Our family loves to play games together. And as my 5-year-old’s strategy skills build, we’re able to play more and more complex games as a family. Our family’s current favorite board game is Parcheesi.
In this game, your goal is to move four pawns from your start position into your home. On the way, you can capture your opponents pawns for a significant bonus, or you might be captured and back sent back to the start yourself.… Continue reading
Each week we give our boys an allowance. We don’t tie receiving this money to anything in particular. We consider doing chores and helping around the house to simply be part of living within our household; it is not reason for payment. I think it’s important for kids to have their own money to spend, and I think the time to start an allowance is whenever they begin to realize the purpose and power of money.… Continue reading
Do you want to encourage your children to engage in imaginative play? In that case, I’m generally of the theory that less is more.
Kids do not need fancy costumes or toys in order to pretend. While this picture shows my son thoroughly decked out in a costume, kids can have just as much fun without such things. Dirt, sticks, rocks, and anything else they find outside are generally enough. … Continue reading
Last week my 4-year-old decided to build a block tower. He wanted to build a tower that went “way above [his] head.”
First, he asked if I could build the tower with him. However, I was busy cooking. I told my son that he would have to wait until I finished or he could do it on his own.
Then he went to ask his big brother’s assistance. … Continue reading
As a child there always seemed to be something magical about sleeping outside. There are different sounds. The light is different. There are different smells. The air feels different. When we’re outside, particularly during the night, our sense attune to all of these things that are mitigated or filtered out entirely by sleeping inside a building.
You can, of course, get this feeling by heading out on a camping trip. … Continue reading
My boys have talked about building a treehouse for years. My older son, in particular, has been captivated by the idea of building his own outdoor living space. And after much planning [mostly on the part of my husband], it finally happened over Memorial Day weekend. There is now a beautiful treehouse deck in our yard.
My husband designed the base and railings, making sure that everything met his strict standards for safety. … Continue reading
I love watching and listening to my boys engage in imaginative play. And when they are imagining worlds together with their friends, it gets even better.
I firmly believe that play is the work of childhood, and that imaginative play is one of the fundamental reasons why play is so important. Kids can learn so much through engaging their imaginations. … Continue reading
After over 9 years of attending library story time every Monday morning (unless we were out of town, of course), our weekly routine is changing. As we prepared to leave for story time last week, my youngest son declared, “Mama, I think I’ve outgrown story time. I’d rather read our own books.” It’s a big shift.
I started bringing my oldest son to story time when he was a tiny infant. … Continue reading
My boys are huge fans of tree climbing, and I am a big proponent of letting them climb. Over the years they both grown in their proficiency and daring as climbers. While I often find need to remind myself not to let my own worries – unless there’s a genuine safety issue, of course – get in the way of their learning, I remain a big advocate of letting them climb.… Continue reading
I love books. And I love attending book talks by authors I enjoy reading. Before my boys were born, I dragged my husband and other friends to join me at a wide array of book talks, and often I attended them by myself. I enjoy hearing about authors’ writing processes and where they draw their inspiration. I enjoy hearing them talk about stories that I’ve enjoyed reading, and what they’re working on next. … Continue reading