WHAT THEY ARE SAYING…
“Filled with appropriate and interesting pictures, abundant examples, and space to write their own thoughts, this book could be a life changer for … young people. I highly recommend it and encourage parents and teachers … to make it readily available…” — Irene Conlan, 5 STARS
“This book is not only great for middle school kids, it is great for anyone who wants to work on their own self-improvement…” — Jacqueline B. Rojas
“Great job on a really fascinating workbook. We need more positive encouragement for our kids like this.” — Martha Manuel
I Am Awesome! A Healthy Workbook for Kids was written with the needs of our youth in mind. It was written for both boys and girls, especially the tweens (ages 8-12) and early teens (13-14). The author wrote with the intention of helping this age group develop positive self-esteem. Kids have many physical and psychological changes to deal with while going through puberty, plus they are trying to cope with pressure from family, friends, teachers, coaches, and society in general, to act a certain way, often with mixed messages. This informative and motivating book will help the owner work through several of those challenges.
This workbook can be used alone, in an educational or counseling setting, or can be used by a parent or guardian to help a child. Each of the six chapters of the workbook addresses one of the Six Types of Maturity:
Personal – gaining self-knowledge and self-esteem by trying to work on feeling better about oneself and one’s potential.
Emotional – becoming aware of and able to understand and control one’s feelings and thoughts; developing a positive outlook on life.
Physical – taking good care of oneself as the body grows and develops, especially in terms of a healthy diet, adequate exercise, getting enough sleep, having good hygiene, and staying safe.
Social – Making and keeping friends; improving communication skills; being at ease with a variety of people.
Intellectual – Understanding the importance of learning about the world around us; gaining knowledge about one’s interests; expanding one’s creative mind.
Ethical – Developing a sense of right and wrong; deciding how to be perceived; becoming a responsible citizen.
The book also contains an Appendix of Fun Things to Do & Good Things to Know.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Richards is a retired health and physical education teacher who is still involved in the classroom. She has always had a passion for wellness and a desire to motivate others, especially her students, towards self-improvement. The majority of Mary’s career was spent in the middle-school classroom. In addition to being in the classroom, Mary has coached kids in sports and directed plays. During her career she launched dance teams, jump rope teams, weight-loss clubs, a drug-free club, a community health fair, a pet fair, and a self-esteem club, Feeling Good.
Born and raised in Oregon, Mary spent her early years in North Bend. She received her BS and MS degrees from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Her teaching career included assignments in Bandon, Coos Bay, Springfield, and Salem, Oregon; and Caracas, Venezuela. Wherever she has been, helping kids improve their self-esteem has been her number one priority.
Mary enjoys spending time with family and friends, helping her sweetheart build a log cabin, playing the piano, singing karaoke, going to the gym, driving her 1968 VW bug, writing a wellness blog (The Fit Optimist), fishing, traveling, volunteering and playing table tennis. She has also amassed a pretty impressive Pez collection. Mary can be reached at: awesomeworkbook@gmail.com