Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Guest Post 06: Dr. Cherrye Vasquez


My heart is made heavy when I learn that a child feels pain and hurt from others. Why one must taunt, tease, and/or demean another is beyond me.

Weekly, I blog as relative to my two platform topics, Diversity and Bullying issues because I am passionate about helping children who face concerns with issues relative to these topics. My aim is to help build character, empower, lift spirits and self-esteem, as I somehow plant a seed of deep self-love and respect down within the child.

I believe that we should start with the child – the total child. Children must first learn to love and respect themselves before they can learn to respect others. Children should armor a sense of remorse and care for others, and the property of others.

Diversity is the key to learning about the differences among us. We have to give children opportunities to learn about one another and then teach them not only to tolerate, but to appreciate difference. Who knows, by doing so perhaps the child will learn that there are more similarities than differences among them.

When I look at the review that Charles Franklin wrote on amazon.com for my book, No Tildes Tuesday, I feel that he delivered a very thorough account of what actually took place as the characters interacted with each other throughout my book.   Franklin is correct. My book isn’t just about race, but about the importance of family, family dynamics and situations children and their parents face daily. Isabella, main character in my book, just has to learn how important it is to accept and incorporate her true self-identity within her life.

Whether a child is monoracial, multiracial or biracial the child should embrace themselves and their total family heritage(s), culture and race. There will be family traditions along the way that will make appreciating who they are even more remarkable. But going back to my previous thought on this subject, family dynamics and the functionality of the family plays a huge part in a child’s well-being, stability and wholeness. Children reared in strong family units will make their “mark on life” and will become strong productive citizens within our society. Parents and grandparents are very powerful beings. They can mold and make their children and grandchildren into whatever they please, but it does work both ways. Using affirmation techniques as we speak to children allows them to live up to whoever we tell them that they will become. Asking the child to affirm greatness for themselves is even more powerful. Try these techniques and your prophecy will have been fulfilled.

Empowerment and standing strong against odds as the child journeys through life will be made easier if there are ever adversities to face, such as peer pressure and bullying.

As we are all aware, Bullying is a pandemic in our schools and classrooms. When children feel good about themselves they won’t bully others. When children don’t feel good about themselves, and they choose to bully others, this child will not be able to “move” his targets empowering spirits when we have done our jobs.

I’ve written articles, and blogs on my website for viewers and I have created a page for Teachers and Students to peruse and gain further insight into how to gain further support on these topics. These ideas, materials and activities are additional resources that anyone can use. Together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of our children.

Please see my website at: http://www.BooksThatSow.com for additional articles, books, blog posts, links and resources that I use and are attributed to my work and quest to help children.

Affirmation Daybook Journal

Diversity Daybook Journal


Guess What? Dear Diary,


My Child Is Being Bullied, So What Can I Do?

Focusing on the Child Bully. What Can We Do To Help THIS Child?

Parents and Teachers: Addressing Social Emotional Learning and Nipping Bullying in the Bud