of becoming the original Scrooge from Charles Dickens. And maybe you need to loosen the purse strings and spend a little bit more money and you're already good at saving.
But the truth is, most doctors aren't that good at saving. So, get that retirement up to at least 20%. If you want to retire early, it's probably got to be higher than that, but 20% will get you where you need to go. If you start early in your career and you don't invest like a crazy fool, 20% is enough. It's going to get you there.
The next activity, investing. And frankly investing, once you kind of figure it out, it's the easiest of these five money activities. Now, we wrote up an investment plan in 2004, 2005. We're still following it. It's not that complicated. Especially when you're using a handful of broadly diversified low cost index funds.
What do I invest my money in this month? Well, it was my plan to invest in. And I go back and I can look at the plan, the plan is memorized at this point, obviously, but I can go back and look at the plan and that's what I invest in. I don't have to think every month, “Is this money going to go into Tesla stock? Is it going to go into Bitcoin? Should I be shorting the market? Should I pull all my money out?” No, I just follow the plan.
And a lot of people struggle with investing. It's hard to not try to time the market or pick stocks. You get into these short term mentalities when you realize that investing over the long run is surprisingly simple. It's just not that complicated. Stop performance chasing, stop panic selling and just put in a little bit of time, get a plan in place.
If you don't have a plan, get one. If you don't feel qualified to write it yourself, consider taking our Fire Your Financial Advisor online course. Consider hiring a financial planner to help you draw it up. We've got a list of recommended people on the main website. But get a plan in place and become a good investor. Not that hard. Surprisingly simple.
The fourth money activity is spending. Now, those of you who are good savers often struggle with spending. And there are things that you can spend money on that will make you and your family, your friends happier. So, see if you can figure out what those are. Go buy some of those things.
Those of you who are spendthrifts, maybe what you ought to do when you're working on this category, maybe you ought to think, “Am I really getting the most bang for my buck out of this? Am I spending my money on the things that actually make me happier?” It may be that you're just doing retail therapy, that it feels good to buy some. Well, you need to find a therapist instead of a retail therapist, if that's the case.
And maybe you're spending all your money on cars, when what you really would be happier doing is traveling or you're spending on traveling when what you'd be happier with is a renovated home. Just make sure you're spending your money on what actually brings you happiness and joy.
The fifth money activity, assuming you've become successful at the other four, is giving.
And most White Coat Investors that find this website, this philosophy in the first half of their career are going to have this problem at some point.
Giving refers not only to leaving money behind when you die, but to giving money to your heirs, children, nieces, nephews, friends, et cetera, while you're alive, as well as supporting charities while you're alive. And you'd think giving money away would be super easy. It's not. It takes work. You want to make sure your money is going as far as it can. You want to make sure you're not ruining anybody's life by giving your money. And so, that takes some effort as well. And it's worth spending some time making sure you're good at giving.
All right, those are the five money activities. Earnings, saving, investing, spending and giving. Figure out which one of those you're good at, figure which one you need maybe a little bit of work on and commit to work on that a little bit harder this week and this month.
SPONSOR
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But you'll receive, no matter what your plan ends up being, you'll receive a customized student loan plan using the principles we teach here at the White Coat Investor. You'll get all your student loan questions answered, you'll get clarity about your financial future. You'll start down the right path toward financial freedom. So you can book a consult there, studentloanadvice.com.
All right, it's been another great episode. I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed making it for you. I'm thankful for what you're doing out there. I know your job's not easy. I know your family life's not easy. It's stressful and life's hard these days. Life's complicated. Let's get the financial part of it out of the way, and then you can concentrate on the other challenges and struggles there are in life.
You can do this. White Coat Investor can help. We'll be here with whatever you need financial wise, whenever you're ready for it. So, whether that's education, whether that's referrals to trusted resources, whether that's just a little bit of inspiration like maybe you got today from today's podcast, we're going to be here. We're here to help. Thank you so much for your time.
DISCLAIMER
The hosts of the White Coat Investor podcast are not licensed accountants, attorneys, or financial advisors. This podcast is for your entertainment and information only. It should not be considered professional or personalized financial advice. You should consult the appropriate professional for specific advice relating to your situation.
The post The Family Board Meeting with Jim Sheils appeared first on The White Coat Investor - Investing & Personal Finance for Doctors.
]]>“You get some sleep?” asks Austin, who drove from the airport to the jail around midnight.
“I was knocked out in that car,” Mateen replies; they’d waited outside the jail till 6 a.m.
“I know you was!” says Austin.
Austin lives in Kentucky but has come to Gulfport repeatedly to help Mateen, feeling a special kinship. It wasn’t too long ago that police in Louisville shot and killed one of Austin’s nieces, Breonna Taylor. “You just see somebody in pain, and you know the pain they’re going through,” Austin says. “You just want to embrace them and try to be there.”
Across the United States, the police fatally shoot more than 1,000 people every year, representing nearly 5 percent of all homicides—a higher death toll than from mass shootings. Some of these cases make national news, but most don’t. Even less attention is paid to the families left behind: thousands of people, disproportionately Black, Indigenous, and Latino, who must navigate not only their grief, but the stress of protests and the press, not to mention agonizing questions of how to seek accountability from the officers who killed their loved ones.
“It’s a different fight when you up against a system that was supposed to serve and protect you,” Austin says. “There’s not a handbook for tragic situations like this.” Police who kill often receive therapy, paid leave, and lawyers—much of it publicly funded—but there’s usually little to no government support for families. In that absence, Austin and her close friend Jacob Blake Sr., whose son was shot by a cop in Wisconsin, travel around the country supporting surviving family members by, as Blake puts it, “making yourself available to them any way they want.”
There’s another protest tomorrow, in front of the Family Dollar store, and they meet up later in the evening to plan for it, joined by a handful of other organizers. Mateen mentions she has a call in a few days with the Justice Department about her son’s case. Blake offers to join. “We’ll be at the Airbnb, you come over,” he suggests. Mateen nods with relief. “I don’t know what I’m gonna hear,” she tells me. “They want to look out for me.”
There’s stress and sadness in the room, but at times it also feels like a family reunion. On the couch, someone laughs and playfully slaps Mateen’s shoulder after she makes a funny comment. She chuckles as someone else impersonates an activist from out of town who seems more interested in building an Instagram following than helping her and her son. Austin, her auburn braids pulled up in a bun, hovers around the kitchen table as Mateen’s 20-year-old daughter, Amera, a scrunchy around her wrist, eats a plate of chicken and mashed potatoes. There’s a colorful king cake on the counter waiting to be devoured. Austin’s fiancé rubs her shoulders.
It’s a full house, something 42-year-old Austin craved after she lost Breonna in 2020—the same week her city went into lockdown for the pandemic. She laughs now with Mateen’s daughter. “I don’t want people to feel alone,” she told me earlier.
That desire for community has led her and Blake to build a network of mourning relatives who lean on each other after police violence. They call themselves Families United. “It’s a relatively new and beautiful way of organizing: having the families support each other,” says Melina Abdullah, who co-founded the first Black Lives Matter chapter, in Los Angeles in 2013, and who’s in the room now with Blake, Austin, and Mateen. Although police brutality has long beset communities of color, it’s only within the past decade, she says, that victims’ family members have teamed up like this on the front lines, offering each other the care that no one else can. Most racial justice activists “want to provide support,” she says, counting herself among them, but “we don’t know what it feels like to have your loved one stolen by the state.” As Austin puts it, “It’s a different kind of grief.”
Together, Austin and Blake hope to help families get the national attention they deserve without speaking over them: to listen to each person’s needs and be a sounding board as they navigate situations that often lack a clear path forward. “It’s so hard to find help—like, what’s the starting point? How do you know who’s trustworthy?” Austin says, reflecting on Breonna’s death. “Because if you don’t know, you don’t know. You don’t know at all.”
Early in the morning on March 13, 2020, Austin awoke to what looked like a flashlight in her eyes. “Mom, people been trying to call you!” her daughter said, pointing the brightly lit phone at Austin’s face. Eighty-three missed calls. Disoriented and groggy, Austin held it to her ear and heard her sister Tamika Palmer say something panicky she couldn’t quite make out, something that sounded like, “B, where you at? Bre’s dead.” Austin’s daughter screamed, and Austin, startled, threw the phone like it was a piece of burning coal.
“What did you just say? What’s going on?” Austin asked after dialing back.
“You need to get to the hospital now,” her sister said.
Okay, I’ll meet Breonna there, Austin told herself, not processing that her 26-year-old niece could really be dead. They’d talked on the phone the night before, before dinner. Maybe she went to a club afterward and something happened; she got caught in crossfire, Austin thought. Maybe she’s hurt.
Breonna was in some ways Austin’s mini-me. They were both aspiring nurses, and they loved to sing. When Bre was in kindergarten, she liked Austin’s purple braids and asked if she could get some coloring in her own—grinning widely as she flipped her purple hair the next day when she got off the school bus. Bre wasn’t the type of girl to get in trouble, working two jobs and saving up for a house. None of it made sense.
Austin drove toward the hospital, but then her sister called—Bre wasn’t there.
Confused, Austin drove to meet her sister at home. Bre wasn’t there either.
So she gathered her sister and all the other confused, crying people around her, and they drove to Bre’s apartment, where yellow security tape hung in the parking lot.
“She’s in there,” a police officer told them, gesturing to the building.
What the fuck does that mean? Austin thought.
Then the coroner pulled up, and it was clear. “I’m sorry for your loss…” he started to say, as Palmer let out a wail and collapsed. Another officer handed Austin a business card, instructing her to call for a police report in six to eight weeks. “That was it,” Austin recalls.
Palmer, sobbing on the ground, had a little more information: Her daughter’s boyfriend, Kenny Walker, had called her the night before, hysterically screaming that some men broke into their apartment and shot Bre.
After he hung up, without specifying who broke in or whether Bre had survived, Palmer assumed the worst but also hoped that she was wrong. Now the coroner had confirmed her fears, and making matters worse, it was starting to seem like the police weren’t being honest. Palmer recalled how, when she drove to the apartment right after Kenny’s call, an officer outside told her Bre was in the hospital, while she was actually bleeding out inside.
Soon, the family learned that the police arrested Kenny, and their confusion grew: Had he attacked Bre, as uncharacteristic as that seemed? Or was it burglars, like he’d suggested? It wasn’t until they got a lawyer two days later and went inside the apartment that they suspected something else entirely. The place looked like a war zone, with bullet holes through the patio, front door, and just about every wall, and a pool of blood at the end of the hallway.
In the coming weeks, through phone calls with Kenny, news reports, and police documents their lawyer subpoenaed, the family learned what really happened: Breonna had fallen asleep watching the movie Freedom Writers when, a little after midnight, seven plainclothes police barged through her front door with a battering ram. They were looking for drugs—her ex was a dealer. Kenny, thinking they were intruders, grabbed his gun and fired a single shot, and the officers returned with a barrage of bullets. As Breonna lay wounded, Kenny called 911, still not realizing it was the police who had attacked them. An officer would later admit to falsifying an affidavit to enter the unit; there were no drugs there.
If Breonna’s family had wanted to protest, they couldn’t. She died the same month Louisville’s mayor told residents to shelter in place. “The city was shutting down; like, just go in your house and be quiet,” Austin says. She struggled to find a church that would host a funeral and tried to stay strong for her siblings: Palmer was so anguished she could hardly talk. Their brother was recovering from a stroke, and their sister Tahasha Holloway was severely sick with Covid, as was an elderly relative who died that week. “I went into defensive mode,” Austin remembers. “Like, ‘I can’t allow myself to be weak right now, I don’t want to cry right now.’” She spent hours hunched over a laptop, telling people about the shooting and dispelling rumors that Breonna was involved with drugs. “Somebody had to be the level-headed one,” she says.
“B literally took charge,” Holloway, the oldest of the three sisters, says of Austin, the youngest. “She was our speaker.”
“But she couldn’t stop,” Holloway adds. “She had worked herself into a real-live frenzy. You had to kind of pull her to the side: ‘You need to go sit down.’”
For a month, Austin could not sleep at night, despite the pills her doctor prescribed. If she was lucky, she’d doze off for an hour during the day, but even then she had nightmares. The hospital where she worked was inundated with Covid cases that nobody knew how to treat, and she felt like she spent most shifts flipping dead bodies. “I go home and it’s tragedy. I go to work, it’s a catastrophe,” recalls Austin. “I was so overwhelmed.”
As Breonna’s story eventually went viral and the country learned her name, Austin was further demoralized: The media took misleading soundbites from her interviews. She felt like politicians and even some activists spoke about the killing to boost their own popularity.
And it seemed the cops would never face consequences for what they’d done to Breonna. That September, the state attorney general announced he would not press charges against the officers who shot her. Austin, devastated, organized a press conference with her family. “At this point, I’m just fed up…ready to crawl back in my hole,” she recalls. “I didn’t think I had the strength to keep going and deal with the politics behind fighting the police.”
Then she saw someone at the press conference, a Black man with a linebacker’s build and a face mask emblazoned with “Justice for Jacob.” Something about his eyes looked familiar; she thought she recognized him from TV. Ben Crump, her family’s attorney and a renowned civil rights lawyer, said he was Jacob Blake Sr., the father of the 29-year-old who’d been shot by police in Wisconsin a few weeks earlier. Austin felt sympathy, then surprise. “I’m like, ‘I was literally just watching your son get shot. You’re dealing with your own stuff—why are you here?’”
Jacob Blake Sr. had gotten a phone call the night before, alerting him to the press conference. He drove overnight to be there.
He’d been driving a lot lately. In August 2020, he was in his silver Hyundai sedan, heading to his favorite Thai restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lived, when someone texted him a video circulating online, of a white officer shooting his son Jacob Blake Jr. seven times. Blake Sr. immediately went home, packed his bags, and started toward Kenosha, the mountains, fields, and towns passing in a blur. “That was the longest drive of my life, because at that time I never looked at the video past the first shot,” he says. “So I don’t know how many times my son was shot, I don’t know if he’s alive, I don’t know what’s going on.” When he arrived, he found Blake Jr. paralyzed from the waist down, with gunshot wounds and damage to his stomach, kidney, and liver. Protests followed, and a 17-year-old civilian, Kyle Rittenhouse, went to one and shot three people, two fatally.
Blake Sr., a former college football player and bodyguard, is a big man with a booming voice, but he wears his emotions on his sleeve and is not afraid to cry. After his son’s shooting, he would wake up at 2 a.m. some days and weep. But his family and friends supported him, and he never felt alone.
She said, ‘You would do that for me?’ I said, ‘I’ll be there in the morning.’”
Then in September, Crump, who was also his family’s attorney, called and said Breonna Taylor’s mother needed help. Blake got on the phone with Palmer. “I said, ‘Baby, you sound so tired.’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah, we got this big press conference tomorrow and I don’t know what they’re gonna say.’ So I said, ‘I’ll tell you what: I’m gonna come and stand with you tomorrow, and I’m gonna let you draw off my energy.’ She said, ‘You would do that for me?’ I said, ‘I’ll be there in the morning.’”
“It was the first time another family member came down and stood in solidarity with us,” Austin says.
Afterward, Blake went with them to lunch and sat next to Austin. They quickly bonded. “He was the only one throwing out the F-bombs besides me,” she says with a laugh. “I was having a bad day, just kind of expressing myself and going off, and he was going off right along with me, telling me, ‘You okay to feel the way you feeling. Don’t bottle it up.’ It was a relief.”
Austin confided that she didn’t think she could trust anyone, that she was tired of officials and activists using her family’s story to bolster their campaigns, gain followers, or just get five minutes of fame. People were even selling T-shirts with Bre’s image; it felt like everybody was trying to profit. Blake “was like, you have to trust somebody,” Austin says, “and along with that, you can set boundaries.” Her shoulders relaxed, and after lunch they hugged and exchanged numbers. He called later that night to make sure the family was okay. And he invited them to a demonstration for his son the next month near Chicago, offering to pay for their hotel. “He makes you feel like he really do care about you, and he’s gonna ride for you,” says Holloway, Austin’s sister.
Blake’s family has a long history of activism: His late father, a reverend in Evanston, Illinois, had organized against redlining in the 1960s, participated in the march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, and even knew Martin Luther King Jr. Blake, 56, grew up playing with the Reverend Jesse Jackson’s children and once met then-Sen. Joe Biden while hanging out in the study of his dad’s friend, a state legislator. When he invited Austin to Chicago, “it was like a no-brainer,” she says. “How can I tell you no when you drove overnight to be there” for us?
They soon became close friends, surprised at how much they had in common. They’re both Aries, with birthdays six days apart, and they each have a young son, ages 10 and 14. They have similar personalities, too—leaders who love to take charge, but also introverts who need time alone. And of course, they were both grieving. “It’s a trauma bond,” Holloway says of their relationship. They talk on the phone so many times a day and spend so much time together that strangers often mistake them for a married couple.
In January 2021, they were invited to DC for Biden’s presidential inauguration, where they sat together in coveted seats near the stage. It felt like a Cinderella moment to Austin, who framed her ticket when she got home; she thought Breonna would have been proud. But on the drive back, Blake’s legs swelled, and by the time he arrived he couldn’t walk. He was soon hospitalized for congestive heart failure, and in the hospital he got infected with C. diff, an often fatal type of bacteria. Doctors said his chances of surviving were slim.
When his nurses told Austin he’d been intubated, she burst into tears. I can’t afford to lose him, she thought. It’ll break me.
Slowly, Blake recovered, relearning to walk. Austin, with her medical training, helped him manage his medications and take care of himself. “She’s everything to me: my nurse, my confidant, my little sister,” he says. “She keeps all the t’s crossed and the i’s dotted.”
As Austin grew closer to Blake, she thought about all the parents whose experiences of police brutality never made the news.
Some of them approached her as she traveled to protests for Breonna and George Floyd, whose May 2020 murder by Minneapolis police sparked nationwide protests that brought more attention to Bre’s case. “It was a cry for help everywhere we went,” she says. “A family pulling us to the side, telling us about a tragedy that happened to them.”
These families were struggling to get help from local governments, which rarely prosecute police. They didn’t qualify for state victim funds, money that could help them cover therapy, burials, and other expenses, because officials didn’t see them as victims; deaths by law enforcement often aren’t considered crimes under state and federal laws. If relatives needed financial assistance, they had to sue the government for it, a stressful process that didn’t guarantee results.
Several years ago, a grieving uncle in Oakland, California, began an effort to organize families together after police violence. Cephus “Uncle Bobby X” Johnson, whose nephew Oscar Grant was killed by a transit cop in 2009, felt frustrated by the lack of resources. He wanted families to have more say in activist circles: At the time, says BLM’s Abdullah, a professor of Pan-African studies at California State University in Los Angeles, organizers rarely worked directly with impacted relatives—they were more focused on addressing systemic injustices than assisting individuals. That started changing in 2014, when Johnson co-launched Families United 4 Justice, a network that now consists of 200-plus families who gather for retreats and protests and to lobby for policy changes. Two years later, Hillary Clinton campaigned alongside Black mothers whose children were killed by police or gun violence, including Mike Brown and Eric Garner. The Mothers of the Movement, who became known for their oratory, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention. Some of them, like now-Rep. Lucy McBath, whose son was murdered by a white man at a gas station, went into politics.
It wasn’t inevitable that Austin would follow a similar path; she already felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities she’d taken on after police killed Breonna. But Blake encouraged her. “Sis,” Blake told her, “you don’t realize that when you speak, people listen.” With donations from the Reverend Al Sharpton and others, the two friends formed their group to help families—whether by showing up at funerals or protests, amplifying demands on Facebook, connecting people with lawyers, or just hanging out and letting them vent. “Some people will never get justice,” Austin says. They need “somebody to listen to their story and understand.” As the pair began their work, they learned about Uncle Bobby X’s group in California and realized they’d coincidentally chosen a similar name, though each outfit has a different vibe: While the former is especially known for its annual healing-centered retreats, Blake and Austin would gain a reputation for actions that are a little more in your face.
“We’re not asking for a goddamn place at any goddamn table!” Blake yelled into the megaphone at a recent protest. “We comin’ with the table and the chairs, and we set up the table!”
Blake’s “a firecracker,” says Holloway, Austin’s sister. “He’s so straight to the point.”
Austin, Blake, and others in their group stood beside George Floyd’s family when ex-officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of Floyd’s murder in December 2021, and they joined them in Houston, where Floyd grew up, to open a community center in his honor. After police killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop in a Minnesota suburb, Austin became friends with Wright’s mother, even vacationing with her after attending the officer’s manslaughter trial. They both joined a group chat of other families coping with police violence, checking in with texts as simple as we love you, good morning, is everybody okay? Often, “it’s never any meat,” says Blake of the daily messages. “Sometimes a person just needs to know that you’re there.” More invitations came, not just from families who’d experienced police shootings, but from communities grieving other racist violence. Austin and Blake went to Buffalo, New York, after a white supremacist killed 10 Black people at a supermarket, and they marched with Ahmaud Arbery’s parents in Selma.
But they especially prioritized families whose loved ones’ deaths did not get as much media coverage: Cameron Lamb in Missouri. Fred Cox and Jason Walker in North Carolina. Andrew Joseph III in Florida. When police in Illinois killed 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette, whose mother is Blake’s distant relative by marriage, they attended the memorial and brainstormed ways to draw attention to his case, like a protest march on his birthday. Austin and Blake spread the word about these lesser-known killings while trying not to overshadow the families. “They were like a breath of fresh air,” says Lakeisha Nix, who met the pair after police in Delaware killed her brother, Lymond Moses.
