I am not an overly expressive person, and so saying “I love you” in *creative* ways has never really come naturally. My husband, on the other hand, is great at it – and I have enjoyed many a time watching him shower his fun “I love you’s” on our two sons. I wrote this list… {read more}
{Homemade Place-Mat Printable} Encourage Respectful Behavior At The Table
With small children who have a hard time sitting still or doing any activity for an extended period of time, meal times are constantly on my list of areas to work on. In our case the biggest struggle is staying in your seat for the entire meal (or even three minutes in a row). Whether… {read more}
Top 10 Tricks For Stay-At-Home Moms To Turn A {Bad} Day Around
When the thought of “It’s turning out to be a bad day” pops into my head, I try to remind myself that there are no bad days. Every day has its challenges, its highlights and its downfalls, but if we have been blessed to have another 24 hours to live and to learn then, for… {read more}
Taking a Moment To Pause and Appreciate Natural Beauty (Good For Kids And Mom)
We all have those days. The ones when our nerves seem to be on edge. When we feel overwhelmed by what is going on around us. When we know we need to take a moment to re-center but there are so many things to do that we have trouble making the time. At least I… {read more}
Help Your Kids Practice “Self-Confidence” Through Puppet Shows
Increasing self-confidence helps us learn how to see the world through our own eyes and live using on the wisdom we gather through experience. It reminds us not to base our self-worth or decisions on what we hear or see from others, but to honor our true selves within. In a world increasingly concerned with… {read more}
Teaching Children To Appreciate Diversity
Some days I am not sure what our character development activity will be until we are already half way into it. This is what you may call finding a “teachable moment.” Parents do it every time they thankfully acknowledge a “please” or “excuse me” (which would be reinforcing courtesy) but I have found taking it… {read more}
The Aim of “Crafting” At Our House
As I’ve been browsing the land of Pinterest over the past week, seeing hundreds upon hundreds of absolutely amazing kids’ craft ideas, it occurred to me that it may be helpful to readers of this blog to find out a bit about my “policy” for crafting: why I craft with my kids and a bit… {read more}
Teach Children Responsibility: Pledge Hand Craft
I think I can safely say that we all want our kids to learn to put their things away, respect the house they live in, and be kind to others. And teaching a child to be nice and help out is great. But I’ve been thinking lately about how instilling a sense of responsibility –… {read more}