empowering youth – Empowered Flower Girl

Raising Healthy Children: How to Set Your Kids Up for Success

Posted on November 4, 2022 by empoweredflowergirl

By Joyce Wilson

Parents fill various roles in their children’s lives. In particular, they serve as caretakers, role models, and protectors. According to the experts, one of the most important jobs parents have is to help their children make healthy choices in order to prepare them for adulthood. Here are some ideas from Empowered Flower Girl that can help you begin making those important lifestyle decisions.

Learn the Importance of Healthy Habits

If you want your kids to grow healthy and happy, teach them how to maintain their health. When you focus on healthy habits, you reduce their risk of future conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

For children to maintain ideal body weight, they need to be able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food choices. In addition, teach them about hygiene and expiration dates. After all, spoiled food can wreak havoc on the body. When you understand the importance of health, whether the health comes from diet or exercise – including the many benefits of martial arts – you can instill those habits in your children.

Instill Healthy Habits Early

To make healthy eating a priority, stock up on fresh, unprocessed at-home snacks. If you only have nutritious snacks available, children cannot choose to drink sugary soda or eat snack cakes. Instead, keep pretzels, fresh fruit, bagels, and sparkling water at home. Children begin to develop their sense of taste in the first two years of their life. Providing reduced-sodium snacks to toddlers may help them develop preferences for foods with less salt.

Children model themselves after you. They observe your habits and your ability to handle stress and coping mechanisms. For instance, if children see an adult becoming aggressive, they too may react aggressively. When paving the way for better decisions, do not be overbearing and restrictive, because you could encourage eating disorders. Instead, be the example for your kids.

It’s important for your children to see you engage in healthy friendships, too, so invite friends over to the house sometimes and be transparent about minor conflicts in a kid-appropriate way. You can also show them the importance of reconnecting with friends by finding old high school friends online. It’s a simple process of entering your location and searching through databases for familiar names. Reconnecting with friends from your past can be a lot of fun and show your kids how to find people they enjoy being with.

Make Success Attainable

Be open to talking to your kids about good and bad habits. Talk to them if you worry about gaming, drugs, alcohol, or poor education habits. Hold family dinners where you can discuss your day and model good behavior while discussing the risks associated with unhealthy choices. Starting these practices while your kids are young will help them feel more comfortable talking to you about bigger issues, like bullies or conflicts with friends. Empowered Flower Girl offers tools and resources to help both you and your child learn how to deal with these difficult situations in healthy ways.

Set good examples for your kids with your choices as well as your behavior.

In addition, talk to them about how they can achieve their dreams. It is never too early to discuss future aspirations. Teach your children to practice a skill every day and, when they experience failure, to get up and keep trying.

Do not forget to chase dreams of your own. This could involve starting a business centered around a hobby that you enjoy; be sure to do plenty of research to ensure that you’re putting together everything you need to get this venture started on solid ground. Or, join the countless parents and older adults who return to school to finish or start a degree. With all of the obligations of parenthood, you may enjoy the flexibility of online schools. Online degrees can match your passions and interests. The following ideas can narrow down your options:

To learn more about data analytics, cyber security, and information technology, choose a degree in IT.
To find occupations in management positions or start a business of your own, look into business management degrees.
A degree in education may not only launch your career but help you become an effective teacher to your children.

When your children learn to make healthy choices, they maintain those decisions throughout their lives. Developing new habits as an adult can be challenging, but not only can you make a positive change in your life, you can establish a healthy foundation for your children.

Remember to chase after things you love, too, and to make use of helpful resources like Empowered Flower Girl to help you and your child learn ways to work through difficult situations in life.

Joyce Wilson is a retired teacher and enjoys sharing lesson plans, resources, and teaching tips on Teacher Spark. Her website is a compilation of practical resources that will inspire student engagement and instill a love for learning. By tapping into a student’s natural creativity and curiosity, Joyce believes that they can take their education to a new level.

She’s EmPOWERed: Meet the 15-year-old political journalist challenging bias in the media

Posted on September 19, 2021 by empoweredflowergirl

For many people, finding your passion and purpose can take several years or even several decades. But not for Cassidy Conley. At only 15 years old, she is already making her mark as a political journalist.

From copywriting in the government and advocacy sectors to curating content for her blog “Let’s Talk Politics,” Cassidy has a wealth of experience . . . and she’s just getting started.

