Lessons for My Daughters with Carmin Caterina | GratitudeSpace

Exclusive Interview

Lessons forMy Daughters

with Carmin Caterina

Interview by Chris Palmore

Carmin Caterina is the founder of Lessons for My Daughters. Driven by her own challenging childhood and her experiences in the New York City educational system—as both a student and an educator—she created a girls’ empowerment program centered on confidence, self-respect, and purposeful growth.

In this conversation, Carmin shares why gratitude sits at the heart of her work, how the love of her nonna helped her persevere, and why girls need people who remind them of their magic, power, and wisdom.

What does being grateful mean to you?

To me, being grateful means living from your heart, being present, and seeing the beauty in what is.

“Being grateful means living from your heart, being present, and seeing the beauty in what is.”

Right now, in this moment, what are three things you are grateful for?

My life.
My daughters.
My strength and resilience.

Carmin Caterina with her daughters at a Lessons for My Daughters event

Who is the first person who comes to mind when you hear, “Someone in my life that I’m grateful for, and why?”

My nonna, because her love is what helped me persevere, and her love is the reason I’ve kept going.

What is your morning routine like?

Feeling grateful for the day. Green juice. Yoga.

Two girls sharing a message that says you are beautiful—pass it on

What inspired you to create Lessons for My Daughters?

Working in New York City schools for many years had me feeling like something was missing in education: the humanistic side and connecting with students at the heart level. I felt that kids—especially girls—needed someone who could not only relate to them, but also remind them of their magic, power, and wisdom.

Participants gathered at a Lessons for My Daughters workshop

What were some of the obstacles you faced while launching your workshops?

Funding. Many schools don’t set aside the money needed for additional programs because they are either struggling or perhaps don’t realize the value of a program like ours.

How is gratitude part of your workshops?

Gratitude is the underlying theme throughout our entire series. It’s one of the first things we discuss. The girls are gifted a gratitude journal on the first day, and we begin each session by sharing our gratitudes. They’re also encouraged to write their gratitudes daily.

Lessons for My Daughters gratitude journals reading begin each day with a grateful heart

Along your journey creating Lessons for My Daughters, did you find any organizations, sites, apps, or bloggers you would recommend?

There are so many people doing incredible things for girls, such as The Love Group, Girls Inc., The Hancock Family Foundation, and Beautiful Me. I could go on and on.

At the time of this interview, what upcoming events or projects were you working on?

We had a mother-daughter event celebrating the New Year planned for January 12 in Smithtown, along with our full series beginning in January in Hicksville on Saturdays and Brooklyn on Mondays.

In closing, what suggestions can you give our readers to help them incorporate gratitude into their daily lives?

The thing that has truly transformed my life is keeping a gratitude journal where you write down three things you are thankful for every day that are novel to that day. Be specific and watch the magic unfold.

I’ve also incorporated a gratitude jar in our home. We use it to write down something whenever we are feeling particularly grateful, and we encourage our guests to join in. Then we read them all on New Year’s Day.

“Be specific and watch the magic unfold.”

Carmin Caterina standing near the Brooklyn Bridge

Connect with Carmin

carmincaterina.com Instagram Facebook X LinkedIn Pinterest

INTERVIEW

Lessons forMy Daughters

What does being grateful mean to you?

Right now, in this moment, what are three things you are grateful for?

Who is the first person who comes to mind when you hear, “Someone in my life that I’m grateful for, and why?”

What is your morning routine like?

What inspired you to create Lessons for My Daughters?

Connect with Carmin

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