Before I begin, let me state for the record that I neither advocate for nor tacitly endorse the lying to or manipulating of children. I firmly believe this is a violation of their personal dignity, and that parents who do
Summer Veggies
Rein in the Chaos: Toys
The topic of organizing our kids’ million and one toys seems to come up constantly in my Instagram mom chats, so I thought I’d take today to share a few thoughts on the subject. First, you should know that I
Everything is Washable
The more independent my preschooler becomes, the more I actively try to step out of his way and let him spread his wings. He has a naturally cautious temperament and is not one to dive into new situations. This summer,
Travelling with Littles: Fostering Independence
We’ve recently returned from our first major trip with our kids, and now that we’re home, I can safely call it a success. There is plenty of advice out there on how to entertain your kids on an airplane. Some
Independence Day
Happy 4th of July! I hope you and your children are spending some time running free today! My husband and I recently took our boys to Olympic National Park, and I had the immense joy of watching them play outside
If You Don’t Have It, Make It: Woodshop Edition
While we are a far cry from homesteaders, we would like to instill in our children some sense of self-reliance. Rather than run out to the store and buy every little thing, if it’s at all possible for us to
Is Your Home Schooled Kid a Nerd?
Good. Maybe when he grows up, he’ll have a job instead of sitting in your basement eating bonbons and playing Xbox. Keep up the good work!! In all seriousness, I have taught for twelve years and had countless conversations with
How To Survive Having a Toddler
So you woke up one morning to realize your adorable, cuddly little bundle of an infant had been replaced by a raging tornado of chaos? Congratulations. You now have a toddler. Don’t panic. I am on my second toddler now,
Fair Play
I was playing backgammon (or tavloo, as the Armenians call it) with my three-year-old last night. This game is excellent practice for math skills like counting pips, number sense (reading a group of dots on a die without counting them),
Chalk It Up
More handwriting practice today! My three-year-old has really been into the Reading 1A trial course from the Ron Paul Curriculum. He has only watched the first three videos, but he’s watched each of them several times over the past five