Molly Wright, a second-grader from Queensland, Australia is an aspiring wildlife warrior, performer, and budding social activist. At the age of seven, she uses the most unusual “weapon” to change the world “” the game of …

Molly and the leading scientists in the field of brain development advise parents and caregivers to serve and return. Like in tennis, but slightly modified: Molly dubs this a “grownup” phrase and prefers to translate it to “” connect, talk, and play with children! That’s all they want! How often should you serve and return? The answer is simple: early and often. The human brain develops faster in our early years than at any other time in our lives, creating up to one million neural connections every second. In order to reach our full potential, says Molly, our healthy development depends on these top five things:

• connecting,
• talking,
• playing,
• a healthy home,
• community.

“Copycat games build imagination and empathy. Naming games build vocabulary and attention. And games like peekabo “” yep, peekaboo “” actually build memory and trust.” 

Molly Wright, TED Talks Ideas Worth Spreading

Molly urges parents to serve and return early and often because “it not only builds and strengthens our relationships and mental health, it actually teaches us some of the most important life skills, from making friends to taking the test, to getting a job, to one day maybe even starting a family of our own.” 

Every moment together is an opportunity to connect, talk and play. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone everywhere did this. To us, the children, it’s so much more than just a game. It’s our future.

The mission of the Novak Djokovic Foundation is to provide every child in Serbia with access to quality early childhood education. Through our programs and projects, we are reshaping today’s system “” and, consequently “” the future of the entire society. Serve and return interaction is a part of our Support, NOT Perfection program that our Foundation is implementing with the aim to empower parents. Thank you for being with us on this mission and for seeing early years as an essential funding priority.

The post Serve and Return: How Every Child can Thrive by Five appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

They foster the pillars of our societies and are therefore the mightiest entity of our lives. For this reason it is paramount that educators believe that the effects of the relationships they have with all students are everlasting and vital in creating a strong generation that is capable of leading us tomorrow.

Students don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.

This quote holds incredible truth and drives the point of the importance of the correlation of relationships and learning. I am a firm believer that any child can learn anything, given the right circumstances. When an environment of respect and encouragement is fostered it is from that ground that learning then takes place and children’s’ minds and worlds expand and grow with confidence.

The teacher as a role model in a child’s life holds the moral responsibilities to not only teach the necessary curriculum but also the necessary qualities of kindness, patience, respect and perseverance.

Relationships change lives. They make the difference between trying and not trying, believing and not believing, achieving and striving or giving up and quitting.

In the service of educating our youth one of the highest honors is earning a child’s trust. It is from that safe place that every child has the confidence and support to work harder, reach higher and dream larger.

An excerpt from Taylor Mali’s infamous poem “What Teachers Make” is a great example of the everlasting significant effect a teacher can have on their students.

I make them spell definitely beautiful definitely beautiful over and over again until they will never misspell either of those words again.

The post Relationships and Civilization appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.