Building Interest in STEM One GoldieBlox at a Time

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I tell Kate all the time that she should major in engineering in college. You know why? Because people with engineering degrees get jobs. Good ones. That pay a lot of money.

To be honest, though, engineering isn’t really on her radar (not that she’s quite ready to choose of vocation at the ripe old age of 10, but still). And she’s not alone – girls are losing interest in math and science as young as age eight, and right now, only 14 percent of engineers are female.

Remember what I said about jobs and money? We are losing out. More importantly, engineers literally build our world; having female perspective and input in how that should look is critical.

For anyone who has ever walked down toy aisles, the origin of this phenomenon is pretty clear – toys designed for boys encourage them to build and create, and toys designed for girls, well, don’t.

Enter GoldieBlox.

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GoldieBlox’s mission is to help girls stay interested in engineering and technology past age eight by creating toys and books that they’ll love. GoldieBlox is a series of interactive books and construction sets that help them develop and build spacial skills while having fun.

Kate (and Sam – he had to get in on the action too) had a chance to check out GoldieBlox earlier this week.

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In this set, Goldie’s dog Nacho needs a bath. He hates taking a bath, though, so Goldie’s solution is to take him to the carnival and put him in the dunk tank. As kids read along with the story, they build a dunk tank – and develop problem solving skills, learn about spatial relationships, and comprehend basic building principles like hinges and levers.

Kate and Sam built the set, created that video, and texted it to me while I was at work. Add independence to the list of skills honed!

Originally created as a Kickstarter campaign, GoldieBlox went viral and now it’s everywhere. You can buy sets on Amazon, Toys R Us, GoldieBlox.com, or thousands of other stores. I’ll be keeping GoldieBlox in mind for all the girls on my Christmas list!

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This post was written in partnership with GoldieBlox and TheMotherhood.com.

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Near Misses

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This evening, I stopped for gas on my way home from work. The station was crowded, and I crept along at a snail’s pace as I exited the parking lot. As I passed a truck parked in front of the convenience store, a little girl about nine or ten ran right out in front of my van. I was going slow, and I stopped in time, but I could tell by the look on her face that in that moment she and I were equally as terrified.

It was a near miss, thank God, but it got me to thinking about how life can turn on a dime. A few seconds, a few inches could have altered the courses of both of our lives.

That’s somewhat melodramatic, I know, but it’s true. Everything can change just like that.

And I don’t like it a bit.

What near misses have you experienced?

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Johnson & Johnson Safety Promise

This post is sponsored as a part of a campaign for Johnson’s Baby with TheMotherhood.com.
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Johnson’s Baby Shampoo is a staple of childhood, and has been for… well, as long as I can remember. I have a distinct memory of my mom washing my hair in the kitchen sink, and making bubbles fly out of the Johnson’s Baby Shampoo bottle.

I bet the scent of it brings back memories for almost every person in the country!

But remember when there was all that controversy over their ingredients? Johnson’s heard the concerns of parents and family members, and removed those ingredients from the products. Check out the video above – it’s a demonstration of the company’s impressive commitment to customer satisfaction, but it also made me think about the promises between parents and children.

I remember my mom promising me that she and my dad would never get divorced. I must have somehow learned what the word meant, and she must have wanted to alleviate any concerns. I remember how safe that promise made me feel, and had they had the opportunity, I’m certain they would have upheld it.

Tonight I asked Kate what kind of promises I’ve made to her. She immediately reminded me of one that I had completely forgotten. She was in third grade and was about to take the big standardized test that determined her entrance into fourth grade. She was beside herself with worry – she was convinced that the test was so important that President Obama himself was going to grade it. Now, a couple years later, she remembered me telling her “I promise you that you’re going to pass this test!” Now, that was an easy promise for me to make and keep, as Kate’s a great student, but it obviously meant something to her to hear me say those words.

What promises have you made your children?

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