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Every parent wants their child to grow into a confident, self-aware adult who makes good decisions and builds a fulfilling life. But these days, finding meaningful ways to connect with our children and guide their development can feel like an uphill battle. Between school demands, extracurricular activities, and the ever-present glow of screens, quality parent-child time often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list.
What if there were a simple, joyful tradition that could bridge this gap? A tradition that brings families together every Christmas, sparking conversations about values, dreams, and personal growth while creating cherished memories year after year?
All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express by Santa Marty Plas is a unique activity book designed as a 12-year Christmas tradition that serves as one of the most effective self awareness activities for children available today.
This thoughtfully crafted book transforms the holiday season into a powerful opportunity for parent-child bonding and personal development. Using the engaging metaphor of a train journey, it guides children from grade 1 through grade 12 on a progressive path of self-discovery, helping them identify their values, interests, and skills along the way.
Why Parent-Child Communication Matters
1. Understanding Parent-Child Communication
Parent-child communication is the ongoing exchange of thoughts, feelings, and information between parents and their children. It encompasses everything from daily check-ins about school to deeper conversations about values, dreams, and challenges. Effective communication goes beyond mere talking—it involves active listening, empathy, and creating a safe space.
All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express is built on the fundamental belief that communication between parent and child is essential to the growth of a relationship. As Santa Marty Plas writes, “I have concluded that communication between parent and child is essential to the growth of a relationship.”
2. Why the Communication Gap Is Increasing
Today’s families face unprecedented challenges to meaningful communication:
- Digital distraction:Smartphones, tablets, and constant notifications compete for attention
- Busy schedules:Dual-working parents and overscheduled children leave little time for unhurried conversation
- Screen-based entertainment:Family time often means watching separate shows on separate devices
- Declining family meals:Research shows fewer families eat dinner together regularly
- Social media influence:Children increasingly seek validation from peers rather than parents
This book on children self awareness offers a refreshing antidote—a structured yet flexible tradition that carves out dedicated, distraction-free time for families to connect meaningfully.
3. How Communication Builds Trust
Trust is the foundation of any healthy parent-child relationship, and it grows through consistent, honest communication. When children know they can talk to their parents about anything without fear of judgment or punishment, they develop:
- Emotional security:Confidence that their feelings matter
- Problem-solving skills:Willingness to seek guidance when facing challenges
- Resilience:Ability to bounce back from setbacks with parental support
- Authenticity:Comfort in being their true selves
This book’s activity creates a judgment-free zone where children explore their values, interests, and skills openly. Parents participate as guides rather than critics, reinforcing trust through supportive engagement.
4. The Importance of Emotional Connection
Emotional connection—that deep bond that makes children feel understood and cherished—is perhaps the most valuable outcome of effective parent-child communication. This connection:
- Strengthens mental health:Connected children have lower rates of anxiety and depression
- Improves academic performance:Emotional security supports cognitive development
- Reduces risky behavior:Strong bonds protect against substance abuse and other dangers
- Builds lifelong relationships:Children learn healthy relationship patterns from their parents
Santa Marty Plas understood this when he designed his book as a “Your Gift for Christmas” activity—positioning it not as an obligation but as a cherished gift of time and attention.
5. Why Parents Remain Lifelong Mentors
Teachers, coaches, and friends come and go, but parents are the one constant from birth to graduation. This is why the best awareness children book recognizes parents as the “engine” of the train—the steady force guiding their child’s journey. As Santa Marty Plas puts it: “Parents are the only connection from birth to graduation in the education process that never changes.”
Parents Are the Engine Behind Every Child’s Journey
1. Why Parents Are the Engine
The train metaphor in All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express is deliberately chosen. Like all trains, Santa’s Express is pulled by an engine—and that engine is powered by parents and family members. This positioning is significant because it acknowledges:
- Consistency:Parents remain constant while teachers and schools are “yearly adjustments”
- Unconditional love:Unlike other relationships, parental love isn’t dependent on performance
- Foundational influence:Values formed in childhood shape adult decision-making
- Long-term perspective:Parents see the big picture of their child’s development
These self awareness activities for children work because they acknowledge the parent’s central role while gradually transferring ownership to the child.
2. Why Schools Cannot Replace Parents
Schools play a vital role in education, but they cannot replicate the intimate, personalized guidance of parents. Consider these limitations:
| Schools Provide | Parents Provide |
| Academic instruction | Moral and values education |
| Socialization with peers | Individualized emotional support |
| Structured learning environment | Unstructured discovery time |
| Professional expertise | Personal connection and history |
As Santa Marty Plas notes, “The dependence on education to maximize the potential of a child for their future cannot be achieved without the influence of their life outside the classroom and in the home.”
