The school bus comes early. At 6:30 AM, my children and I waved to the kids as they rode away on the bus. The buses began driving past our house again last week, and while we usually aren't up to watch the early buses, we were today because we wanted to watch the sunrise and... Continue Reading →
You've heard about those people who homeschool their children...the ones who keep their children locked up in the basement at all hours of the day, removed from the dangers of other people and radical thoughts. You can tell these kids from the normal ones, the ones who attend public school, be their great lack of social... Continue Reading →
It isn't often that one finds a YA fiction novel where the main character has been homeschooled, let alone unschooled. This fact alone made me want to read J.J. Johnson's soon to be released book, This Girl is Different. Evie, an intelligent, well-read, thoughtful young woman who has unschooled throughout her life is set on... Continue Reading →
Jennifer Hallisy, a pediatric occupational therapist, has written a wonderful resource for parents and early childhood educators entitled The Write Start. In an age of e-mail and texting, the focus on writing has shifted. However, encouraging our children to write gives them a freedom of expression not found elsewhere. I wasn't certain what to expect... Continue Reading →
I am a stay at home mom. For many people, that simple statement conjures up their own vision of who I am and what I do. Generally speaking, the idea of a 1950's housewife pops into their head. I know this based on comments made by some of my husband's coworkers and relatives over the... Continue Reading →
I recently read Mariah Bruehl's new book, Playful Learning. The book contains some lovely photographs, and the concept of playful learning in itself, while not a new one, is worth speaking of. Play is an important part of learning, not only for children but also for adults. When we pursue education and learning by choice... Continue Reading →
We are a family of bibliophiles. We love books. I was an exceptionally early reader and have been reading ever since. It was naturally something I wanted to share with my children. So, we are entering For the Love of YA's 2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge. Is it considered a challenge if we would be reading... Continue Reading →
Welcome to the January Carnival of Natural Parenting: Learning from children This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared the many lessons their children have taught them. Please read to the end to find a list... Continue Reading →
Today's activity on our Solstice Calendar was to make a wreath for our front door. I had originally planned something a bit more modern, but budget and time constraints, along with the fact that our steel door can get very hot in the sun (my original plan was edible), dictated some changes. I cut a... Continue Reading →
When my daughter was two years old, she drew on the wall with a pencil. It was actually a pretty cool drawing. We took a picture of it before she helped me wash the wall off. There is something appealing about drawing on the wall, though. It's a different experience drawing on a vertical surface... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 