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By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 4/23/2012
Bur Bur visited children and teachers at the Richard R. Green Central Park Elementary School this past month, making many new friends! He brought with author JoAnne Pastel, and his buddy William—the “real” Bur Bur! The children were so excited to meet all of them, and to learn more about writing stories. They learned [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 1/23/2012
Rivalry, fighting, tattling … probably sounds pretty typical of siblings. But what about the added challenges for the siblings of a special needs child? The makers of Bur Bur and Friends multicultural education materials not only support diversity in the classroom but also recognize the added challenges when diversity is present within your home – [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 12/31/2011
Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever. ~ An old Native American proverb Through the stories within the Bur Bur and Friends popular childrens book series, children are encouraged, motivated and inspired. These multicultural [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 12/7/2011
Hopefully your Thanksgiving cravings were met by those once-a-year indulgences! I have to admit that there are a couple of recipes that I simply refuse to make more than annually – just so they set the day apart and add to a sense of occasion. Well, on with some fun news! Bur Bur and [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 9/21/2011
Fall offers so many great, comforting tradeoffs as its shorter and cooler days make us pry our once sweaty and tanned hands open and let the last of summer slip through our fingers. The brisk, cooler air is just right for more time outdoors with no worries of slathering on sun screen and heat index [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 9/28/2011
Dystopian novels are extremely popular with middle school kids. A dystopia is defined as, “An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one.” In response to the huge popularity of these grim and seemingly hopeless backdrops within youth literature, a writer for School Library [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 10/5/2011
There’s been a lot of press lately about anti-bullying legislation and school policies. For good reason considering that statistics reflect that each day 160,000 students miss school because they’re afraid of being bullied and that every seven minutes a child is bullied – with adult intervention happening 4% of the time, peer intervention 11% of [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 10/12/2011
Kindness speaks the words, Your heart could never speak. Your wings hold me up, And give me strength when I am weak. The warmth of your protection, Brings music to my heart. You open up the doors, You show me where to start. ~ Anne Marie Cline In last week’s Bur Bur and Friends multicultural [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 10/26/2011
With the ever-widening scope of responsibility for parents and teachers, it’s easy to overlook the unique aspects of teaching proper etiquette in interacting with individuals who have disabilities. But considering that it’s estimated that 54 million Americans are disabled, it’s very important to provide kids with some basic etiquette guidelines as well as an overall [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 10/28/2011
"Nap-Nap, Quack-Quack" is a new children's book that will delight parents and kids everywhere. The story is about Maggie, a little duckling who becomes frustrated because nap-time is interrupting her play time. Her parents try to find the perfect routine so she will sleep. We recently had the pleasure is interrupting her play time. Her parents [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 11/10/2011
While my kids were little, my mom had a medical condition that required her to spend quite a bit of time within a convalescent center. Every week I’d pack up my three little ones and we’d spend the day with Grandma along with other patients within this convalescent setting – visiting, playing games, watching movies [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 11/16/2011
This blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes – developed as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign. The significance of this blue circle is positive and hopeful. Cross-culturally, the circle symbolizes life and health, with the color blue reflecting the sky that unites all nations and is the color of the [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 4/28/2011
So what do Bur Bur and Friends multicultural children books and LEGOs have in common? Why are we giving away free tickets? Like LEGOs, Bur Bur and Friends multicultural books help kids to connect with others who may reflect different colors and look a bit different and join together to have fun, grow and experience [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 5/5/2011
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy! ~ Rabindranath Tagore When my three children were in elementary school, we were able to take them to Jamaica and serve together within an orphanage. That week of their life changed [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 5/25/2011