“I found my passion in politics because I wanted to be part of the movement our nation is going through today. I didn’t want to sit idly by complaining about what our nation is doing wrong,” Cassidy said. “I combined my two passions and effectively used my voice for the better of people, especially women, like me; young and resilient.”

In addition to being young and resilient, Cassidy describes herself as funny, intriguing, fierce, bold, bright, joyful and helpful – all of which would make her a great candidate for political office someday.

After high school, she plans to attend the University of Michigan, major in Public Policy and intern for her state representative’s staff team.

“My service is for the community. It is centered around the community. The whole purpose of my service is to give citizens the best resources and representation,” she said. “Our news resources are very biased, and it is not fair to the upcoming generation to take the brunt of the biased media.”

Finding Balance

Cassidy may be laser focused on her career, but she finds balance in other passions.

“I love to impact people and help them in any way which is also a huge reason why I am stuck in politics, but other than that, I am a competitive figure skater.”

We are so proud of Cassidy and wish her much success in her life and career.

If you know a girl who is making an impact, tell us about her. We’re continually accepting submissions for She’s EmPOWERed. Learn more here.

She’s EmPOWERed: Tulsa Teenpreneur Uses Greeting Cards to Inspire, Celebrate Girls of Color

Posted on August 10, 2021 by empoweredflowergirl

Kolbi Lucas was introduced to the world of entrepreneurship as a tween after she noticed a lack of diversity in the greeting card industry.

That introduction quickly became a passion when she discovered that she could also use her ideas to create and control her future. “I have received a lot of support from many girls and women who tell me that I have inspired them,” said Kolbi, 13. “Their words are affirming and make me feel like I am on the right path.”

That path was directed while Kolbi was out shopping for a birthday card for a friend. She realized there were very few cards with images of Black and Brown girls.

So, at 10 years old, she started Kolbi’s Afromations – a company that designs handcrafted greeting cards and stationery.
She hopes that her cards inspire, encourage, and affirm the beauty, intelligence and magic of being a Black girl.

Words of Encouragement
As a successful girlpreneur, Kolbi offers some encouraging advice to aspiring young business owners.

“Be patient with your business. It is a process, and you won’t always see the success you want right away’” she said. “Prioritize your business by managing your time. As a business owner, you have to be willing to put in the time it takes to provide the best quality for your customers. Sometimes, this means sacrificing things you want to do, but in the end, it will help your business grow.”

Kolbi has aspirations of her own. After high school, she plans to attend NYU or Howard University and study art or fashion. The ambitious teen is interested in being a fashion designer, stylist, or chief editor for a high-end brand. She’s also interested in acting.

We’re sure she will flourish in any career. Kudos to Kolbi!

Connect with Kolbi:
IG: Kolbis_afromations
FB: Kolbi’s Afromations

Girls Who Transform the World

Posted on September 16, 2020 by empoweredflowergirl

You’re probably already aware that Empowered Flower Girl is an advocate and ally for youth. We work to help young people of all backgrounds live above life’s drama to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others.

But we also know how vitally important it is to serve and support girls and young women as they transition from adolescence to adulthood.

Girls across the globe face challenges – from equal access to education and capital to greater risks of digital harassment and domestic abuse.

But despite those challenges, girls are poised to change the world. They are creators. They are innovators and they are POWERful.

On October 1, 2020, Empowered Flower Girl will dedicate our social media to “Girls Who Transform the World.” We will host a live discussion via Facebook as well as highlight girls who are making an impact in their communities. We’re doing this in honor of International Day of the Girl, which is observed every year on October 11.

The International Day of the Girl campaign encourages girls to amplify their voices and stand up for their rights. This year, under the theme “My voice, our equal future,” organizations and individuals are encouraged to seize the opportunity to re-imagine a better world inspired by adolescent girls – energized and recognized, counted and invested in.

Do you know a girl transforming her community or the world through entrepreneurship, volunteerism or the arts? Let us know at info@empoweredflowergirl.com and we just may feature her in our She’s EmPOWERed column.

Do you want to help transform your world?

If you are a teacher, counselor or nonprofit/after-school professional who is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of young people, let’s connect. Seriously. Schedule your FREE 20-minute discovery call to discuss how we can help you.

BTW, Girl World Peace Academy enrollment returns September 25th. Learn more at www.rashedakamaria.com/girlworldpeace.