3. Guidance vs. Control
Parenting requires balancing guidance with control. This book emphasizes guidance—asking questions and supporting decisions—over controlling through rigid rules. The book’s structure gradually shifts responsibility to children, making these self awareness activities for children a powerful tool for building independence.
4. Building Confidence Through Connection
Confidence grows when children feel capable and valued. The book’s tradition builds confidence through:
- Positive reinforcement:The activity focuses on strengths and achievements
- Discovery orientation:Children uncover what they love and what they’re good at
- Consistent tracking:Seeing growth year over year reinforces progress
- Celebration:The book is designed to be shared at graduation parties
- Community input:Others contribute, giving the activity “credibility and legitimacy”
5. Helping Children Become Independent
The ultimate goal of parenting is to raise independent adults who can thrive on their own. The train journey metaphor captures this beautifully:
- Cars 1-5:Fun and positive self-discovery with parental support
- Car 6:Independence begins—students take ownership
- Cars 7-11:Growing autonomy with periodic parent review
- Caboose (grade 12):The end of the line—complete independence
Santa Marty Plas emphasizes this trajectory: “The further from the engine a child gets, the more independent they should become in completing the activity. The sooner they take ownership of the train, the better.”
Helping Children Discover Their Values, Interests, and Skills
What Do You Love? (Values)
Values are the principles that guide our decisions and define what matters most to us. In All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express, values are explored through the question: “What do you love?” Sample value areas explored:
- Family traditions and favorite activities
- People, places, and experiences
- Church involvement and spiritual life
- Jobs and financial decisions
When children articulate their values from a young age, they develop:
- Choose friendships wisely
- Make ethical decisions
- Prioritize what truly matters
- Navigate peer pressure
For a deeper look and understanding, visit our blog “Kids Values Activities: Why Knowing What Your Child Loves Matters More Than Grades.”
What Do You Enjoy? (Interests)
Interests are the activities, subjects, and experiences that naturally engage and excite us. They’re explored through “What do you like to do?” Interest categories include:
- Clubs and programs
- Sports and physical activities
- Hobbies and creative pursuits
- Favorite books and magazines
- Volunteer activities
Interests are the fuel for motivation. When children pursue their interests, they develop:
- Intrinsic motivation:Doing things because they enjoy them, not for external rewards
- Flow experiences:Deep engagement that builds skills and satisfaction
- Authentic self-expression:Discovering who they truly are
Interested in this topic? Read our blog “Kids Interest Activities That Help Children Discover What They Enjoy.”
What Are You Good At? (Skills)
Skills are the competencies and talents children develop through practice and experience. They’re explored through “What are you good at doing?” Skill areas include:
- Academic achievement (A/B average subjects)
- Honor roll and merit roll recognition
- Individual sports accomplishments
- Unique social events and projects
- Hands-on projects
Skills build competence and confidence. When children identify their strengths, they can:
- Choose educational paths that play to their strengths
- Build careers that utilize their natural talents
- Develop self-esteem through demonstrated competence
Why Self-Awareness Should Start in Childhood
Self-awareness—understanding one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—is foundational to lifelong success. Starting self awareness activities for children early delivers academic, social, career, and life benefits. Children learn their learning preferences, build stronger friendships, explore careers sooner, and develop greater resilience. Santa Marty Plas captures the goal perfectly: teaching children the significance of self-discovery “in preparation for their independence.” The book’s holistic approach—addressing values, interests, and skills simultaneously—provides a comprehensive framework that evolves with children over 12 crucial years, setting them up for authentic relationships, clearer purpose, and better mental health.
Preparing Children for Every Stage of School Life
1. The Elementary Years (Grades 1-5)
The first five years of this activity should focus on fun and developing a positive self-concept. During these formative years:
What Parents Should Do:
- Make the activity enjoyable, not stressful
- Provide lots of support and encouragement
- Help children articulate their thoughts
- Focus on what makes each child unique
What Children Learn:
- Basic self-awareness and vocabulary for feelings
- Recognition of what they enjoy
- Identification of early talents
- Appreciation of their uniqueness
As the book emphasizes, “Each Christmas, your child will be a year older and a grade higher. It is important that you teach them the significance of this change. They are not the same person they were last Christmas. (They have changed train cars).”
