Kids Nation Magazine - Edition 20 November / December 2017

nov/dec 2017

Goal setting for kids

• interviews: jess ekstrom, lisa luce + mallory fundora • christmas printable, diy ornaments & gift ideas

win: a bunny costume, made in israel

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inspire: The best is yet to come

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LEADERSHIP: The Power of Long Term Vision

student submission

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21 handmade for kids

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fatherhood: The Importance of Believing in Your Kids

gifts for the world

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cook: avocado chicken salad with meliponini honey dressing

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printable: CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD PUZZLES

31 CRAFT: diy christmas ornaments

Kids Nation is a bi-monthly magazine, dedicated to empowering kids around the world. It is published by MOS Design Creative (www.mosdesign.com.au).

Front Cover: Hannah H. (Australia)

Copyright © Kids Nation magazine.

All rights reserved. Reproducing without permission is prohibited. Copyright of articles and photos remain with the individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission.

Website: kidsnationmag.com 3

from the editor "Our eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look ahead than to look back." — Anonymous We are less than two months away from 2018!

In this edition, we hope to inspire kids to look ahead with a sense of purpose and excitement.

Jess Ekstrom (Headbands of Hope), Lisa Luce (World Vision Australia) and Mallory Fundora (Project Yesu) share about what keep them motivated, goal setting tips for kids, what failure means to them and what would they do if anything is possible.

Dr. Tim Elmore writes about how important it is to have long-term visions. Jeff Jenkins inspires fathers to believe in your kids.

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As Christmas is coming, don't forget to also take a look at "Handmade gifts for kids" and "Gifts for the world" ideas, crossword puzzles printable and DIY ornaments that kids can make.

From our family to yours, wishing you a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!

xo, Mia

kids nation x thumbelina workshop

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a bunny costume handmade in israel by

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this edition’s contributors:

MIA SETYAWAN AUSTRALIA EDITOR & FOUNDER of KIDS NATION MAG kidsnationmag.com Mia is a mother of two boys and owns an award winning graphic design studio in Australia. She is passionate about imparting positive values to the next generation. Mia has been a volunteer for a local children program for over 10 years.

andreja vuČajnk slovenia founder of itsy bitsy fun www.itsybitsyfun. com Andreja is the creator of Itsy Bitsy Fun, a website that provides tons of free resources for kids such as educational worksheets, games, activities and craft projects.

Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

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dr. Tim Elmore usa founder & president of growing leaders growingleaders. com Tim is an international speaker, founder and president of Growing Leaders, an organization equipping today's young people to become the leaders of tomorrow. He is best-selling author of more than 30 books, including Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future and the Habitudes® series.

Desi Trisnawati INDONESIA food artist & chef consultant inspirational-chef. com Desi is the winner of Masterchef Indonesia 2012 and the first female Masterchef Indonesia. She is the author of 20 Fun Recipes of Strong Heart and creator of the Indonesia's first culinary board game Cooking with Inspirational Chef Desi.

this edition’s contributors:

Jeff Jenkins united states advisory board member caringforkidskc. org Jeff Jenkins is the proud Dad of two awesome kids! He is extremely passionate about lifting others up. Jeff has been a successful entrepreneur in multiple franchise ventures and is the former COO of the National Center for Fathering. Currently, he serves on the advisory boards for Caring for Kids KC, Dad’s Honor Ride and 21st Century Dads Foundation. mallory fundora UNITED STATES founder of project yesu projectyesu.org Mallory Fundora is a high school junior and the founder of Project Yesu a non-profit organization focusing on orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda. Mallory Fundora was the winner of first ever GMA Dove Cares Award in 2016 and also the Prudential Spirit of Community Award in 2017.

jess ekstrom united states founder & CEO headbandsofhope. com Jess is the founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope. For every headband sold, a headband is given to a child with cancer. The company has donated over 100,000 headbands to every children's hospital in the United States and 6 countries. Jess is also a professional speaker, author, and writer for Entrepreneur and The Huffington Post.

lisa luce australia youth ambassador world vision worldvision.com.au Lisa Luce was the Western Australian World Vision Youth Ambassador for 2016 and now works for World Vision. She has a passion to end global poverty and injustice, and loves empowering and equipping young people to make a difference.

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photo: Free-Photos

leadership

The Power of Long Term Vision by: dr. Tim Elmore

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More and more, I meet both students and adults who are somehow looking for that big break that will give them “overnight success.”

