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With the magnitude of today's current events swirling around us, many parents, educators, and caregivers are finding the cat's got their tongue when it comes to navigating these big topics with children. In this episode, Annie Friday is joined by Samuel Broaden of Honoring Childhood to talk about how the heck it is that we navigate these big and heavy topics. We offer foundational reminders and include the the importance of just why we need to not shy away even when it feels complicated. Our role is to help our community's children all feel seen, heard, and valued. Enjoy the show!

Showing up for children in meaningful ways that both recognize their vulnerability and honor their full personhood is a nuanced skill that takes intention and honesty. Dr. Jasmine Moses joins host Annie Friday this week as they talk about what it means to stand up for youth. Dr. Jasmine shares more about the free resources available on her website Equity in Bloom. Topics covered in this episode include youth rights, adult responsibility, and the meaning of community. Enjoy the episode!

Annie Friday is joined by Marta Skrzypczak, AKA the Participation Coach, to talk about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Marta's work centers on the specific right called the Right to Participation. This means that children have a right to participate in decisions that affect them. Young people have a right to express their views and opinions while adults have a responsibility to support those young people. Marta shares some of her tips of how to build strong relationships with the young people in our lives by truly offering them this right to participate. Visit her website participation-coach.com for tools like the Agency Checklist mentioned in this episode.

Annie Friday is joined by team members from the National Youth Rights Association who are working hard to raise awareness about the importance of youth rights. Youth seem to be one group still very much systemically and structurally kept from their own human rights with very few adults even recognizing the importance of youth rights. Child abuse - mental, emotional, physical, or financial - and negative attitudes toward children both occur at extreme rates in part because this group is not well protected by current US law. Schools are often seen as a stopgap or screening tool for abuse, but that can't help when the abuse is happening institutionally. Listen in as Zane, Eric, Imogen, and Susan share more about this critical work of advocacy, awareness, and change.

Annie Friday is joined this week by Cindy Curry, a veteran early childhood care provider based in Canada. Cindy has been supporting young people through process art experiences for decades now. Cindy shares some stories of meaningful moments that occurred by giving children the freedom to explore the process of art making. Art is very different from craft, and while many of us melt over our children's tiny handprints forever captured in salt dough, it's important to ensure young people get to have the control over their own day-to-day experiences in the classroom too. Listen in and learn how you can also loosen your grip over the final product and allow more creative freedom in your learning and care spaces.

Host Annie Friday is joined by Nikolai Pizarro of Raising Readers and Reading is for Everybody joins Annie to talk about the importance of connection to keep us rooted in relationship rather than fear. Whether it's literacy support or holiday celebrations, modern day marketing will have you buying more preying on your fears. Connection is key to the relationships we have with our young people in life.