Articles:
The Secret of Raising Responsible Kids (Hint: Don’t Make it Easy) {Rick Ackerly, The Genius in Children}
“Why do affluent American parents treat their kids like royalty? Sure, because they can. They want their kids to be happy. But what are they communicating to the children by acting as if their whims and needs are the most important in the world? Read Lori Gottlieb. The secret of raising responsible kids is saying and believing: ‘You can handle it.’ “
Distracted Living {Jennifer Meer, Huffington Post}
“…On this night, my inability to focus could have cost me everything. It wouldn’t have taken more than two minutes or two seconds to change our lives forever. I can’t even begin to process how much I regularly try to squeeze into those same two minutes. About how much I could’ve lost in the same amount of time………Sometimes I feel like we are multi-tasking ourselves right past the point of it all anyway.”
Forget Delayed Gratification: What Kids Really Need is Cognitive Control {Daniel Goleman, TIME}
“A study published in 2011 tracked 1,000 children in New Zealand after rigorously testing them in elementary school for cognitive control. By their early 30s, their ability to manage attention predicted their financial success and their health better than did their IQ or the wealth of their family of origin.”
Activities:
Need a simple activity you can take to the classroom or to your kitchen counter for upcoming Halloween celebrations? Here are some of my favorites:
Frozen “Boo”-nana Pops {Skinny Taste}
This snack is darling, simple, and is much more healthy than many holiday alternatives. Kids could even help make them for a delicious experience with changing states of matter (solid-liquid-solid).
Masking Tape Mummy {No Time for Flash Cards}
So simple, using materials you probably already have on hand. And while kids are having a blast taping up their mummies, you can feel good knowing you’re building those all-important fine motor skills! (What they don’t know just might help them!)
Simple Ghost Sensory Bin {And Next Comes L}
Sensory activities are one of the best things you can do when the kiddos are excited and/or anxious. There’s something grounding about it that seems to refocus them.
Hallowe’en Necklaces {Happy Hooligans}
Similar to sensory activities, fine motor projects like this stringing activity are great for helping kids focus, even when they’re ready to bounce off the walls! Plus, this one is so inexpensive, it won’t break the bank to do this with an entire class!
Find more fun fall ideas by following my Fall Celebrations board on Pinterest!
Enjoy your weekend!
These are great articles! I have young children and I also work in higher education, so I found the article by Lori Gottlieb very fascinating! Wow, how true some of the points that were discussed really are! I enjoy working with college age students, but it amazes me how “entitled” this generation really is. The expectations and attitudes are much different than those of students when I was in college. Parents are much more invovled and at times to a detriment in these young adults lives.
Thanks, Nicole! It is fascinating to see how our culture shifts. I can see all the detrimental effects of being over-involved or controlling and cite all the references to the fact, and yet I see it sometimes in myself as well! It’s so easy to fall into the habit of over-protecting our kids out of our love for them, when in reality the best thing for them is to struggle, and through that struggle, gain real power, confidence, and competence. I need the reminders regularly, and I have to think I’m not the only one! Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Thank you for posting this. I had to re-vamp a music lesson plan after trying it with a Pre-K class, and the mummy craft worked perfectly! We’re making musical mummies in the shape of quarter notes. Thank you so very much! 🙂
How brilliant, Celeste! I can totally picture that. Such a great idea!
Daniel Goleman’s article was really interesting and ties into what you’ve previously written about executive functions. It is also a good reminder to be mindful and intentional. Thanks for the encouragement!
Love the activities too–especially the sensory bin. My almost 4 yr old loves the sensory table at school so I try to find ideas for our sensory table at home.