Oh, we don’t say that out loud, but we secretly hope we’ll be the next lottery winner; the next American Idol. We want to be noticed by the talent scout, recognized by the agent, get the scholarship or receive the big inheritance.

We love overnight success.

T

he fact is, overnight success is a scam. One in a million experience it. The rest of us, it’s a journey. Josh Linkner blogger for Fast Company, reminds us that Angry Birds, the incredibly popular game, was software maker Rovio’s 52nd attempt. They spent eight years and nearly went bankrupt before finally creating their massive hit.

By 2012, Pinterest was among the fastest-growing websites in history, but it struggled for a long time. Pinterest’s CEO said that it had “catastrophically small numbers” in its first year after launch and that if he had listened to popular start-up advice he probably would have quit.

James Dyson failed in 5,126 prototypes before perfecting his revolutionary vacuum cleaner. Groupon was put on life support and nearly shut down at one point in its meteoric rise.

"One in a million experience overnight success.

The rest of us, it’s a journey."

Dr. Tim Elmore

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photo: Free-Photos

Ever heard of the book, Chicken Soup for the Soul? Within a month of submitting the first manuscript to publishing houses, the creative team behind this multi-million dollar series got turned down 33 consecutive times.

Publishers claimed that “anthologies don’t sell” and the book was “too positive.” Total number of rejections? 140.

Then, in 1993, the president of Health Communications took a chance on the collection of poems and stories. Today, the 65-title series has sold more than 80 million copies in 37 languages.

Linkner writes, “When looking at the most successful people and organizations, we often imagine geniuses with a smooth journey straight to the Promised Land.

But when you really examine nearly every success story, they are filled with crushing defeats, near-death experiences, and countless setbacks.

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We often celebrate companies and individuals once they’ve achieved undeniable success, but shun their disruptive ideas before reaching such a pinnacle.” And we miss the fact that they likely reached their goal because they never lost sight of it.

Before Oprah was Oprah, before Disney was Disney, they were labeled as misguided dreamers rather than successes.

The popular WD-40 lubricant got its name because the first 39 experiments failed.

WD-40 literally stands for “Water Displacement—40th Attempt.” If they gave up early on like most of us do, we’d sure have a lot more squeaky hinges in the world.

Somebody kept seeing the big picture.

How Do We Stay Passionate on the Journey?

Begin with the end in mind.

Choose your target and write it down.

Under the target, write down exactly why it’s important to hit this goal.

Break down the big picture goal into bite-size pieces.

Do something every week that helps you progress toward the goal.

Find a visual aid (a picture) of your goal to post where you’ll see it everyday.

Celebrate every success you experience.

Reward yourself along the way.

You have a mission to accomplish and an enormous impact to make. You will inevitably endure some “failures” along your journey, but you must realize that persistence and perspective have always been primary ingredients in accomplishment.

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photo: headbands of hope

INSPIRE

The BEST is yet to come COMPILED BY: MIA SETYAWAN

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jess ekstrom united states founder & CEO headbands of hope www.headbandsofhope.com

Jess is the founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, a company she started as a junior in college in 2012. For every headband sold, a headband is given to a child with cancer. Today, Headbands of Hope is in over 1,000 stores across the United States and Canada. The company has donated over 100,000 headbands to every children's hospital in America and across 6 countries.

What keeps you motivated?

Knowing that I get to wake up every morning and work to help better the lives of kids with cancer keeps me motivated. Even if I'm doing things that I don't like, I can connect everything I do to something greater than myself.

Tips for kids about goal setting: When you want to accomplish something that you care about, you first have to believe that you can do it. Then you have to look for areas of need or things that could be done better and think of ways you can fix it. If you work hard and believe in yourself, amazing things are possible.

Failure is …

A part of success, not opposite of success.

If anything is possible ... then maybe I'll finally be able to sing one day! :) 13

lisa luce australia youth ambassador - world vision australia www.worldvision.com.au

Lisa Luce was the Western Australian World Vision Youth Ambassador for 2016 and now works for World Vision. She has a passion to end global poverty and injustice, and loves empowering and equipping young people to make a difference.

What keeps you motivated?

Firstly, I like to always have goals to work towards. Secondly, I like to work in teams, that way we can encourage and motivate each other. And thirdly, I make sure that I have people who can keep me accountable for my goals.

