This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company, Kellogg Company, J.M. Smucker Company, and The HERSHEY’S Company. All opinions are mine alone.
#StartSchoolLikeAChampion #CollectiveBias
When I ask my children who they consider to be a champion, they immediately respond with the names of famous olympians like Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, and Steele Johnson. (You can tell our family has a special fondness for water events.)
If I prod them further and ask, “What makes someone like Michael Phelps a champion?” my younger children will immediately mention his gold medals while my older kids will mention that olympians are role models and heroes.
“Ah… but what makes someone a HERO?”
When a child thinks of a hero, it is easy to envision someone in a cape or a famous olympian. They might even think of firefighters and police officers. But few would consider themselves to be a hero.
Let’s change that.
Training kids to be champions
My children are coming to the age when mood swings often win the battles. My daughter has been spending more and more time in front of the mirror. My son often expresses feelings of frustration and disappointment.
Do they see the champions inside that I see?
Just as Olympians must train with a coach, kids need to be trained to find the champion inside.
Team USA did not wake up one day and head to the Olympic Games in Rio without preparation. Likewise, parents and caregivers must prepare kids, practicing social skills like kindness, generosity, and forgiveness, on a daily basis. Then, when life gets hard, we must cheer from the sidelines, “You can do this! I know it is in you!”
My husband and I strive to train our children by seeking opportunities to serve others. We want the kids to be aware that they can be champions in our community by living a generous life.
Without the letter “I,” there are no champions. We want our children to assume the role of hero for others and say, “I am a champion.”
Collecting free books for kids
During a recent trip to Walmart, we stocked up on foods that would work for stuffing something special in the lunch boxes as well as the occasional after-school treat.
The “Start School Like a Champion” program by Team USA sponsors Coca-Cola®, Kellogg’s®, HERSHEY’S, and ©/® J.M. Smucker provides a free Scholastic book for every purchase of select products at Walmart.
We piled the shopping cart high with treats (and an ample supply of Folgers® K-cups for mommy), knowing that we could turn our purchases into free books from Scholastic.
But we are not keeping the books.
When the books arrive, we will take a special trip to the USA Women’s and Children’s Hospital. I want my children to meet a completely different kind of hero… the kind that comes in child-size packages and battle illnesses tougher than any event at the Olympic Games.
Every child deserves to feel like a champion just as every child deserves a great book to read.
And you can help! It’s very simple.
1. Check your shopping list. Before September 30, 2016, take a trip to Walmart stock up on these products by Coca-Cola®, Kellogg’s®, HERSHEY’S, and ©/® J.M. Smucker. (1 item = 1 book)
2. Then, take a picture of your recipes and join or log in to Kellogg’s Family Rewards.
3. Upload your receipt within 30 days of purchase.
4. Choose or donate your free book.
>>>CLICK & BOOKMARK THIS LINK to upload your receipts<<<
Don’t miss this chance to show your children that they can be champions too.
This is such a wonderful program!! ~ Client