Puzzles aren’t just a ton of fun, they’re a great way for your child to develop fine motor and visual-spatial skills. But before you get all excited and run out to buy some, please stop to consider a few things: 1) What kind of puzzle is developmentally appropriate for my child? 2) How am I going to use this WITH my child? To simplify your life, I…
Today was our very first day of school together. I haven’t been a classroom teacher for almost a decade, and never for my own child, although we learn from each other every day. Homeschooling or micro schooling is definitely different, but it’s also pretty great. More flexibility, less kids, and more socialization than had we kept her home by herself all year. Today wasn’t perfect, but it…
Fresh air is a necessity, and especially because we spend most of our days indoors, it’s so important to extend the classroom beyond 4 walls. Back in March, in preparation for lockdown, we went to the Dollar Tree and picked up some seed packets. We had never grown sunflowers, but planting them, watering them, and tracking their progress was one of the highlights of our day, every day. They…
I’ve been singing to my daughter since the day she was born. Disclaimer: I am NOT a singer nor do I claim to be, but music is so heavily tied into memory and behavior management and happiness that I decided to start early. To be honest, it just sort of happened and now Bianca expects there to be a song for a whole lot of things (my…
There is something to be said about learning to follow directions in order to duplicate a product, but it’s not the ONLY way. In fact, I’d much rather not show or tell a child what it’s supposed to look like at all, and have them create something original using the same materials every other person in the room was given. Sure, it might look like total poop…
Every time I hear someone say that they’re basically paying for school so someone can “just play” with their child, my hair stands on end. Yes, it offends me. Why? Because I have 2 Master’s degrees that qualify me to know HOW to play with children, and what I can accomplish in 30 minutes with a child, the average person may not be able to…