Tips for kids about goal setting: My biggest tip for goal setting is to make sure your goals are realistic. Don’t get me wrong, I love dreaming big, but unless your goal is realistic, you will never actually achieve it. Secondly, make sure your goal is specific and detailed, as this will help you to achieve your goal.

Next, make sure your goal is measurable. This means that you have a clear indication of when you have reached your goal. And finally, ensure you put a time limit to your goal. Set a day or time for reaching your goal, as this will motivate you to complete it.

Failure is … … falling down and choosing not to get back up.

If anything is possible ... ... I would eradicate world poverty, provide education to every child and ensure freedom and equity for all people.

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photo: world vision australia

"i like to Always have goals to work towards and to work in teams so we can encourage and motivate each other..."

— lisa luce

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photo: PROJECT YESU

I am often told "you are changing those children's lives" and my reply is always "no, they are changing mine!"

— mallory fundora

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mallory fundora UNITED STATES founder of project yesu projectyesu.org

Mallory started Project Yesu in 2011 when she was 11 years old.

Her goals at first were simple, but her dream was big. Today, they provide education to 250 children in the village of Musima, and also feeding 450 children daily in the Acholi Quarter, a slum area outside the capital city of Kampala.

What keeps you motivated?

The kids in my program, seeing their successes and knowing they have opportunities now that they never could have had before.

This past summer I got to watch my first group of graduates from our program, to see their pride make it all worthwhile.

Tips for kids about goal setting: The most important thing I have learned about setting goals is to dream big, don't let someone tell you that you can't do it just because you are young, or that its hard. Look at your goals like they are a challenge.

Setting goals gives you something to look towards, a finish line, and when you reach it, celebrate it! It is a big deal! Be proud of achieving it, and then turn around and set your next goal and keep growing!

Failure is … ... a lesson. Learn from your failures, grow from them and become stronger and better because of them.

If anything is possible ...

My ultimate dream is to one day build a school and a medical clinic.

The children in my program become the teachers, doctors and nurses at these facilities. My kids giving back to my kids, that is my dream.

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student submission

my christmas tree by: tiannie N. (australia)

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handmade gifts for kids

personalized gift sack: Honeysuckle and Lime (aus) peg dolls: peg and plum (usa) rolling pin: happy rolling pin (ukraine) cross stitch kit: kookinuts (aus) snowman kit: smile mercantile (usa)

gifts for the world

art therapy: world vision australia soccer ball: charity ball flower crown: headbands of hope lion toy: project yesu hand wash/sanitiser gift set: thankyou 21

photo: stock snap

fatherhood

The Importance of Believing in Your Kids 22

BY: Jeff Jenkins

“A child looks up at the stars and wonders.

A great dad puts a child on his shoulders and helps him grab a star.”

– Reed Markham

I

f you have someone who believes in you … there is power in that! It was August 21st, 2012, 6:30 a.m. My son Tristan, who was 5 at the time, came in and woke me up, beaming with excitement because it was his first day of half-day kindergarten.

It was as if he was just called up from the minor leagues to play in the bigs.

In our home, we have a tradition on the first day of every school year where we take a photo of each of our children next to a small chalkboard. On the chalkboard we write the date and the child’s school year along with whatever they say they want to be when they grow up.

So, after Tristan had eaten breakfast and dressed for school, it was time to do the chalkboard. “Okay, Son,” I said, kneeling down to his eye level. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

His first response: “A daddy, like you.”

I laughed and told him I was sure he would be a great dad someday, and then explained what kind of answer we were looking for, like a doctor, teacher, fireman, baseball player or paleontologist.

Tristan withdrew into some deep thought and pondered the question for what seemed like 5 minutes. Finally he said, “Well, Dad, I think I would like to be the king-protector of my family.”

Again, I laughed and hugged him and started to explain. “That’s not how it works, Buddy. I’m asking you if you want to be a ….” I stopped myself when I caught the confused look in his eyes.

Then I stood up and proclaimed, in my best “royal” voice, “Henceforth, from this day forward, Tristan shall be known as the King-Protector of his Family.” And that’s what we wrote on the chalkboard.

Upon hearing my proclamation you would have thought Tristan grew three inches. The pride he felt when I believed in him was palpable in the room. It was a great moment for both of us.