Austin was close with her 26-year-old niece, Breonna Taylor. When Breonna was in kindergarten, she asked to dye her hair purple, like her aunt.Jon Cherry
Austin and Blake seemed genuine to Nix, who worried that other activists had ulterior motives, offering help in exchange for clout. She had reason to be skeptical: The massive outrage at Floyd’s murder in 2020 suddenly infused the police accountability movement with millions in donations, helping it grow, but also creating a profit incentive to approach families and use their stories. Previously, this activism hadn’t been lucrative—some organizers dipped into their own paychecks—so “families understood it’s costing us something, we’re not benefiting,” says BLM’s Abdullah. But soon, more families began to doubt activists’ motives, and a wedge grew—sometimes fueled by opponents of the police accountability movement who told grieving relatives to watch out for selfish organizers. “One family was told that every time we say her child’s name, we get royalties,” says Abdullah, “like it’s a record or something.”
Exploitative racial justice activists remain the exception, not the rule, she says, but they can drain families anyway. “The politicians and activists and some of the organizations are like vampires—they suck the energy out of a story and get the most they can get,” says Blake. It can make families feel like meat, like they only matter for clicks. “You’re not fighting for families; you’re fighting for attention,” he says.
In Mississippi, Mateen vents about the same problem. She tells Austin and Blake about some out-of-state activists who raised $100,000 around her son’s case, then came to town, splurged $12,000 on an Airbnb with a swimming pool and a lavish bar-and-game room, and did little to actually help her family—dropping off a “gift” for her surviving 9-year-old child that totally missed the mark. “A pair of socks? I mean, I can buy him socks,” Mateen says with frustration. “My [dead] son ain’t even got a tombstone.”
“They try to dictate how they wanna help you instead of helping with things you already have planned,” Austin says. As Blake did with her, Austin tries to guide Mateen through the complicated maze of choosing whom to trust.
The most important thing, Austin tells her, is for people to ask what the family needs. Each situation is different. “We standing behind y’all,” she says. “We not in front.”
The morning of the protest, Austin and Blake join Mateen in the Family Dollar parking lot as a few dozen people gather around them with handmade signs. Mateen stands with her back toward the store’s entrance, where a memorial sits in the sun: fake flowers, candles, and teddy bears faded from winter weather, along with sticky notes taped to the windows with messages like “He was only 15.” Another sign, posted by store management, seems more tone-deaf, urging shoppers to remove their hoodies before entering.
In October 2021, Mateen, who is 41 and Black, got a call from a friend who told her to get to the Family Dollar. “Jaheim’s been shot,” her friend said. Jaheim McMillan had been hanging out with friends. Police claimed they shot him in the head because he turned toward one of them with a gun. Some witnesses said he was unarmed and had his hands up, and that he bled out for minutes without medical care. Mateen raced to the store, parking across the street and running through traffic to her wounded child. An officer with a red beard grabbed her before she could reach Jaheim, and others surrounded her as she shouted that she needed to see him. “Shut up and calm down,” she recalls one telling her; she screamed as they handcuffed her.
Jaheim died two days later. It would be months before law enforcement released bodycam footage, which showed an officer firing eight shots at him as he tried to flee. The officer, who was cleared of wrongdoing, said Jaheim held a gun while he ran but did not have it in his possession as he lay wounded; police said they later discovered one in the parking lot.
Austin and Blake learned about the shooting when their phones started blowing up from people tagging them on social media. A Mississippi organizer connected them with Mateen, who invited them to a protest and the funeral. When Austin approached to pay her respects, Mateen begged her not to leave her side. “I don’t want to overstep,” Austin recalls saying, wondering if Mateen would prefer to have the time with loved ones. “She said, ‘Nope, I just need somebody [like you].’”
“I felt safe, like I had people around me who knew what I was going through,” says Mateen. “They had compassion for my son, and they didn’t even know my son.”
Most of Mateen’s friends and neighbors had no experience with this mix of grief and rage. And while they sympathized and sent donations, some couldn’t risk protesting. In such a small city, where so many businesses are white-owned, they worried about losing their jobs. Others feared retaliation from the cops. “The police will literally set your ass up here,” says Mateen. But Austin and Blake kept flying back, organizing a boycott of Family Dollar as they pressured it to release surveillance footage of the shooting.
Now at today’s protest, Mateen, her arm wrapped around her 9-year-old son, stands with a straight face, her eyes covered with sunglasses. She still cries most days. Her lawyers advised her not to speak at this demonstration because an investigation is underway, and there is always a chance officials might use her words against her. So at her request, Austin, Blake, and others lead the rally instead. Austin still gets nervous before speeches, but when she takes the megaphone it’s like a switch is flipped, and her voice turns fiery: “I can’t stand to come out here and see a grieving mother have to deal with some bullshit!” she says, her hand on her heart as she paces. “This shit is real life for us! We not out here for show! We still burying and going to court for our kids, man.”
“If we all go together and tell our stories,” Austin says, “it makes a better chance of somebody getting justice.”She looks ahead and slows down, with a message not just for the police, but for other activists. “Don’t come to Gulfport and be part of the problem,” she says, alluding to the protesters who bought the socks and, two days earlier, landed in jail after escalating a demonstration against Mateen’s wishes. “We wasted resources on bailing y’all asses out, $100,000.” Four of Jaheim’s friends, she points out, were arrested and expelled after he got shot. “They need lawyers and a school scholarship.”
Blake soon steps forward calmly, with one hand in his pocket, and takes the megaphone. His voice rises, and he speaks in the manner of his late father’s sermons as he focuses the crowd. “Never forget that the purpose of this weekend was to celebrate a man who is not here—a baby that was stolen from us, taken away!” he says, after a protester behind him raises a fist.
Though the crowd is small, a surprising number have traveled here after losing their own loved ones to law enforcement. Among them is Sabrina Foster, whose son, Glenn Foster Jr., a former NFL player, was found dead in a patrol car in Alabama. She drove here with Mona Hardin, whose son Ronald Greene was fatally beaten after a police chase in Louisiana. “We have a duty to stand by each other,” says Deanna Joseph, who came from Florida after suing her sheriff’s office for the death of her teenage son, Andrew. Several mothers tell me that if it weren’t for each other, they wouldn’t know how to keep going. “If we all go together and tell our stories,” Austin says, “it makes a better chance of somebody getting justice, somebody’s case getting reopened.”
When the last person has spoken, Austin leads a march down Pass Road. Blake, with his bad knees and recovering heart, rides in a car up front. Some drivers honk in solidarity as they pass. Austin sings “Happy Birthday” over the megaphone, the others joining in as they block a lane of traffic. Jaheim would have been 16 this week.
Later that night, Austin and Blake sit with friends around a table at their Airbnb, playing spades as they listen to a video of the day’s protest. “What do we want? Justice!” a voice on the tape says. “When do we want it?”
“Now!” Blake sings as he deals the cards.
The day ended peacefully, and Austin is relieved. She knows there are dangers to this work: Last summer, before she and Blake went to Akron, Ohio, to protest the police killing of Jayland Walker, she says an officer was recorded claiming that the city jail had a “cot with their name on it.” The cops followed through, arresting Austin and Blake for disorderly conduct, though they were not convicted. Blake also recalls how Proud Boys showed up in Kenosha, hanging out car windows and pointing assault rifles at him.
Breonna, Austin says, sends signals to her sometimes that she’s with them on these trips—and in Gulfport it’s no different. Before they arrived, the Airbnb owner shared the security code to enter the house: 313—like March 13, the day Breonna died.
The next day, after too little sleep, Austin drives two hours across Mississippi to Taylorsville, a small town where she’ll meet Mateen to protest the death of yet another Black family’s son, Rasheem Carter. Blake isn’t feeling well and stays home to rest.
As Austin winds along quiet country roads, she ruminates about one of the officers who shot Breonna—he recently wrote a book about it and took part in a publicity event at a restaurant, playing audio of gunfire in front of diners as they ate. His brazenness infuriates Austin. “These people think they can do whatever they want, say whatever they want,” she says.
Then her phone rings, and it’s her 1-year-old granddaughter, Kynnbre, on FaceTime. “Yay! Did you pee-pee in the potty?” Austin says, and the girl squeals with delight. “I see you: You a big girl!” Austin says, smiling as Kynnbre, whose name is a combination of Kenny and Bre, walks out of the bathroom to get some cereal and sit with her stuffed animals. Austin encourages her to practice her ABCs, and then they blow air kisses and say goodbye.
Austin turns to me. “This is a little bit of joy that we all had since Breonna been gone,” she says. “Everybody just love on her.”
Austin is often on the road three weeks a month. On top of that, she has a part-time gig as an ER technician, which she keeps to afford food and a roof over her kids’ heads. Breonna’s mother, Palmer, got a multimillion-dollar settlement from her lawsuit, but Austin still worries about money; if she were to leave her job to devote herself to the movement, she’d miss the health insurance for her kids, the 401(k). She wishes the government would subsidize the kind of work she does on the road, so she could help more families. “The demand for us is so high, but they don’t pay anything,” she says, adding that grassroots fundraising only goes so far, even since 2020. Last year, US Rep. Cori Bush, a Black Lives Matter activist from St. Louis, introduced a bill that would set aside $100 million for community-based services like theirs that help families with mental health support after police violence. It didn’t pass. “Why should we make the people pay for us out here?” Austin asks. “This is as much a government issue as it is a people issue.”
When we arrive in Taylorsville, we pull into a parking lot where a small group of protesters, mostly Black, gather to march. Some hold signs, and others raise fists. Taylorsville is still considered a sundown town, dangerous after dark for Black travelers, and it’s where 25-year-old Rasheem Carter was last seen alive in October. The weekend he went missing, he visited the police station, terrified, and said some white men were chasing and threatening him. The police brushed him off, and a month later his skeleton was found in pieces in the woods, the skull detached. The sheriff’s department said at the time that it saw no signs of foul play.
Austin sits in the car, watching the crowd grow, her body feeling heavy with the weight of everybody’s pain. She knows this march, like the others, will inevitably remind her of her own losses. Protesting, as Blake put it earlier, is continuously “ripping off the scab.” But stopping would be harder. “It’s therapeutic,” she says, “to know you’re not the only one going through tragedy, and there’s other people going through way worse.” She listens as the protesters, some of them children, chant “Black power,” and then steps out of the car to join Mateen.
It’s dark by the time they drive back to Gulfport, and everyone is tired. After we arrive, we linger in the car, a door propped open as Mateen smokes a cigarette and talks about her son, occasionally crying. She says she’s never spent so long sitting like this with a reporter, and Austin, in the driver’s seat, encourages her.
The mood is somber until I ask about their friendship, how often they’re in touch. “Like once a week, twice a week,” says Mateen. “We texting or—”
“Something,” she and Austin both say, and they laugh.
“Even if we’re just saying hi,” says Mateen, or—
“How you doing?” they both say in unison, and they laugh again.
“Families United has been there for me the whole way, and going nowhere,” says Mateen, “because I’m not letting her go.” And they laugh again.
]]>The Bland-Allison Act (1878) birthed the Morgan Silver Dollar, benefiting both Western silver mining interests and “Free Silverite”/Populist interests.
The Morgan Silver Dollar especially benefited Western states’ (where silver dollars often circulated in preference to paper currency into the 1960s) agrarian interests and silver mining interests. Although the economic circulation of the Morgan Dollar was light (except in Western states), it represented an attempt to politically and economically placate groups in U. S. society seeking a silver-based, potentially inflationary means of exchange.
George Morgan immigrated to the U. S. from England to work as Assistant Engraver at the U. S. Mint. Through mutual friends, Miss Anna Williams (a Philadelphia kindergarten teacher) posed as Miss Liberty for the Morgan Dollar Obverse.
Encircled by thirteen stars for the original thirteen colonies and “E Pluribus Unum” (“out of many, one), Miss Liberty wears a headband declaring “Liberty” and wears the “Phrygian Cap” (given to freed slaves in Classical Rome) symbolizing the freedom of thought. Cotton bolls and leaves, symbolizing the agricultural bounty of the U. S., adorn Liberty’s hair.
The Morgan Dollar reverse portrays the American Eagle, wings majestically spread. In his right talons is an olive branch, symbolizing the peace which the U. S. would prefer; in his left talons are arrows representing a readiness to go to war if necessary.
The denomination one dollar, the issuing country (the United States of America), “In God We Trust,” and a wreath like those awarded to winners in the Classical Greek Olympic Games surround the Eagle. Any Branch Mint mintmark (“S” for San Francisco, “O” for New Orleans, “CC” for Carson City, or “D” for Denver) is shown below the bow in the wreath. The absence of a mintmark indicates that the dollar was made at the Philadelphia Mint.
Variations in the Morgan Dollar exist for 1878 based upon the number of tailfeathers shown on the Eagle–7, 8, or 7 over 8. Other variations include “over-mintmarks,” such as the 1882-O/S, or variations based upon whether the eagle is represented with a concave or a convex breast on 1879 coins.
Related: 1896 Silver Dollar Value
There are literally hundreds of other die varieties identified throughout the Morgan Dollar series (1878-1904 and again in 1921) primarily by the exhaustive studies of Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis first undertaken in the 1970s.
The Morgan Dollar is 38.1 mm. In diameter, and contains 90% silver (.7734 Troy Oz.) and 10% copper (.0859 Troy Oz.)
Related: The Susan B. Anthony Dollar: Unveiling the Story of a Revolutionary Coin
The mintage of the Morgan Dollar from 1878-1904 and again in 1921 was enormous! About 657 million Morgan Dollars were minted in total!
Related: 1923 Silver Dollar Value, Design And History
The Morgan Dollar was minted at the Philadelphia Mint, and at branch mints in San Francisco, New Orleans, Carson City, and Denver.
The value of any Morgan Dollar starts at $20 due to its silver content of .7743 and widespread demand, while the numismatic condition, based on the Sheldon Scale, significantly affects its worth. The highest recorded value is $2,086,875 for the finest known 1893-S Morgan Dollar (PCGS MS67/CAC-endorsed) from the Jack Lee Collection.
The numismatic condition of an uncleaned, “problem-free” Morgan Dollar can add substantially to its value. Numismatic condition is based upon the 70-point Sheldon Scale, with a Mint-State (MS) 70 coin representing “a perfect coin” down to a grade of Poor-1 (barely recognizable as a Morgan Dollar due to circulation wear).
Among the “key dates” in the 96 coin series (not counting varieties) are the following, with this IMPORTANT note!
Due to the number of counterfeits appearing in great numbers in today’s coin market, one should only buy these dates/Mints authenticated and graded by one of the four top third-party grading services–PCGS, NGC, CACG, and ANACS–UNLESS one is skilled enough at authentication and grading of Morgan Dollars to feel absolutely confident in evaluating uncertified Morgan Dollars!
Morgan Dollars were made from 1878 through 1904 and again in 1921 at the Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans, Carson City, and Denver Mints.
This list can vary considerably, depending upon the Morgan Dollar’s Sheldon Scale condition and whether authenticated and graded by PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS. But the coins listed below are generally accepted as relatively rare and desirable in almost any grade, especially when authenticated as original, “problem-free” coins.
Related: 1884 Silver Dollar Value
“Key dates” in the Morgan Silver Dollar series can be expanded to include
Morgan Dollar die varieties were categorized by Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis beginning in the 1970s. Over 260 “VAMS” have been recognized by Morgan Dollar numismatists, with the 50 and 100 most popular VAMS identified by Michael Fey et al. This is a complicated area, requiring substantial study/knowledge on the part of the individual in order to collect/invest effectively.
The 1921 Morgan Dollar is the most common Morgan Dollar in the series. 44,690,000 were made at the Philadelphia Mint, 20,345,000 at Denver, and 21,695,000 at San Francisco for a total mintage of 86,300,000. Many have survived to the present time, making any circulated 1921 Morgan Dollar’s value heavily dependent on the commodity price of silver. Currently, somewhere around $20 would be a reasonable price for a circulated 1921 Morgan.
So many Morgan Dollars were made in 1921 because the 1918 Pittman Act had led to the melting of over 270,000,000 Morgan Dollars. To have sufficient “backing” for silver certificates after the Pittman meltings, the 1921 Morgan Dollar came into being.
A circulated 1921 Morgan Dollar is worth approximately $20 due to its silver content. However, high-grade 1921 Morgan Dollars authenticated by renowned organizations like PCGS or NGC, with grades of MS66 or MS67, can be valued at hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but these coins are rare.
For example, PCGS has only graded 26 MS67 1921 Philadelphia Morgan Dollars, 20 MS67 1921 Denver Morgan Dollars, and no MS67 1921 San Francisco Morgan Dollars.
Related: The 1922 Peace Silver Dollar Value, History, Minting
Created nominally to honor the 100th anniversary of the cessation of Morgan Dollar mintage in 1921, 173,875 2021 Morgan Dollars were issued with no “privy marks” by the U. S. Mint.
A “CC Privy mark” acknowledging the Carson City Mint (which of course had issued no silver dollars in 1921) was added to 173,444 2021 Morgan Dollars, and an “O privy mark” acknowledging the New Orleans Mint (which of course had issued no silver dollars in 1921) was added to another 173,102 2021 Morgan Dollars. In addition, 174,093 2021-S Morgan Dollars were issued, as well as 173,730 2021-D Morgan Dollars. As well, a 2021 Peace Dollar (mintage 198,772) was issued.
Considering that all these coins contain .858 Troy oz. of silver and cost the purchaser $85 each from the Mint (when silver had a commodity exchange price around $25/oz.), the U. S. Mint made a nice seigniorage profit on these coins!
Current wholesale values posted in “The Coin Dealer Newsletter” are:
Related: 1888 Silver Dollar Value – What’s it Worth Today?
There is minimal significance to these listed Philadelphia Mint dates unless they are authenticated and graded at MS63 or above by PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS, in which case they will have a wholesale value of around $100, or more in higher grades.
All of the above dates (except 1887) saw Morgan Dollars minted in Carson City. Due to the popularity of that “Wild West” Mint, CC Morgan Dollars in almost any grade are worth significantly more than their Philadelphia Mint counterparts.
Related: 1880 Silver Dollar Value
Depending upon their third-party authenticated and graded condition, San Francisco Mint coins from (especially) 1883, 1885, 1887, and 1889 can also have greater value than Philadelphia Mint Morgans from those years. The same is true for (especially) 1887-O and 1889-O Morgan Dollars graded at MS64 and higher by PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS.
Other than in Western States such as Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, etc. The Morgan Dollar was minimally used in commerce. This (along with the prodigious quantities minted for political reasons) explains why today’s collectors and investors have so many high-grade uncirculated Morgan Dollars available to them.
The Morgan Dollar emerged in 1878 as a result of the Bland-Allison Act. This Act resumed the minting of silver dollars, which had been halted in 1873. Additionally, this Act required the purchase of between $2 million and $4 million dollars worth of silver each month, with that silver to be coined into silver dollars.
This was followed in 1890 by the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, increasing government monthly purchases of silver by 50%. Both Acts were responses to the “Free Silver” movement and to agrarian/Populist/Western silver mining interests interested in promoting an inflationary currency to make debt repayment easier while benefiting the silver mining industry.
Especially in western states and among “hard money” advocates, the size, heft, and precious metal content of a silver dollar were seen as desired characteristics of “real money.” The silver dollar as a response to “Free Silverites”/Populists, etc. also added to some of the public perception of the importance of this coin.
The GSA (General Services Administration) administered the sale of nearly three million silver dollars (95% of them minted in Carson City) beginning in 1972 and going until 1980. Due to skillful marketing, demand for these “Wild West” silver dollars “that Jesse James didn’t get” increased demand–and values–for CC Morgan Dollars which have continued to the present day.
The 1918 Pittman Act authorized the melting of 270+ million silver dollars, primarily to provide silver to our WWI ally Great Britain. The impact of the Pittman Act on production of silver dollars is seen in the subsequent minting of 867,300,000 1921 Morgan Dollars. To have sufficient “backing” for silver certificates after the Pittman meltings, the 1921 Morgan Dollar came into being in prodigious quantity.
No 1964-D Morgan Dollars whatsoever were ever minted, although preliminary galvanos and master hubs had been created in case the Mint would be authorized to mint them. There was a 1964-D Peace Dollar minted. All were subsequently to have been melted. This is a somewhat controversial topic to this day.
Initially authorized to be minted in quantity (over 316,000) by the Denver Mint, the 1964-D Peace Dollar was ordered to be melted before its release. It is rumored that “some” escaped melting either as “presentation pieces” or were taken by Denver Mint employees after substituting silver dollars of other dates for “some” 1964-D Peace Dollars.
I personally have heard “second-hand” from a reliable source that a well-known coin dealer and former American Numismatic Association official claimed to have seen two 1964-D Peace Dollars in the possession of a retired Denver Mint worker who had moved to the East Coast.
Since this coin (if it exists) has been declared the property of the U. S. Government and illegal for citizens to own, if these two or any others do exist, they will certainly never be publicly marketed due to their certain subsequent confiscation.
It is quite likely that Morgan Dollars have supplanted Lincoln Cents as the most widely collected U. S. coin series. The survival of a large percentage of the many Morgan Dollars minted, often in uncirculated condition, has made an abundant supply of them available for collectors. The presence of .7734 Troy oz. of silver in each Morgan Dollar has added to the coin’s appeal, as has its size and “heft.”
The association of Carson City Morgan Dollars with “the Old West” has made CC dollars a widely collected Morgan Dollar “subset,” and has often led to CC Dollar collectors branching out into the collecting of other Morgan Dollars.
The collecting of Morgan Dollars can be undertaken according to the desires of each individual collector. Some will pursue complete sets; some seek “date sets,” which have one example of each date, but not every Mint; some will specialize in VAM varieties; etc., etc.
