There’s something magical about grandparents. I remember growing up that I thought my grandma was pretty much the most amazing woman in the world. (Honestly, I still think that, and attribute much of who I am to her caring influence.) During our road trip to California, we spent a wonderful five days with my grandparents – my boys great grandparents – and we all enjoyed it immensely.… Continue reading
Family
How We Entertained our Kids [Screen Free!] on a 15 Hour Road Trip
![How we Entertained our Kids [Screen Free!] on a 15 Hour Road Trip](https://i0.wp.com/everydayintentionalliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Roadtrip-Entertainment.png?ssl=1)
We spent 15 hours in the car starting at our house and driving until we reached my brother’s home, with many rest and gas stops in between. The temperatures we encountered ranged from 28 (Vail Pass) to 105 degrees (Las Vegas). One child vomited from car sickness. It could have easily been 2 boys plus one mama; so that’s not too bad, all things considered.… Continue reading
The Importance of Cooking with Kids
There are many things that I want to teach my children before they leave the house. While the most important of these have to do with character, perspective, and attitude, there are quite a few academic skills and also a good number of life skills that I want to be sure they master. I want my boys to grow into self-sufficient adults.… Continue reading
Preparing for a Family Road Trip
This week we’re heading out to California to visit my family. For us, that means a family road trip over the course of which we’ll drive about 2500 miles.
Many people recommend making lots of stops along the way in order to break up the trip for kids. We actually find that tackling the drive in one long day with lots of bathroom and stretch-our-legs breaks but no touristy stops works well for us.… Continue reading
Get Moving: Play in the Rain
We’ve had a very wet spring here in the Colorado Rockies. It’s rained and rained and snowed and rained. My boys love to be outside, no matter the weather. But when it’s hovering in the 40s and wet, it feels really cold to me, and even my two boys get chilled more quickly than usual.
That said, things go more smoothly in our house if everyone gets outside every day.… Continue reading
Gender Stereotyping in Boys Clothing
My boys wear used clothing almost exclusively. I haven’t bought them any new outfits; the only new items I’ve bought are underwear, socks, and shoes. Everything else they wear now or have worn is either used or has been a gift. We’ve been fortunate enough to receive a great many clothes as hand-me-downs from family and friends. My boys have also received, especially when they were babies, gifts of new clothes.… Continue reading
Teaching Kids to Work by Working Together Around the House
My boys love to help out around the house. I think kids instinctively want to contribute to a family, and to love to engage in tasks where their efforts are valued. In order to encourage these sorts of behaviors, my husband and I try to have the boys work beside us whenever we can.
When I cook, I try to find simple tasks for my boys that are appropriate for their skill and coordination levels.… Continue reading
Get Moving: Play Hopscotch
This afternoon my 6-year-old wanted to play hopscotch. So we all headed outside and proceeded to draw a hopscotch course on our patio. Once it was complete, my two boys and I all took turns hopping back and forth up and down the course. We did the course with one foot, with two feet, with all left foot jumps, with all right foot jumps, and even tried jumping through it backwards (though it was hard to avoid the lines that way).… Continue reading
Home as Child’s Art Gallery
My 6-year-old makes art almost every day (you can read about it HERE). He has open access to a wide array of project supplies, a space to work, and full creative control over his art experience. His making art on a daily basis generates a lot of art. So much art, that we specifically set time aside to declutter his completed art projects (you can read about it HERE).… Continue reading
How to Have a Healthy Day at a Ballgame
Every year one of my dear friends throws an Opening Day party for the Rockies home opener at Coors Field. He invites lots of friends, and we all have a terrific time. I’m not a big sports fan, and I still have a lot of fun. There’s something about being a part of a huge group of people all cheering for the athletes to do well that feels exciting.… Continue reading