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Chelsea Clinton‘s kids may still be little, but she’s already raising them to be agents for change and to stand up to bullies — lessons she has outlined in her new children’s bookStart Now!: You Can Make a Difference.
“I found books really empowering as a kid and hope that this book helps empower kids today,” the former first daughter, 38, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. She shares sonAidan, 2, and daughter Charlotte, 4, with husbandMarc Mezvinsky.
“[My kids] love being read to and talking about what they’re reading in books,” she explains. “Particularly for young readers, books are not only a way to help break down and communicate ideas [but] stories of real empowerment.”
Start Now!, released this month, is Clinton’s fourth children’s book and gives young readers a better understanding of big issues like hunger, health, bullying, climate change and endangered species. Written for kids 7 to 10 years old, the book also shares tipsand true stories about activismto inspire readers to make their own impact.
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Chelsea Clinton book signing
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While Charlotte and Aidan won’t be able to read her new book for a few years, that hasn’t stopped Clinton from teaching her kids about the issues she cares about.
“My children are still relatively small. They’re 2 and 4. My daughter turned 4 last week and yet they are people,” the Vice Chair of theClinton Foundationsays. “So we talk to them and engage them in issues and in ways that help make the world the way we want it to be. We talk about climate change and using energy responsibly.”
Clinton continues, “We do it at home with our climate-smart light bulbs, or making sure we turn off water when we’re not using itso we’re conserving water. Our kids help us carry out the recycling.”
Source: Chelsea Clinton/Twitter
Chelsea Clinton and daughter Charlotte
Another problem Clinton wants to confront is the pervasiveness of bullying. While preparing for the book, she spoke to children who raised concerns about the issue.
“One thing that really struck me was how often I was asked about bullying,” she says. “Many kids brought up bullying and what [they can] do to stand up tobullying, how can they supporttheir friends who have been bullied, what can they do to prevent bullying.”
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Chelsea Clinton at the Pirate and Princess: Power of Doing Good Tour in 2014
As a result, in the book, she outlines steps to deal with bullying. They’re the same techniques she has used whileresponding to trolls on social media.
“Good morning Roseanne — my given middle name is Victoria,” Clintontweeted in response. “I imagine George Soros’s nephews are lovely people. I’m just not married to one. I am grateful for the important work @OpenSociety does in the world. Have a great day!”
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She also had a response for Twitter user @Jae4GoColts, who wrote she looked like a donkey,according to Yahoo.com. (His tweet is no longer available.)
Clinton hopes her children will learn from the kindness she extends to these individuals.
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She adds, “I choose to believe that all of us can be better and that if wetreat each other with kindnesshopefully, over time, kindness begets kindness.”
Clinton wroteStart Now!with these values in mind,and wants to inspire her kidsand others to be activists — no matter their age.
“We talk about protecting the environment or we talk about healthy eating habits, protecting ourselves, being kind and protecting our community,” Clinton says about the discussions she has with her own children. “Hopefully these early conversations help us have more detailed, nuanced conversations over time.”
Start Now!: You Can Make a Differenceis available for purchase now onamazon.com.
source: people.com
