How To Raise An American

Welcome

Do you love America?
Do you stand with your hand over your heart when the national anthem is played? Do your eyes well up when you see Old Glory flying over our nation’s capitol? Are you proud to call this country your home? Now what about your kids? You want them to love America as much as you do, but when popular culture tells them it’s cooler to hate this country than to love it, how can you teach them to be responsible and loyal citizens?

As mothers, we---editor and author Myrna Blyth and former presidential speechwriter Chriss Winston--- have struggled with the same dilemma. Shocked by the growing patriotism gap, we set out to create a real-world resource any parent can use to teach their kids about the greatness of America’s past, the promise of her future, and the important role each of us plays in this democracy. Without becoming a project for you or a chore for your kids, our book How to Raise an American shows you how to make patriotism a priority. This practical guide along with this Web site offers tips, games, activities, quizzes, and information you can use to integrate patriotism into your family’s daily life. 
Read How to Raise an American, visit this Web site for updates, news and ways to share your own ideas. 

Together we can raise kids who will be proud to say “I am an American!”   

Fox & Friends

Myrna was featured on Fox News Channel this morning talking about her book, "How to Raise An American."

Check Out Blyth Times

Check out Myrna's new blog  Blyth Times for her daily commentary on women and the world.   

What's Wrong with this Picture? Nothing!

In one of America's most popular high school texts books today, the Disco Generation got 200 words.  Steven Spielberg got more than 400 words and the topic of Nicaraugua and the Iran Contra scandal got more than a 1000 words.   The American space program, one of our country's most inspiring and wonderful stories for children, got a whopping 78 words. 

Band of Brothers

Based on the bestseller by Stephen E. Ambrose, the epic 10-part miniseries Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. Drawn from interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' journals and letters, Band of Brothers chronicles the experiences of these men who knew extraordinary bravery and extraordinary fear. They were an elite rifle company parachuting into France early on D-Day morning, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and capturing Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. They were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties, and whose lives became legend.

Alex Haley's Queen

There are two sides to every story, the saying goes. For Alex Haley, one side was roots, the towering chronicle tracing severn generations of his mother's family. The othe side comes to the screen in Alex Haley's Queen, the remarkable history of a paternal side of the author's family. David L. Wolper (Roots, The Thorn Birds) is the executive producer of this acclaimed adaption of the story Haley was working on when he died. Halle Berry plays Queen, daughter of a slave (Jasmine Guy) and a plantation owner (Tim Daly). During the turbulent decades of the antebellum South, the Civil war, Reconstruction and beyond, she searches for a home in the two cultures of her heritage - and at times is shunned by both. Rejection and hate are no match for her unconquerable will, however. Ann-Margret, Danny Glover, and Ossie Davis are among the many stars of this poingnant, uplifting final chapter of the Haley legacy.

Tip of the Day: “Breaking Away”

Have an All-American movie night, complete with popcorn, at least, a couple of times a month.  A very American movie that the whole family will want to curl up and watch, “Breaking Away” takes place in Bloomington, Indiana, the hometown of the University of Indiana.  It is about kids and parents, the problems of growing up and ends with a great bike race that will have everyone cheering. 

Dinner Table Debate: When Do You Feel Most American ?

A couple years ago, the radio show Morning Edition asked its listeners to describe when they “felt most American.”.  One listener said it was when she rode the New York City subway, seeing the “melting pot” of America. Another said it was when she watched the one-block-long bike parade to celebrate Flag Day in her Illinois home town, a place so small it doesn’t even have a real main street.  What about your family?  What makes them feel American? 

Is it when they learn about a past American achievement?
When they read about the courage of our military? 
Maybe it’s a patriotic holiday that brings out their American spirit? 
Or when your teenage daughter  hits the shopping mall,  does she make a connection between the endless shelves filled with products and America’s unrivaled economic system?   

Then ask them: Do they think it is important to feel American?
Do most of their friends “feel American"?
Even ask them what makes them feel “un-American.”  You may be surprised by their answers.  They might be, too.

Tip of the Day: Family Vacation

Plan a family vacation to the mother lode of historic sites: Washington DC.  Places not to miss include the Washington Monument and the major memorials including Lincoln, Jefferson, World War II, Vietnam.  Don’t forget the National Archives, the Smithsonian, especially the Air and Space Museum, the Library of Congress, the White House and the Mint.  Kids also love the Newseum, the Spy Museum and Ford’s Theater.  Nearby is Arlington  Cemetery and George Washington’s Mt. Vernon.   Kids usually leave asking, “When do we come back?”

The Alamo

In 1836 General Santa Anna and the Mexican army is sweeping across Texas. To be able to stop him, General Sam Huston needs time to get his main force into shape. To buy that time he orders Colonel William Travis to defend a small mission on the Mexicans' route at all costs. Travis' small troop is swelled by groups accompanying Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, but as the situation becomes ever more desperate Travis makes it clear there will be no shame if they leave while they can.

Tip of the Day: Hometown Flag

Learn about your own home town’s government.  Take your kids--along with a couple of their friends for a tour of City Hall.    If you call ahead, and the group is large enough, you may get a special tour by an elected official and even a chance to meet the Mayor or Town Manager.    Have the kids say thank-you by designing a flag for the town.  They can find out how on www.nava.org.   Bet the local paper would write a story about the visit and publish a picture of the flag they create.