christmas gifts Archives - Novak Djokovic Foundation

Novak Djokovic Foundation’s Caravan of Happiness and Santa Claus deliver New Year’s gifts to children in 12 municipalities in Serbia

NDFAuthors — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

“Where there is joy and happiness, there is greater love” – Ahead of the Christmas holidays, Novak Djokovic Foundation’s Caravan of Happiness decided to make happy 277 children aged 3 to 7, whose families receive social assistance.

Caravan of Happiness is on its way! If you notice these days a traveling house reminiscent of the most beautiful New Year’s card, and you wonder what this could be, let us tell you the secret: Novak Djokovic Foundation and Santa Clause are traveling from town to town sharing New Year’s joy with children in 12 towns. The entire team of the Foundation led by our Global CEO Jelena Djokovic and National Director Maja Kremic, is spreading a good mood and festive spirit. Sing and dance along with us!

About to hug Santa for the first time!

In cooperation with preschool institutions, local municipalities, and Social Welfare Centres, this noble idea brought together a total of 17 socially responsible companies – Foundation’s friends who made their contribution in various donations: toys, board games, books, cosmetics and hygiene products, wardrobe, vehicles, food products, consumables, branding, transport of presents, as well as Santa Claus and his costume.

“Our Foundation is active in all parts of Serbia. We travel a lot and sometimes we don’t spend much time together. This journey was a great opportunity for our team to enjoy the wonderful ambiance, which was easily passed on to people in all towns we visited. Everyone provided us with a warm welcome and we are happy to have brought smiles to children’s faces. On our journey, we reflected on how we felt and how this event affected us, and to what extent this happiness, no matter how short, will affect the lives of these children and their families. We have concluded that every good deed is engraved in time, and we will keep trying to make children in Serbia happy, just like these children today, who saw that there are people outside their micro-community who love them and who are happy to be able to help them. We hope that this event with us, the Santa, and other children would give them an impetus in further development”, said Jelena Djokovic, Co-Founder and Global CEO at Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Jelena Djokovic and Team NDF are grateful for the many friends we met on this journey!

Companies that supported the project: Raspberry Plum Ltd., Integral Technic d.o.o., Jumbo Travel d.o.o., BIG TC, Imperijal d.o.o., Orbico d.o.o., Pertini d.o.o., Transfera d.o.o., Henkel Srbija d.o.o., Endava d.o.o., Clarivate d.o.o., JRJ Publishing House, Aksa d.o.o., ChipsWay d.o.o., employees at Generali osiguranje Srbija d.o.o., Studio Glumionica, and Pepsi Srbija.

Santa and his new friend in front of the Caravan of Happiness!

Currently, the foundation is touring the following municipalities and towns: Nis, Vranje, Pirot, Leskovac, Prokuplje, Kursumlija, Vlasotince, Vladicin Han, Bujanovac, Dimitrovgrad, Bela Palanka, and Doljevac.

Novak Djokovic Foundation traditionally supports children from socially disadvantaged groups during the New Year and Christmas holidays – children in shelters and children’s hospitals, children without parental care, beneficiaries of social assistance, etc. This year, 277 planned presents will grow to nearly 300 and, at least for a short time, improve the lives of these children growing up in a difficult financial situation.

Greetings from Vladicin Han!

In parallel with this project, the Novak Djokovic Foundation is implementing the 2021 Season of Giving campaign as part of which funds are raised for the launch of a new kindergarten in Niš, with the capacity of 100 slots. Support the campaign at fundraise.novakdjokovicfoundation.org.

The post Novak Djokovic Foundation’s Caravan of Happiness and Santa Claus deliver New Year’s gifts to children in 12 municipalities in Serbia appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Novak Djokovic Foundation’s Caravan of Happiness and Santa Claus deliver New Year’s gifts to children in 12 municipalities in Serbia

NDFAuthors — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

About to hug Santa for the first time!

“Our Foundation is active in all parts of Serbia. We travel a lot and sometimes we don’t spend much time together. This journey was a great opportunity for our team to enjoy the wonderful ambiance, which was easily passed on to people in all towns we visited. Everyone provided us with a warm welcome and we are happy to have brought smiles to children’s faces. On our journey, we reflected on how we felt and how this event affected us, and to what extent this happiness, no matter how short, will affect the lives of these children and their families. We have concluded that every good deed is engraved in time, and we will keep trying to make children in Serbia happy, just like these children today, who saw that there are people outside their micro-community who love them and who are happy to be able to help them. We hope that this event with us, the Santa, and other children would give them an impetus in further development”, said Jelena Djokovic, Co-Founder and Global CEO at Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Jelena Djokovic and Team NDF are grateful for the many friends we met on this journey!