The grading of Morgan Dollars (or any other collectible coin) has certain specific requirements for each grade, but will always involve some degree of subjectivity. The grading scale used for Morgan Dollars (and other collectible coins) is the 70 point Sheldon Scale. In this universally employed numismatic grading scale, MS70 (“Mint State 70) refers to a “perfect coin,” which has the characteristics of a coin immediately after it was minted, with no flaws of any kind (no Morgan Dollar currently exists with this grade, nor are any likely to exist).
“Poor 1” is a Morgan Dollar so worn from circulation that it is barely identifiable as a Morgan Dollar. Other than perhaps for very expensive “key dates,” most collectors try to collect Morgan Dollars which grade VF20 (“Very Fine 20”) and higher, depending upon the coin’s cost and the collector’s coin budget.
Two excellent grading guides available to the collector are The American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins , edited by Ken Bressett, and Making The Grade: Comprehensive Grading Guide for U. S. Coins by Beth Deisher and William Gibbs.
Let’s look at some of the commonly collected Morgan Dollar Grade Characteristics, as excerpted–and summarized– from The American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States Coins:
VF20 [Very Fine 20]–smooth spots from circulation wear visible in hair, on cotton leaves, and wheat grains. Lines between eagle’s feathers complete; most feathers on breast and head of eagle worn smooth.
EF45 [Extra Fine 45]–Liberty’s cheek shows faint wear, as does Liberty’s hair over her ear, hair above her forehead, and hair above date. Eagle’s breast lightly worn. Half of the original mint luster still visible.
MS63 [Mint State 63]–A fully mint state coin with no signs of circulation wear, but noticeable contact marks/blemishes/[often] impaired luster.
The investment potential of common date circulated Morgan Dollars correlates strongly with the commodity exchanges’ price of silver, but they do carry some degree of numismatic premium as well. “Key Date” Morgan Dollars, and common date Morgan Dollars in high uncirculated grades (MS65 and above) as authenticated and graded by PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS, have shown steady investment value for some decades, due to the large number of collectors/investors who have come to appreciate and seek out Morgan Dollars.
The individual collector/investor should feel free to choose a Morgan Dollar set that meets his/her budget and interests. Some possibilities are: working on a complete date and Mint set; working on a year “type set,” seeking one example of each year that Morgan Dollars were made; completing a set representing all the dates minted by one of the Mints which made Morgan Dollars for some years (Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans, or Carson City); etc.
Significance is attached to his/her set by each collector/investor. Sets are rarely sold as such–individual coins from the set are typically sold separately.
Buy the best coins you can afford, preferably after first learning about individual dates/Mints of Morgan Dollars from books; with advice from a “coin mentor;” by seeing as many Morgan Dollars of various grades at auction lot viewings, on Internet auctions, from a reliable and trustworthy coin dealer; etc.
Due to the increasing prevalence of (Chinese) counterfeits in the U. S. coin market in particular, buying expensive Morgan Dollars that are NOT authenticated and graded by PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS, at “estate sales,” on Craigslist, at pawn shops, on eBay, etc. is taking an increasingly risky chance of buying a counterfeit/an overgraded coin/a cleaned or otherwise a “problem coin,” etc.
Either a secure home safe (bolted to the floor or to a wall 2” X 4”) or a bank safe deposit box are prudent repositories for one’s Morgan Silver Dollar collection. Housed in a coin album that provides minimal to no contact with cardboard or other materials containing sulfur (because sulfur causes silver coins to “tone” over time, sometimes attractively, sometimes not) can provide safe storage.
Coin “flips” made of an archival non-polyvinyl chloride material can also be safe.A small bag of silica gel crystals (which remove excess humidity and can be renewed when saturated) placed in a safe or safe deposit box can also be protective of Morgan Silver Dollars.
NEVER, EVER clean your Morgan Dollars (or, for that matter, any other coin likely to be worth more than face value) in any way, with anything, at any time!! You are very likely to remove ½ to ⅔ of the value of any rare coin (along with its originality) by cleaning it!
“Maintaining” your coins by storing them in an environment of steady temperature and low humidity (see above re: home safes/safe deposit boxes, etc.) where your coins are free from contact with sulfur-containing materials such as cardboard, cloth, etc. should be done. Third-party grading company (PCGS, NGC, CACG, ANACS) “slabs,” while not air-tight, are generally safe and protective means of storage.
When not in third-party grading company “slabs” or archival-material “flips,” your Morgan Silver Dollars should be handled only by holding the coins’ rims, due to skin oil and other possible contaminants on your hands reacting negatively over time with the silver in your Morgan Dollars.
As counterfeits proliferate in the U. S. market, buying unauthenticated, uncertified coin “great deals” from estate sales, pawn shops, Craigslist, eBay, (small, local) auctions, etc. is becoming more and more similar to playing “Russian Roulette.” Do either one often enough and long enough, and you are likely to end up very, very sorry.
Grading coins is best learned by the individual, through examining as many coins as possible in the coin series one wants to collect; by learning from “coin mentors” and a local coin club; by finding a trustworthy coin dealer; by “buying the book before the coin” that shows how to grade coins, etc.; and by attending coin grading classes offered by the American Numismatic Association.
Buying third-party authenticated coins from PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS gives one a lifetime guarantee of authenticity offered by each of these grading services. Viewing as many coins as possible in the series you want to collect helps you to sense, with many counterfeits, that “something doesn’t look right” about the fake coin.
Getting a “second opinion” BEFORE buying an uncertified coin can help. Dealing with a coin dealer who is an American Numismatic Association member or a Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) member supports the authenticity of a coin purchased from that dealer.
There currently is just one grading system universally used in U. S. Numismatics–the 70 point Sheldon Scale, where Mint State 70 represents “a perfect coin,” its condition exactly as it left the dies when struck at one of the U. S. Mints, and Poor 1 representing a coin that is so worn from circulation as to be barely identifiable. Sheldon Grade Numbers between 70 and 1 are used to describe coins with different degrees of circulation wear, etc.
NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) has recently developed a 1-10 grading scale expressed in Roman Numerals between I and X. This grading scale is currently being used by NGC on modern/bullion-related coins. It is too soon to tell if this “new” grading scale will find widespread acceptance, or will be expanded to “classic” U. S. numismatic coins.
Pretty much every coin of value has been counterfeited contemporaneously, and afterward, if the coin has value enough to justify counterfeiting. Morgan Dollars are no exception, with both contemporary and modern counterfeits in existence.
“Replicas” of Morgan Dollars must be clearly marked “copy” and/or be noticeably different in size and/or design from a genuine Morgan Dollar to avoid violating anti-counterfeiting statutes.
Buying third-party authenticated coins from PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS gives one a lifetime guarantee of authenticity offered by each of the four grading services.
Viewing as many coins as possible in the series which you want to collect helps you to sense, with many counterfeits, that “something doesn’t look right” about the fake coin. Getting a “second opinion” BEFORE buying an uncertified coin can also help.
Dealing with a coin dealer who is an American Numismatic Association member or a Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) member supports the authenticity of a coin purchased from that dealer.
This is a difficult question to respond to, since a counterfeit Morgan Dollar (whether made in the 19th Century or yesterday) is a counterfeit coin, illegal to pass as a medium of exchange.
“Replica” Morgan Dollars marked “copy,” and/or struck in a markedly different size or with obviously different design characteristics are intended to be obvious replicas that would not be accepted as a medium of exchange.
An interesting type of Morgan Dollar replica is occasionally found on one Troy ounce silver rounds (which have their own value based upon the commodity exchange price of silver) but which bear only a superficial design resemblance to a genuine Morgan Dollar.
Any Morgan Dollar minted at the Carson City, Nevada Mint (1878-1885 and again from 1889-1893) is “famous” and generally in strong demand, due to the widely perceived “Old West” connection associated with the Carson City Mint.
The 1895 Morgan Dollar is also famous. It is widely accepted that all of the 12,000 1895 Morgan Dollars struck for circulation were melted as part of the 1918 Pittman Act melting of over 270,000,000 Morgan Dollars. That left only 880 Proof 1895 Morgan Dollars, created for sale to contemporary collectors. Most of those still exist (some spent by their owners during economic hard times such as the Great Depression), but given the large number of Morgan Dollar collectors and investors today, most will never be able to ever own an 1895.
The significance of the Morgan Dollar in U. S. History is as a symbol of the monetary and political conflict in the mid-to late Nineteenth Century over whether the U. S. would have a non-inflationary gold standard (generally desired by bankers and businesses), an inflationary bi-metallic gold/silver standard (generally desired by Populist/agrarian interests and “Free Silverites” experiencing difficult economic times and desiring a way to more easily pay their mortgages, agricultural bills, etc.)
with the value ratio between the value of silver versus that of gold expressed in a functional bimetallic economic system (i. E. 16 to 1). As well, Morgan Dollars created in prodigious quantities showed the political power of Western silver mining interests in conjunction with the political power of the pro-silver forces.
The value and rarity of Morgan Dollars are both “all over the map.” Some “key dates” (i. E. 1895; 1893-S; 1889-CC; etc.) have value and are in great demand regardless of their condition. Others (like the 1881-S; all three 1921 Morgans; etc.) in lower condition grades are worth their silver value plus only a slight “numismatic premium.” Certified in high grades (MS65 and above), these “common-date” Morgan Dollars will begin to show greater values to collectors.
By definition, most myths and legends about anything represent “good stories,” which may or may not have specific factual support. Did Billy the Kid have a new uncirculated Morgan Silver Dollar in his pocket when Pat Garrett shot him, as some say? Did Las Vegas casinos in the 1950s and 1960s have more Morgan Silver Dollars than all but the biggest banks?
When LaVere Redfield (a very wealthy Nevada oil/stock market/real estate speculator who did not trust banks or the government and hoarded silver dollars) had his home (where he stored all of his estimated peak hoard of 600K or more silver dollars) was robbed in the 1960s, how many were taken (100K has been estimated),who took them (to date, nobody knows), and what became of them (again, nobody knows. Were they all spent? Were some hidden/buried in unknown locations?)
Many Morgan Dollars were buried or otherwise hidden through the years by individuals not trusting banks. Metal detectorists have likely found many of these “hidden hoards,” but quantity and locations found in this way tend not to be made available. It seems likely that some number of Morgan Dollar hoards of this type have yet to be discovered.
Wayne Miller in his The Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook tells of a miner who secreted 1,700 silver dollars over the winter in the mine shaft that he was working, only to find that vandals had dynamited his mineshaft shut when he returned the next spring. Miller also mentions how a hotel fire melted 900 silver dollars into unrecognizable blobs of silver.
Many more such stories and “hidden treasure” locations are perhaps “out there,” awaiting further information and discovery!
For many years throughout the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Morgan Silver Dollars were frequently given as birthday/wedding/graduation presents in the belief that such gifts would not only provide economic purchasing power to the recipient, but Good Fortune as well!
One superstition allegedly from the Irish involves cooking a silver dollar (which had been hidden outside and brought in just before midnight) on New Year’s Day with the cabbage that would be then eaten as corned beef and cabbage on New Year’s Day.
Another involves placing a silver dollar under the mainmast of a sailing vessel as it was being constructed to insure the sailing vessel’s safe sailing. Some aviators in WWII carried silver dollars as “good luck” coins that (it was hoped) would bring the aviator back safely from his mission.
The Morgan Silver Dollar has been featured in various forms of popular culture, including movies and TV shows. One of the most famous examples is the 1969 Western movie “True Grit,” where the main character, Rooster Cogburn, carries a silver dollar with him as a lucky charm.
The coin has also been referenced in literature and music, such as in the song “Silver Dollar” by Chris Hillman. The Morgan Silver Dollar symbolizes American pop culture, representing the country’s rich history and tradition.
Currently, the finest 1893-S Morgan Dollar known (PCGS MS67/CAC-endorsed) from the Jack Lee Collection holds the record at $2,086,875.
Nobody possesses an accurate “crystal ball” to predict the future, but today Morgan Silver Dollars have become the most widely collected U. S. coin, supplanting the Lincoln Cent. Should that trend continue, Morgan Silver Dollars may continue to represent both a desired collectible (especially in “key date”/high-grade coins graded by PCGS, NGC, CACG, or ANACS) and a “tangible asset” based upon the value of the .7734 Troy ounces of silver that each contains.
The Morgan Dollar has represented a U. S. political and economic legacy for nearly 150 years now. As well, it has been a widely pursued collectible at least since the early Twentieth Century. If anything, the popularity of the Morgan Dollar as a “hard asset” and a collectible has only increased since the U. S. government GSA sales of (mostly) uncirculated Carson City Dollars began in 1972.
Will the popularity and availability of Morgan Dollars continue into the future? Nobody knows, but based upon the Morgan Dollar’s desirability for the past 125 years or so, its future popularity seems likely.
The Morgan Silver Dollar especially benefited Western states’ (where silver dollars often circulated in preference to paper currency into the 1960s) agrarian interests, and silver mining interests. Although economic circulation of the Morgan Dollar was light (except in Western states), it represented an attempt to politically and economically placate groups in U. S. society seeking a silver-based, potentially inflationary means of exchange.
Especially in western states and among “hard money” advocates, the size, heft, and precious metal content of a silver dollar were seen as desired characteristics of “real money.” The silver dollar as a response to “Free Silverites”/Populists, etc. also added to some of the public perception of the importance of this coin.
The Morgan Silver Dollar has been featured in various forms of popular culture, including movies and TV shows. One of the most famous examples is the 1969 Western movie “True Grit,” where the main character, Rooster Cogburn, carries a silver dollar with him as a lucky charm. The coin has also been referenced in literature and music, such as in the song “Silver Dollar” by Chris Hillman. The Morgan Silver Dollar symbolizes American pop culture, representing the country’s rich history and tradition.
Due to the survival (often in high numismatic grades) of many of the 657,000,000 Morgan Dollars minted between 1878 and 1921, and the many possible “collecting subsets” in the Morgan Dollar series, the Morgan Dollar is the most widely collected coin series today. Its substantial “heft,” its .7734 Troy ounces of silver, and its widely admired design have helped fuel the popularity of the Morgan Dollar today, and perhaps into the future.
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]]>First grade teacher Jamie Greenwood looks at a large sheet of clear plastic that hangs from the ceiling in her classroom at Westvale Elementary School in West Jordan on Aug. 19, 2020. Now that the pandemic is over, how will schools adjust again?
Steve Griffin, Deseret News
In March 2020, when the nation’s schools suddenly closed, my kids were four and six. Gray, the six-year-old, was in kindergarten at an old-school Montessori. Blake, the four-year-old, was in preschool. In the early days of the pandemic, I experienced the five stages of school closure the same way as many others: Confusion. Concern. Anger. Frustration. Bargaining.
Like many parents, my initial reaction to the news was uncertainty. It’s easy to forget, but the battle lines mostly came later. In those early days, parents were terrified that our kids would be at risk and most of us were willing to take the need for school closures at face value.
But it made for a crazy stretch of months. Our dining room turned into a multi-station, quasi-Montessori school, replete with everything from number lines to window washing accoutrements. “School” became 30 minutes each morning of a teacher leading the kids in a couple of activities and reading a short story. Even for two over-educated parents with just two kids in a comfortable house, it was no picnic.
Plus, in the kind of far-from-scientific overreaction that many seem to have memory-holed, our local playgrounds were cordoned off with police tape, basketball hoops were rendered unplayable by blocks of wood, and social interaction was mostly limited to neighbors furtively waving from across the street. If Russian bots had sought a way to drive kids onto devices and to fray our social ties, they could have hardly done better than this.
Today, the whole experience feels like a fever dream. That may be doubly so for a long-ago high school teacher and education professor, like me, who spent the past two decades directing education policy at one of the nation’s best-known think tanks. I had a front-row seat as school closures morphed from a “we’re all in this together” mentality to an increasingly partisan clash.
This all came back to me in remarkably vivid fashion this spring as I started to talk about my new book, “The Great School Rethink.” I’ve been reminded just how much we’ve struggled to actually reimagine how schools use time, talent or technology, or partner with parents, even as they strive to overcome the devastating aftershocks of disruption.
In the spring of 2020, my colleague John Bailey and I had gathered a bipartisan group of nearly two dozen education leaders and reformers to sketch a widely-used “Blueprint for Back to School,” which addressed both public health challenges and the urgency of getting kids back into schools. By summer, “reopen schools” was former President Donald Trump’s rallying cry. In response, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten doubled down on union concerns about reopening, denouncing Trump’s demands that schools do so as reckless, callous and cruel.
Well into 2021, debates about when schools should reopen (and then about vaccination and masking) were a big part of the national pandemic drama. Later, though, as schools spent $200 billion in federal emergency aid, devastating reports came in on academic outcomes and student well-being, and school leaders struggled to fill staff positions and deal with the fallout of parental frustration, the energy shifted.
We saw union bosses and superintendents who insisted it was unfair to say “schools weren’t open” when they were delivering asynchronous, virtual, part-time instruction a few hours a day or that it was unfair to “rush” schools into reopening, in January 2021, and that there was no such thing as learning loss. That seemed obviously nuts, and made it more than a little frustrating to watch educators argue for even more funding, or offer up a steady stream of excuses for why so many schools still weren’t open, why they couldn’t improve the quality of remote learning, and why they were intent on maintaining mask mandates for little kids.
Meanwhile, the same sorts of self-styled reformers who had once insisted that “No Child Left Behind,” the “Race to the Top” or the “Common Core” would transform American schooling again began to muse that schools needed some kind of expansive, expensive, amorphous “reset.” As a longtime skeptic of grand schemes and airy prose, all I could think was, “Here we go again.”
It all seemed to offer a series of false choices: Excuse bureaucratic ineptitude or endorse someone’s sweeping reform agenda. Excuse irresponsible union leadership or denounce public education in the most scathing terms.
While I heartily endorse universal school choice and want all parents to be able to make the kinds of educational choices that we made for our sons, I’m puzzled by the degree to which some school-choice advocates cheer performative screeds condemning “failing” public schools. After all, most Americans like their local schools. Even very real frustrations with how those schools handled the pandemic and the aftermath hasn’t really changed that. And this makes sense, because parents can both want more options and still like their local teachers and regard local schools as valued community institutions.
In many ways, the pandemic fights were a stark reminder that advocates, funders and education authorities of every stripe have spent recent decades urging parents to choose sides in debates where a sensible person is inclined to ask, “Why do I have to choose?”
During the pandemic, states suspended the annual tests that have irked so many teachers, and more than a few parents. But the result was that we had no real idea of how students were faring. When we finally started to see the results, it was a stark reminder that these results are useful. It turns out that most parents aren’t “anti-testing” — they’re against over-testing or what happens when schools start to feel like test-prep factories. Yet, somehow, in the decade following “No Child Left Behind,” there was constant pressure to take sides in some abstract debate.
As schools went remote, and then only gradually returned in-person, there were efforts to acknowledge the toll on students. This led many schools to suspend traditional grading, reduce workloads or adopt a variety of “equitable” grading practices (such as banning zeroes or doing away with deadlines). The problem is that kids are only human. If schools do away with deadlines or consequences, students will respond accordingly. In fact, it’s typically the least motivated students who tend to slack off the most, aggravating our “achievement gaps.” Yet, sensible efforts to balance empathy and expectations have been distorted into an academic parlor game by “grading for equity” ideologues who’ve no time to worry about practical consequences.
There’s no shortage of examples. Of late, these debates have played out most visibly in our culture clashes around gender. And yet, even there, it’s pretty clear that there’s copious middle ground. Most Americans think that schools shouldn’t be teaching kindergarteners about sex, allowing biological boys to play on girls’ high school teams, or hiding a child’s gender identity from their parents. But they support less disruptive accommodations and support efforts to protect children from bullying and harassment on the basis of gender.
What I’ve been most struck by in the wake of the pandemic is the reminder that education is ultimately an immensely practical endeavor. It’s about our kids and values, which makes it personal and contentious. But education also touches families in such an immediate way that, if we allow it to, it has the ability to cut through the abstractions and bring out the best in us.
That’s been in short supply of late. Here’s hoping we can do better.
Frederick M. Hess is director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and author of “The Great School Rethink,” published by Harvard Education Press.
]]>It’s OK. Your children are always used to being entertained, but summer is a great time to slow down the pace and set expectations about how they will spend their days and how much of that you are planning. Turn them loose outdoors. Clean out the craft closet and let them be creative. And spend some time exploring your local community like a tourist.
Whether you are local to Northwest Arkansas or looking for easy day trips or a quick summer getaway, these towns are the perfect places to build a summer bucket list of fun things for families. Check out these 18 spots for Summer Fun in Northwest Arkansas.
Creekside Park and Splash Pad | Bentonville
This splash pad is the No. 1 thing on everyone’s NWA summer bucket list because it is new. The park opened at the beginning of May, and families have been buzzing about its entertainment value, especially since it’s a free city park! Check out splash pads in Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville and Centerton, too!
Parrot Island Waterpark | Fort Smith
An outdoor waterpark with over 400,000 gallons of aquatic fun. Tiny tots and big kids can play on the long slides or the children’s aquatic play area. Check their special events throughout the summer for discount tickets for teachers, first responders, military and more.
Libraries| in all towns
Libraries in most towns have summer reading clubs, classes, camps and story times for kids of all ages. Check your local library’s summer schedule.
Image used with permission from Holly Danielle Photography>Kayak Park | Siloam Springs
Fishers Ford, along the Illinois River, is now home to a city park, swimming hole and waterway for kayakers in the area. The park is open and free for use. Special features include Class I and II rapids, ADA-accessible riverbanks, picnic areas and a rain garden.
Coler Trail | Bentonville
A hike or bike ride at Coler is the coolest thing for your kids. They will love going fast, playing in the creek, walking and seeing the trailside artwork. Halfway through, grab a summer drink at the open-air coffee shop.
