Blog

The Rain Game: Teaching Children Listening Skills

Listening is a skill. We are born to listen (remember how beautifully babies stare up and listen to your voice?) however it seems as we grow up and more thoughts enter our heads, we have to learn to balance thinking and listening. If you have ever tried to explain something to a child who only… {read more}

TV is No Substitute For a Village

This is a guest post by Juliet Martinez. This morning my son made two colorful fingerpaintings. My daughter got up late and did her chores; then my kids and I rode bikes to the park. When we came home we had lunch and started a handmade craft project for Father’s Day. Then I read for… {read more}

10 Movies That Make Me Want To Be A Better Mother

I love movies. Partly because they take me out of my reality and let me focus on challenges that are not my own, and mostly because they expand my horizons to appreciate life beyond my own personal experiences. Here is a list of ten films that gave me an overwhelming sense of honor and responsibility… {read more}

Review: Sparkle Stories (for Quiet Time that Weaves Values with Fun)

What I love about Sparkle Stories can be summed up into two main points. First is that the stories teach something about life, whether it’s about facing a bully, losing some baby teeth, learning to follow the rules, dealing with loss, welcoming a new baby, or telling the truth (plus hundreds of other topics), in… {read more}

Teach Children Friendship Skills: How Tying Knots Can Help

In the past few months I have noticed that my four-year-old’s relationships with peers are getting more complex. Therefore we have been discussing qualities such as forgiveness, being patient, accepting differences, and being a steady friend more often. It can be difficult to share long-term vision with small children, as they really do live in… {read more}

30 Cooperative Games for Preschoolers

This document has now been turned into a beautiful FREE ebook which you can read more about here! I am very excited to offer a new resource consisting of 30 games for preschoolers! These games are not competitive like many games commonly used… they require children to cooperate, be observant, or simply “play” without… {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}