Parenting resources for all who love and care for children
Let’s Be Honest: Teen SextingLet’s talk about sex(ting), baby . . .
If you are around my age (early 40s) like many parents who are reading blogs like this are, that introductory sentence immediately brings you back to a time when hearing “that” song on the radio or on MTV felt salacious. Well, I think we all know that is nothing compared to what is at our kids’ fingertips at all times right now. [Read more…]
How to Get Kids Inspired to Write (Part 1)Last October I was asked to teach how to write a scary story with second grade students. First, I read a scary story to the children. Then I provided them with writing prompts and strategies on how they might create and write their own scary stories. As a personal example, I dramatized a scary story about how I was bitten by a rattlesnake and was given antibodies from a horse to fight the poison in my body. The students were captivated by my story and suggested that I write a children’s book about my experience. They also were eager to learn more about rattlesnake bites. I promised I would return at a later date for students to learn more about this adventure. [Read more…]
The Balancing Act of Afterschool ActivitiesIt is cold outside and we struggle with balancing our daily lives. How can we keep our kids active in their daily lives even in the dead of winter? Most of our kids are over scheduled with sports, homework, afterschool activities, and screen time. Other children come home to empty homes and waste away hours waiting for parents to come home from work while eating snacks and watching television or playing video games. And other children have overwhelming household responsibilities to help their family with sibling care, dinner preparation, and laundry chores. [Read more…]
Parenting is a Long GameI had really good parents. Thankfully, I still ‘have’ them, but I intentionally used the past tense to focus on the formative years. My parents loved me, loved each other, taught me right from wrong, and gave me trust even when I sometimes did not deserve it.
This may surprise some of you then when I share that when I left high school as an Honors Student with a full academic scholarship and a myriad of leadership accolades that I turned into, at times, a person I was not always proud of in college and even as a young professional. [Read more…]
Being a Mom and Homeschool TeacherOne of the beautiful benefits of homeschooling is how well I know my “students” before the school year even begins. I know their interests and aversions, their academic strengths and gaps, and their personality traits and quirks. I can adapt the curriculum and our days accordingly. I often know before the school day begins if they got a good night’s sleep, argued with a family member that morning, felt a little under the weather the night before, or have recently experienced the emotional loss of a family member. I also can anticipate that they might have trouble concentrating if something exciting is approaching, like a family road trip or a friend’s birthday extravaganza.
Because I wear the hats of both mom and teacher, I have this information ahead of time. I can adapt the lesson, be an empathetic listener, take the time to teach them coping skills and process what is happening. As I homeschool my own children, I am grateful that I have the knowledge and flexibility to help them through the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence during the school day.
However, there is a flip side to doing life and school together with my children. Sometimes, the lines between school and home get blurred. Most of the time, we are traveling through life experiences together. If my child is hurting, struggling, or grieving, I often am experiencing those emotions as well.
As a classroom teacher, it was easier for me to compartmentalize my life inside and outside of school and not bring my personal worries and distractions into the classroom. As the mom and teacher, it takes a concentrated effort during hard or stressful seasons of life to not let my personal life seep into our school day. Children are so intuitive. They can sense and often reflect the emotional state that we project. I can get sidetracked by the growing pile of laundry, the upsetting doctor’s call that came right before the school day, or the worries that interrupted my sleep the night before. If I do not set these distractions aside to focus on our school day, those emotions will transfer to my kids, interrupting their education.
It takes intention to know when to blend home and school, when to process life together during the day, and when to set it aside until later. The close proximity of school and home can be a blessing and a burden. Recognizing this duality is the easy part. Finding a healthy balance takes awareness and commitment.
