Last summer I made myself a Summer Bucket List. I had a whole bunch of quintessential summer experiences I wanted to cram into a couple of months. I’ve also been known to make a Christmas Bucket List in the past. So the kids have experienced these in the past. This summer though, the only bullet […]
Parenting
For Those Of You Struggling With The Transition Into Summer
This first day of summer has snuck up on me. I’m not prepared. I’m not organized. It’s kind of like when Christmas seems so far away, and you know you have plenty of time. And then all of a sudden, BAM. It’s Christmas Eve Day and you haven’t wrapped a single present. You haven’t even […]
Kids Don’t Need Praise. But They Do Need This Instead.
When your kid does something you are happy about, what do you say to him or her? Do you say, “Good girl!!! Good boy!!!”? Do you say, “Good following directions!” or “You are such a good listener!”? I know for me, some of those responses can be automatic. Why do we say these things to […]
What I’ll Teach My Kids This Summer (It Won’t Be Math Facts)
This summer, I will not complete summer math packets. I will not practice math facts with my kids or even touch a flashcard. I will not sit my kids in front of a computer to “play math games” or even utter the letters IXL. I will not look at a reading log. I will not […]
Organization Is A Team Effort
Yesterday I posted this picture on the Facebook page: My mudroom had gotten out of control. I knew exactly what the reactions would be because I have posted similar pictures in the past. There would be three reactions. First would be the people who would give me advice on how to solve this problem. The […]
One Way I (Effectively) Deal With Power Struggles At Bedtime
Number 6 and Number 7 share a room. And every night, we have the same routine at bedtime. I read them a story, and then I lie down in their beds with them and sing them each two songs while I rub/scratch their backs. Usually we do things in the same order. I sit on […]
