We all know how important it is to read to children every day, no matter their age. But did you know that 57% of children’s books have male protagonists, while only 31% are female?

The problem is not only the absence of female characters, but it’s also the way women are represented. Often classic stories highlight the strength, courage and skills of men while female characters are stereotyped or one-dimensional: the mother figure, the homemaker, the exotic beauty, the love seeker. Gender is defined through these stereotypes and this is what our children learn from a very early age.

Around the ages of four and five, children become able to differentiate between reality and fantasy, and begin to comprehend how and why things happen. During this stage, many fundamental perspectives are formed that they will hold for life. A study recently published in Science Magazine shows that boys and girls at the age of five associate brilliance with their own gender on roughly the same level. But by six and seven, girls were significantly less likely than boys to do so.

I strongly believe that we need to be more intentional when we share content with our young girls. They need books that help them understand that the strength is within oneself. We need to share stories that place emphasis on being confident, following dreams, sticking up for yourself and using your positive traits to become whatever you want to be.

As a new mom and passionate author, I’ve started to create a library for my little one paying special attention to what is said between the lines. Here are a few of the books I recommend to read to young girls to feed their self-esteem and strength; and also to read to boys, to help them stay in a place of equality.

Science Wide Open: Children's books that inspire curiosity with true stories of women scientists and also teach basics of Biology, Chemistry and Physics Queen Girls: Queen Girls is a collection of stories of real women turned into fairy tales, such as Bessie Coleman, the first black woman in the world to receive her pilot’s license. For every hard copy book purchased, another is donated to organizations that empower girls and fight illiteracy.Rebel Girls: A children's book packed with 100 bedtime stories about the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 60 female artists from all over the world. Each woman's story is written in the style of a fairy tale.I Am Yoga: This book is about creativity and the power of self-expression. It encourages children to explore the world of yoga and make room in their hearts for the world beyond it. A kid-friendly guide to 16 yoga poses is included.

When girls do not find themselves or their aspirations reflected in the books they read, or when their image is sexualized, objectified or distorted, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in society. I truly feel we should consider telling different stories to our children and not subestimate the power of the words coming out of our mouths as parents.

Read original post onHuffington Post Parents.Jimena Durán is the co-founder of Queen Girls - Entrepeneur/ Life Coach/ Inside Traveller/ Mum and Child's Advocate/ Day Dreamer and Free Spirit. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram: @jimena_does

“It’s not about selling specific items any more. It’s about creating deeper relationships between your brand and your tribe”.

One symptom of this new age of polarization? A new wave of start-ups that center their entire ethos around one powerful truth: EMPOWERMENT.

We caught up with Jimena Durán, co-founder of Queen Girls– a line of children’s stories centered around women who behave outside of preconceived (read: outdated) gender ‘norms’ – to talk tribes, togetherness and the futility of ‘the right moment’.

Here at TrendWatching, we know all about the initiative and the message it spreads. But for those that are less familiar, could explain a bit about the project in your own words: what is it about, what is the core message, who is it aimed at?

Queen Girls is about giving girls books where they can see themselves reflected and could help them envision their dreams as possible and doable. There is not a lot of empowering content for girls between 4 and 7 years old, and this is when they develop perspectives that they will hold for life. Our ultimate goal is to give girls a more diverse picture and open possibilities in their little minds.

Talk us through the inspiration for and thought process that led to the initiative. How did the idea come about?

Honestly, as cliché as it sounds, my son helped me see the world with different eyes. When he came into my life, I felt this urge of doing something to help make the world he’s inheriting a better place. I also wanted to make him proud of me one day! I feel many parents would relate with me when I say this! My partner in crime is my sister in law, Andrea. She has always been a big children’s advocate as well, and did not doubt for a second to jump with me into this adventure!

You deal with the notion of stereotypes regarding women head on. What has the response been like? Have you encountered any negativity since you launched?

The response has been incredibly positive. We felt our Kickstarter campaignwas a great exercise of togetherness: women and men coming together for equality and diversity. It is both powerful and beautiful to be part of this movement.

Why do you feel it was important for you to start promoting this message of empowerment at this moment in time?

Any time is the best to fight for what you believe. I feel that waiting for the right moment to do the right thing is the most common way to procrastinate. Simply talking about the right time to do ‘anything’ is a way in which our society has of promoting procrastination.

Take our case, for example. I had just had my first baby and signed myself up to become a life coach, all while living as an expat in the US. My sister in law had just come back from a long, self discovery trip abroad, and her situation was not exactly stable. We didn’t have experience in writing or producing books, but our hearts spoke and we let ourselves go with the flow.

