JumpStart National Books for Treats Day (10/31/22)

Big Idea:  If the spirits of your ancestors could talk, what would they say?

About a week ago, I had the privilege of attending some training for the teachers of Chicago (as well as catch up with friends and get completely stressed by traffic), and I literally stopped everything I was doing about half-way through the morning.
One of the presenters asked the question, “If your ancestors could reach through time and talk to you, would they be proud of you?”

For the sake of illustration, let’s say there are 4 generations per century. That would make ~10 generations since the Revolutionary War, if your lineage in America goes back that far. Since everyone has 2 biological parents, everyone has 1,023 ancestors that have struggled since 1772 to give you what you have today. It has taken over a thousand lives’ worth of struggle and dreams to put you where you are right now.

Are you living up to that sacrifice?

This week, try this: You can also look the other direction. The next time you’re with your family, ask yourself, “Am I setting up my (yet unborn) descendants to have the best life possible?” Teaching your own children to prioritize mindfulness and self-care is a great first step!

Quote:  "Your ancestors did not survive everything that nearly ended them for you to shrink yourself to make someone else comfortable. This sacrifice is your warcry, be loud, be everything and make them proud." (Nikita Gill)

Resource:  Read-Alouds Grouped by IL SEL Standard With all the sugar about to get injected into all of us in the next few days (OK, maybe until January 2nd), it’s probably a good time to read stories, especially ones that can teach kids about themselves at the same time. I created this resource to help teachers find books that can be used as time fillers, lesson anchors, or just to stock in their classroom libraries. Enjoy!

Dad Joke:  I taught a werewolf to meditate.  Now he's aware wolf.

​Haha! Go on, you have to admit that it’s the perfect joke for this newsletter’s Halloween issue. ;)