Growing up, mi mamá (my mom) encouraged both my sister and me to be individuals and march to the beat of our own drum. Of course, the realization of those lessons learned didn’t hit home until I became a mom, a little more on that later. Growing up in Nicaragua, the power of discovering my own voice was encouraged through many different activities. From dance classes (wepa!), guitar and accordion lessons to exploration and discovery at the local university where my mom taught. Si! I was that little kid that wanted to take accordion lessons. 🙂 When we moved to South Florida, that individuality that was fostered in me as a child, dwindled and got lost for a little while. However, I was able to regain it back in my high school years with the help and encouragement of familia. Because after all, family is always familia! #GoodDino
How to encourage kids to find their individual roar!
Like in the heartwarming aventura (adventure), The Good Dinosaur, life’s journey is all about the power of confronting and overcoming your miedos (fears) and discovering who you are meant to be. In my case finding my own mommy voice (or roar, as we would call it today) is also part of finding what my kiddos voice is. This is where confronting your fears comes in… We always told the kids to speak out when they are confronted by difficult situations. Situations may arise when you are not looking and that is exactly what happened a few months ago. Through the first half of the school year, we discovered that the boys were getting bullied at school. Yes, it is a shocker when you learn this and your mommy roar does come out when your cachorros (babies) are in a situation that you cannot control. Thankfully, their roar is as strong as their mami’s (mommy’s) because after all the struggles of the given situation, their self-esteem is still intact.
Just like Arlo, my boys and I learned about the power of confronting your fears and discovering what we are truly capable of. I want mi hija (my daughter) to take those same lessons I learned as a child and implement them just like her hermanos (brothers) did when confronted with difficult situations. The good thing about going through a bullying situation is that our familia (family) grew closer, we are resilient and together we turned a negative into a positive. Que viva la familia!
Now, if your family is going through a similar situation my advice on how to encourage your kids to find their individual roar is by encouraging their individualidad (individuality). Encourage that individuality by letting them get involved in what they love to do, whether it is sports, music or art. Give them the opportunity to explorar (explore) and descubrir (discover) new experiences in a safe and supervised environment. La vida es dura (life is hard) but with lots of encouragement and by facing their fear, they will only grow stronger and discover what they are made out of.
How do you encourage your kids to find their Individual roar?
Has your family seen The Good Dinosaur yet? If you haven’t, Disney/Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur will be available on Blu-ray™, Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere on February 23! For more information about The Good Dinosaur please visit The Good Dinosaur Facebook page here or The Good Dinosaur Twitter Page here or The Good Dinosaur Instagram page here.
About the movie:
From the innovative minds of Disney•Pixar comes a hilariously heartwarming adventure about the power of confronting and overcoming your fears and discovering who you are meant to be. The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely, and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of. Bring home this original story full of humor, heart, action and imagination, perfect for the whole family!
Disclosure: I have been paid to blog and promote The Good Dinosaur as part of a sponsored campaign with DiMe Media and Disney/Pixar. However, all opinions expressed are my own.