Traveling With Children: Educational Excursions

As the Director of Global Exchange, a human rights organization, I am blessed to create and supervise over 100 educational tours per year to destinations around the world.  Although I love my fun in the sun, I want my time away to be enriching. I want to return from Costa Rica, South Africa and Hawaii more informed about local history and culture. 

As a mother, I believe in traveling annually with my sons.  I also believe that I should use my expertise and passion for travel to enhance their learning. Family vacations are invaluable….and they can be approached as a real educational experience.

Why not visit the East Coast to study the history of the United States? Begin with the monuments and museums around Washington DC, then travel to Boston to learn more about the ‘Tea Party.’ You can hike the Trail of Tears or travel through the South to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement. Understand the roots of slavery by traveling to West Africa and visiting one of the ports. A safari is a great way to learn about the importance of biodiversity.

This summer I took my sons to Honduras and Nicaragua. I chose these destinations for a number of reasons. Firstly, they were cost effective for me as a single mom. The flights were reasonably priced and I knew that my dollar would stretch (yes even despite the devaluation of the USD abroad) in terms of food and accommodations.

Secondly, I wanted to travel to places that would be welcoming to families and where I would not be afraid to travel by bus. I love listening to my sons practice their Español with everyone we encounter.  Parents and grandparents approach us to speak and give recommendations of places to eat and things for the boys to see! I find Latin America and the Caribe consistently hospitable and Honduras and Nicaragua were the 6^th and 7^th Latin countries my sons had traveled to. 

Thirdly, I wanted them to see and experience modern Central American cultures and understand a bit about pre-colonial history and the Maya. I want them to learn about the complexity of history where they can given their stage of development. “Discovery” did happen, but it is also true that there were thriving civilizations here in the Americas prior to ‘discovery.’ This fact is important to me not just because of my personal background, but because it is also something I believe needs to supplement my sons’ school books.

They have just recently been exposed to Christopher Columbus, George Washington and the founding history of the USA. I wanted them to learn for themselves that there were (and still are) indigenous peoples all over the Americas when the United States was founded. My sons have seen and met with the Hopi and Lakota by visiting reservations. They have been amazed by how Amazonian communities fish and grow yucca.  They have marveled and played on the slopes of magical Machu Pichu and learnt about the Inca’s expansive history. 

This summer they ran around the ruins of Copan, played soccer with campesino children on a fair trade coffee cooperative and collected jellyfish with Garifuna boys on the beaches in Tela.  With a little planning, you can transform your family vacations into a real learning experience……..

Start by making a plan and budget for your destination. Save a little every month. Research the locally-owned posada or bed and breakfast and ask them about their amenities for children. Be sure to ask for a family rate. In Cusco, for example, I found a place with a huge enclosed yard with trees to climb and a swing set.  I booked a double for the three of us which saved money. When booking a boating excursion in Tela this summer I told them I was a single mom with two sons and asked if they had a children’s rate or a two for one. Bingo, they did!

When you ask for a discount, most of the time people will try to help you out.   When deciding where to go, look at your children’s curriculum, or bring them to a place that will encourage their innate passion or curiosity. For example, you can bring your budding naturalist to a Mexican forest to see first-hand the Monarch migration.

Name your place and bring history alive in a meaningful way. The possibilities are endless!

 

Malia Everette is a mother of two sons and the Director of Reality Tours at Global Exchange.

How Does She MOMbo?…. An Interview With Joyce Kushner

Joyce Kushner is the Founder and owner of Coco-Zen, a small chocolate company in the  San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in Fair Trade Certified chocolate truffles.  We caught up with Joyce earlier this week to find out more about how she MOMbos.

 

How many children do you have?

 

I have a two-year-old son, Max. I’m hoping to get started on a 2nd child in the near future! 

  

How many products does Coco-Zen offer?

We currently have 8 different flavors of chocolate which are available in bite-size and 1oz-plus size. Our truffles come in a variety of packages…some for gift giving….some to be stashed away ( for yourself)….

 

What type of work did you do prior to becoming a mom?

Just prior to having our son Max, I was the Marketing/Visual Director for a retail jewelry chain. Before that, I worked mostly in the retail fashion industry - Gap, BCBG Max Azria and Express. What many don’t know, is that I was also a dancer with a small company up until my late 20’s - when I reluctantly decided to “get serious about a career” and put my business/economic degree to some use.

 

What inspired you to launch your business?

I knew that someday I would have my own business, although, I always thought it would be in fashion or involve dance somehow. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit.

 

At the time I was going to go out on maternity leave, the jewelry company I was working for got bought out by another company and decided to merge their corporate headquarters in Dallas. I was offered an opportunity to join them there, but being a true Californian, I decided to stay put.  I realized that maybe this was the perfect opportunity to finally start my own thing.

 

How did you decide to get into chocolate?

When Max was an infant and I was nursing, there was very little I could do with the small intervals of time I would get to myself with our son’s feed, play, sleep cycle (as most moms of infants know). During those 30-45 minute naps of his, I would play around in the kitchen.  I’m an absolute chocoholic, so I was always playing with chocolate and experimenting with chocolate truffles and flavor combinations. I ended up with so much chocolate in the house that I had to start giving them away to friends. They were a hit and I thought…well, why not sell them? Thus, Coco-Zen was born.

