Advice & Encouragement from Experienced Homeschool Parent Kate Rader
While many schools are struggling to figure out how (and how often) to offer virtual classes, kids have more free time now that both school and extracurricular activities are cancelled. And they’re home with us all the time. In Sara’s and my conversation with experienced homeschool parent, Kate Rader, she shared some encouragement and resources.…
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Advice & Encouragement During COVID-19: Bringing Camp Home with Ariella Rogge
Long-time camp director Ariella Rogge of Sanborn Western Camps has a TON of amazing ideas for activities we can do to encourage our kids to explore nature. She also shares connection tips families can use to stay close during COVID-19. Watch our Chat L Links to Instructions & Downloads for Activities we Discussed NATURE NUGGETS…
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Parenting & Staying Positive during the COVID-19 Crisis
Below is the link to my interview on the Happier in Hollywood with hosts Liz Craft & Sarah Fain. Our conversation was recorded (remotely) on Thursday, March 19, 2020 and aired on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Happier in Hollywood Bonus Episode: Parenting And Staying Positive During The Covid-19 Crisis In the last two weeks, our…
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Creative Learning Ideas for Younger Kids to do at Home
One of the Camp Directors at my camp, Alison, is a former 6th grade teacher. She never wanted to homeschool her own two children (Greta, age 4 & Ellie, age 7), now finds herself in the role of homeschool parent. She has some helpful insights and ideas for keeping her girls busy and doing some…
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Daily Activities Checklist
Advice & Encouragement for Parents of High Schoolers Modify Gretchen’s Daily Activities Checklist (Google Doc) Use for yourself and/0r your kids. We recommend having your kids create their own! Step 1: Open this Google Doc file Step 2: Make a copy: Go into “File” and click on “Make a Copy.” Step 3: Add or delete…
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Kids are more capable than we think they are.
Managing your own belongings is one of many skills a responsible human adult needs. Even small humans can learn to be responsible for their own belongings. In order to allow kids to learn new skills, adults need to remember to give them small responsibilities and lots of guidance starting at an early age. We also…
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How to Respond to Bad Behavior
Bad behavior from other people is an inevitable part of life. While we would love to protect our kids from every mean comment or action by another person, that is impossible. What we can – and must – do is help our kids learn how to respond appropriately to bad behavior. That’s a life skill…
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Giving Kids Our Full Attention
Rapport feels good, generating the harmonious glow of being simpatico, a sense of friendliness where each person feels the other’s warmth, understanding, and genuineness. These mutual feelings likely strengthen the bonds between them, no matter how temporary. -Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence: The Revolutionary New Science of Human Relationships After conducting research on children’s social skills…
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The Best Gifts for Kids
The best thing you can give your children, next to good habits, are good memories. -Sydney Harris Most tangible, material gifts we give our children are outdated, broken, lost, or unused within months of the gifting. I (and my kids) can hardly remember what the gifts from past years were. Like most parents, I realize there…
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5 Simple Year-End Reflection Activities
The end of one year and beginning of the next offers a unique opportunity to both reflect back and plan ahead. Because I’ve been a journaler and list-maker since I was very young, I’ve always loved this time of transition and chance to start fresh. If you read my life-changing books post, then you know…
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Growing Gratitude
There’s nothing that triggers me worse than one of my kids acting entitled and ungrateful. Some of my least favorite phrases: “Why do we have to eat (whatever’s for dinner)?” “Why can’t I have the latest (iPhone, shoes)? Everyone else has them!” “Our Wifi is so slow.” Ugh and double ugh. Lack of gratitude definitely flips my…
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