Santa and his new friend in front of the Caravan of Happiness!

Greetings from Vladicin Han!

The post Novak Djokovic Foundation’s Caravan of Happiness and Santa Claus deliver New Year’s gifts to children in 12 municipalities in Serbia appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

November reading list for parents

NDFAuthors — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Raising children as it is is challenging enough, but raising them in a society where they are exposed to many negative aspects of modern era surely gives you a headache. Well, for that reason, we decided to compile a list of books that could help you bridge this sensitive period of their growing up and prepare you as a parent to respond to many challenges of parenthood.

Reading lists are pretty common for children of school age. But what about parents? We think we too should be open to learning new things and that’s why every month, we will compile a list of books for that month. The books on this list have been published recently and would certainly be a great gift to yourself but also for your fellow parents, but also a great source of information for you too.

Let us know what you think of them.

1. How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain by Thomas Lickona

We all want kids who choose to be kind, and developmental psychologist Dr. Thomas Lickona makes the point in “How to Raise Kind Kids” that kindness doesn’t exist in a vacuum but happens when kids have other virtues as well, such as gratitude and courage. Using both research and practical tips from other families, Lickona explains how parents can give their kids the tools they need to be not only kind but also happy.

2. Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy by Angela Garbes

A candid, feminist, and personal deep dive into the science and culture of pregnancy and motherhood.

Like most first-time mothers, Angela Garbes was filled with questions when she became pregnant. What exactly is a placenta and how does it function? How does a body go into labor? Why is breast best? Is wine totally off-limits? But as she soon discovered, it’s not easy to find satisfying answers. Your obstetrician will cautiously quote statistics; online sources will scare you with conflicting and often inaccurate data; and even the most trusted books will offer information with a heavy dose of judgment. To educate herself, the food and culture writer embarked on an intensive journey of exploration, diving into the scientific mysteries and cultural attitudes that surround motherhood to find answers to questions that had only previously been given in the form of advice about what women ought to do””rather than allowing them the freedom to choose the right path for themselves.

In Like a Mother, Garbes offers a rigorously researched and compelling look at the physiology, biology, and psychology of pregnancy and motherhood, informed by in-depth reportage and personal experience. With the curiosity of a journalist, the perspective of a feminist, and the intimacy and urgency of a mother, she explores the emerging science behind the pressing questions women have about everything from miscarriage to complicated labors to postpartum changes. The result is a visceral, full-frontal look at what’s really happening during those nine life-altering months, and why women deserve access to better care, support, and information.

Infused with humor and born out of awe, appreciation, and understanding of the female body and its strength, Like a Mother debunks common myths and dated assumptions, offering guidance and camaraderie to women navigating one of the biggest and most profound changes in their lives.

3. The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud PhD and Ned Johnson

Bill is a clinical neuropsychologist who helps kids gripped by anxiety or struggling to learn. Ned is a motivational coach who runs an elite tutoring service. Together they discovered that the best antidote to stress is to give kids more of a sense of control over their lives. But this doesn’t mean giving up your authority as a parent. In this groundbreaking book, they reveal how you can actively help your child to sculpt a brain that is resilient, and ready to take on new challenges.

The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies drawn from the thousands of kids and teens Bill and Ned have helped over the years to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success. As parents, we can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take the wheel and map out their own path. But there is a lot you can do before then to help them tackle the road ahead with resilience and imagination.

4. No more mean girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls by Katie Hurley

Once upon a time, mean girls primarily existed in high school, while elementary school-aged girls spent hours at play and enjoyed friendships without much drama. But in this fast-paced world in which young girls are exposed to negative behaviors on TV and social media from the moment they enter school, they are also becoming caught up in social hierarchies much earlier. No More Mean Girls is a guide for parents to help their young daughters navigate tricky territories such as friendship building, creating an authentic self, standing up for themselves and others, and expressing themselves in a healthy way.

5. Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy, and Fulfilling Lives by Rachel Simmons

For many girls today, the drive to achieve is fueled by brutal self-criticism and an acute fear of failure. Though young women have never been more “successful”-outpacing boys in GPAs and college enrollment-they have also never struggled more. On the surface, girls may seem exceptional, but in reality, they are anxious and overwhelmed, feeling that, no matter how hard they try, they will never be smart enough, successful enough, pretty enough, thin enough, popular enough, or sexy enough.