 

How did Coco-Zen come to embrace a Planet & People friendly philosophy?

Being a new mom, I was overwhelmed with anxiety about what kind of parent I would be, what kind of person I would raise and what kind of world he would be raised in - things I’m sure all new parents go through. This crept into everything I did, including my business. As I started to set-up Coco-Zen, I learned about Fair Trade chocolate and what I like to call the “dirty little secret” of the cocoa industry.  The majority of the world’s consumed cocoa comes from The Ivory Coast where cocoa plantations are rampant with child labor (often slavery) and the plantations are destroying the natural environment. Overcome with guilt about all the chocolate I had consumed in my life, I committed to only using Fair Trade Certified and organic chocolate all of our products. I then started to really look at packaging, marketing materials, and everything else involved in the business. I realized that I needed to also think about their impact on our environment. After all, being a Californian, I grew up loving the mountains and beaches.  I wanted our son to be able to enjoy what I did.

 

I guess you could say…our little guy was the inspiration behind everything.

 

In terms of your new business, was there a learning curve?

Absolutely. Having always been in fashion, I knew plenty about clothing & jewelry, but nothing about the food business. The biggest setback was when I found out that I could not sell food to the public that was made in my own kitchen - hence, I had to find a commercial kitchen. Trying to find environmentally friendly packaging that was suitable for food also proved to be a huge challenge. Traditionally, chocolates are packaged in paper or plastic. I wanted to avoid plastics as much as possible and paper cannot be recycled if soiled with food - not many people know that. As a result, I ended up with tins….but I am constantly on the lookout for new and planet friendlier ways to package.

 

Fortunately, we live in the age of the internet. I have been able to gather so much information from the web, social networking sites (like yours!!), green business networks, etc. Truly, I don’t think I would have been able to do this were it not for my computer and the internet!

 

What has been the hardest part of mompreneurship?

Time management. First of all…I’m a type A personality - so, I’m always trying to do everything at once. Really the hardest thing has been to make sure I have dedicated time to share with my son and husband. It turns out I have 3 full-time jobs - business owner, mom, and housewife. As a result, business usually ends up happening late at night - after everyone’s been fed, house chores completed, and Max is asleep. Luckily, I also get 3 days a week to work when our little guy is in daycare.

 

What part do you love best?

I love being my own boss and knowing that all my hard work (like I said - I’m type A!) is going towards something I own and believe in. I love all the people that I’ve started to meet via the online networking. And, of course, what chocoholic doesn’t love the idea of working with chocolate for a living?  

 

 

What is your ‘typical day’ like?

VERY BUSY!!

 

I wake up with Max around 6:45 am….get him some warm milk and quickly check my emails.

 

On Daycare Days…

I get the little guy dressed, pack his lunch, and get him to daycare by 9am. I spend most of the day in my home office (or kitchen if trying new recipes) working on Coco-Zen. Around 4:30pm, I start prepping for dinner. I pick up Max from daycare at around 5pm…. make dinner for and feed him. Then there is play time, bath time and waiting for my husband to come home so he can see Max before he goes to bed. While daddy puts Max to bed, I get dinner ready for “the grown-ups”. Spend a little time with my hubby over dinner. Then, it’s back to work - usually till around midnight.

 

On All Other Days…

After breakfast with Max, the day is usually spent either doing chores together (laundry, grocery shopping, etc.), going to the park, and basically hanging out. I try to squeeze in as much work as possible during his midday nap. Then, in the evening, it’s the usual. A little time over dinner with the hubby and then back to work.

 

How do you manage work/life balance?

It’s definitely hard. Some of the house stuff has to go…can’t say I’m as good about the cleaning and tidiness as I used to be. I’ve gotten good at batching errands together in single trips and doing house stuff while I have Max with me - he likes to go to the store, “help” with laundry and cleaning, and pretend to cook. I’m also very fortunate to have a husband that believes in me supports my endeavors!

 

To learn more about Joyce Kushner and Coco-Zen, visit www.coco-zen.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consistent Life Ethic

Wikipedia offers the following definition:

The Consistent Life Ethic is an ethical, religious, and political ideology based on the premise that all life is sacred.^[1] The ethic’s adherents are opposed to abortion, capital punishment, assisted suicide, economic injustice, and euthanasia. Adherents are opposed, at the very least, to unjust war, while some adherents also profess pacifism, or opposition to all war. Some also extend the concept of a “consistent ethic of life” to encompass animal rights and vegetarianism.

Bonobo Kids

It is certainly no secret that not everyone has accepted the theory of evolution as truth….but…whether you’re of the Darwinian persuasion, the Intelligent Design Brigade ( or somewhere in between)….there is no denying that bonobo’s bear a remarkable likeness to human beings.  Bonobo Kids.org is an interactive project aimed at educating children about great apes and encouraging them to take an active role in protecting the environment.