We learned that becoming an activist only requires taking the initial step and then moving to the rhythm of your beliefs. This allowed us to connect with wonderful individuals that helped us move forward – from our illustrator and editor, to the last person that bought a copy. They all fuel our motivation.

We’ve seen a number of empowerment-themed initiatives and campaigns over the course of recent months. More broadly, why do you think it is valuable for brands to position themselves as supporters of tolerance and diversity? Why do you think so many brands are aligning themselves with this message now?

Like Justin Trudeau said, ‘it’s 2017’. This conversation about tolerance and diversity has been on the table for too long. We all understand now more than ever the power of coming together. As clients, it’s important to recognize the soul of the companies we buy from. We don’t buy what, we buy why. As a company co-owner, it is important to create community that shares more than a specific need. It’s not about selling specific items anymore, but creating deeper relationships between your brand and your tribe.

What are the next steps for Queen Girls? Where do you see the initiative heading?

It could head in multiple directions, we are open to options. As for now, we are focused on gathering feedback from our tribe and starting to create more Queens. We are planning on launching a larger collection by the end of the year.

What do you think of our big idea that, despite all the current polarization and anger, we are moving towards a more empowered future – and this is a force that brands should tap into?

I couldn’t agree more – despite the initial anger, we are all learning what Mandela said long ago – ‘resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other one to die.’ This polarization is an opportunity to explore and find new perspectives. It doesn’t serve us. We are witnessing the beginning of a transformational era, from anger and individualism to togetherness and love. This is the force that will move us all forward!

Read original post on Trendwatching.

Jimena Durán is the co-founder of Queen Girls - Entrepeneur/ Life Coach/ Inside Traveller/ Mum and Child's Advocate/ Day Dreamer and Free Spirit. Follow her on Twitter/Instagram: @jimena_does

Have you ever wondered why children in daycare and preschool settings spend the majority of the day on the playground or exploring in the classroom? Have you ever thought to yourself, my child is in ‘school,’ they should be in more of a structured environment?

If you’ve found yourself in this situation, you are actually in luck! While some believe pretend play has limited educational value, the experts think differently!

What are the benefits of pretend play?

Pretend play is a vital component to child development. Believe it or not, imaginative play teaches a variety of fundamental skill sets - skill sets that we use for the rest of our lives! First and foremost, it builds language skills.

Children practice using their own vocabulary, while at the same time it is also an opportunity to teach new and more complex vocabulary. Play is a great opportunity for kids to also practice more complex grammar and sentence structures that they learn through exposure in things such as books, movies, and adult storytelling.

Caregivers can further facilitate this learning by modeling and narrating what the child is playing. It builds cognitive functioning skills such as decision making, organizing thoughts and play, judgement making and enhances attention and focusing skills. Furthermore, it encourages social skills, teaching empathy and turn taking to name a few.

Pretend play also gives children an opportunity to explore, discover, and learn about themselves and the world. And through these explorations, children begin to develop personal interests. The interests they start gravitating towards often develop into passions and in turn create dreams!

Children tend to play and imagine things they are familiar with, things they have been exposed to and taught. Therefore, it’s important to provide them with narratives that inspire their play and eventually influence their interests and passions.

Since kids are so impressionable at such young ages, it is imperative to expose them to content that is free from stereotypes and prejudices *boys and dolls, from content that encourages following their heart beginning at a very young age. This content should give them a view of the world in which they can become whatever they dream and also content that encourages independence.

How Books Influence Pretend Play

Stories act as windows for children, where they see their own reflections shining through. Expose your child to positive content and encourage them to recreate their favorite stories through pretend play!

Queen Girls Books and Pretend Play

An excellent example of this positive content is Queen Girls, a new collection of children’s books! The creators are taking inspirational women from the past and turning their stories into fairy tales. Their mission is to inspire girls to follow their dreams and envision them as possible, which is why the stories are based on real women.

The first story of the collection, Bessie, Queen of the Sky, features Bessie Coleman, the first black women in the world to receive her pilot’s license.

Queen Girls is even taking it a step further. In order to reach as many children as possible, for every book purchased they will be donating another to non-governmental organizations geared toward encouraging children to spread their wings and fly.

If you are interested in the Queen Girls mission and want to be part of the movement, please support their collection here and receive a limited edition of their first book!

Additional ways to encourage passions through pretend play:

Published by Seeme and Liz blog - See Original entreehere.