Deeply empathetic and meticulously researched, Enough As She Is offers a clear understanding of this devastating problem and provides practical parenting advice””including teaching girls self-compassion as an alternative to self-criticism, how to manage overthinking, resist the constant urge to compare themselves to peers, take healthy risks, navigate toxic elements of social media, prioritize self-care, and seek support when they need it. Enough As She Is sounds an alarm to parents and educators, arguing that young women can do more than survive adolescence. They can thrive. Enough As She Is shows us how.

6. The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever —And What to Do About It by Katherine Reynolds Lewis

You’re not alone if your child has misbehaved in public and you felt like everyone was looking at you like it was your fault. But blaming parents isn’t helping, when really the blame should be placed on old ideas of punishments and rewards, according to Katherine Reynolds Lewis in her new book. In “The Good News About Bad Behavior,” she presents a new theory of child discipline that focuses on learning self-control called The Apprentice Method. It includes a lot of empathy, something we wish those Judgey McJudgersons giving us those looks would try out.

If you have already read these books, let us know your comments and how they helped you if at all. If you have other books you’ve read and would like to share, please let us know in the comments below. We will publish the new list next month.

The post November reading list for parents appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

What Toys for Kids You Should Avoid in Stores?

NDFAuthors — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Christmas is almost here and you may still be in need of a toy for your child.

We recently told you the best toys to give your little one (that are safe and will stimulate your child’s development). Now it is time to make yourself aware of the worst toys for your children.

The worst gift you can give

A toy can be bad in a number of ways. It could be inappropriate for the age of the child (for example, small parts on a toy would not be safe for an infant, who could choke) or it could be inappropriate no matter the age of the child (for example, a toy gun). Here are some of the worst types of toys you could give your child:

Toys that do it all… already: Imagination is key for a child’s creative development. Dolls or stuffed animals that talk or sing when a child presses a button take the imagination out of the play situation and are especially unsuitable for children over the age of 18 months. “When a toy is too specific, it’s limiting and it denies the child the ability to use her imagination,” says Vicki Panaccione, PhD, a child psychologist and founder of the Better Parenting Institute.¹
Video games: We live in an electronic age and are lucky enough that some manufacturers have been able to come up with video games that are suitable for a child’s development. But this is not the case for most. Research has suggested that electronic toys pose several possible dangers for a child’s health and development, including hearing loss (from loud games), weight gain (from being inactive), and language and developmental delays.² A study from Temple University showed that toys that do not require a child to take any action except watch promote a passive learning style, which can interfere with learning to think independently. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids under age 2 should not watch TV or play computer games at all and kids over age 2 should have their “screen time” limited to 1-2 hours per day. So if you want your gift to go a long way, a video game is not the gift for your child.

Toy Guns: The most inappropriate gift for a child is a toy gun. With the school shootings and gun violence in our society, the worst idea is for a child to receive a gun as a gift and think it is acceptable. It is important children can recognize the violence with guns in television shows and movies is fake and not imagine themselves doing the same actions with a toy gun.

How to recognize a toy is unsuitable for children

When you are shopping for a toy for your child, unsafe or unsuitable toys often have the following characteristics:³

Do not meet basic safety checks (toys should not chip or emit colors) and do not indicate “suitable for children.”
Promote violence, the practice of unhealthy habits, and discrimination of because of race, culture, gender, etc.
Are impractical and useless.
Are inadequate for the intended child and do not respond to their interests, age or tastes.

Be aware of dangerous toys

In 2010, an estimated 181,500 children were treated in an emergency room for a toy-related injury. Almost half of those injured were children age 4 and under.⁴

Some toys can be a choking hazard or can cause serious eye injuries and vision loss. Dr. Maurice Zadeh, president of the Georgia Optometric Association, says parents should be aware of these warnings:⁵

Avoid toys with sharp or rigid points.
Keep toys meant for older children away from younger children.
Avoid flying toys and projectile-firing toys

Your children will likely be gifted numerous toys this time of year. If they are lucky enough to receive ones that are good for their development, it is still important to only keep a few out at one time. Children given too many toys at one time have a hard time focusing on any one of them completely. Rotate the toys in and out of a toy box or your child’s room and let them fully explore one toy before introducing another.

Staying away from unsafe and inappropriate toys will help your child have a merrier Christmas (and a better future!).

References:

Photo credit: Kalexanderson / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

The post What Toys for Kids You Should Avoid in Stores? appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.