Children

As we venture out into the world once again, the last thing most of us want to do is think about all the fear, worry and general awfulness of the coronavirus pandemic. And yet, if we do think about our lives during these unprecedented times, we’ll certainly find that much of what happened over the last 16 months wasn’t so bad. In fact, some of it was actually pretty great. What we learned over our forced time together and away from much of the world provides a good framework for the rest of our lives.

Instead of trying to forget the bad we’ve been through together, let’s remember all the good things we experience and make sure they become part of our lives moving forward.

Stop and smell the jasmine. Live in the present. Focus on what’s important. Picture yourself nailing that pirouette. These are all things we tell our kids to do – even though we may have trouble doing them ourselves. But what do they mean if we stretch beyond the clichés? What mindset and values are we really trying to instill in our children? It’s all about being mindful.

Book of the Month: The Elephant Keeper: Caring for Orphaned Elephants in Zambia

Elephants never forget, so goes the saying. Neither will parents and children who read The Elephant Keeper: Caring for Orphaned Elephants in Zambia, a book that tells the true-life story of a young man, Aaron, and the wild baby elephant, Bezi, he helped save in Zambia. The incident changed both their lives forever and will surely bring caregivers and children closer to each other and the animal kingdom.

Children can learn a lot about themselves when reading about animals, whether the stories are true or make-believe. It helps them understand the role animals and humans play in the world and builds sensitivity to treating all living things with respect and care. As well as The Elephant Keeper, check out the rest of the Miami-Dade Library System’s monthly Staff Picks at www.mdpls.org/staff-picks.

After suffering through many of the challenges of COVID-19 over more than 16 months, children and families in Miami-Dade County received a much-needed boost from Tallahassee this year with news that several bills passed the legislature that will have direct impacts on improving their lives.

Like every year, The Children’s Trust’s legislative team worked hard fighting for the rights of children and families in the county throughout the end of the legislative session in May and the news could hardly have been better with laws passed that will impact early learning and literacy, new mothers, juveniles in the justice system and families struggling to receive government assistance who are at or near the federal poverty line.

The summer is here and while children are looking to have fun, relax and generally avoid responsibilities for two months or more, parents know that this summer needs to be different. With COVID-19 serving as a booster for the already problematic “Summer Slide,” parents and caregivers need to make sure their children continue learning ahead of a full return to schools in the fall. And while a return to normal is getting closer and closer, there is still a need to maintain many of the protocols that have helped our community beat back the spread of the virus.

Miami-Dade County’s Coronavirus page on where and how to sign up to get COVID-19 Vaccine:

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a special web page with Coronavirus information,

Florida Department of Health’s Coronavirus page.

The Miami-Dade School Board also has a Coronavirus page, as well as a Parent Guide to the Novel Coronavirus.

To learn more visit www.TheChildrensTrust.org or call 211.