Turpentine Creek | Eureka Springs
While the animals are not as active as they are in cooler months, it is still such a memorable experience to learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of these big cats and the owners caring for them.
Can Do Hardware Store and Pet Pop | Gravette
Last summer, this themed candy shop took Northwest Arkansas parents by storm. An actual hardware store with a movie scene-ready candy shop hidden inside. Come ready to taste and see what all the buzz is about.
Hobbs State Park & Van Winkle Homestead | Rogers
This Arkansas State Park is kid-friendly and not far from downtown Rogers. Explore the walking and off-road bike trails, sit by the still waters, eat a snack on a limestone rock, learn about wildlife at the hands-on visitor center or stay overnight at one of the primitive camping spots. Take a summer class about bees, birds or venomous snakes!
Arkansas Air & Military Museum | Fayetteville
A fun outing for anyone interested in aviation or learning more about the history of air transportation and the military. It’s a fun outing to combine with a trip to Lake Bentonville Park and lunch or dinner Louise at Thaden Field, watching planes land and take off while you eat and play.
Daisy Airgun Museum | Rogers
This may be one of those trips you take for yourself and blame it on the kids. The history of the Daisy Airgun fills the museum’s hallways, including collectibles, memorabilia and the world’s largest airgun.
Amazeum | Bentonville
The Scott Family Amazeum brings a discovery of connections at the intersection of arts and science. This children’s museum has an outdoor play space but is perfect for rainy days and a cool-down summer spot where kids love to learn and explore freely. While there, visit the Architecture at Home exhibit outside Crystal Bridges along the Orchard Trail.
Trampoline Parks – Altitude | Fayetteville & Defy | Rogers
The best way to wear out your busy kids in the summer is inside, where they can jump all day. Both locations offer timed reservations or summer pass options where your kids can repeat the fun to infinity.
Lost Valley Trail | Ponca
Northwest Arkansas is full of hikes and trails throughout the Ozark Mountains, along the Greenway, on hidden paths and near downtown squares. Lost Valley is a kid-friendly trail with a primarily shaded path that winds along a creek bed, leading to a spectacular waterfall view.
Botanical Gardens | Fayetteville
One of many families’ favorite spots in the summer is the weekly Little Sprouts events or the FREE Terrific Tuesday nights from June through Aug. Explore the different garden sections, butterflies, bird-watching station and train.
NWA Naturals Game | Springdale
A minor league team for the Kansas City Royals calls Springdale home, and discounts are offered throughout the summer to make it an easy excuse to make a memory together.
Kindness and Joy Toys | Fayetteville
A year-round haven for creative kids, this toy store offers summer camps, storytime, parties, birthday buckets and a kindergarten experience for kids headed to school for the first time.
Aquatic Parks | Rogers, Siloam Springs, Springdale, Bella Vista, Alma, Clarksville,
Giant slides and splash pads with a lazy river wrapping around all of them make the perfect spot for a day or the whole summer. Check your closest park for hours and admission prices, or visit a new aquatics center each week!
“Habitat” Smithsonian Trail Exhibit | Cane Hill
A partnership between the Smithsonian Gardens and Historic Cane Hill offers visitors a glimpse of habitat research in natural environments where Smithsonian scientists use this Northwest Arkansas exhibit to learn and discover ecosystems and systemic relationships.
Via Only In Arkansas.
]]>One redditor sparked a very open and honest discussion on the r/AskReddit community, as folks started spilling the tea about the most embarrassing things they’ve ever said to someone they were trying to impress. Get ready for a heavy dose of secondhand embarrassment and check out their stories below!
Bored Panda wanted to find out what to do if we keep remembering our extremely embarrassing moments all the time, so we reached out to Andrea Bonior, Ph.D., the host of the mental health advice podcast 'Baggage Check' and the bestselling author of 'Detox Your Thoughts.' You'll find the advice she shared, including when to seek a therapist's help, as you read on.
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Dr. Bonior told Bored Panda that in situations when someone is constantly tormented by memories when they embarrassed themselves, it's important to think about reframing the narrative.
"Did the situation teach you something? Did it make you stronger? Did it give you added understanding or empathy for other people? In general, we often over-focus on ourselves and assume that people are still thinking about something embarrassing we did when in reality they are thinking about something embarrassing they did!" she told us via email.
"So ask yourself realistically, why would this be something that other people even care about? And even if they did, how is thinking about it now helping me? You can use some techniques borrowed from meditation where you visualize the embarrassing situation as a cloud that, as you breathe slowly, dissipates, or as a leaf that gradually floats away on a stream," she advised.
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Meanwhile, the author of 'Detox Your Thoughts' noted that a good rule of thumb for when to seek professional help is to look at whether the embarrassing memories people remember get in the way of their daily life and functioning.
"For instance, if it is really disrupting your sleep a lot over time, or it's keeping you from wanting to socialize, or it's bringing down your mood so much that you can't concentrate, those are all examples of how your daily life is suffering," Dr. Bonior told Bored Panda.
"But also too, I'm a big fan of therapy just for gaining insight into a situation. There might be a problematic pattern with your thinking that needs to be explored further, even if the distress that's being caused isn't completely disruptive. Getting help could still go a long way toward improving your life."
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Harvard Business Review points out that embarrassment can work in your favor because it shows the people around you that you’re just like them—human. So long as we don’t make a big deal about our mess-up, things should be fine.
“You’d be surprised by how compassionate and nonjudgmental your audience is. Everyone wants a leader who shows their human side. Your humility is what will make you relatable,” Lan Nguyen Chaplin writes.
Psych Central suggests practicing self-compassion or laughing things off to work through an embarrassing moment. Other things that help are common sense approaches like apologizing and owning up to your mistake. Doing some deep breathing also helps to stay calm, in the moment.
But if you feel like you’re still obsessing over your mistake, it can help to vent to your friends or to seek a therapist’s help. They might give you a different perspective that’ll help you move forward.
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The most important thing when it comes to an embarrassing situation is to come to terms with what happened. The last thing you need is for it to turn into a deep-seated sense of shame that will follow you everywhere—making you facepalm and cringe in the shower, on your commute, and when trying to sleep at night. In short, you really don’t want that.
No matter how much of a fool you think you’ve made of yourself, there are two things to remember. First of all, everyone makes mistakes. Literally everyone! Even those seemingly ‘perfect’ social media stars you follow online don’t have it all figured out. Messing up and learning from our mistakes is a universal experience, no matter someone’s background or circumstances.
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Secondly, well, not to sound too critical, but the world doesn’t revolve around you, nor us. What might have been the embarrassment of a lifetime for us may have simply been a witty moment for someone else… if they noticed it in the first place. Odds are that everyone’s far too obsessed with thinking about how others perceive them to nitpick our mistakes.
Do people judge others? Yes, obviously, all the time. However, they probably don’t hold your mistakes against you as much as you punish yourself by going over the same memories over and over and over again. We are, usually, our own harshest critics.
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Whether he is playing a villain or a troubled protagonist, Mads Mikkelsen has consistently delivered some truly iconic and unforgettable performances in movies and TV shows that stand testament to his incredible range as an actor.
One of Mikkelsen’s most iconic roles is of the sophisticated cannibal Dr Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal. Mikkelsen had some massive shoes to fill here, considering the role was earlier essayed by legendary actor Sir Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs. Sir Hopkins even famously won an Oscar for his performance. However, Mikkelsen did full justice to the role which earned him a devoted fan following. In fact, the actor’s ability to exude charm and intelligence took his performance to another level. On the other hand, movies such as The Hunt and Another Round also showcase Mikkelsen’s ability to be adaptable and morph into complex and emotionally charged characters. The actor has also made his mark on popular franchises such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and James Bond by playing antagonist roles in Doctor Stranger and Casino Royale.
What we are trying to say is that Mikkelsen has brought to life some truly iconic characters throughout his career. As he was also recently on the cover of Augustman Singapore, we thought it would be a good idea to look into some of Mads Mikkelsen’s best movies and TV shows that cement his legacy as an actor for the ages.
Considered to be one of his most iconic roles, Mikkelsen took on the challenge of portraying the iconic cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter in the television series Hannibal. He brought a captivating mix of charm, intelligence and darkness to the character. The psychological thriller series followed the complex relationship between forensic psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter and FBI special investigator Will Graham. Will has a unique ability to empathise with criminals, which leads him to consult with Dr Lecter on various cases. However, unknown to Will, Dr Lecter is a cannibalistic serial killer! As the series progresses, their bond grows deeper with the story turning into a psychological game of cat-and-mouse between the two.
IMDb rating: 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Arctic is a survival drama that tells the gripping story of a man named Overgård after he gets stranded in the Arctic following a plane crash. With little hope of rescue, Overgård must use his ingenuity and resourcefulness to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment. As he battles against extreme cold, hunger and the constant threat of danger, he discovers a wounded woman in another helicopter crash and takes it upon himself to save her as well.
Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Overgård is a testament to his exceptional acting skills. As a man stranded in the Arctic, he effectively conveyed the physical and emotional challenges faced by his character. With limited dialogue, Mikkelsen relies on subtle expressions, body language and raw emotion to act out the harsh reality of survival.
IMDb rating: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
In the critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning Danish film Another Round, Mikkelsen portrays a middle-aged teacher, Martin, who along with his friends, decides to test a theory about maintaining a certain level of alcohol in their blood to improve their lives. Initially, they believe that this controlled intoxication will improve their lives and creativity. However, as they delve deeper into their experiment, the consequences and complications begin to surface. In this incredible film, Mikkelsen skillfully portrayed the complexities of Martin’s journey, capturing the raw emotions and the impact of the experiment on his relationships, career and personal life.
IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Mikkelsen delivered yet another powerful performance in the Danish film The Hunt. He portrays kindergarten teacher Lucas, a man who becomes the target of a community’s collective false accusations after a lie spreads among the townspeople, accusing him of inappropriate behaviour with a young girl. As the rumour spreads, he finds himself isolated and facing extreme hostility from those he once trusted.
The film explores themes of mob mentality, cancel culture and the devastating impact of false accusations on an individual’s life. Mikkelsen’s powerful portrayal also captures the emotional turmoil and resilience of a man wrongly caught in false accusations.
IMDb rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Mikkelsen gained international recognition with his iconic portrayal of the villainous Le Chiffre in the James Bond film Casino Royale. He brought a sense of sophistication and menace to the character, creating a memorable antagonist for Daniel Craig’s Bond. A thrilling spy film, Casino Royale follows James Bond as he earns his ‘007’ status after going on a mission to uncover the financial activities of terrorist financier Le Chiffre. Casino Royale is widely considered to be one of the best James Bond movies of all time, and that’s in no small part thanks to Mikkelsen’s menacing portrayal.
IMDb rating: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Mikkelsen portrays Johann Friedrich Struensee in A Royal Affair, a German physician who becomes deeply involved in the Danish royal court during the 18th century. Struensee forms a passionate affair with Queen Caroline Mathilde while also influencing the mentally unstable King Christian VII. His portrayal of Struensee accurately captures the character’s intelligence, charisma and idealism as well as the conflicts he faces in his relationship with the queen. The film also explores themes of political intrigue, forbidden love and the pursuit of enlightenment during a turbulent era in Danish history.
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Mikkelsen entered the MCU by playing the popular character of Kaecilius in Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Kaecilius, a former student of the Ancient One, becomes a follower of the dark sorcerer Dormammu. Through his performance, Mikkelsen showcases Kaecilius’ inner conflicts, depicting the character’s journey from a once-dedicated student to a man consumed by his power and immortality. His presence, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, adds tension and depth to their confrontations that might be lacking with another actor.
IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
In Pusher and its sequel Pusher II, Mikkelsen has delivered two performances that showcase his versatility and acting abilities. In the original film, Mikkelsen portrays Tonny, an enigmatic and unpredictable henchman working for drug dealer Frank. Despite his tough exterior, Tonny’s vulnerability and longing for acceptance shine through. Mikkelsen also brought depth to the character, displaying a remarkable balance between Tonny’s violent tendencies and his emotional struggles.
In Pusher II, Mikkelsen’s Tonny returns to a world of crime after being released from prison. Mikkelsen’s portrayal in the sequel is a revelation, showcasing the character’s complexity and desperate desire to find a place within his dysfunctional family.
IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (Pusher and Pusher II)
Rotten Tomatoes: 83 % (Pusher), 100 % (Pusher II)
(Hero and feature image: Courtesy IMDb/Hannibal and Another Round)
This story first appeared here.
The post ‘Hannibal’ to ‘Arctic’: 8 iconic Mads Mikkelsen performances in movies and TV shows appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong.
]]>Arnold Schwarzenegger commands a net worth that is high enough for him to buy a small city itself. His acting career, during which he delivered several box office hits has made him an icon around the world. And he continues to be a major draw in the world of entertainment at the age of 75.
Born on 30 July 1947 in the small Austrian village of Thal, Schwarzenegger came into the limelight in the late 1960s, owing to his achievements in bodybuilding. In fact, he is universally hailed as one of the greatest bodybuilders in history and continues to serve as an icon for millions of fitness enthusiasts.
He won the amateur Mr. Universe title in 1967, which helped him make a move to the US the following year. Thereafter, he won the main Mr. Universe title three times. He also won the prestigious Mr. Olympia title seven times, with six of them consecutively from 1970 to 1975. He retired after the 1975 win but came out of it to win his seventh Mr. Olympia title in 1980, following which he permanently retired from competitive bodybuilding.
By the early 1980s, he had turned to starring in movies, the fame from which turned him into what he is today. While he was basking in the glory the acting credits brought, Schwarzenegger took a detour that led him into the political arena. As a result, he served as the Governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
Coming back to his acting career, the widely loved action star essays the lead in Netflix’s action-comedy series Fubar, one of his most recent works. It marks his debut in a live-action role on the small screen. A CIA agent, he plays the protective father of Emma Brunner, portrayed by Monica Barbaro of Top Gun: Maverick (2022) fame.
On 7 June, Netflix released a three-part documentary on the actor. Titled Arnold, it covered five decades of his life as an athlete, actor and politician.
Arnold Schwarzenegger built his fortune primarily on the back of his earnings from movies and his profitable real estate deals.
He made his acting debut with the film Hercules in New York (1970) and earned his breakthrough with Conan the Barbarian (1982). Two years later, he earned worldwide fame for the portrayal of the titular antagonist in The Terminator (1984).
He has since starred in major box office hits across three decades such as Commando (1985), Predator (1987), Twins (1988), Total Recall (1990), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), True Lies (1994), Batman & Robin (1997), The Expendables franchise since 2010, and Terminator Genisys (2015).
He has made sporadic television appearances but never played a live-action character before Fubar. He has also lent his likeness to video games based on The Terminator franchise.
In all, several estimates suggest that the net worth of Arnold Schwarzenegger is close to USD 450 million.
Of course, much of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s net worth is earnings from the movies he did over the decades.
According to celebrity wealth tracker Celebrity Net Worth, his biggest paycheck came from the film Twins (1988). For this film, Schwarzenegger and his co-star Danny Devito as well as director Ivan Reitman agreed to forgo their salary in exchange for 40 per cent of the film’s revenue divided equally between the three. The movie was a massive box office success, earning close to USD 216 million worldwide. It also earned millions through VHS and cable releases.
Schwarzenegger recounted why he didn’t take a salary for Twins in an interview with Business Insider in 2019.
He said, “So literally for ‘Twins’ I took no salary, I just wanted to give it a shot. And it just happened to be my first movie to make USD 100 million domestically. So they [filmmakers] realised that it works, Schwarzenegger can cross over.”
Thanks to the box office success of his movies, Schwarzenegger became one of the highest-paid actors of his time. On average, he earned paychecks upwards of USD 20 million for his movies, besides a percentage of royalty on gross profits.
From a mere USD 75,000 for The Terminator, his salary jumped to USD 12 million for Terminator 2. As his international fame grew, so did the numbers on the cheques. By the time he played Dr. Freeze in Batman & Robin, his salary had jumped to USD 25 million per project.
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He eventually reached USD 35 million, including shares in profits, for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
A member of the Republican Party, Arnold Schwarzenegger contested the 2003 gubernatorial election in California, US. He won and was sworn in as the Governor of California — a position he served for two tenures till 2011.
During the 2003 elections, he submitted official documents disclosing his wealth. The documents revealed that his net worth was USD 200 million.
Even if Arnold Schwarzenegger had not been an actor, his net worth would still be in many millions because of his astute understanding of the real estate market.
When he arrived in the US in 1968 at the age of 21, Schwarzenegger bought a small plot of land in Palmdale, California, using part of his USD 27,000 savings. He soon started investing more money into real estate by buying properties and selling them for a higher price. By the time he was 25 years old, he had already become a millionaire from his earnings in real estate.
It is estimated that he owns at least USD 100 million of commercial properties spread across Southern California. The worth of his overall real estate portfolio is much higher, as it also includes his personal immovable assets.
Besides real estate, Schwarzenegger is a co-founder of Ladder (Food Products) and is an angel investor. Capital market company PitchBook Data estimates that he has invested in at least six companies since 1999. According to the data, he is one of the early investors in what is today known as Alphabet — the holding company of Google. All of his investments are either profitable or generating revenue.
Despite owning residential properties of varying sizes, Schwarzenegger spent most of his life in the first property he bought after getting married to journalist Maria Shriver, the niece of John F. Kennedy, in 1986. The luxury house is located in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles and is spread over 930 sq metres. The property was sold in 2013 for USD 12.9 million, two years after Shriver filed for divorce.
He had bought another property with Shriver in 2002, and they started residing in it soon after till the time of their divorce. Located in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, it is this property that his fans saw in the many videos he posted during the pandemic-era lockdown.
Fans saw his unusual family members, a donkey called Lulu and a miniature horse named Whisky. The three were often seen sharing spaces in the kitchen, the dining room and the grounds of the mansion. Schwarzenegger also gave glimpses of his office space and living areas of the massive property, which is spread over 1,347 sq metres and has its own tennis court.
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Schwarzenegger also has a holiday home in Sun Valley in the mountainous region near Ketchum, Idaho. The house was built in 1994 and has remained with him since.
The value of neither the Brentwood property nor the Sun Valley holiday home is known.
The former Governor of California is best known for making the iconic Hummer available to civilians. Until he did that, Hummer was only made for the US military by AM General. He convinced the manufacturer to launch it for the masses. Thus, the Hummer came on the roads for the people in 1992.
Perhaps this historic feat, and the fact that a Hummer suits his action-hero image, Schwarzenegger owns several of these cars. Among the most famous is a military-style Hummer H1 without doors. It has long antennae, which are pulled down to allow the car to pass under low bridges, road signs and parking lots.
In December 2019, he added a red electric Hummer to his vast collection. In a post on Instagram, he shared a video of him driving the car.
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The Hummer is not the only type of four-wheeler he drives. He has been seen in fast cars such as a Porsche Turbo, Dodge Challenger SRT8, a Bentley Continental GT SuperSports Convertible and a Bugatti Veyron. There is also a Mercedes-Benz Unimog and a custom Kreisel Electric G500 in his garage. There is also an open-top vintage car known as the Excalibur.
But perhaps the most eye-catching vehicle he owns is a battle tank. Indeed, no celebrity in Hollywood can boast of having a fully functional 1951 M-47 Patton tank — the same model he drove when he was with the Austrian National Army.
(Hero and Featured images: IMDb)
The post Arnold Schwarzenegger’s net worth and the most expensive things he owns appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong.
]]>by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
Rick Hoyt, who became a national symbol of hope and inspiration to millions, died a few weeks ago due to complications with his respiratory system, as he had cerebral palsy, which left him a quadriplegic when he was born.
His father, Dick Hoyt, and co-teammate of Team Hoyt who competed in the Boston Marathon for years, as well as other competitions such as the Ironman Triathlon, died in 2021.
If you have never heard the story of Dick Hoyt and his son Rick Hoyt before, then read on and be blessed. It is a tremendous story about not listening to all the negative things this world tries to tell us, especially in the medical field, and how faith can overcome many obstacles the world puts in your way.
Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt in Holland, Massachusetts in the USA.
As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick’s brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy.
As a result, his brain could not send the correct messages to his muscles. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a “normal” life.
His parents held onto the fact that Rick’s eyes would follow them around the room, giving them hope that he would somehow be able to communicate someday.
The Hoyts took Rick every week to Children’s Hospital in Boston, where they met a doctor who encouraged the Hoyts to treat Rick like any other child. Rick’s mother Judy spent hours each day teaching Rick the alphabet with sandpaper letters and posting signs on every object in the house.
In a short amount of time, Rick learned the alphabet. This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy’s quest for Rick’s inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.
With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick. This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet.
Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head piece attached to his wheelchair.
When the computer was originally first brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, “Hi, Mom,” or “Hi, Dad,” Rick’s first “spoken” words were: “Go, Bruins!” The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season.
It was clear from that moment on that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else.
In 1975, at the age of 13, Rick was finally admitted into public school. After high school, Rick attended Boston University and, in 1993, he graduated with a degree in Special Education.
Dick retired in 1995 as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard, after serving his country for 37 years.
In the spring of 1977, Team Hoyt began when Rick asked his father if they could run a five-mile road race together in their town of Westfield, Massachusetts, to benefit a lacrosse player at his school who had become paralyzed.
He wanted to prove that life went on no matter your disability.
At the time Rick asked to run that race, Dick was a 40-year-old nonrunner. When he and Rick got to the event, organizers saw the wheelchair, the disabled son, and the middle-aged dad and gave them a look that said, “You two won’t make it past the first corner.”
They didn’t know Dick.
It wasn’t in his nature to quit a job he’d started. And besides, by that first corner, Rick was having too much fun.
They ran the entire five miles, and didn’t finish last. Afterward, a wild grin lit up Rick’s face.
