Photo by Denise CrossWith the increase in eating disorders and childhood obesity, healthy eating is a concern for many parents. However, if we truly want our children to make healthy choices in regards to eating, we must first take a step back and allow them to make choices. Certainly we can, and should, share with... Continue Reading →
I-messages seem simple enough, but the benefits that come from them are anything but simple. We are more likely to influence another person to change an undesired behavior by using I-messages. Because they are less threatening, I-messages are less likely to provoke resistance or make the other person feel bad. We place the responsibility for... Continue Reading →
Conflict is a course of life, occurring whenever two parties have different agendas or different perceived agendas. What matters is not the conflict itself but how that conflict is resolved. Parents don't have to resort to win-lose methods with either the parent or child winning while the other loses. When parents work together with their children,... Continue Reading →
When we were pendulum painting, some of the paint went off of the paper onto the driveway. After looking at it for a few days, I decided there was really only one thing taht made any sense - paint the driveway! My kids loved the suggestion, and we set to work watering down some more... Continue Reading →
Lovely weather at the end of Septmeber had us spending a lot of time outside. We decided to improvise with a couple of saw horses, an extra board, some string, a water bottle out of the recycling bin, and watered down tempera paint. Walla! Pendulum painting!
Photo by Murray Barnes Balance is a continual process. In order to stay balanced, we must be constantly shifting and adapting to even small changes in the environment or situation. When something changes, we must also change in order to maintain our balance. If we don't, then not only do we lose our previous balance, but... Continue Reading →
Though our unschooling family doesn't go back to school, we do hit up the back to school sales in order to stock up on various supplies. Composition books, surprisingly, have been one of the most sought after supplies. My children do all sorts of things in their composition books and go through numerous ones each... Continue Reading →
If I could only recommend one book about homeschooling to someone, it would be Laura Grace Weldon's Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything. There is something for everyone in this book, whether a homeschooling veteran or someone who is contemplating whether or not to homeschool their children. While the book is unschooling-lite, families of all styles will... Continue Reading →
Learning language is a natural process for children. However, the rate at which that process is mastered varies with each individual. In a society which is increasingly focused on end products, parents often feel pressured to push their children to attend speech therapy. While such programs may be beneficial for some children, it seems odd that an entire... Continue Reading →
Crayons can be recycled into almost any shape. I used the LEGO Minifigure Ice Cube Tray to make these little recycled crayons for my LEGO loving children. I have a lot more put away for when we need a gift for a little friend. While working with melted wax may be something for aparent to do,... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 