Mothers taking over the message. Turning story time into an opportunity to build self-esteem and understanding.
I was addicted to fairy tales when I was a child. Truth be told, I still love them. But it's a fact that happily ever after endings and princesses waiting to be rescued don't give girls the message that their futures are in their own hands. And if a child has special needs, there's really no one there for them to relate to. This week we're going to take another look at storytelling, and the opportunities it can present to change the message. First, writer Jeri Burns suggests there's a simple, powerful answer for parents.
Dr. Jeri Burns is a storyteller, writer, and educator living in New York's Hudson Valley. You can find her at www.storycrafters.com or visit her at storytellingmatters.wordpress.com.
Up next, Amy Fabrikant. Her new children's book takes on an issue that is confusing, even for many adults. It's the story of Kayla – and her struggle to become her true self. It's called When Kayla Was Kyle. And the first publisher she worked with told her it would never sell unless the characters were animals.
Amy Fabrikant is the author of When Kayla Was Kyle. You can find out more at whenkaylawaskyle.com
Coming up, reinterpreting a Chinese tradition for new mothers... and remembering a woman who was out of this world.
No showering, no going outside, no drinking cold water–for an entire month. Many women in mainland China observe these rules as part of a traditional health care practice following childbirth called “sitting the month.”
Amanda DingyuanHou spoke to moms in Manhattan and Queens about their own take on this tradition.
This story is presented in partnership with Open City, an online magazine about Asian immigrant communities in New York City. For more info on this traditional practice and pictures from Amanda Hou's reporting, please visit www.opencitymag.com.
And finally, Gilles Malkine is back with another edition of Women in History. This week, he profiles a woman who defied gravity... Sally Ride.
Gilles Malkine is a writer, actor and musician. He lives in New York's Catskill Mountains.
That’s our show for this week. Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance. Our theme music is Glow in the Dark by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock.