Later he tapped out: “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
Dick had a slightly different reaction.
“After that race I felt disabled—I was pissing blood for a week,” he says. “But we knew we were onto something. Making Rick happy was the greatest feeling in the world.”
Running made Dick happy, too.
A career Army guy, he felt like he was back in basic training again, breezing through a forced march while the other guys struggled and bitched. And, like the military, running was structured.
If you followed the program, you got faster. Dick bought a pair of running shoes and researched a training schedule.
Judy, Rick’s mother, located an engineer in New Hampshire to build a wheelchair modified for running, with three bicycle wheels and a foam seat molded to Rick’s body. The Hoyts’ first running chair was produced for $35, and its basic design forms the template for all the racing chairs the men have subsequently used.
After that first race in 1977, the family’s life changed forever. The epiphany of that first race fed a desire to do other races around New England.
But just because the Hoyts wanted to run more didn’t mean they were necessarily welcomed by the running community.
At a 10K in Springfield, Massachusetts, Dick remembers getting snubbed by the other athletes.
“They shied away from us as if they thought they were going to catch a disease,” Dick recalls.
The race officials were even less hospitable.
“The officials said they didn’t fit because Dick was pushing him,” Judy remembers in the Hoyts’ biography.
“Dick did it ‘differently’ than all the other runners. The wheelchair athletes didn’t want them because Rick wasn’t powering his own chair, and the able-bodied runners said, ‘You’re just going to get in the way. Why do you want to push this kid of yours who doesn’t talk and just sits in the wheelchair?’”
Four years after their first race, Dick and Rick sought to run the 1981 Boston Marathon, but again met resistance.
They were told that they needed to meet a qualifying time, just like any other runner officially entered in the race. There would be no exceptions, even for a guy pushing his kid in a wheelchair.
“The Hoyts were proposing a nontraditional form of participation and, at the time, any change at Boston was a big deal,” says Jack Fleming, spokesman for the Boston Athletic Association, organizers of the marathon.
Fleming, who was not with the BAA at the time, adds,
“It wasn’t just Rick and Dick; the same thing had happened with women running for the first time, and then professionals.”
Team Hoyt decided to run the 1981 race unofficially, as bandits, and clocked a remarkable debut marathon time of 3:18. They ran unofficially again in 1982, going under three hours for the first time (2:59), and then shaved another minute off in 1983.
Still, no waiver came from the BAA. Finally, in October 1983, they went to Washington, D.C., to run the Marine Corps Marathon, looking to clock a 2:50, the time Boston required for runners in Rick’s 20 to 29 age group (even though Dick, who was doing all the running, was 43 and would have qualified with a 3:10).
On a cold, rainy morning, they ran 2:45:30. They officially raced the Boston Marathon the following spring and went on to complete 32 Boston Marathons together.
“They personify the race as much as the elite athletes do,” says Fleming. “Besides being inspirational role models, they are also quintessential New England guys. The crowds loved them.”
Four years after competing in their first Boston Marathon, on Father’s Day, the father and son would take on something that was, at the time, unprecedented: a triathlon that consisted of a one-mile swim, a 40-mile bicycle ride, and a 20-mile run.
For the Hoyts, the question was not if they could achieve this, but how?
The answer lied in equipment. For the swimming portion of the triathlon, Dick pulled Rick in a specialized boat with a bungee cord wrapped around Dick’s waist.
To bike, the pair used a two-seater bicycle with a custom-made seat, and for the final road race, he pushed Rick in his athletic chair.
From there, and it was now 1988, it was onto the most challenging of all sporting events, the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. This grueling event consists of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride, and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run.
The first try did not go well because Dick got sick, but they returned to Hawaii in 1989 and finished the race. In 2003′s Ironman attempt, their bike crashed, and they spent five hours in the hospital, Rick with stitches on his face and Dick with road rash.
But they got back up to try again, and they finished. They would make several other returns to the beautiful state of Hawaii to compete in the Ironman Triathlon.
Over the years, the Hoyts completed a number of marathons, triathlons, and road races, but in 1992 it was time to take on a new challenge unique to them – a 3770-mile trek across the United States through 18 states from Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles to the Marriott Long Wharf on Boston Harbor, Mass.
The journey took 47 consecutive days, and it was a family affair to remember, which they affectionately named “The Trek Across America.”
Rick was amazed at his father’s strength. The average triathlete probably weighs about 150 pounds and their bike weighs about 17 pounds. This is a total of 167 pounds. Dick weighed about 180 pounds, and their bike weighs about seventy pounds, because it needs to be heavier and stronger to hold both him and his seat.
Rick weighed about 100 pounds. These totals 350 pounds, or almost 200 pounds more than the average triathlete with his bike. The same math could be used to figure out how heavy a load Dick has to pull over a two-mile swim as well.
Midway through a half-marathon in the winter of 2003, as he and Rick prepared for that year’s Boston, Dick felt an unfamiliar tickling sensation in his throat, along with an unusual buildup of saliva. The sensation passed, and they finished the race without difficulty. But the phenomena recurred at races over the next few weeks. Dick consulted his doctor, who administered an EKG.
“A day later I’m driving to my gym when my cell phone rings,” Dick recalls. “It’s my doctor. She asks me, ‘Where you going?’ I tell her, ‘I’m going to work out.’ She says, ‘No you’re not. You’re coming straight to the hospital for a stress test. The EKG showed that you had a heart attack.’ She said that if I wasn’t in such good shape, I’d probably be dead by now.”
The stress test indicated he needed an angioplasty. That procedure was done just days before the Boston Marathon, and meant Team Hoyt would miss the race for the first time in 22 years.
One doctor allegedly told Dick that if he had not started training at the age he did, he probably would have died about 15 years earlier.
The Hoyt story, as inspirational as it is, is also not without heartbreaks as well.
After Rick was born in 1962, Judy stayed home to care for Rick, as Dick joined the Army National Guard, and later transferred to the Air National Guard, where he would spend the next 30 years, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Sons Robert and Russell were born in 1964 and 1967.
While much has been written on Dick and Rick’s legendary accomplishments, the powerhouse of the relationship was originally Judy.
“My mother was Rick’s first caretaker and our family’s support system,” said Russ Hoyt. “But her real legacy, which is less known, is the work she did for every disabled person in the United States.”
When it was time for Rick to enter Kindergarten, Judy enrolled him in North Reading elementary. The kindergarten classroom was on the first floor of the schoolhouse, and the school was able to accommodate his wheelchair.
“I think people were thinking ‘OK, it’s kindergarten, there’s not a lot of academic pressure’,” said Russ.
But the first grade classroom was up a flight of stairs, and the next year the school told Judy that Rick would need to go to a special school.
Furious, Judy met with the Superintendent.
“This isn’t right,” she protested. “My son is intelligent and can participate.”
The only option they offered the Hoyts was a school where other students had physical but also cognitive disabilities, without the ability to understand or comprehend on the same level as Rick.
Judy fought the decision but the school was intransigent.
A short time later, Dick was transferred from Natick to the Barnes Air National Guard base in Westfield, Massachusetts, and the family relocated.
Never one to rest, in 1979 Judy founded the Association for Support of Human Services (ASHS) and Kamp for Kids, the first summer camp to offer children and young adults – both with and without disabilities – an opportunity to experience growth, inclusion and fun in a summer camp setting.
Hosted at Camp Togowauk in Westfield, the nonprofit operates today as a part of BHN, and has hosted more than 6,000 children to date.
Judy proudly watched as Rick and Dick’s celebrity grew with each Boston Marathon or with their first Hawaii Ironman in 1989.
Her pride, though, faded as Dick began assuming more responsibilities for their son and, over time, supplanted Judy as Rick’s primary caregiver.
Rob, the Hoyt’s middle son, says he can understand how Judy must have hurt.
“I think my mother had a hard time with all the attention that my father got through running,” says Rob, 42, who lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
“The accolades seemed to come much thicker and faster for him than they had with her. She had been everything for Rick. My mother got a nonspeaking spastic quadriplegic through high school and then through college, and now that role was taken by my father, and in a much more public manner.”
Judy’s frustration and alienation culminated in 1992, when Dick and Rick completed a 45-day, 3,753-mile, bike-and-run trek across the United States. Her men’s interest in running had morphed into a time-consuming obsession.
After 34 years of marriage, she and Dick divorced in 1994.
After so many years, Dick tried not to dwell on what happened to the couple’s marriage.
“I know that Rick’s and my involvement in running and racing was hard on Judy,” he said.
“First, because of all the attention that got put on me, and second, because, for all the time she spent around the sport, she never understood distance running—why Rick would want to spend all that time on the road, and why I would insist on going to bed at 9 o’clock on a Saturday evening so I would be fresh to race the next morning.”
In 2010 Judy died from ovarian cancer.
In hospice, surrounded by her sons, Judy Hoyt turned to her youngest, Russell, and said “please get your father”.
Dick Hoyt, by then her ex-husband of 18 years, entered the room. From her bed, Judy reached out and took Dick’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You know I always loved you.”
With tears in his eyes, Dick replied “You are the only true love of my life.”
The Hoyt family had a deep faith and dependence upon God, and their story has been visualized and shared with millions of people worldwide with a video that was produced with Christian artist Nicole Mullins singing the background vocals.
Get a box of tissues ready, and watch this inspiring tribute to this amazing family.
I can do all things through the one who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
Sources
The following sources were used to compile this tribute:
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The post I can Do All Things Through the One who Strengthens Me – The Story of a Remarkable Father and His Handicapped Son first appeared on Health Impact News.
As with Game Show Math, this is a practice we have been doing for YEARS, always during our summer break. However, I’ve never shared it, because I thought I had to take the time to post all my math cards first. While I’m still planning to make blog posts for them eventually, in the meantime, I decided to just share all the cards in a Minimalist Math Library with my Patreon community! For $5 you can download all the cards for every grade level (currently 1st through 7th) by becoming a Research Parent Patreon member. I hope you continue to support my efforts to create useful and fun educational material for kids, but either way, you will have all the cards! These math task cards can be used for Game Show Math, this Treasure Hunt Math game, or just to make reviewing concepts quick and easy!
Even if you decide not to download my math task cards, you still have access to every problem that I use in my free Minimalist Math curriculum. You can always just copy the desired problems onto index cards!
There are a few advantages to this game compared to Game Show Math. The big one in my family is that the kids are not competing against each other. Rather, they are working cooperatively. I’ll be honest. Game Show Math has at times devolved into tears in my home when one child falls hopelessly behind his or her siblings (which is why I stretch the idea of fairness a bit to prevent that from happening). However, with Treasure Hunt Math, they are trying to locate the treasure TOGETHER.
The concept is simple. The kids are given their first clue inside an envelope, but to open the envelope, they have to solve the math problems clipped to the outside. Since I have four kids at four different grade levels, I clip 4 cards to each envelope, one for each child.
The second main advantage of Treasure Hunt Math is that, since they are on the same team, older kids help younger kids. This benefits not only the younger child, but the older one as well! (And me, the parent/teacher, since it’s less work for me!) Once I have given the okay that all the problems were answered correctly, they open the envelope to find a clue such as “look under the couch cushions” which leads them to their next clue packet! Rinse and repeat until, at the end, they locate the treasure. I use 8 clues so that each kid has a chance to open two envelopes.
For YEARS, we have always used a tiny orange dinosaur as the “treasure.” For this post, I decided to upgrade our standard dinosaur to an actual little treasure chest that belongs to one of my sons. However, anything will work for a treasure. My kids suggested coupons for ice cream or video game time. Those aren’t bad ideas, but since my kids seem satisfied to work for something pointless like a little orange dinosaur, I’m not planning to fix what isn’t broken.
Another advantage is that it does not take up a large space on your wall, like the pocket chart for Game School Math. I just keep all our Treasure Hunt supplies in a small shoebox that we keep using all summer. A final advantage is that you could play this with only one child and it would still be a lot of fun. When my oldest was young, he did these by himself, which honestly he probably prefered! Now that all my kids are older, I love that they can still play cooperatively without me having to set up a different hunt for each of them.
The primary DISadvantage of this fun method of math review over Game Show Math is that it takes a bit more work to set up! The Game Show Math board can be left up until all the answers are completed. I usually only update it once a week over the summer which gives us atleast 3 days to play. With Treasure Hunt Math, the game needs to be reset and the trail of clues needs to be hidden each day that you want to play.
Recommended Age Range: Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School
Time Required: Using my task cards, this usually takes me about 15 minutes to set up a trail of 8 clues to a treasure. If you need to write out the questions, it will take longer. If you use my Patreon task cards, you will still have to download and print them the first time you play. I also laminated mine, which took even longer, but once that’s done, it makes it really easy to reuse them as often as needed! It takes my kids about 30 minutes to solve all the problems and follow a trail of 8 clues.
Difficulty: The first time you do it, it can be a little confusing to make your trail since you have to work backwards. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy! The problems themselves can be as challenging as you want.
Cost: All of my task cards for Grades 1-7 can be obtained by becoming a $5 Patreon member. Or you can make your own task cards for free by writing on index cards!
I hope your family has as much fun with this as we do! Enjoy!
Click here for all the Minimalist Math curricula available for different grade levels.
Math Activities for Kids
Minimalist Math Curriculum Methodology
Learning Activities for Kids
The post Treasure Hunt Math appeared first on ResearchParent.com.
]]>Click this link to fill out the survey.
All responses are due July 1, for an anticipated July 14 run date. Anyone who is a traditionally published author for minor-age readers may participate. It is anonymous, and participation in every question is not required. We want to find out how much your income is being impacted by the bigotry perpetuated by right-wing Christofascism in public schools and libraries.
Eliza Anderson, Deseret News
When he was a young father of four, Dr. Brett Parkinson remembers being something of an absent dad. He was busy in medical school, then working through internship and residency on his way to becoming a breast cancer expert. His wife, Kelly, also worked. But she was a very hands-on mom to Clifford, Gretta, George and Millie.
“Fatherhood is a joy almost undeserved. The joy it has brought me exceeds the amount of work I put in,” Parkinson, semiretired from a clinical practice in Salt Lake City and now a medical consultant to two health care companies, told the Deseret News. “When my kids were little — I am now a grandfather to three — I was gone for a lot of what fathers get to enjoy and, more importantly, when I should have been helping.”
He has been given grace, he says, to make up for lost time and applies himself happily to that task. He’s a roll-in-the-kiddie-pool grandfather, a dad who’ll drive or fly any distance to spend time with his children. But the change came in part through near-debilitating sorrow after George unexpectedly died in his sleep at age 27, the result of heart failure.
Polls show fatherhood is an almost universal goal for males. ChildTrends and the Marriage Strengthening Research & Dissemination Center just issued a brief timed to coincide with Father’s Day 2023 showing more than 86% of teenage boys say they intend to become fathers and 62% of U.S. males 15 and older already are.
Research details the benefits children get from engaged, caring fathers — the kind of dad Brigham Young University sociology professor Kevin Shafer has described using words like “warm” and “affectionate” and dedicated to spending time with their kids. He said good dads support children emotionally and discipline appropriately.
Studies say kids who have a good dad are more likely to stay in school and less likely to go to jail. They tend to grow up and get good jobs and form healthy relationships. Girls with involved dads are less likely to become pregnant as teens, the boys less likely to have behavior problems. That’s all compared to children who have absent or unengaged fathers.
Fatherhood is not a static calling, since life veers in lots of directions. Good dads come in a variety pack that includes stepdads, older dads, younger dads, single dads and noncustodial dads, among others. It’s a matter of choosing to interact well and then doing it with love.
Parkinson will tell you that being a father is a job with plenty of opportunities to up your game.
While a lot has been written about how kids benefit from having good dads, those dads don’t require science to tell you that they’ve benefitted from having kids.
“Fatherhood has given me the gift of being able to mold and assist another individual on this Earth into becoming a loving, giving, compassionate human being,” David Bakke of Norcross, Georgia, said by email. “I think the world needs more of those. The kind of father I’ve tried to be is genuinely honest, objectively critical without being negative — and loving, no matter what.”
Bakke, a personal finance content specialist at DollarSanity, has been divorced for 13 years and is a noncustodial but involved father. His son is 16 and they have a great relationship, he said. But he’s strategic in his parenting, too.
“I offer him clever support,” he wrote. For example, “he plays travel baseball. If I notice something that needs improvement, I go through his coaches because he doesn’t like listening to me. ... It works and it’s effective.”
While his son doesn’t necessarily want his dad to tell him how to play ball, Bakke said the teen knows his dad’s efforts to build his confidence are sincere. And that’s something he tries to do every chance he gets, he adds. “When he gets it from me, it makes a difference because he knows it’s true.”
“Fatherhood gave me a sense of purpose,” says Scott Thompson, a 61-year-old trial consultant and software designer in Riverside, California. “I was pretty much a crazy kid.”
Restless and adventurous when young, he backpacked for nine months in Australia and Indonesia and was “beaten up by barefoot waterskiing.” When he married and they had Zach and Emma, “I settled down. Fatherhood is a grounding experience. It gave me something that was larger than me. Kids are usually pretty selfish and one day I woke up and that wasn’t me any more. They were totally and completely dependent on me to make a living and I’ve never stopped taking care of them.”
Thompson and his wife divorced when Emma and Zach were young and he was for several years a single dad. That shifted over time, his ex-wife now a frequent visitor, a coparent who has for years now been actively involved in her children’s lives.
The kids blossomed from having both parents involved, he said. It just took time for the adults’ feelings to settle.
Zach lives in Provo and plans to go to law school. Emma, now 23, married a couple of years ago. It’s a fun fact, her dad says, that she married a fellow she’d known since she was in eighth grade — and who had the same last name as hers. Thompson says his job as their dad will extend to their further schooling, including Zach’s legal education and Emma’s plan to become a nurse practitioner.
Dads have their own styles and as long as they’re high on warmth and responsiveness, kids benefit, according to parenting experts. Thompson describes his own style as “very mellow. I talked to them, made things a learning experience. They taught me patience.”
It’s a point of pride that he somehow managed to go on all but one field trip for both of his kids, kindergarten through sixth grade.
“I’ve always taken a real role in my kids’ lives,” he says.
Russell Stevenson, 41, has four stepchildren — the gift of a marriage that’s just a couple of years old. The kids were older; they are ages 17 to 23. “For that reason, we took some time beforehand to make sure all the stakeholders bought in,” said Stevenson, who describes his role in the lives of wife Sherilyn’s sons and daughters as a “sacred trust.”
“From my perspective, we can never receive too much fatherly support, can never receive too much nurturing,” said Stevenson, deputy director of the Academic Research Division and a faculty member at West Point. When you’re a stepfather, he notes, “life has permitted you to extend the bonds of your affection in ways that many don’t get to enjoy.”
He says he seeks to be a source of goodness, “knowing I am far from alone in this. They have fathers already. Those fathers enjoy bonds that aren’t mine to enjoy. But I do get to enjoy my own distinctive role.”
At the moment, because of work, he and his wife live miles apart, shuttling back and forth. He’s in New York, she’s in Utah. At Christmas, they were all together, taking in a Broadway show, visiting a Christmas market. A stepfather can offer gestures a bit like that of a grandparent, he adds.
Because the kids were older when the Stevensons wed, the “in-the-weeds” parenting is done. So he sees his role as being “a source of love and support and facilitation of positive experiences to the maximum degree,” Stevenson says.
Good relationships are not guaranteed with stepchildren, according to Stevenson, who notes that literature and life are both filled with examples of fraught step relationships. If you invest and care, he says, you can be a valued mentor, someone who matters individually in the young person’s life. “Otherwise, you’re just the dude that mom married,” he says.
“The stepparenting relationship ultimately is going to be what you invest in it,” says Stevenson. “When you invest properly, you see the fruits of those relationships.”
The Parkinson family has changed — but not grown weaker.
They speak these days of George with deep affection and joy, the sorrow of his unexpected death less sharp, though they’ll always miss him. George cut an imposing figure at 6-foot-2. He was a gifted singer and a creative person who painted and made jewelry, a playful man who was a “kid magnet.” He’d earned an advanced degree from a fashion and design institute. Brett Parkinson said he likely got his artistry and creativity from his mother, who is a professional violinist. George was, in the words of his dad, funny and delightful, though he sometimes wrestled with depression.
The last thing George ever said to his parents — separately — was “I love you, Dad” and “I love you, Mom.”
The other Parkinson kids have each found work that brings them joy. Clifford is a lawyer at Utah State University who serves on the board of the Utah Tribal Relief Foundation. Gretta Whalen works as an internal communications manager for Rand Corporation. Millie is a graphic designer for Madewell.
They are scattered, but closer than ever, says their dad. Sometimes the family has FaceTime dinners together. He and Kelly visit their kids a lot. The grandchildren visit them. “The kids let me know I am a good dad now. I think I was a decent dad before. I let a lot of things get in the way,” Parkinson says.
“George’s death was a huge wake-up call. I realized how ephemeral everything is. When you’re in the trenches, you don’t think of time passing. Parenthood is fleeting,” he adds.
It’s easy, in grief, to be focused on self, Parkinson notes, and he’s not sure he was the dad Cliff, Gretta and Millie needed as they first grieved the loss of their brother. But Kelly and Brett soon pulled together and shifted focus to their other children, letting them know that “you are enough. You fill our lives,” Parkinson says. “We have memories of George and keep him in our hearts, but our focus is you. We are going to turn in our grief the focus toward you and all the things in your life that make life meaningful.”
These days, Parkinson feels deep gratitude for the gifts of fatherhood. “Even being the father of a child who passed away continues to be a blessing. I am still his father. And I am a much better father to my other kids.”
