I’ve done tie dye projects with my children in the past. While they were fun, they were also extremely messy and rather time consuming to set up and clean up. So when one of our favorite children’s librarians showed my 8-year old how to get a tie-dye-effect using Sharpie markers and isopropyl alcohol, we had to give it a try.… Continue reading
Homeschooling
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Our local library recently started a program entitled 1000 Books Before Kindergarten as a way of encouraging parents to read to their young children.
In our house, we read all the time. I homeschool my kids, and our homeschooling largely consists of sitting down with stacks of books and reading them together.
When one of the children’s librarians told us about the program, my older son immediately announced, “Mama, we should sign up [my 3-year-old].” … Continue reading
A 3-year-old’s Lesson in Spending
Last week my 3-year-old walked up and handed me his little car, “I’m ready to give this to Ari,” he declared. (Ari is the grandson of our next-door neighbor. When my 3-year-old outgrows his clothes or toys, we pass them along to Ari.)
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yes. I don’t like it any more. I shouldn’t have bought it. … Continue reading
Chapter Books with Strong Female Characters
A couple of weeks ago I posted a list of my family’s favorite picture books with strong female characters (see HERE). Today, I am posting a list of our favorite chapter books containing strong girls or women.
The list contains everything from books accessible to early readers to chapter books that are appropriate for young adults. I’ve read most of the books geared at younger readers with my 8-year-old, though none of the young adult books (those are waiting on our bookshelves for future reading).… Continue reading
Fractions, Compassion, and Sharing
My son approached me and asked, “I can’t remember which is bigger: one-half or one-twelfth?”
This, of course, led to an impromptu math lesson. We talked about fractions. I explained that the denominator – the bottom number – of a fraction tells you how many equal parts something is divided into. I explained that the numerator – the top number – of a fraction tells you how many of those equal parts you’re discussing.… Continue reading
Toilet Readiness, or Remembering to Simply Trust your Child
Whenever the topic of potty training comes up (and it does when you hang out with other parents of young children), I joke that our dog toilet-trained my oldest son. And I say it only half in jest. One night when I was cooking dinner, my son – at age 2.5 – came in and announced, “I peed outside, just like Mazel[-dog].” … Continue reading
Encouraging Self-Sufficiency: Teaching my 7-year-old to do Laundry
Before my children move out of the house, there are a wide variety of skills that I want them to master. Basic self-care, home care (HERE and HERE), basic repair skills, cooking (see HERE), financial literacy, and many other things along these lines. One of these skills is doing laundry.
My 7-year-old, who has watched me do laundry from the time I wore him as a newborn, recently expressed an interest in doing the laundry himself. … Continue reading
Voting Matters: Talking with your Child about the Election
Election season is upon us. No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, I hope that you agree that voicing your opinion by casting a vote is vital to protecting our freedoms and shaping our government.
Voting is the chief right and duty of all citizens. Our founding fathers granted a vote to white landowners at the founding of our nation. … Continue reading
Making Large-Scale Public Art
Art that is larger than life. Tagging buildings (well, temporarily). Showing the world a bit of what resides in your mind and heart. Remaking the city with your own images. Telling a story that the whole community can see and hear. This is the purview of Austrian artist Markus Dorninger.
His work is pretty fantastic. And it’s a lot of fun. … Continue reading
Making Art Bots at our Local Makers’ Space
Homeschooling, and parenting in general, doesn’t happen in a vacuum. One of the ways we expand beyond the personal resources my husband and I possess as parents is to search out resources within our community (like THIS and THIS and THIS). Sometimes this comes in the form of knowledgeable friends, and other times it comes in the form of institutions and teachers who become part of our learning community (and often become friends in the process).… Continue reading