5 (More) Tips for Sorting Out Screen Time
I hope yesterday’s post gave you some good food for thought around your family’s screen time and steps you can take to get more in charge of it! Here is the second part of my list: Do real work in the presence of your children. Real work is this: washing dishes, sweeping the kitchen, folding laundry,…
5 Tips for Sorting Out Screen Time
I just returned from a great weekend at Moharimet Elementary School in New Hampshire where we explored screen time from several different angles. After exploring screens through the lens of what our children are not doing when they are doing screen time (likely, not getting bored, not engaging in deep play and not wondering –…
The Evening Walk
It always begins the same way: a small voice insisting “This way!” often accompanied by a firm pull of the hand. Even if I wanted to, it would be hard to say no to my regular evening walks with my two-year-old son. Because this is no ordinary walk – it’s to a bridge that runs…
Simple Toys Make Smarter Kids
My family of 3 just did a totally awesome happy dance as we all celebrated baby’s first year of life. The fastest year ever. Each month, as he grew, our world was rocked. “Wow, he knows me! He’s babbling, that’s crazy! Banging blocks together? He’s a genius!” And let’s not even discuss those first steps……
Passing Our Own Limitations Down to Our Children
It took me three attempts to get my driver’s license. I knew how to drive. I had zero mistakes in my theoretical exam. And yet, three times. The reason? Fear. Plain old fear. I’m a rather cautious person to begin with. I’m afraid to do something wrong, even more so when I was a teenager.…
How to Cut Yourself Some Slack
On Sunday, I posted on my personal Facebook page that we had just got through a couple of meltdowns and that although I’m generally pretty calm, I’m not always. And sometimes I react. I raise my voice. I get frustrated. Now, part of me felt very vulnerable sharing. I didn’t want to be judged. I didn’t want…
Disneyland, Harlem Globetrotters and Simple Everydays
“In the tapestry of childhood, what stands out is not the splashy, blow-out trips to Disneyland, but the common threads that run throughout and repeat: the family dinners, nature walks, reading together at bedtime, Saturday morning pancakes.” ― Kim John Payne This afternoon my family – husband, two children and visiting grandparents – will be…
Four Ways to Connect with Storytelling
Want to try storytelling with your children? Not quite sure how to start? This list of story ideas comes from Franziska Macur, Simplicity Parenting Coach, author, and advocate for using stories to connect with and guide children. Franzkisa was asked for tips to help new storytellers as the venture out in their first stories with…
The World is Good
“The world is good” is a popular phrase in my house. My husband and I often say this to our children amidst the goodnights and I love you’s before bed; I say it to myself when figuring out how I want to phrase things for my boys, and my husband and I use it…
The Magic of Anticipation
“The pleasure isn’t in doing the thing, the pleasure is in planning it.” ― John Green, Paper Towns I love Advent. It’s my favorite time of the year. It’s not only a time that is filled with the delicious smell of cookies, crisp air, and lots of song, but it’s also a time of…