]]>There’s just something about a quality backpack…
As a kid, one of the most exciting parts of back-to-school shopping is choosing a new backpack. It’s probably one of the more expensive items on your school supply list, too. 🥴
So whether you’re searching for a durable backpack to last multiple years or you plan to change out your bag yearly to keep up with changing trends, you’re going to want to get the best deal possible on a high-quality bag.
Below, we’re sharing a round-up of the best kids’ backpacks available for every need, style, and budget! Best of all, many of these backpacks are team-tested and some of them are even on sale!
Here are our top picks for the best kids backpacks of 2023:
The North Face Youth Court Jester Backpack $55
It’s no surprise that The North Face Jester Backpack tops our list as one of the best kids’ backpacks to use over a long period of time. It might be more of an investment upfront, but this bag’s durability, style, and functionality will save you money in the long run!
It features two water bottle pockets, a front bungee for bulky items (like jackets), an inner divider sleeve, an internal name tag, spacious zippered compartments, and a sternum strap for added support.
Hip Sidekick Sara’s boys each had this backpack for years! Here’s why she loved it…
“Both of my boys picked these out when they started kindergarten and they have completely blown me away by how good the quality is! My middle child is about to enter his 6th school year using this book bag every day and it still looks brand new! It’s a bit big for a kindergartener but not unmanageable since they don’t carry much anyways and he has grown into it so well.
The adjustable strap in the front came in handy so much for sports shoes, towels, a lunch box, or whatever else he needs to free up his hands for, and of course, there’s a plethora of pockets inside! If you want the most bang for your buck, go for this awesome bag that’s under $60!”
High Sierra Curve Backpack $24.99
Known for their durability and their spacious interior, these highly-rated kids’ backpacks are perfect for students of all ages. There are even styles for techy teens and adult commuters!
This affordable option has 3 main compartments, a hand sanitizer and water bottle pocket, and 6+ inner supply pockets!
High Sierra Fatboy Backpack $22.99 (regularly $35.99)
The large main compartment of this backpack is big enough to hold a soccer ball! Plus, there’s a secret passthrough hole at the top for quick charging cable access to your child’s tech.
In addition, this kids’ backpack has nice, thick padded straps, and a total of 9+ pockets!
See why buyers keep coming back to this backpack…
High Sierra has such high-quality backpacks made especially for school. I’ve been using this brand for years. – RKNC
I have been purchasing the Fat Boy backpack since my oldest was in First Grade. She’s 27, and I’m still buying this backpack for my youngest. (He’s 14.) The Fat Boy backpack has never let us down and has lasted several years for each of my 6 kids. They never go out of style, and they wash beautifully. We have often handed them down to the next kiddo, and after a good wash, it looks brand new! Thank you, High Sierra, for the many years of school that your backpacks have joined us through. I have used them through my own college days, and will again, as soon as I get back into school.– JennLeaLea
Pottery Barn Kids Mackenzie Backpack – Mini $39.50
Pottery Barn Kids Mackenzie Backpack – Small $49.50
There are personalized backpacks, and then there are Pottery Barn personalized backpacks for kids. I mean, who hasn’t oohed and ahhed over them?? 😍 They have a HUGE assortment of Disney, Marvel, LEGO, and more whimsical prints and the option to add matching accessories. We’re talking lunch boxes, water bottles, food canisters, and so much more.
Plus, they vary in size from mini to extra-large, so there’s a perfect size for your preschooler up to your preteen. Best of all, you can personalize these kids’ backpacks with a beautiful embroidered name or monogram to make their school adventures feel even more special. ❤️
Skip Hop Mini Backpack w/ Safety Harness – Unicorn $19.99
Skip Hop Mini Backpack w/ Safety Harness – Monkey $18 (regularly $20)
These adorable backpacks double as a safety harness with a detachable wrist strap. The zippered compartment is large enough to hold your preschooler’s essentials and there is also a water bottle pocket. Plus, toddlers can show off their unique personalities with so many adorable animal characters to choose from!
This Adidas backpack is a great double-duty bag for student-athletes going right to sports practice or a game after school!
It features tons of roomy compartments for school and sports, it easily wipes clean, and there’s even a sunglasses pouch at the top. There’s also a quick-access water bottle pocket for easy hydration.
The North Face Surge Backpack – $129
*Don’t forget those Dick’s Sporting Goods texts for $20 off!
This elevated bag may be the best backpack for middle schoolers we’ve found. It offers all the comfort and spaciousness your big kid needs with a sleek, mature look that grows with them. Plus, it boasts tons of media compartments as students transition to high school and acquire more tech.
Its most notable features include a front compartment with secure zip pockets and a padded tablet sleeve. There’s a highly-protective compartment dedicated just for a 15″ laptop, too!
Sara approves of yet another North Face kids’ backpack…
“Although my oldest had a North Face Jester book bag that was still going strong in year 7, he wanted to pick out something new for middle school. He ended up choosing the Surge, which is a seriously heavy-duty bag! Even though he’s just getting started with it, I can tell it’s going to last until he graduates high school or even into college!
My favorite part is the super heavy-duty laptop pocket in the back, which he really needed. It’s also so ergonomic and comfortable to carry around, even when it’s packed full thanks to the unique straps and extra padding on the back.
I bought this at Dick’s and I was able to save $20 (since it’s over $100) when I signed up for text alerts, so it really wasn’t too much more than the Jester. When all is said and done, I’m convinced thatThe North Face makes some of the best book bags on the market and they’re worth every penny!”
L.L. Bean Junior Original Book Pack – $34.95
When you hear the word ‘backpack,’ this bag might just be the first image that pops into your mind – and it’s no surprise! Since their debut in 1982, L.L. Bean’s kids’ backpacks have been among the highest-rated backpacks thanks to their carryall size, durability, and classic, beloved look.
The brand’s Junior Original Book Pack may be the best backpack for kindergarten because of its lightweight durability and manageable size. L.L. Bean also has a variety of rolling options, cinch packs, and explorer styles, so they’re built to keep up with school, camping, traveling, and much more.
Some reviewers name these backpacks a ‘legacy’ item. Here’s why they love them…
I always wanted one when I was a kid so I got it for my kindergartner and it’s the same quality I remember. There’s plenty of room for his lunch, a notebook and pencil case, and a few other items plus it’s not so big that it overwhelms him. – Blacdraco
This book bag is worth the money! It is so sturdy and so well made. It is quality. I have 2 of them and I am ordering another one. All 3 of my children will have one now. These book bags are a legacy item. You need them. – HLNC24
Adidas Prime 6 Backpack $52.50 (regularly $70)
This bag features FIVE external zippered compartments, 2 inner divided sleeves including a padded computer pocket for up to a 16″ laptop, a water bottle side sleeve, and additional pockets for pencils, calculators, and more!
It’s designed to hold a lot of stuff without sacrificing comfort, as this kids’ backpack also has spring-loaded shoulder straps for added cushion.
Hip Sidekick, Liza scooped up this Adidas Prime 6 backpack and had this to say…
“Kiddo had a Lands’ End backpack the last few years that she loved, but this year she wanted to change it up. Kids seem to be leaning towards the athletic brand styles, so she randomly picked out this Adidas one when we were at Kohl’s. I was super happy to see the crazy good reviews when we got home. It fits all her stuff & then some, and the quality seems good. Love the colors too!”
Kohls.com also has a sale on Nike kids’ backpacks! We spotted kids’ backpacks as low as $26 (regularly $35) and mini options from just $19!
Lands’ End ClassMate Small Backpack $31.46 (regularly $39.95)
Lands’ End ClassMate backpacks are one of the most lightweight yet sturdy backpacks around, making them one of the best elementary school backpacks available!
Students will love how comfortable these backpacks are, with padding on the back, contoured mesh straps, and an adjustable sternum strap. Grown-ups will appreciate that they’re machine-washable, too!
JanSport SuperBreak Plus – $27.99+
This popular backpack brand was sure to make our list for a few reasons — style, nostalgia, and functionality. After all, this is the same brand our frugal parents purchased back in the 70’s and before, so we think it’s safe to say there’s a JanSport backpack for every budget.
The best part about these backpacks is that they come in SO MANY different colors and patterns — this specific style has up to 30+ options!
Plus, they’re available at so many different retailers so it’s almost always possible to find a deal! We’ve even seen JanSport backpacks for as low as $11.99 if you can wait to grab them on clearance! 😱
Hip Sidekick, Lina, has seen plenty of brands come & go, but Jansport is back on top…
We have had lots of brands, and my daughter had the same North Face for so many years and wanted a change. 😂 JanSport seemed to be the cool brand again with teens in high school this year. My daughter just bought the smaller Superbreak one and my son has one from Target. I remember them from my own school days, so it’s kind of nostalgic. I think JanSport is high-quality, functional yet lightweight, and they come with a great warranty.
Here’s a round-up of all the best school supply deals available right now!
!doctype>]]>Elon Musk, the co-founder of SpaceX and Tesla and the Chairman of Twitter, is a controversial figure. For some, he is a bonafide genius with visionary plans for our future. For others, he is reckless, impulsive and directly responsible for the massive fall in Twitter’s market value.
Regardless of what you think of him, there is one thing we can all agree on – Musk has (mostly) been successful in his ventures. SpaceX continues to scale new heights (quite literally) whereas Tesla is the pioneer in the space of electric vehicles. And one of the prerequisites of running successful companies involves hiring the right talent. It won’t be an understatement to state that the thousands of bright minds at Tesla, SpaceX and Neuralink are responsible for the success of those companies. Hence, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn about Musk’s SpaceX hiring a 14-year-old as their newest software engineer. Yes, a 14-year-old! After all, age is just a number, right? Well, for SpaceX it was a bit more than that.
The 14-year-old in question here is Kairan Quazi, who is kind of a genius (just like Sheldon Cooper from Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory). Graduating at 14 is no small achievement and hence, after a technically challenging yet fun interview, SpaceX hired him as its latest recruit for the Starlink division. For the uninitiated, Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite internet connectivity system.
Getting an offer from SpaceX is no easy feat, as SpaceX itself mentioned in the offer letter to Kairan Quazi. Hence, Quazi had to be simply brilliant to crack the job interview that most grown-ups struggle to get through. While the details of his interview haven’t been made public, Quazi says the process was “transparent, technically challenging and FUN.”
Quazi will join the company in July, as clarified by his LinkedIn post.
The media is currently describing him as a born genius. At the age of two, it is said that Quazi could speak in complete sentences. Once he reached kindergarten, he would tell stories from National Public Radio to his teachers and classmates. Once he was nine years old, he felt that his role in the third grade was not challenging enough. Hence, his family was able to get him admitted to Las Positas College in Livermore, California.
It was only during his college days that Quazi was able to finally feel that the education curriculum was at par with his mental acumen. In his own words, “I felt like I was learning at the level that I was meant to learn.”
He eventually transferred to Santa Clara University where, as an engineering student, he had the freedom to pursue a career path that could solve the big problems of the world.
To that effect, while he was in college, he and his mother prepared a list of all the companies where he could apply for an internship. Although most companies ignored his internship request, it was Intel that gave him his first opportunity. Lama Nachman, who was the director of the Intelligent Systems Research Lab, had interviewed the then-10-year-old Quazi and accepted his proposal. This gave him the big break he needed to advance in his career. Kairan got a chance to work on Generative AI during his tenure here.
The eerie similarities between the lives of Kairan Quazi and the fictional Sheldon Cooper from Young Sheldon are uncanny. Things get more interesting when you factor in the fact that Elon Musk actually had a cameo in one of the episodes of Young Sheldon. Well, The Big Bang Theory fans might now have a real-life Sheldon Cooper to look up to.
Keeping aside all the pop-culture references, it is easy to assume that Quazi is nothing less than a genius. However, that’s not what his parents feel. According to them, “Genius is an action ― it requires solving big problems that have a human impact.”
There’s also the fact that you are not always going to find this child genius on his study desk. Quazi also likes playing video games, of which his favourite is the Assassins’ Creed series. He also likes reading sci-fi novels and critical pieces on economics.
“I will be joining the coolest company on the planet as a Software Engineer on the Starlink engineering team. One of the rare companies that did not use my age as an arbitrary and outdated proxy for maturity and ability“, wrote Quazi in his latest LinkedIn post after Elon Musk’s SpaceX sent him the offer. Kairan also expressed his gratitude to all his mentors who had given him opportunities.
(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Instagram / @thepythonkairan)
This article first appeared here.
The post SpaceX hires 14-year-old genius as software engineer! Is he the real life Sheldon Cooper? appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong.
]]>Some of the fails might be funny, but others are downright dangerous. The wrong product, label, or packaging design may prompt impressionable and inexperienced youngsters to use products in unsuitable ways or to even ingest products that can be harmful. If you’re a budding designer, this list can be a good list of things you shouldn’t do!
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Didn't realize what Santa was doing until his kindergarten teacher pointed it out when I picked him up after school.
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What is happening with this solar system? I was hoping to teach the kids, I guess I should have looked closer before ordering it.
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I don't know what country VOGO is in Europe, but it's there. Panama is spelled Banama, but I suppose they do grow bananas there. Vietnam is shown as an island.
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]]>None of us is a stranger to the downsides of the pandemic. For families with kids, kindergartens and schools closed during the lockdown, and parents had to manage schooling and working from home.
Yet there is a silver lining: our research shows that, in families where a parent’s mother tongue is not the language spoken in wider society, children learned more about that language during lockdowns.
Let’s call the language these parents speak the “home language” and the language society uses the “societal language”. Take me as an example: at home I speak Shanghainese with my mum, Mandarin with dad, and Telepath with my cat. But in the community and at work, I speak English, the societal language.
To many multilingual families, our kids’ home language often comes second to the societal language, which dominates their language development as they grow up. When parents witness this transition, they fear their children will gradually lose the ability to use the language they speak. They fear that, as a consequence, their children will lose touch with their roots.
Along with my colleagues, Elisabet García González and Elizabeth Lanza, we conducted a survey of around 200 multilingual families in Norway (to be published in the journal Multilingua). Parents expressed their concerns about their children’s development of home and societal languages. For example, one said:
Since our daughter mostly speaks [home language] with her father and [societal language] with me and at kindergarten (although her father and I exclusively speak [home language] to each other), her [home language] is generally less advanced than her [societal language] […]
Multilingual children rarely use all their languages in the same contexts or with the same frequency. This is often perceived as being more or less “advanced” in one language than the other, but in reality multilingual speakers use their languages as best fits their needs.
Despite these concerns, there was a silver lining. Our study found children’s home language literacy improved during the pandemic. The parents who reported the concern above later said:
We’ve clearly noticed that her spoken [home language] has developed during the lockdown.
Another family told us:
With the two-year-old, I noticed an improvement in her [home language] vocabulary while kindergarten was closed.
What is the reason for this improvement in the home language? As one family shared:
My children started to be interested and speak more [home language] during the lockdown. Assume this is a result of (us) working from home for an international company and them hearing mum use this (home) language.
Another said:
My kids have started using more [home language] in their [societal language] speech with parents and each other during the lockdown, because they are watching more YouTube and playing Minecraft, Animal Crossing and Zelda. Words from the games are difficult to translate into [societal language].
Our statistical analyses had something even more interesting to say: the improvement of a child’s home language made their parents feel more positive about their children being multilingual. Parents see it as a source of wellbeing, especially when they notice their child is picking up their mother tongue. Overall, family relationships, resilience, cultural connection and hope are boosted even in the darkest days of the pandemic.
Is this at the expense of the societal language, one may ask? Indeed, some parents were worried about the development of kids’ societal language, especially when it was not spoken at home. Others said the societal language was still being used during the lockdown, such as in online media. One parent said:
My son is a bit behind the level of the class. He really improved his [societal language] reading during the lockdown, since we had more time to individually support him in a positive way. Before, he was much more negative.
Another family told us:
The difference (in language use) was noticeable when the kindergarten reopened. [Societal language] came back for the kids as easily as restarting to ride a bike.
The societal language is often strong in young children – sometimes so strong that it can bully the home language into a corner. The key task for many multilingual families is not so much to find a balance between the two languages, but to make sure the home language is being actively used and not being overshadowed by the societal language.
Unity is important in society. Being able to speak a common language is important, but equity and diversity are important too. The ability to speak one’s mother tongue can become a source of belonging and wellbeing.
In addition, children growing up in a culturally and linguistically diverse environment tend to be more flexible. Their neurocognitive plasticity shines across developmental domains, from language learning to music perception.
So the pandemic lockdowns were bad, but not all bad. Our kids adapt and adjust to the new environment, and can surprise us with stronger skills that make mum and dad proud.
Liquan Liu receives funding from uropean Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 798658 hosted by Center for Multilingualism across the Lifespan at the University of Oslo, financed by Research Council of Norway through its Centers of Excellence funding scheme grant agreement No. 223265; and from Western Sydney University School of Psychology 20820 83181. The corresponding academic publication will be published on journal Multilingua. DOI details to be added. Co-authors are Elisabet Garcia Gonzalez and Elizabeth Lanza.
]]>Redditor u/WoodenInevitable1574 recently asked the ‘Ask Reddit’ community what is one red flag in a partner that negates all the green ones, and members had plenty to share. Ranging from dishonesty to the daily number of selfies taken, their answers covered all sorts of factors that would fend them off from otherwise even the most perfect of partners. Scroll down to find them on the list below, together with some of the OP’s thoughts on the matter, which they shared with Bored Panda during a recent interview.
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The redditor told Bored Panda that the reason they posed the question was an ended relationship. “I asked it as some surprising revelations came up from a failed relationship I was involved in, and I was curious if I was a unique case,” they said.
Professor of psychology at the Derner School of Psychology of Adelphi University, Lawrence Josephs, PhD., pointed out that sometimes people turn a blind eye to red flags and character flaws while in a relationship, especially in the very beginning. It is related to the phenomena of ‘the primacy effect’, ‘the confirmation bias’, and ‘motivated perception’.
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The primacy effect refers to people presenting the best version of themselves when they first start dating someone, in order to make a good first impression. Dr. Lawrence Josephs suggested that such a positive impression can influence our judgment and the way we perceive the person in the future.
That often leads to confirmation bias, which means people tend to selectively look for evidence that could confirm their first impression. Similarly, they often choose to ignore anything that can challenge the positive impression, including all sorts of red flags.
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According to Josephs, cognitive biases are driven by motivated perception, as people are highly motivated to believe in the idealized image they’ve created of their partner (due to being tired of being single or lonely, and similar reasons). However, he believes that people do notice red flags despite the primacy effect, the confirmation bias, and motivated perception clouding their judgment.
The OP revealed to Bored Panda what is one red flag that negates all the green ones for them: “I consider abuse of trust as the line that cannot be crossed under any circumstances. No matter what other qualities one may possess, once they break my trust, it's nearly impossible to gain it back.”
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The OP believes that sharing stories and discussing similar topics can help people dispose of certain negative emotions. “Human beings are social animals. They take no joy in loneliness, and I'm not just talking physically. If someone else shares your uneasy feelings, they dissipate faster. I make these claims from personal observation and experience,” they said.
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Finding time to review all the important skills you teach in Kindergarten is challenging. These Apple Themed Number Clip Cards are perfect for reviewing and remediating numbers, number names, and ten frames with your students!
My students LOVED Number Matching Centers and your students will too! You will love how easy it is to prepare this Easy Prep Apple Themed Number Clip Card Math Center with FOUR Ways to Differentiate Using Numbers, Number Words & Ten Frames for your class. You can dedicate one of your math centers, math workstations, as a number center. You can differentiate it for your different student levels, numbers 1 to 10 for some students and the teen numbers, 11 to 20 for a different group.
FOUR Ways to Differentiate Using Numbers, Number Words & Ten Frames
1. Numbers to Number Words, 1 to 10 and 11 to 20.
2. Number Words to Numbers, 1 to 10 and 11 to 20.
3. Ten Frame to Number Words, 1 to 10.
4. Ten Frame to Numbers, 1 to 10.
When it comes to the ease of prepping this center, all pieces are rectangular and easy for you or a parent volunteer to cut on a paper slicer. No need to cut around eight flower petals, however, the graphics are still adorable and eye catching to hold your students' interest!
This Apple Math Center Includes:
* 20 Highly Engaging Number Clip Cards Matching Numbers to Number Words, with 20 Answer Key Cards Included Too!
* 20 Highly Engaging Number Clip Cards Matching Number Words to Numbers, with 20 Answer Key Cards Included Too!
* 10 Highly Engaging Math Clip Cards Matching Ten Frames to Number Words, with 10 Answer Key Cards Included Too!
* 10 Highly Engaging Math Clip Cards Matching Ten Frames to Numbers, with 10 Answer Key Cards Included Too!
* 4 Different Covers for your center folder, center Ziploc baggie, center tub, or bulletin board at your math center.
* The FOUR covers state:
"Number to Number Words"
"Number Word to Number"
"Ten Frame to Number Word"
"Ten Frame to Number"
This center is easy to prep and also terrific for an Emergency Substitute Folder, a Sub Tub, or an Absent Teacher Binder!
To Recap - This Apple Themed Clip Cards Math Center Includes:
* 6 pages for Numbers to Number Words Matching
* 5 pages for Number Words to Numbers Matching
* 3 pages for Ten Frames to Number Words Matching
* 3 pages for Ten Frames to Numbers Matching
* 6 pages for the Answer Key to Numbers to Number Words Matching
* 5 pages for the Answer Key to Number Words to Numbers Matching
* 3 pages for the Answer Key to Ten Frames to Number Words Matching
* 3 pages for the Answer Key to Ten Frames to Numbers Matching
It’s also pretty sad. But more funny.
Today, we’re here to laugh at and vote on the times when people got a teensy weensy grain of power and then took it on an absolute trip.
More info: Reddit
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]]>Biden announced new initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attacks, help youths with mental health resources and homelessness and counter book bans, though the impacts may be limited.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think that having a celebration is an important way to “lift up” their accomplishments and contributions.
