Badges
Mom!
Clarissa LT
Blog Post List
November 21, 2016
Without a doubt, our nation is divided, and it should no less, encourage us to love, unite, and make small efforts of kindness, a daily act upon which we show the next generation resilience. As a school district employee, I strive to foster the conditions for this kindness, in order to nourish the character of the inquisitive, pure minds of the youth I have the privilege of looking after. As an employee, complaints from students about staff or administration far more exceeded one district I served over another; incidentally, my school district in high school. I reflected on some of what I’d...
MomsRising
Together
September 28, 2016
Working in two school districts with various teaching assignments, I’ve witnessed a variety of issues and concerns serving students from many backgrounds and walks of life. One particular issue that developed since last fall, is the younger children's emotional grasp of the political landscape that evolved since early 2015. Immigrant children not only fear for their parents, but their own futures, due to Trump's and the media's toxic rhetoric. After becoming acquainted with the children, they began to express their concerns. “I love my mom and dad. They are so good to me. They are everything...
MomsRising
Together
June 6, 2016
I am living in a hotel as we were recently in a fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt and I had homeowners insurance. Needless to say, I’ve learned a thing or two along the way. Fires in homes or burning anything man-made can be quite dangerous due to the leads, paints, and plastics we have in and around our abodes. Here are some tips if you are ever in a fire. 1. Inhale as little as possible when retrieving items Make sure to retrieve most needed items on the first day and try to exit as quickly as possible. Most homes have paint and ingredients within the wall that are highly concentrated with...
MomsRising
Together
March 11, 2016
Growing up in the Bible Belt, I had to grow unnecessarily accustomed to religion: forced to listen to it on a daily basis at school and any social functions. In my country of birth, Panama, religion was not such a constant topic or force of influence. We have had Arab and Jewish citizens forever, as well as the oldest Chinatown in the Western Hemisphere. We have one of the nine Baha'i temples in the world . It is diverse and considered a social faux pas to squash anyone else’s place in the community because of religion . It was just our normal. In Texas, the opposite is true. I was a...
MomsRising
Together
February 9, 2016
No matter what you are telling yourself, New Year’s has long passed. We are in Chinese New Year, we’re approaching spring -- but it’s still not too late to incorporate exercise in your and your family’s routine! Here are some of my favorite ones: 1. Frog Jumps Just like it sounds. Get down on the grown in a low squat with your bum nearly touching the floor and jump and “Catch the flies” with your hands. (Stretch out and jump as high as possible) Do four sets of ten for beginners. Kids love these. They treat it like a game, but really, you’re working out your legs and bum! 2. Downward dog pose...
MomsRising
Together
February 9, 2016
All of us want our children to flourish academically. I, a new American and one-time teen mom, am no different. Recently my son was the only first grader accepted to our local gifted program. I can't help but feel proud. Despite working two jobs and attending school full-time, I managed to engage with him in ways to prepare him academically. When he was a baby, I made sure to speak to him like I would an adult -- not in "baby talk." I sang songs about the alphabet, colors and body parts in English and in Spanish. By 18 months, he could point out specific letters. Over the years, I followed...
MomsRising
Together
September 14, 2015
Editor's Note: To help MomsRising.org protect the food assistance program, or "SNAP", please take action here . Thank you! -Elisa Over the past few years, budget cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have hurt million of families and children across the nation. 48 million kids in our nation qualify for free and reduced lunch in schools, and at least in a handful of states, over half of their students quality for free or reduced lunch! A lot of us young and single families need SNAP. As we wait for the politics to change and advocates to continue fighting for us, here...
MomsRising
Together
September 1, 2015
“All the differences of ideas that we have are negotiable. What is not negotiable is our souls. Politics is not the world for businessmen.” - Jose Mujica, President of Uruguay In case you missed it, Donald Trump has committed to deporting 11 million hardworking migrants in the United States. Migrants who have suffered and endured the unbelievable to arrive here. Migrants, some of who have been separated from their children -- for over a decade! Refugees, who would have rather stayed in their country if it were not plagued by war, violence, fear and despair. Jorge Ramos has been a trusted...
MomsRising
Together
January 15, 2015
Blistering heat assaulted my face and dried out my mouth instantly as we left the airport terminal. My mother ushered me into a taxi. The air in the backseat was hot and gritty, it pinched the back of my legs and crunched between my teeth. From my window I could see a silhouette of a lone mountain in the distance and miles and miles of sand. My mother said “Clarissa, this is your new country.” As I watched this new landscape roll past my window I instinctively knew it to be stifling and cruel. Such an enormous contrast from the rains and the tropical beauty of my Panama. This was the climate...
MomsRising
Together