Book Nook: 52 Weeks of Loving You and Others

 If you're like millions of adults, you might make resolutions for 2021. Research shows that many resolutions are often forgotten - but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily a bad thing to set goals. And it's not a bad idea for kids either.

I had a chance to review 52 Weeks of Loving You and Others, by Barbara Breen. Her goal is to help young people make - and keep - resolutions, and this book is a great way to encourage tweens and teens to make a goal to be kinder to themselves and people around them.

Geared for youth ages 10-17, the book walks through a year with activities that are easy to do, yet have a strong impact. I enjoyed the variety of prompts in the book, as well as the way it was written - not talking down to teens, but still written in a way that is easy for them to understand. Although it's designed to start in January, it really could be started at any point in the year.

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

Why did you write the book?

I am a mother of two kids  and when you become a mother you start to see things with different lenses.You realise you need to protect your kids and  also teach them lasting values especially when you see a lot of unkind things going on in the world,in our towns   ,cities  and schools.I realised  however that only teaching my children is not going to solve a world wide need ,therefore  writing this book was a way of also teaching/impacting  lasting values to the world at large thereby making the world a better place for us all.

Why is it important for kids to practice loving themselves and others ? 

Firstly ,you cannot genuinely love others if you do not love yourself  ie this includes both the things you think are loveable and your 'flaws' as well as all of it, makes the special unique you.

When you love yourself first,there is a confidence you have such that even if others tell you they do not like or love you , it either wont bother you or it bothers you much less than someone who already doesnt love themselves 

Secondly, loving others is a something we were born to do ie it is within our nature to love others.If we look at young children they do not know how to hate,they can play with anyone despite race,socio econic status etc.This shows that something goes wrong somewhere along the way because with time those same kids may start to dislike others for the same reasons that were there but did not matter when they were young children.

Once as human beings we realise that we all matter, we cannot but love others.

Even the person others may call "unkind,selfish, difficult  etc" they too want to be loved.This shows us that love can touch even the hardest of hearts  thereby making  our world a better place.

What are some things that parents can do to model self-love and concern for others?

Parents need to show their kids  that they love themselves. I naturally  just love seeing the joy on other people's  faces when i give or do something  for them.After years of buying and doing things for others and very little for myself i realised that  i wasnt modelling self love to my kids .Whilst  its noble to give; i  had to start buying myself things ,have me time and do things for myself so that my kids could learn to prioritise and love themselves  even whilst loving others.

Parents can  also give to others.My kids often see me give to charitable causes and i bring them along so that they can learn to think of others who are  less fortunate than them and appreciate what they have.Parents can also show acts of selflessness. For example  you may have three  new hand bags, even if you like them all and they were given as gifts,let your children see you take one or two of these bags which you love and give them away .Your kids should not only see you give things you no longer need or want but also new things which you love.This will teach them to be selfless.

Parents can also offer their time - e.g to an elderly neighbour who needs help - or just check in on them that they are okay. All these seemingly little things communicate and teach children  to have concern for others.

The author is a wife and mother of two young children, a boy and a girl.

 The author believes that children are the future and hence whilst they are in our care, as parents, we have a responsibility to teach and invest in them so that they become excellent adults who not only believe and love themselves, but also others - as this will make not only their world a better place, but ours and everyone else's too.

 The author has a passion to see people achieve their goals and dreams irrespective of any circumstance.

 The author is aware that in today's busy world, the intent may be there, however parents may not have the time or know-how to teach children life skills and impact knowledge that will distinguish themselves when they become adults.

 Whilst every parent has a right to raise their children how they choose, the author believes that as a society we all somehow have a responsibility in creating the world we want to live in  - and this starts by investing in our children who will  become the nurse, teacher, dancer/singer, lawyer, shop assistant, driver or prime minister of tomorrow.

 If we do not invest in our children at a young age ,the decisions they may make when they are older will not only affect them, but us all as a society - hence why the author is passionate about developing life resolutions in young children.