She said LGBTQ+ people need to know that Biden “has their back” and “will continue to fight for them. And that’s the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.”
READ MORE: Canada marks Clean Air Day with worst air quality in the world as wildfires rage
The White House was closely monitoring air quality due to hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires to determine whether to proceed with plans for a Thursday night picnic featuring food, games, face painting and photos. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music; singer Betty Who was on tap to perform. The nation’s capital was under a “code purple” air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level U.S. air quality index, with authorities recommending that all people limit their exposure to smoke, and District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.
Just a few days into June’s Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far — more than double last year’s number.
Kelley Robinson, the campaign’s president, called for a “swift and powerful” response by people in power, including in government, business and education.
“This is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.”
Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.
Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.
To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education’s civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.
Hundreds of bills have been proposed restricting the rights of transgender people, including limiting their access to certain forms of health care, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of such measures in statehouses.
The White House points to Biden’s support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals, including appointing them to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and across the federal government.
After the Supreme Court last year overturned a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, Biden signed legislation to protect marriage equality. He continues to urge Congress to send him the Equality Act, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.
Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.
But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.
At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.
The Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBTQ+ conservatives, criticized the Human Rights Campaign’s declaration of a “state of emergency” as a “PR stunt so ignorantly detached” from the community’s progress over the past decade.
Charles Moran, the group’s president, noted the gay marriage legislation Biden signed, increased public support for equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans and their higher visibility across society and accused the campaign of “destructively redefining” support for these individuals around trans surgeries for minors, biological men competing in women’s sports, and sex and gender identity lessons in kindergarten.
“While these issues can be emotional and complex, they in no way pose an unprecedented ‘state of emergency’ to the LGBT community, which has persevered through far worse,” Moran said.
Darlene Superville, The Associated Press
]]>I obviously didn’t come up with the idea of using a pocket chart to create a Jeopardy-style game. Teachers have been doing this forever! My spin was to apply the concept to my Minimalist Math curriculum which is already divided into 10 categories of progressing difficulty for each grade level. It is perfectly suited to this format!
I simply stick a card of increasing difficulty behind each number score. Since I have 4 kids at different grade levels, I actually stick FOUR cards of increasing difficulty behind the numbers corresponding to different grade levels, so that each child gets a card specific to them. My kids then take turns picking a category and number, as in, “Graphs, Charts, and Tables for 600!” In order to increase the amount of math that gets done, ALL of my kids do their question behind the number and have a chance to earn points, not just the person whose “turn” it is.
For the past several years, I have actually made task cards to go along with whatever math curriculum I am creating that year. It is my goal to one day share these cards on this site. I actually started doing that here. However, taking pictures and creating blog posts is time-consuming, especially when I currently have SEVENTY sets of 36 cards (10 for each grade level). This is why I’ve never shared this Game Show Math post before now. Each summer I make a new set of cards and at present, all 7 grade level takes up more than 2 shoeboxes. The idea of taking pictures and making blog posts for them all is overwhelming.
However, the other day I had a stroke of genius. I am currently paying off a lifetime membership to Teachery which allows me to create an unlimited number of courses or hubs. Also, I recently started a Patreon page. I decided to make a “Minimalist Math Library” that houses all my curriculum, answer keys, and task cards (without all the extra bells and whistles of blog posts) and I’m making it available to all those who sign up for my Patreon. By paying $5 to sign up as a Patreon supporter, you can go into any and all grade levels and download all 360 cards. If money is a hardship, you could then cancel Patreon once you have all the cards. Of course, I would love your continued support if you’re able.
If you don’t want to have to pay for my printable task cards, you could also just use my freely available curriculum or any curriculum you want to write the problems yourself on index cards. This would be time-consuming, but honestly, printing out and laminating all the task cards is time-consuming too! It takes me about 15-20 minutes to laminate just one of the 10 sets which amounts to about 3 hours per grade level of I do them all. (Quality movie-watching time. ) However, once I do it, I never have to do it again, and I have been using these cards for YEARS. Particularly if you have a lot of kids, it makes so much sense.
I hope your family enjoys this math review game as much as we do! (Also, I am currently working on a Minimalist Algebra curriculum. If you’re interested in an Algebra 1 Minimalist Math curriculum and the corresponding task cards, sign up for my newsletter to be notified when it’s ready! Hopefully August 2023. )
Recommended Age Range: Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School
Time Required: we usually play 3 days a week for about 20 minutes over the summer, though the first time you set up the game, I would allow an hour or two to assemble your questions and set up the category and number labels. After the first time you play, it is easier to just restock the questions when needed!
Difficulty: Easy to set up, can be as challenging as you want for students to play
Cost: Free printable categories and labels. About $15-$20 for a hanging pocket chart. All of my task cards for Grades 1-7 can be obtained by becoming a $5 Patreon member. Or you can make your own task cards by writing on index cards! If you choose to laminate everything, that could add an extra $10-15 per grade level.
That’s basically it! If you have any questions, feel free to let me know!
Click here for all the Minimalist Math curricula available for different grade levels.
Math Activities for Kids
Minimalist Math Curriculum Methodology
Learning Activities for Kids
The post Game Show Math appeared first on ResearchParent.com.
]]>Welcome to my k-6 Essential Skills classroom tour! This classroom has been my home away from home for the last four years. In addition, I am fortunate to have an amazing co-teacher to collaborate in curriculum planning, scheduling, and case managing. Together we have fourteen students ranging in age from kindergarten-sixth grade. Additionally, the team is staffed with two full time nurses, six paraprofessionals, a CNA, and therapists including occupational therapists, vision itinerants, speech pathologists, physical therapists, and social workers. Because of the number of people that filter in and out of the classroom throughout the day, we have the above signs outside of both classroom doors serving as a reminder for staff and visitors. Consequently, we have maintained an optimal environment for learning and student growth.
The Essential Skills Program was created 10 years ago as a program offering a continuation of special education services from pre-k- 22 years of age. Specifically, Essentially Skills serves students with varying medical, physical, and intellectual needs. My students are working towards independence in daily living skills including feeding, mobility, communication, and play. Additionally, my classroom is housed in a public Elementary Magnet School. This lends to lots of inclusion and reverse inclusion opportunities for all of the students! Because of this we have adapted art opportunities provided to the school, and Essential Skills supplies funded through the magnet grant.
The swing is one of the most popular gross motor activities in the Essential Skills classroom! As shown above, the platform swing (affiliate link) allows students to sit or lay on the swing. During our rotations students practice pumping their legs or pushing others on the swing. Also we accessorized the swing area with twinkle lights which allows our students, specifically those with vision impairments, to work on their visual efficiency! Also, the sensory tiles ( affiliate link) surrounding the swing are great sensory tools for students needing sensory input. In fact, my students enjoy jumping on them and working on fine motor skills moving the colors around.
Because of the range in student age and physical needs, my classroom has a variety of flexible and adaptive seating. The above photo illustrates a few seating options. From left to right: vertical desk stander, Rifton chair, wooden support chair, and Tumble Forms seat. These seating options all offer unique levels of support to my students depending on their need. Furthermore, many students use multiple seating and standing aids throughout the day for position changes.
In Essential Skills we do two blocks of rotations. First, in the morning we do an hour of academic focused rotations. During this time staff rotate between five tables. Activities include an adapted book box, student led play, physical therapy, music, and a bathroom rotation.
Then, in the afternoon the rotations are more sensory and recreation/leisure based. These rotations are aligned with our weekly theme and include art projects, fine motor skill, small group games, and student choice opportunities.
The above photo shows what the rotation tables. The laminated page shows which students are assigned to each table. My students are in and out of the classroom throughout the day in electives, recess, and general education classrooms. In my experience, it is helpful have a visual aid when helping students get to their tables. Additionally, we have a prompt hierarchy taped onto each table. Our classroom often has new staff and student teachers. It is important for our staff prompt appropriately.
Additionally, My co-teacher and I created “I am working on” sheets that are on the front of each student cubby. This shows staff and student teachers an outline of each student’s IEP goals, preferences, and related service priorities. In Essential Skills these sheets have been super helpful snapshot of what each student is working on.
Additionally, family communication is a core principal of the Essential Skills program. Many of our students have medical needs that make them more susceptible to illnesses, seizures, and medication changes. My co-teacher, classroom nurses, and myself share our phone number at the beginning of the year for immediate communication with families.
Another example of family communication is the above photo. This shows the Essential Skills daily sheet. This shows families a snapshot of their students day at school. It details what elective they went to, therapies, IEP goals targeted, feeding and toileting information, medication administered, seizure activity, and any extra materials needed. Finally, at the bottom we write a blurb with a personal narrative about their students day. Finally, in Essential Skills we believe it is important for our students, regardless of their communicative status, to be able to go home and share what they did at school.
You can find SSE communication sheets here.
The post K-6 Essential Skills Classroom Tour appeared first on Simply Special Ed.
]]>Sure, summer means longer days, damp bathing suits, popsicles for breakfast, and of course, a break from homework. We definitely think those are reasons to celebrate, but with all the play and relaxation, there’s a chance you’ll run into the summer slide. This (relatively new) concept has experts keeping us on our toes (like we needed another thing), warning that the 3-ish months of summer vacation can lead to a learning regression that can make heading back to school a challenge. Yikes, right? Don’t panic. While younger kiddos are more susceptible to the summer slide, there are some easy ways to prevent it. Enter educational learning toys.
If you cringed reading that, it’s okay. “Educational toys” makes us think about boring toys-that-are-actually-schoolwork. The ones that get used once—if that—and feel way more like a chore than play. And we all know the best way for kids to learn is through play. So we’ve done some digging and found some really cool toys that will not only beat the boring blues, they also keep their minds firing on all cylinders. These are serious summer heroes. Whether you’re hoping to focus on math, reading, writing, or a general combination, they’ll have fun and maybe even let you get through a full Zoom meeting without interruption while they sharpen their skills.
Storypod is the only audio player for 0-6-year-olds focused on early child development. Instead of being just another audio toy, it’s an audio learning system your child can use from birth to elementary school. You’ll find something to soothe the daily bedtime routine, engage listening, and learning across every product mapped to specific ages and stages. From yarn figures for the littlest ones, books to spark early reading interest and literacy skills to interactive stickers that allow you to create custom and eternal audio memories and stories.
Whether you choose to snag the Storypod alone or as a subscription where you'll save $20, this'll be one that stays with your kiddo for a while. Storypod ($99.00)—Buy Here! Storypod Subscription Bundle—Buy Here!
*Save 15% with code TINYBEANS15 through 6/30!
Kiddos learn best when they’re engaged in hands-on learning, and Osmo teaches with games connecting digital-physical interactions. Each game is designed to bounce the image of the game pieces or drawing the player arranges right onto their device screen. They’re able to see how their movements impact their game, blending the digital game world with their moves in front of them. And don’t worry—the Osmo Reflector is covered so it only captures images in a bounded area. Your child’s privacy is always protected.
Math, reading, and even coding are all at their fingertips, and your Osmo Starter Kit is based on your little one's age and skill level. Oh, and Osmo is compatible with iPads or Fire Tablets. Osmo (Starting at $69.00)—Buy Here!
KiwiCo creates educational toys for kids 0-16, so they know a thing or two about stimulating their imagination. You can purchase their kits one at a time, or you can take the subscription route and get the fun delivered monthly. Kiwi Crate ($23.95+)—Buy Here!
Botley is ready to code right out of the box! Have 5 AAA batteries and a Phillips screwdriver nearby and this coding robot will have your kiddo coding in minutes with code games, creativity, and fun. Botley comes with a remote programmer, detachable robot arms, 40 coding cards, 6 double-sided tiles, 27 obstacle building pieces and a starter guide with coding challenges. Botley Coding Robot ($54.06)—Buy Here!
This system is designed specifically to keep toddlers engaged and stimulated with an ad-free, subscription-free content. Focus on cognitive development, early literacy, numeracy education, social skills, and emotional growth easily with this toddler tablet. Animal Island Sit & Play Plus Preschool Learning System ($229.00)—Buy Here!
Designed for kids ages 3-5, this Matching Letter Set includes 30 cards with 60 different words, 10 letter cubes, and a tray to help your little learn letter recognition, object recognition, spelling, and word formation. See ya, flash cards. Available in 3 colors. Matching Letter Set ($15.99)—Buy Here!
Okay, maybe we lied. We'll keep the flashcards, as long as they're as entertaining as these. They teach kids how to pronounce the words on each card, plus helps them identify sight words, spelling, and developing speech skills. Talking Sight Words ($27.89)—Buy Here!
With 6 double-sided activity mats, 2 Skilly Billy dry erase pens, 1 duster cloth, and 1 achievement certificate, this learn-through-repetition set will keep them practicing their writing all summer. I Can Write ($24.97)—Buy Here!
Create your very own Vincent Van Gogh masterpiece! This 2D pixel puzzle comes with 2,408 pieces, a color-coded template and a Pix Brix tool for easy building. Pix Brix Pixel Art Puzzle Bricks ($34.57)—Buy Here!
Created by a kindergarten teacher devoted to exploring fun ways to teach reading to young kids, The Fidget Game aims to teach curriculum-appropriate Dolch Words or sight words from Pre-K to 3rd Grade kids. This game can help your kids recognize, read, pronounce, spell, and master these high-frequency words from the Dolch List. Not only will they stay reading, they might even be heading into the school year ahead. The Fidget Game ($29.99)—Buy Here!
The frog balance scale set comes with 30 double-sided cards, 19 small frog figurines, digits 1-10, 2 weighing plates, and 1 frog scale. It helps teach kids the correlation between seeing numbers and recognizing them in writing. It also comes in a pig version, if that's more your speed. Frog Balancing Math Game ($17.00)—Buy Here!
They won't realize they're practicing math, engineering, and creative skills while they design anything their imagination can dream up. MathLink Cubes ($19.59)—Buy Here!
The Ultimate Fort Builder includes 45 poles and 25 connectors—perfect for creating any fort you can imagine—plus a step-by-step guide that shows you how to build everything from a kid’s castle to a super-cool igloo. The Ultimate Fort Builder ($59.99)—Buy Here!
This paint can set comes with 1,500 assorted colors, available in light, medium and dark palettes. This mixed set is a perfect starter kit for all pixel and construction toy fans to build anything you can imagine. Pix Brix Paint Can ($29.98)—Buy Here!
All the products listed are independently & personally selected by our shopping editors.
If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.
All images courtesy of retailers.
]]>Everyone has a moment in The Wizard of Oz that they identify with. Perhaps you see yourself in the Scarecrow, Tin Man or Cowardly Lion, as they ache for things like a brain, a heart and some courage — three concepts the Great and Powerful Oz point out that they already possess.
Maybe you relate to the way Dorothy wanted to fly beyond the rainbow so that all of her troubles are whisked away. Cult gay filmmaker John Waters said he was the “only child in the audience that always wondered why Dorothy ever wanted to go back to Kansas,” he commented in a 2001 documentary.
“Why would she want to go back to Kansas, in this dreary black and white farm with an aunt who dressed badly and seemed mean to me, when she could live with magic shoes, winged monkeys and gay lions? I never understood it.”
Or maybe you’re like me, someone who still identifies most with Dorothy making a final plea to Glinda the Good Witch to send her back home.
“Oh, will you help me? Can you help me?” Dorothy cries.
“You don’t need to be helped any longer,” Glinda tells her. “You’ve always had the power to go back to Kansas.”
My earliest memory of watching The Wizard Of Oz was during Easter weekend the year I started kindergarten. In 2004, I was watching it for the first time with my cousins on a VHS rented from our local video store.
Except I was the only one really watching it. My parents and relatives had put their time in with the film as kids. My cousins would’ve had more interest in putting on TSN than watching The Wizard Of Oz. But like many queer men before me, the film became a life raft. Why would Dorothy ever want to go back to dreary, black-and-white Kansas and leave this beautifully gay, sing-songy Technicolor world? I wanted to live in it forever.
I was fascinated by pop culture from a young age for similar reasons: In a world where I felt few other people shared my interests, dwelling in the pop culture of decades past evoked that warm and fuzzy feeling straight men must get when the Stanley Cup playoffs start. I raised myself on the new DVD releases of The Brady Bunch and Happy Days; those shows gave me an excuse to live, if just for a moment, in an era that wasn’t my own.
That’s when I fell in love with Judy Garland.
Thanks to the bonus features on the new Wizard of Oz DVD my aunt bought me at Walmart, I learned about Garland’s early career as a child star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and all the “hard work” she did in order to play the “role of a lifetime,” Dorothy Gale. These dated features mentioned nothing, of course, of the tortured professional and personal lives that Garland would go on to suffer for the rest of her life as a result of her early days at MGM, which allegedly starved her and hooked her on amphetamines that developed into chronic substance abuse and alcoholism.
As the years went on, my undying love for Garland became something that I pursued in private. Try as I might to fit the only mould for boyhood that I had access to, there were parts of myself I just didn’t know how to hide. I much preferred learning how to make friendship bracelets with the girls than getting dirty with the boys, and no one ever wasted any time in pointing this out.
For a while, it didn’t bother me that much — my neighbourhood friends and the women in my family never failed to love and nurture my burgeoning queer side growing up. But by the time middle school arrived, an age where friends started going separate ways and seeking solace in adults felt worse, I was on my own. It’s why to this day I’m still more likely to use “queer” before “gay” (although I identify as both), because the latter had taken on a meaning of its own for me in the junior high halls.
So I filled the wounds with pieces of art and media that meant something to me. Similar to my childhood, I wanted to bask in the pop culture of eras past, but now it had become a lifeline. I had felt so rejected and disillusioned by kids my own age and their interests that I made it my mission to find things from the past that felt like they were just mine, that no one could take away from me. It’s all fun and games to like Rihanna until you find out the girl who stole your calculator also likes Rihanna. So as long as I listened to Madonna, Whitney Houston or Paula Abdul, I had my own queer sanctuary away from it all.
The public library had also become my sanctuary, where I spent every Saturday alone with piles of books on 20th-century pop culture to make myself feel at home. Even as I was accepted into a group of friends in my later years of high school, I kept this shelter I had built for myself. When almost all my high school friends dropped me like hot soup when I chose a college downtown and they stayed in the suburbs, the loneliness got me reacquainted with an old friend whom I hadn’t visited in many years. Her name is Judy.
I started taking out all of the Judy Garland DVDs my library’s selection had to offer. I recorded marathons on TCM and watched them fervently. I bought the limited Blu-ray edition of A Star Is Born off Amazon Marketplace because I needed to have it in my collection. I bought CDs and started collecting Judy Garland vinyls. During a part of my life where I was academically overextended and suffering from an undiagnosed and unmedicated anxiety disorder that caused periods of depression, Garland’s own struggles with depression and anxiety caused by a lifetime of Hollywood suffering felt like they were mirroring my own.
Sure, I was not a former child star thrust into the spotlight by an overbearingly abusive stage mother. I was not repeatedly told I was too unattractive to be a movie star and all that kept me going was my voice, nor was I contractually obliged to turn out musical after musical for 15 years with songs to record and dance numbers to learn. But I was an overworked college student grasping to the hollow expectations of the adults around me. I was still coming to terms with my own queerness well into my late teens. And I was routinely depressed from it all. So to read and watch how Garland often felt the same way from struggles in her own life, and still had to try her damnedest to slap on a smile and put on a show, resonated deeply.
“Friend of Dorothy” is an LGBTQ+ slang term that developed in the mid-20th century as a way for queer people, mostly gay men, to secretly identify other queers in an age where male homosexuality was illegal. While its exact origin is unknown, the term is often attributed to Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz, who defended the queerness of her Oz friends in the original novel.
But it’s more commonly associated with the character as a result of the gay cult following that Garland developed over the course of her career, as gay men facing persecution felt seen by her suffering and how much she achieved in spite of it. The Stonewall riots are often even attributed to her legacy — the riots were the night of her funeral — which supposedly prompted gays to finally fight back, although this iswidely disputed.
Many historians look down upon Garland’s role in queer history, as they say it was street kids and drag queens whose riots got us to where we are today. Some experts say Garland represents anolder generation of closeted queers who were appeased by the notion her death led to an uprising, when the reality was far from the case.
By college, I’d begun experimenting with keeping my gayness less of a so-called secret even though, until that point, I’d been living in what Eve Sedgwick might have called a glass closet.
“LOL, the only thing I know about Judy Garland is The Wizard Of Oz,” read a text from a boy who used to flirt with me during my second year.
Later that semester, I poured my love for Garland into a poem about her life for a creative writing workshop, which generated simultaneous praise and crickets as no one knew as much about her as I did. While the term “Friend of Dorothy” is still sometimes used on gay cruises, it’s now typically viewed as a dated euphemism as social acceptance of LGBTQ+ people has progressed significantly in the last half-century.
But real-life queer people need not look far in their everyday lives for ways in which we still have a long way to go. While I’m grateful to have been born in an age where my sexuality is not against the law, I still take pride in looking back at the activists and forefathers who played a part in coming out being less of an ordeal for people of my generation: I just started living my life the way I wanted to live it, and I credit a great deal of that to Judy Garland.
Garland’s place in queer history was long cemented before the modern fight for gay rights, and it will hopefully remain that way for future generations. It’s up to modern “Friends of Dorothy” like me to make sure queer people remember there’s always a place for them over the rainbow.
Recent news reports have described the public controversy involving topics of sexual orientation and gender identity, and how these are presented to children, especially in schools and libraries. Protests at Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick libraries and public centres have targeted Drag Queen Story Time events.
These are educational events where drag performers read books to children. The aim is to present the diversity of gender expression and identity, build acceptance and develop creativity in personal expression.
