So your kid wants to be President…

Fraboom Expert Victoria

As a live event presenter at Fraboom it always amazes me to see the impact I can have on your kids. One of the best moments I ever had as a presenter was during our holiday themed class called “Get Your Wish On”. It was actually a day or two after Christmas and I’d been playing the very cheery part of Santa’s Elf Dr. Sylvia Spark, for about two months. Now that Christmas had come and gone, well, let’s just say my “merry tank” was running on fumes. In an attempt to fill the last few minutes of a class I asked the kids to send me a chat message telling me the name of their favorite stuffed animal. I got a chat from one of the girls in class: Santa brought me a Build-a-Bear and I named her Sylvia Spark after YOU! I love you, Sylvia!

At first glance, this is your normal amount of cuteness, but then I thought about the teddy bear I got for Christmas when I was eleven. I was afraid of the dark so I named him Samson; being named after someone super strong made him strong enough to keep all of the dark and creeping things at bay. I slept with him every night. Suddenly the thought that one of the kids I was talking to said that she loved me and actually named her furry friend after me was almost overwhelming. That I could be an integral part of a childhood, of possibly dozens of childhoods, is certainly humbling and incredibly gratifying.

At this time we host a class called “Train Your Brain” which is an academic game show...kind of like a crazy Jeopardy for kids. In this class the presenters get a lot of freedom to interact with the kids based on our personal strengths. For me, that’s the chat box! When deciding what to do with kids in class, I love to ask contestant questions like what’s your favorite breakfast food? Or if you could be different kinds of bugs, what would kind of bugs would you choose and why? But the best question I have ever asked, by far,  is what do you want to be when you grow up? Not only do I get an answer from every single kid, but they blow me away every time with the diversification of thoughtful answers. Ashley wants to be a lawyer, Jordan wants to be a scientist, Coda wants to be the president, and--just like when I was a kid--there’s almost always a dolphin trainer in the bunch.

Your kids have big dreams and, for that moment, I get to be their cheerleader! I get to be one of the voices saying, “Yes! Do it! I know you’re smart enough, creative enough, or brave enough!” And then we continue with our class where we test their geography skills, their improv skills, their bow hunting skills--just kidding… well mostly. I actually get to help them become smarter, more creative, and brave!

I’ve learned that words are powerful. One word...one moment of encouragement can change a life forever. I don’t take that responsibility lightly and I try to use my time with kids to make a difference.

            So, when all is said and done, how do I, the Fraboom live event presenter, impact your kids? I tell them they’re awesome. Over and over and over, just to make sure they think so too. And that, my friends, is a pretty great 9-5.

So, Mommas and Papas, here’s your very own Contestant Question! If there was one area you could see your kids being encouraged in, what would it be? Their creative ideas? Their science smarts? Those bow hunting skills? Leave me a comment and let me know!