Get Ready with the Multicultural Children Book, Bur Bur’s Fishing Adventure! I spent a lot of time fishing with my dad when I was a kid. He’s been gone for years now and I’ve since raised a family of my own. Every new step forward in life allows not only a glimpse of where [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 6/29/2011
“A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.” – William Arthur Ward Emphasizing GREAT possibilities! That is the heart beat of Bur Bur and Friends multicultural children books! We want every [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 7/12/2011
Limitations only go so far. ~ Robert M. Hensel Isn’t that an absolutely great quote?! It’s so very true … limitations do only go so far but the possibilities locked within each and every child are truly limitless! Like within Ralph – one of our dear friends within the Bur Bur and Friends [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 7/19/2011
“I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.” ~ G.M. Trevelyan Our last several blog posts have raised awareness about some of the health challenges that our friends within the Bur Bur and Friends multicultural children book series are experiencing. A very real health challenge that is prevalent among children today is childhood [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 7/22/2011
How to Make Hiking Fun with Kids “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.” — Dr. Seuss Hiking is an absolutely PERFECT outdoor activity for kids because … - Hiking gets kids outside – keeping TV, video games, etc. in check. - Hiking helps kids burn calories AND abundant [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 8/2/2011
5 Tips to Prepare Your Child for Summer Camp Oh, the wonder of summer as a child … from the simplicity of sitting on the front step and licking a grape popsicle to the excitement and anticipation of heading off to summer camp and having new adventures! Bur Bur and Friends multicultural children books want [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 8/3/2011
There is so much joy, anticipation, wonder and love that go into pregnancy and parenthood. As our due date approached, we found ourselves daydreaming about what our second child would be like. Will he look like me? Will he have my husband’s blue eyes? Please, let him be a better sleeper than our first! We [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 8/31/2011
“Everyone is born an original but sadly most people die a copy.” ~ Abraham Lincoln It’s unfortunate that the uniquely wonderful aspects of ourselves – that one-of-a-kind mix of talents, strengths and personality traits that make up the vibrantly beautiful colors of who we are – often becomes dulled over time as the strokes [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 9/7/2011
In our last Bur Bur and Friends multicultural children books blog post, we quoted Abraham Lincoln in his insightful and wise words, “Everyone is born an original but sadly most people die a copy. Expanding appreciation for children and diversity through the multicultural friends within our iParenting Media Award and Parent Choice Award winning books, [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 9/11/2011
"That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong. That decency will somehow triumph in the end." -Lisa Hand Those who know me well know since my son was a baby I have kept journals [...]
By: Kakie Fitzsimmons,
on 9/14/2011
The calendar has flipped to September and the schedule for families has ramped up! Alarm clocks are set earlier for kid’s school schedules, after school sports are scheduled along with scouting, church and extracurricular activities, time for homework needs to find a place in the day and the weather is awesome so kids still want [...]
As a person with a disability, I would like people to be able to see past my disability to the person I am and the experiences that I have had. I think people are afraid to say the wrong thing and as a result, may avoid people who are disabled or judge them unfairly. I try to engage people in discussions about what we have in common, so they see me, not my disability.
Just a few comments from my perspective!
I really don’t like to be called a disabled person. That puts “disabled” first. I think of myself as a person with a disability – person first, disability 2nd.
I think, instead of automatically assuming a person with a disability needs help (if they are able to communicate), ask them if and how you can help them. It can start a conversation, which helps build a connection and understanding.
I know in most situations, I have already figured out what my challenges will be, and know what to ask for! It’s really nice to have someone ask how they can help. It saves me the embarrassment of having to ask or struggle. I really hate calling attention to my disablity.
Another tip for kids – I think kids should not tell friends with disabilities to “hurry up.”
Hi Catherine, thank you for visiting our blog and for sharing your perspective.
I agree many people just do not know what to say or how to respond. A simple smile and a hello sometimes is enough. Validation that says: “I see you” is important to all of us. I have worked and had friendships with others who had visible and “Invisible’ disabilities. Those with disabilities that could not be seen struggled to find the right way to let people know they process information differently. Hopefully Disability Awareness Month presents opportunities to share this kind of information with others. Thanks for your comments!
P.S. 5 of our children’s characters in the series have disabilities.