Recently, however, these events have been met with backlash. School leaders have prevented children from attending events that discuss sexual and gender identity. In New Brunswick, where the provincial government is reviewing gender identity policy in schools due to public pressure, Premier Blaine Higgs put the question plainly: “Should [there] be drag story time for young kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2?”
Through our research and clinical practice working with children, parents and schools, we believe parents and kids deserve a better understanding of what events like drag story times are about.
Contrary to misconceptions, exposing children to diverse gender identities and expressions supports their natural development. Further, it fosters inclusive and accepting communities and school environments, which is fundamental for developing well-adjusted adults.
Parents play a critical role in providing nurturing environments for their children. This can be best accomplished when parents are well-informed on topics that dominate mainstream media.
Drag is an art form that has been around for centuries, including during the First World War. Drag has evolved within gay culture, can be performed by all genders and is generally an exaggeration of gender expression.
A drag performance combines elements of fashion, makeup, dance, lip-syncing, music and comedy. It is important to remember that, like other forms of art, it is available on a wide spectrum: from mature themes at a night club, to child-friendly performances that would be appropriate for schools, libraries and community centres.
Drag Queen Story Time began in San Francisco in 2015. The events generally occur in public spaces like libraries, schools or community centres, with a drag queen host. Children most often attend with their families, parents and teachers. While the host adheres to the flamboyant art form in terms of colours and fashion, it is not a mature performance with sexualized overtones. Neither is it an opportunity for the host to groom children.
The host will read a story book to the children, often one promoting themes of acceptance, diversity and self-expression, presenting characters and families from diverse backgrounds. The host will also often interact with the participants, answering questions the children may have, playing games, making crafts or posing for photographs with the children. The overall aim of the event is to provide a positive message to children about the diversity of gender expression.
The development of gender identities in children is a complex process. It is influenced by a combination of factors, including biological, social, cognitive, environment and personal exploration. Children eventually develop a relative clarity of their gender and feel a sense of harmony between the complex factors that contribute to gender identity development.
In some children, these factors may conflict, most commonly when children do not conform to societal expectations of their assigned sex at birth. This can result in negative emotions and lead to behavioural or mental health issues. These issues are often remediated when gender-affirming care is provided.
Introducing children to diverse gender expressions does not encourage gender dysphoria or confusion. On the contrary, diverse experiences throughout life have been shown to foster self and collective understandings of gender and gender differences. Furthermore, it’s important for a child’s development that parents, schools and communities support children in their exploration and expression of gender identity in a safe and affirming environment.
Children and youth who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ usually have little-to-no access to positive role models that can relate to their own experiences. Having access to positive role models and having positive experiences with people who have diverse gender identities can foster a better sense of belonging and promote self-acceptance.
People who are successful and positive role models are characterized as being competent and easily relatable. Such role models provide context for children to gain a better understanding of themselves and others. Further, adolescents whose gender or sexual identity is accepted by their parents experience fewer psychological problems compared to those whose parents are less accepting.
Engaging with drag performers is an opportunity for parents to show their children that diversity is beautiful and worthy of celebration. Parents can foster engagement through communication and understanding of their own emotions and their child’s emotions. Being in tune with these emotional components helps ensure children are in an environment that supports positive development and growth.
Attending family-friendly drag events with children creates opportunities for discussion and reflection. Parents can think about and reflect on their own development of gender identity and expression, what influenced the choices they’ve made, and how this may impact the choices that their children may make. After Drag Queen Story Time, parents are sure to have important conversations with their children that will not only increase their understanding of self-identity, but of identities of others as well.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
]]>Indeed, there are a select few children’s books on iPad that are beautifully illustrated, enabling children to immerse themselves in the magic of storytelling. The power of a captivating picture book lies not just in the written words, but also in the vibrant illustrations that breathe life into the narrative. In this article, I’ve curated a list of the top 10 children’s book apps for 2023, featuring stunning illustrations that bring stories to life.
We all have a special place in our hearts for children's books. When we were young, they stirred... Read more
Check out Dr. Seuss’s “The Cat in the Hat” iPad app to explore a fun and magical world. It’s not just an electronic version of the much-loved story; it’s also a lively, interactive space that brings the tale to life. Kids will love to tap, drag, and tilt their devices to find fun surprises and get more into the story.
The unique feature of this app is its educational aspect. Apart from just being entertaining, it also includes learning activities. These activities have been designed with the help of literacy experts, focusing on enhancing kids’ skills in spelling, phonics, rhyming, and reading comprehension. They are in line with kindergarten level English Language Arts (ELA) standards. Hidden as stars throughout the book, these activities encourage kids to learn at their own speed and keep coming back for more.
To top it all off, parents can keep track of their child’s learning journey. They can check the number of minutes their child spends reading and the pages they have read in a dedicated section. This way, the app not only brings joy but also provides significant value.
The “Fairy Tales ~ Bedtime Stories” app lets your child dive into a magic-filled world of classic fairy tales. This amazing collection includes popular stories like “Puss in Boots”, “The Beauty and the Beast”, “Cinderella”, and “The Snow Queen”, plus so many more.
But this isn’t just about reading – the app brings each story alive. It does this with interactive scenes, characters who move and talk, and even educational games hidden inside the stories. This way, every fairy tale becomes an exciting way to learn.
Designed especially for children, this app is super easy to use. The “Read to Me” and “Read it Myself” modes let kids pick how they want to enjoy each story.
“Nighty Night Forest” is the delightful follow-up to the internationally adored bedtime apps “Nighty Night” and “Nighty Night Circus”. This third part takes kids on a magical journey into a sleep-filled forest with seven cute and playful animals. Designed to become part of your child’s nightly routine, it allows kids to help animals get ready for bed by switching off the lights. From deer to foxes, each animal performs funny and surprising activities before going to sleep.
Developed by renowned artist Jeremy Kool, this app masterfully combines 3D modeling and lighting with 2D drawings and textures to bring stunning landscapes to life. Features include an autoplay mode, hidden treasures, personalized sound effects and music, plus narration in 13 languages. Because of its perfect length, it’s an excellent way to establish a calming bedtime routine for children aged 2 to 5.
“Little Stories” is a fun collection of fairy tales designed to make your kid the star of the story. All you need to do is put in your child’s name and gender, and you’ll get a bunch of stories tailored just for them, complete with lovely pictures and captivating music. The app even lets you turn these stories into your own audiobooks. Parents can narrate the tales, adding a layer of comfort and familiarity.
This story collection has more than 50 thrilling tales and over 2200 stunning illustrations. It’s been awarded numerous times, even bagging 1st place in the “Entertainment” category at the 2018 Rating Runet.
Children aged 3 to 7 are sure to enjoy this sweet tale about a little boy, Harry, and his unwell monster friend. The story is brought to life with cartoon-style drawings, enhanced with bold, eye-catching textures that make the lovable monster truly stand out.
Little Fox is a sing-along book that’s perfect for kids aged 2 to 6. This musical app allows you to teach your kids timeless tunes like “London Bridge” and “Old Mac Donald Had A Farm”. The award-winning artist, Heidi Wittlinger, has filled the app with fun characters, created using a unique style of textured illustrations and paper cutout art.
Oliver Jeffers, a celebrated author of children’s books, has crafted a book for kids aged 2 to 8. It’s all about a curious little girl who loves to discover new things. The book combines traditional art and digital illustrations to create fun, modern, doodle-like drawings.
Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes has a fresh new twist that kids aged between 1 to 8 years will surely enjoy. Lucia Mascuillo spices up the traditional fairytale vibe with her illustrations. She uses a mix of watercolor and pencil to give her artwork a unique touch.
This award-winning app breathes life into the timeless tale of Cinderella through fun animations and unique music. Kids aged 3 and up will be thrilled to engage with the story. The app also features beautiful illustrations, which blend real-world textures with paper cutout styles, adding a contemporary touch to the story.
This Halloween book is perfect for kids aged two to eight! It’s all about a little kid who goes on an adventure to a scary castle. You can make the story extra special by adding a picture of your child. Children will surely enjoy the fun and unique character illustrations by Nikolas Ilac. His art style beautifully combines bold shapes with delicate details.
The post 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books for iPad in 2023 appeared first on Hongkiat.
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Numbers are an essential skill to master in Kindergarten. Students need to be able to write numbers from 0 to 20. Your students will adore their finished pages with these 10 adorable Awesome Animals Color By Number Kindergarten Know Your Numbers pages!
Cute and colorful, they would make a wonderful addition to your student work bulletin board or to their home refrigerator "art museum" while having some Animal Fun learning and reviewing important number skills at the same time! With the ten Answer Keys also included, this helps you quickly and efficiently check your students work in a very short amount of time.
This resource is available in the following BUNDLE:
This resource has a matching Color By Code, Know Your Colors: Click here to get Color By Code Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Colors Resource
This Awesome Animals Color By Number Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Worksheets Include:
Page One - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page is a Folder Cover. This page is a cute, colorful cover for your personal teacher files. Attach to the front of a folder, keep all your pages inside the folder, place into your file cabinet, and you are all ready for next year with this easily identified color by number folder cover.
Page Two - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 1 to 8 only. This numbers color by number page features an enormous monkey just waiting to amuse your students.
Page Three - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 2 to 9 only. This numbers color by number page features a sweet panda just waiting for your students to color.
Page Four - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 3 to 10 only. This numbers color by number page features a lovely little cat, like many your students may have at home just hoping to be colored.
Page Five - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 4 to 11 only. This numbers color by number page features a great big elephant, many of your students may have seen them in person at the zoo or a circus! They will love this sweet page!
Page Six - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 5 to 12 only. This numbers color by number page features a hippo, your students will love to color him!
Page Seven - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 6 to 13 only. This numbers color by number page features a happy little dog, like many your students may have at home! They will be so excited to color this page!
Page Eight - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 7 to 14 only. This numbers color by number page features a serious little penguin, your students will be so excited to color this cute, little penguin!
Page Nine - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 8 to 15 only. This numbers color by number page features a sweet, smiling koala bear pausing on his tree to smile at your boys and girls!
Page Ten - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 9 to 16 only. This numbers color by number page features a big, fluffy house cat! Many of your students may have a cat at home just like this one! They will love to color this page and the students do love to share their personal stories while they color it too!
Page Eleven - This Color By Number Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Page Focuses on Numbers 10 to 17 only. This numbers color by number page features a sweet, smiling rhinoceros and he is so excited to be colored by your boys and girls!
Page Twelve - Two week lesson plan ideas. If you keep your lesson plans in a 3 ring binder, simply print, hole punch and place into your lesson plan folder.
Pages Thirteen to Twenty-Two - Answer Keys
Pages Twenty-Three to Thirty-Four -
** NEW REVISION ADDED on September 2020 **
A new letter from me - An Introduction to Color By Numbers, Task Cards, and Center Game Lessons, Including Math Center Ideas for Your Classroom!
*** CLASSROOM IDEA ***
Print all the pages and bind together for your fast finisher students to have a numbers math Awesome Animals Book.
Awesome Animals Color By Number Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Lesson Plan Ideas:
Monday - Use page 2, numbers 1 to 8 only, to introduce Color By Number to your class with a step by step direct teacher-led lesson on the overhead document camera. Once your students know your procedures, the remaining pages can be used by your students independently. An alternative, based on the ability level of your class, is that this teacher-led lesson can also be completed during your math small group lesson on Monday.
Tuesday - Use page 3, numbers 2 to 9 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Wednesday - Use page 4, numbers 3 to 10 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Thursday - Use page 5, numbers 4 to 11 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Friday - Use page 6, numbers 5 to 12 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Monday - Use page 7, numbers 6 to 13 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Tuesday - Use page 8, numbers 7 to 14 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Wednesday - Use page 9, numbers 8 to 15 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Thursday - Use page 10, numbers 9 to 16 only, during math seat work, math centers or small group time.
Friday - Use page 11, numbers 10 to 17 only, at math centers or small group time.
These high interest Awesome Animals Color By Number Kindergarten Know Your Numbers black and white printables are perfect for...
To Recap ~ This Awesome Animals Color By Number Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Math Resource Includes:
* Ten Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Color By Number Pages
* Ten Awesome Animals Kindergarten Know Your Numbers Color By Number Pages Matching Answer Keys
* Two Week Lesson Plan
* Teacher Organization Folder Cover
* Twelve page letter with ideas, tips, and lesson plans for using Center Games, Task Cards, and Color By Number in your classroom!
*** CLASSROOM IDEA ***
Terrific for your Emergency Sub Tub for morning work, let the substitute teacher have a few minutes to read your plans while the children work on their numbers and color!
Standards
Click here to see all my Color By Number resources.
The platform supports real-time collaboration across multiple types of interactive environments, including those for block-based coding, text-based coding, digital art, and creative writing. The co-creative programming environments in CoCo currently extend and build on top of Scratch 3.0, developed at the MIT Media Lab, and p5.js, inspired by Processing, which also originated at the Media Lab.
Ten years of being creative together
Shruti Dhariwal SM '18 and Manuj Dhariwal SM '18, co-creators of the CoCo platform, have been long-time creative partners in both work and life. A decade ago, as newlyweds, they co-designed social and educational board games in India, which were used by 3,000 schools across the country and reached over 300,000 families. For Manuj and Shruti, the most rewarding aspect of their work was seeing how these games engaged children in “shared joyful experiences” — a theme that continues to inspire their current work and interests.
In 2015, the couple relocated to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to pursue graduate studies at MIT. Shruti became a master’s student in the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the Media Lab. Manuj joined Shruti at the Media Lab after completing his master's thesis jointly with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.
The pair now continue to collaborate together as PhD students at the Lifelong Kindergarten group, which has been a leader in developing creative learning technologies and communities for young people for more than three decades. Lifelong Kindergarten has been responsible for widely known projects including LEGO Mindstorms, Computer Clubhouse, Scratch, and others.
Inspiration for CoCo
In February 2019, while volunteering at a mindfulness retreat for children, the Dhariwals interacted with a group of 8- to 12-year-olds who revealed that they spent hours playing online multiplayer shooter games every day. The reason? As one of the kids said, there was “nothing else to do,” and immersing himself in these games helped him avoid feeling lonely in the evenings until his parents came home from work.
This exchange and the context in which it occurred prompted the Dhariwals to reflect on two key questions later that day:
It was in this conversation, which was coincidentally full of words starting with “co” that the name and ideas of CoCo first took form.
Designing for knobs over switches
Existing digital creative tools typically follow one of two collaboration approaches: working individually on a project, then sharing online; or working together on the same project, as in a Google Doc.
With CoCo, the Dhariwals introduced the design principle of “knobs over switches” to envision a new type of co-creative digital environment that bridges the gap between the above two extremes. Instead of exclusively focusing on “working together,” CoCo spaces are designed to support multiple ways of “being together.” Creators can opt to work independently alongside others, share code and media with each other in real time, or build collaborative creations.
CoCo is also consciously designed as a “self-less” social platform that departs from the widely prevalent individual-centric paradigm (of profiles, likes, followers, etc.), rooted excessively in the ideas of comparison and gamification. In CoCo, the fundamental unit in the system is not the individual user, but instead the co-creative spaces where young people engage in with peers.
Interest from around the world
Educators and organizations from 68 countries have already signed up to receive the beta release, expressing their excitement to use CoCo within their classrooms and communities.
An educator from Spain writes, “CoCo opens up a whole new way to collaborate on creative computing projects.” Another teacher, from San Francisco, notes, “Co-creation tools for students are rare and have lots of potential across subject areas and grade levels!”
Eric Rosenbaum SM ’09, PhD ’15, a graduate of the Lifelong Kindergarten group and the co-inventor of Makey Makey, calls CoCo an “incredible new work on collaborative creativity.”
Reacting to the feedback, Shruti Dhariwal says, “CoCo really has been a labor of love for us so it has been super encouraging to see all the positive reactions.” Given the widespread interest in the platform from educational organizations around the world, the Dhariwals hope to explore ways of scaling this work further so they can make CoCo available for communities everywhere.
“Being. Creative. Together.” in the era of AI
CoCo is designed with the mission of empowering young people everywhere to experience the power and joy of “Being. Creative. Together.”
In their blog post about CoCo, the Dhariwals explain that the values of being-ness, creativeness, and togetherness form the foundation of this work. They describe these values as being both “timeless and timely” — a lens they actively use to prioritize what to focus on while brainstorming new ideas together.
“With all the remarkable recent developments, it's exciting to think of new ways for children to create and learn with AI,” they write. “But it’s also more crucial now than ever before to intentionally design new technologies in ways that center and celebrate our enduring human need for connection.”
]]>Welcome to my elementary Autism Classroom Tour, where the magic happens! Here you’ll find me spending most of my days, hanging out with tiny humans bringing me joy and never ceasing to amaze me! It really is my home away from home. Does anyone else ever feel like you’re living at school? I have spent a lot of time (and a lot of money) on my classroom, making it as functional as possible for my students.
My second home, or Kaluger’s Koyotes as we are known on campus, is a special education day class for the moderate/severe Autism population. I currently teach the grades Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten. I have a total of 10 students, which is actually our maximum amount of students if you can believe that! The ratio for our program is 2:1 and I have 4 paraprofessionals. In total, there are 5 adults and 10 students (3 girls and 7 boys). I am loving having so many girls this year!
I just love my classroom door; it’s a real conversation piece around the school! My school really is all inclusive – it doesn’t hurt that our admin comes from a sped background! As we are a peanut and tree nut free classroom, I am always making sure that information is clearly labeled so anyone entering is aware. We also use baby gates in our doorways, this is the first school district I’ve seen that uses them in an Autism classroom and can I just take a moment to say how amazing they work?!
I’ve also hung a picture of my facility dog, Connie! I know that not everyone is a fan of dogs, so I like for people to know the classroom is home to my four-legged assistant before they enter. Canine Companions facility dogs are highly trained and trustworthy dogs partnered with a professional facilitator who is directly serving clients with special needs. She knows over 40 commands!
Colored dots on the floor are the first thing you see when entering my Autism classroom. These dots are velcro (hurray for no more ruining the carpet with tape!) which my students use as markers for lining up. (you can find them here! affiliate link)
Next, you will see a kidney table that students use for centers and whole group. The 3-drawer organizer next to the table holds writing utensils, reading and math curriculum. The letters of the alphabet and ten frames hang on the walls.
You’ll notice my standing desk (affiliate link) tucked in the back of the room (a highly recommended accessory for a teacher always on the move!). If you’re a teacher you know sometimes there is no time to sit!
You may also notice the dog crate in the corner- that’s where Connie takes her much-needed and hard-earned breaks throughout the day! Inside is a soft bed and a waterproof mat that holds her water dish. I left her water on the carpet at first but quickly learned my mistake as soon as one of my students dumped it out all over the floor! Hanging on her crate is a visual that says “Dog on break, do not touch”. Next to her crate is a laundry basket that has a tug strap attached. She is able to pull the basket backwards across the room!
Turning right, you’ll see the students’ cubbies. When they arrive, the students place their lunches in their cubby and hang up their backpack! You may also notice our Autism classroom rules, along with blue cubbies, for items or work that get sent home.
These visuals hang near the cubbies. A backpack routine and a CORE board are visible for students to access if needed. Similar visuals can be found here.
When entering through the front door and turning left you will see quite a few things! First, you might notice an orange button- this has a bathroom icon and when pressed says, “Bathroom.” A few of my non-verbal students use this to request a potty break.
Another set of cubbies holds manipulatives for our “morning tub” activity. This is the very first activity that my students do each day. You will also notice a birthday wall and word wall. The words that I use and focus on are functional (ie go, eat, more). You might also notice the clipboards hanging, which are used for data collection. You’ll also notice one of our center tables! I have multiple visuals hanging too, you know those are always needed FAST!
On the front of the cabinet that holds my data collection clipboards I have all staff listed (usually I have pictures of students under each name) which is used to know who will take data on what student. I also have more visuals and token boards for easy access. If you know, you know!!
Continue walking right and you will see my “calm corner”. Students use this when they need a break or a quiet place to calm down. Sometimes, adults prompt them to go sit and other times they know when they need to go calm down and they go independently. I have found this space to be essential in an Autism classroom. Some items that might be helpful to students are: fidgets, sequin pillows, weighted blanket, and an egg chair.
Adjacent to the calm down corner is our circle time spot. We do calendar and the whole group follows directions here. Different seating options include cube chairs (affiliate link), regular chairs and floor cushions. Students are able to choose where they’d like to sit within this circle.
The numbered balloons on the wall are used near the end of the year as a countdown to wonderful summer vacation! Students pop one a day and inside is a picture icon of a surprise activity. Surprisingly, they really love popping the balloons.
As you can probably notice, I think students thrive off clear, defined locations. Furniture partitions various areas of my classroom.
This next area is my play center. When students have free choice, they may go and choose any item. Students remain in this clearly defined area. There are a variety of toys and items for the students to choose from. The door that you see leads to the upper grade structured Autism classroom.
If you keep turning (are you dizzy yet?) you will see another center table and my “teacher area”. I have a small table to help block off the area. It hold crates containing file folders and curriculum.
Next to my standing desk you will see the dog crate, filling cabinet, fridge and microwave. The kidney table is in front of white boards that hold the classroom schedule, staff breaks, and important information listed. If you are wondering what the blue covers are on the lights they are light filters! It really helps make those florescent lights less bothersome!
Here is my daily schedule! I split my class for part of the day so that it is more manageable. I reference the schedule multiple times a day until they have learned our routine. Depending on student need, I will refer to it more often or make individual schedules. I rely heavily on using timers as well!
Making a full circle brings us to this view of the front of my classroom. On the very top of my whiteboard rest tubs for each month with my monthly activities. Behind the white boards I have quite the collection of manipluatives, puzzles, and games!
I hope you enjoyed touring my Kindergarten Autism classroom. What questions do you have?
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