This is just a small example of a dad realizing in the nick of time that my son needed me to believe in him. He needed his dad to be a dream-builder.

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Where my first thought might have been to push him toward something more realistic and possibly squash his dream, he just needed his dad to affirm that even the fantastic is possible, and he can become anything or anyone that he sets his mind to, without limitations or restrictions.

There will be plenty of time for self-discovery and reality as he gets older, for the world to put him in a box.

As parents, we need to try our very best to protect that youthful innocence, believe in what they believe in and dream big alongside them!

Isn’t that truly one of the most beautiful aspects about being a kid? The world is still limitless and their ultimate playground … and why not!?

From my experiences interacting with children and young adults, it’s clear that most kids today are not getting this from key people in their lives as they grow up.

Whether it’s their dad or other role models, very few are telling them, “I believe in you.”

“You can do it.” And I can see that they often lack confidence, or focus, or perseverance in the face of challenges.

Even as an adult myself, its powerful when I hear those words from my own wife, dad, father-in-law or close friend.

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Hearing “I believe in you” makes me stand a little straighter, helps me live with more purpose, and removes feelings that I need to somehow prove myself to people.

There are people I love and respect who believe in me, and that’s huge! There’s power in that!

So, dad, as your children dream those big, seemingly unrealistic dreams, make sure you believe in them, support them and encourage them.

We must teach our children that they are never too young or too old to set another goal or dream another dream.

If we can unconditionally love and believe in our children during the early years, we’ll see it pay dividends throughout their childhood and beyond.

They’ll gain great confidence about whatever they face in life, and we’ll build a strong sense of trust between father and child that will be irreplaceable through the years.

We fathers should never dismiss the power we have with our children. They constantly look to us for our approval, and they need both our verbal and non-verbal affirmation.

They are asking for it in just the way they look at us!

We have an awesome opportunity to be dream-builders in our kids’ lives, and we need to build them up, not break them down, no matter how old they are.

We all need to believe in our children.

Belief helps to remove fear and propel them toward success.

"Hearing “I believe in you” makes me stand a little straighter, helps me live with more purpose, and removes feelings that I need to somehow prove myself to people."

– jeff jenkins

By believing in our children, we are building more than confidence, trust, creativity and ingenuity; we are building the leaders, dream-builders, believers and “king-protectors of families” of tomorrow.

Dad, teach your kids to believe and dream wildly. Be a kid with them … a conqueror of fears. Be their dad! Join them in their wild adventures, then step back and watch what happens next!

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photo: desi trisnawati

cook

avocado chicken salad with meliponini honey dressing BY: desi trisnawati

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INGREDIENTS: MELIPONINI HONEY Dressing:

salad:

1 lemon, juiced 1 navel orange, juiced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon meliponini honey 5 tablespoons olive oil 1 jalapeno chilli (optional) Salt and pepper

100 grams shredded chicken 1 avocado, halved, stone removed, peeled, coarsely chopped 1 corn cobs, husks and silks removed 1 carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks coriander leaves, chopped ½ red capsicum, sliced 1 Spring onion (shallots), finely chopped

METHOD:

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine chicken, avocado, corn, carrot, coriander, capsicum and spring onion in a large bowl. Drizzle over honey dressing.

Toss lightly to combine. Serve.

For more recipes: Follow Desi on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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Did you know Honey from the stingless bee is lower in sugar content than ordinary honey?

FOLLOW

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@meliponinihoney

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photo: KreativeHexenkueche

printable

CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD PUZZLES BY: andreja vuČajnk These free printables are great for young learners during these holidays. Solve some cool puzzles and enjoy recognizing the images and writing the Christmas-themed words.

You will get 4 different Christmas crossword puzzles in this pack.

Before your kids write the correct answers to the puzzle, you can remind them to count the blank squares to see if their word is fit. Encourage your kids to say the names of each image out loud while they’re writing them into the squares.

They could also spell the names of each image while they are writing it. After filling all of the squares in each puzzle, you will get a unique solution to each one – kids need to write it into the boxes at the bottom of the page.

Have a fun time during the holidays and keep on learning.

click here to download

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craft

diy christmas ornaments compiled BY: MIA SETYAWAN

click on the pics to see the tutorials

SNOWMAN: one little project | angel: crafty morning Salt dough handprint: the best ideas for kids | lego: frugal fun 4 boys

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