At the center of the Bonobo Kids project is Lucy, a young ape who lives with her matriarchal family at the zoo in Jacksonville Florida.  Written by Mathea Levine and inspired by Marian Brickner’s photography,  I’m Lucy: A Day In the Life of a Young Bonobo is an anthropomorphic tale aimed at highlighting some of the common traits that young children and young apes share.  This ‘day in the life’ with Lucy offers children a glimpse of the bonobo’s silly side. The afterword (written by Jane Goodall) is by contrast less amusing. It tells the story of bonobo life in the Democratic Republic of Congo….a story of human cruelty and predicted extinction. 

At Bonobo Kids. org, children can learn about some of the ways that they can participate in ’saving’ Lucy’s family. When you purchase a copy of I’m Lucy from the Bonobo Kids website,  all of the profits go toward protecting bonobos and the environment.

How Do You MOMbo?

Welcome to MOMbo TV, a global celebration of motherhood.  We gather here from far and wide to share with and learn from the experiences of mothers around the world.  We believe that there is wisdom to be gleaned from other mothers, especially those mothering in cultural contexts very different from our own.

The MOMbo team is comprised of stay at home moms, work at home moms and career moms.  We are married moms and single moms.  We are raising young children. We have raised adult children.  From our respective locations around the world, we bring our contributions to the MOMbo community. We come with an eye toward understanding and appreciation–and the desire to effectively model these values for our children.

We are a global community and as such extend to you the invitation to participate. Motherhood is a dance, and we look forward to learning more about how you MOMbo.

Teatime With A Twist

Taking tea has always been a favorite pastime in our home.  As a mother of two girls and an unabashed tea lover, I anticipate throwing many tea parties in the future.  There is something about the idea of pouring, sipping and chatting with friends that little girls love.  My preschool-aged daughter is no exception.  Hats, feather boas and tiaras are generally ’staples’ in an American child’s dress-up box.  When combined with with a good game of ‘let’s dress up,’ teatime is transformed into a classic journey of the imagination.

With a little creativity, however, teatime can be turned into a real learning opportunity.

Culture is so often expressed in the taking of tea.  While teatime in England might include crustless cucumber sandwiches, scones and cream, tea in Japan would involve the serving of matcha or green tea in small bowls.   

Try pairing a small cup of Jasmine or oolong tea with an almond cookie and doing a bit of study on the ancient cultivation of tea in China.  Want to learn a little about North Africa? Grab some fresh mint and brew up some sweet Morrocan mint tea?  A spicy cup of chai can be a great introduction to Indian culture.   Add a jade bracelet or some Indian sari fabric to the dress-up box.  There are so many possibilities.

Whatever you choose, teatime ‘with a twist’ is one way to turn playtime into a cultural learning experience.

Virtual Assistance and the Global Economy

by Kemi Ingram

A certain segment of the Work at Home Mom (WAHM) community is engaging in an interesting debate.  Earlier this year, I found myself smack dab in the middle of it–with mixed feelings about the issue being addressed.  What started out as a simple  search for virtual assistance, ended up being an unexpected exercise in global economics, trade justice and patriotism.

As a work at home mom, I am always on the lookout for quality virtual assistance.  Over the last few years, I have found great success with online contract bidding services.  When I needed a logo designed, I found a great graphic artist.  When I was buried in paperwork, I found good administrative help.  In fact, there have been scores of independent contractors lined up to bid on my projects–contractors from all over the world. 

What first attracted me to online bidding services was the ability to view portfolios, assess the quality of a contractor’s work and award the bid to a reputable service provider.  The second thing that drew me in was the possibility of finding affordable assistance.  As a WAHM with a small home-based business, I find that affordability of service is an important consideration when it comes to hiring outside help.

I have been quite surprised to find recently, several service providers ( all fellow WAHMs) urging those of us posting projects to ‘buy from  (insert US State) and not from (insert name of developing country).’  In one instance, a WAHM service provider belittled a project budget in one of the open discussion forums, suggesting that only someone ‘from another country’ would find the budget acceptable. The WAHM who posted the project could only afford to pay someone $10 per hour.  The vocal service provider was quick to point out that in the US, the going rate for such a project was $25 per hour.  She gently scolded the hiring mom, going so far as to recommend that she increase her budget to ‘accommodate Americans.’ Eventually, the project was indeed awarded to an American WAHM for $10 per hour, one of more than 20 bids submitted.

I have posted several projects on-line, with the hope that an independent contractor will think my price fair and submit a bid. Over the last few years, I have received many bids from service providers all over the world–Spain, UK, India, Argentina and the United States.   Sometimes the bids of service providers were lower than my ‘budgeted amount’ and other times higher–sometimes 4x as high! I have awarded projects to freelancers in the United States as well as abroad. 

I am not a corporation and I don’t have an unlimited advertising or administrative budget.  What I do have, however, is a need to get work done and a limited amount of working capital.  Service providers are free to search through postings. They can choose whether or not to bid on my assignment.

I love reading the label ‘Made in the USA’ and I am all about buying locally. For some reason though, when it comes down to WAHMs seeking outside help, the ’Buy from Boston and not Bangladesh’ campaign is not sitting well.  Hmmmmm?