She’s EmPOWERed: Seven-year-old author helps kids learn colors and count with confidence

Posted on August 18, 2020 by empoweredflowergirl

At 7 years old, Rosemary Nwaosuagwu already is an accomplished author. She’s published not one but two books. And while she may not be old enough to formally teach a class, she’s helping kids learn their basic colors, count and believe in themselves.

With inspiration from her mother and aunt, Rosemary published her first book at 6 years old.

“My mother always tells me to believe in myself, follow my dreams and to always do my best to achieve my goals,” she said. “I love reading books. I like to use my imagination to create stories so I started writing stories at the age of six. One day, I was complaining to my aunt and I was not in the best mood. (She) told me I should turn something negative into something positive and creative. So I used my skills to create the book ‘Lily’s Favorite Color.’”

When she wrote “Lily’s Favorite Color,” Rosemary already had plans to write more books that educate, inspire and bring joy to children everywhere.

She followed her dream and published another book: “Come Along and Count with Lily,” which introduces children to counting and helps them with early literacy skills.

“For me, having published two books now at such a young age has been a huge accomplishment and a blessing! I love motivating other children and inspiring them through my books,” Rosemary said.

She encourages other kids to never give up on their dreams. Her advice is simple, yet profound – “You can achieve anything you set your mind to.”

In addition to writing more books, Rosemary aspires to study medicine. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

Learn more about Rosemary’s journey and purchase her books at booksbyrossy.com. Follow her via Instagram @booksbyrossy and Facebook @booksbyrossy1.

Save the date for our Facebook Live conversation and training “Girls Who Transform the World” on October 1, 2020 (7 pm EDT). We’ll discuss how Generation Z is inspiring change, how we can uplift girls and things to do to celebrate International Day of the Girl.

Excluded to emPOWERed: How to help young people who’ve experienced bullying

Posted on September 16, 2019September 17, 2019 by empoweredflowergirl

Do you know a young person who has been a victim of bullying? Chances are you do, even if they’ve never reported it. In the United States, 1 in 5 students ages 12-18 has been bullied during the school year according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.

Founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, the observance/campaign aims to unite communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention.

Often young people don’t report bullying for fear of retaliation or more aggressive harassment.

In seventh grade, I was harassed and teased daily. The constant bullying was almost unbearable. I was alienated and excluded. Like many tweens and teens, it took months for me to build the courage to speak up for myself and report the taunting.

I confided in a trusted adult – my English teacher – and that changed my life.

You can be the change for young people.

Bullies and their victims have something in common – they both are dealing with some sort of pain. They both need someone to listen to their challenges, struggles, aspirations and hopes. Listening can empower victims and transform perpetrators.

It is up to us – the village – to empower young people to speak up. We must listen without judgment, avoid victim blame and shame and be willing to advocate for them.

Knowledge is power and the more you know about bullying prevention, the more equipped you’ll be to support and empower the young people in your life.

Signs a child is being bullied from Stopbullying.gov (partial list):

Unexplained injuries
Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school

For the full list of warning signs, visit https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/warning-signs.

Rasheda Kamaria Williams is an award-winning mentor, motivational speaker, author and chief empowering officer for Empowered Flower Girl. Check out a clip from her Bullying Prevention Month talk entitled “Excluded to EmPOWERed.”

Back to School Series: How to inspire an emPOWERed school year

Posted on August 13, 2019 by empoweredflowergirl

Educators and parents, mentors and coaches all care about the wellbeing and livelihood of young people in our communities. We are well aware that twenty-first century tweens and teens face unprecedented challenges that many of us may have never imagined, from cyberbullying, drama, trauma and immense societal pressure.

But to combat these challenges, I was inspired to do something.

Nearly 15 years ago, I was a mentor and youth advocate who wanted to do something to make a difference for middle and high school students – who like me – were teased, bullied and ostracized by classmates and even relatives.

In 2010, I launched Empowered Flower Girl. Since we started, we’ve been on a mission to transform the way young people relate to one another. Through workshops and programs that address and combat cyberbullying, relational aggression and other social/communications challenges facing youth, we work to empower the next generation of leaders.

So as students prepare for a new school year, we want to remind the adults in their lives of the importance of collaboration aka the Village approach.

It takes parents, educators, community members and youth themselves to truly make a difference.

Let’s work together to ensure that every young person has a successful and safe school year!