2. The Middle School Years (Grades 6-8)
These years are described as preparation for high school—”the foundation to success.” According to Santa Marty Plas, “The high school would not teach the basics, and whatever their skills were would determine how difficult the next four years would be!”
Key Middle School Focus:
- Parents should “partner with outside sources for ASSISTANCE”
- These sources include family, friends, teachers, and activity contacts
- Children should become independent in completing the activity by grade six
3. The High School Years (Grades 9-12)
The book’s philosophy offers encouraging news: “The Good News for all children entering high school is the fresh start.”
Why High School Matters More:
- Everyone cares about grades, attendance, and discipline records
- Employers, colleges, post-secondary programs, and athletic coaches all pay attention
- This is the “caboose”—the end of the line before independence
The Big Picture:
“The entire premise of this activity is readiness for the moment when neither parent nor government forces them to school. The choices are all theirs once they get off the caboose.”
4. The Graduation Celebration
Santa Marty Plas created this special activity “to be featured at every graduation celebration alongside the graduates’ photos and documentation of academic accomplishments.” This “delightful memento” is “intended to be taken out each Christmas with the decorations and shared with loved ones.”
This makes All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express more than just a book about children self awareness—it becomes a family heirloom documenting a child’s growth over 12 precious years.
Helping Children Make Better Life Decisions
The Three-Load Framework
There are three loads (Values-Interests-Skills) in every railroad car in the book. When combining these three loads in employment decisions, three powerful things happen:
- Motivation:Because you’re interested in it, you’ll be motivated to be there
- Advancement:If you’re skilled at doing the job, you’ll increase your chances of promotion and pay
- Longevity:Implementing values inside and outside the workday promotes the longevity needed to retire
This framework, developed originally for eighth graders in Ohio school districts, helps children understand that fulfilling work requires alignment of these three elements.
Career Readiness
The book emphasizes three reasons why students need to be proactive in seeking future employment:
- Competition:“Candidates should be ready to compete for any job or career, as demand typically exceeds available positions”
- Timeliness:“Delaying action may result in opportunities being secured by others ahead of you”
- Preparation:“Timely decision-making enables more effective preparation for achieving your goals”
The “Who Are You?” Connection
The activity was created from a program titled “Who Are You?” from the song by The Who. In that program, students explored values, interests, and skills through the presentation domains:
- Values(What you love)
- Interests(What you like to do)
- Skills(What you’re good at)
Integrating these three domains “into the decision-making process fosters both personal fulfillment and career success.”
Long-Term Benefits of Parent-Child Communication
Building a 12-Year Tradition
The genius of All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express is its longevity. One-time self-awareness activities are helpful, but a 12-year tradition creates:
Consistency:
- Children develop the habit of self-reflection
- Annual check-ins track growth and change
- Patterns emerge over time
Continuity:
- The activity adapts as the child matures
- Earlier insights inform later exploration
- A complete picture of development emerges
Connection:
- The activity brings families together every Christmas
- Shared memories accumulate over more than a decade
- Bonding deepens through shared tradition
The Graduation Payoff
Imagine the impact of opening this book at your child’s graduation party. Inside, you’ll find:
- 12 years of documented growth
- Shifting values, evolving interests, and developing skills
- Favorite teachers remembered
- Strengths and weaknesses tracked
- A complete picture of a child becoming an adult
Santa Marty Plas notes this is “promoting self-awareness, enthusiasm, and essential life skills.”
Conclusion
All Aboard Santa’s Futuristic Express by Santa Marty Plas offers a meaningful tradition that grows with your child, bringing families together year after year around the questions that matter most: What do you love? What do you enjoy? What are you good at?
This exceptional book on children self awareness transforms the holiday season into a powerful opportunity for parent-child bonding and personal growth. By treating the activity as “Your Gift for Christmas,” the author has created a resource that families will treasure for generations.
Whether you’re a parent seeking meaningful self awareness activities for children, an educator supporting student development, or a grandparent wanting lasting family traditions, this book deserves a place in your home. It’s more than just a best awareness children book—it’s a 12-year journey of discovery, connection, and growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the activity work?
Each year during Christmas break, children complete a page for their grade level, answering questions about what they love, enjoy, and are good at. Parents review and store the results with Christmas decorations.
What are the three core domains explored?
Values (What do you love?), Interests (What do you like to do?), and Skills (What are you good at doing?).
Can changes be made after completion?
No. Once the Christmas break ends, no changes can be made to the completed activity.
