【推荐2】I had been off work for twelve weeks after the birth of our second child. You might think that maternity leave (产假) would be about the new baby, and for the first few weeks that was probably the case. But my maternity leave turned into a magical vacation with my three-year-old.

Every week we tried to go on a special trip that would create memories for us. But the daily activities, such as trips to the store and after-dinner walks, were what made the days so special. Who would have realized the beauty of the moment when that small hand reached unconsciously (无意识地) up for yours? And also the pride you felt as you got to see the growth of your child’s mind.

The last week that I was off, I had been trying to help prepare her, and myself for the end of my leave. I would mention that I would be going to work and she would get to stay with Daddy. Sometimes she would ask why I had to return to work. I said that I needed to earn money to pay for the house and the car and food.

Today, we were headed to the grocery store. Part of our store ritual (习惯) was to take a little change with us to buy a lemonade (柠檬味汽水) to share.

As she was climbing into the car to go, she found a quarter on the floor and shouted excitedly, “Oh, I will buy a house and car with it.”

I was surprised and asked, “Why?”

She stated, “So you don’t have to go back to work, Mommy.”

She was quiet on the way to the store. So was I. When we got there, I collected a second quarter from the car and handed it to her for our lemonade. She fed the quarter I had given her into the machine, but kept the one she had found clenched (攥住) in her hand.

I explained to her that we didn’t have enough money to buy a lemonade without the other quarter. But she wouldn’t give up that quarter. And she was perfectly cheerful not having her special treat that day because the quarter she had found had a higher purpose.

【推荐3】Many parents have had challenging conversations with their children．There's one more to add to the list- climate change．    1     But the most important thing parents can give them is hope：there are solutions，and everyone has something to contribute no matter what their ages are．Here are tips that will help parents have a positive climate conversation with their children．

Start by listening．    2     They first learn about climate change in the school，online or from their friends．By taking time to understand how children feel about climate change，parents can help them figure out how they can be part of the solution．

    3    Being a parent is tough and the to-do list never seems to end．The good news is talking about climate change doesn' t have to be complicated．There are many websites parents can turn to for help．Continuing to learn more about climate change can prepare parents themselves to answer kids' questions．

Connect with nature．Encouraging kids to play outside helps them appreciate the outdoors．A study conducted a few years ago found that kids who play outdoors are more likely to be interested in protecting nature．    4    Research suggests that kids who interact with nature are more likely to be in good health．

Encourage kids to act．Most kids know that climate change is happening，but they might not know what they can do to fix it．Often，what holds them back from acting is a lack of efficacy（效力）：they are not convinced that they can make a difference．So build children's efficacy by looking for examples of people，especially kids who are making a difference．    5    

【推荐2】I always wanted to be a firefighter. It seemed exciting to me. I like to be outside, lift heavy things and sleep on the ground!

In college, I got a job with the forest service. My first week on the job, they asked if I wanted to get my red card (training for forest fires). I said yes!

The training was a week long. I learned about the different types of fire crews (工作人员) and I remember the instructor saying hotshots were the top dogs. He said they had the most difficult and dangerous job and that you had to really prove yourself in order to be a hotshot. I was sold. I didn’t want to do anything else!

However, hotshot crews don’t hire (雇佣) people without fire experience. I returned home from training to Logan where the Logan Hotshots are based. I walked in and told the boss I wanted to be a hotshot and they should keep me in mind if they needed anyone.

The very next day I got a note saying the Hotshots were looking for me! A woman on their crew got injured and they needed a replacement... they were headed to a fire that day. They thought of me because I had just been there the day before.

We arrived at the fire near Provo, Utah at about 10 p.m. that night. We ended up working 40 hours, digging fire lines. I think I fell asleep standing up against my tool at one point.

My feet were covered in blisters (水泡) and the helicopter that was supposed to pick us up at the top of the mountain broke down and we had to walk miles!

To my delight, the crew liked me and hired me after that. I also met my husband that night! How cool is that!