Living on Little to No Sleep

It is no surprise to people when you tell them that you have a newborn at home and are lacking in the sleep department. It is a given and expected in the early stages of infancy. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to function on little to no sleep. And forget about giving attention to your other kiddos when feeding time happens every 2-3 hours and the lack of sleep has affected your ability to function. 

Top 10 Tips for Teaching Manners

Kindness, consideration, and respect are qualities I hope to instil in my children. Some today may find the concept of proper etiquette old fashioned, but teaching children basic good manners is one way to enforce these important ideals.

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.”—Emily Post

While I could write a whole book about manners (as Emily Post most famously did) here are 10 very basic lessons we can teach our children, providing them with the understandings necessary to become well-mannered adults.

Children’s Mental Health Matters

This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Child Mind Institute (CMI) is running its #MyYoungerSelf campaign. The independent non-profit organization that focuses on the mental health of children has made videos of over 30 influential people who have struggled with mental health issues or a learning disorder since childhood.

Parent/Teacher-Led Art: What’s Best for Your Child?

“Let them create! Don’t intervene in their imaginative artwork!”

I heard this from many parent friends. The truth is, when homeschooling my daughter, I recognized that she was having a hard time taking the creation in her mind and translating it onto paper. She needed guidance to accomplish the image she so desperately wanted to display for all to see.

Creating Goals with Your Kids for 2017

I am a firm believer that a goal without a plan is just a wish. As an adult, I annually write out my goals and spend the year breaking them down into more attainable goals that I can “check off” a list. When I taught 3rd grade, I did this same process with my students. I taught the importance of having big and small goals. These are the strategies I used in my classroom to help my students create concrete, attainable goals. These same steps can be applied to your child at home (best for ages 7 and up).