Whole Child Development
You may have noticed things have gotten a bit quiet around here as the holidays have approached. (I should say they’ve gotten quiet here on the blog — they’re definitely not quiet here in my house! ) I’ve been trying to practice what I preach and slow down a little more, do a little less when I can, and be present with my family.
I’ve tried to write this since Friday, struggling to process and put my thoughts into words.
Have you ever heard people joke about getting an extravagant gift for a child, and all the recipient wanted to do was play with the box? That’s because for all the bells and whistles you can find attached to today’s toys, the fact remains that children love any opportunity to imagine, create, and pretend. And as a parent and educator, I love to give kids that opportunity! Here, you’ll find some of my favorite gift ideas for igniting that spark!
*This post contains affiliate links to products I genuinely believe you’ll enjoy!
Have you hopped on Pinterest lately? It’s a feast for the eyes and the imagination! You’ll instantly be reminded that it’s Christmastime when you see loads and loads of pins with an abundance of ideas — 42 New Traditions to Make Christmas Magical, 239 Ways to Position Your Christmas Elf, 96 Christmas Songs to Download Now, and 63 New Cookie Recipes You Can’t Live Without. So many great resources! I have to admit I love being able to hop on and find new inspiration with just a few keystrokes.
But perhaps the real brilliance is not in finding all the best new stuff to do this Christmas, but in choosing what NOT to do. [Read more…]
I was working on a batch of Stone Soup today, and thought it might be time to dig up, dust off, update, and reshare my favorite Stone Soup lesson from three years ago. It’s a great way to start a discussion about the importance of sharing. And who couldn’t use some nice, warm soup this time of year?
A while ago I told you about the Blog 4 Cause Campaign, an initiative created by my friends Amy of Teach Mama and Allie of No Time for Flashcards. I wanted to involve my sons in projects they could relate to. There’s an amazing children’s hospital near where we live, where they knew their cousin’s cousin, Matthew, had spent the better part of a year waiting for a second heart transplant (which he miraculously received!) before finally returning home.
A little boy my own boys had never met, but whom they had talked about, asked about, and prayed for. They knew him as a little boy like them. A little boy who likes light sabers and ninjas, and who wanted to be healthy — and home. This experience made Primary Children’s Medical Center an ideal cause for my boys.
Primary Children’s Medical Center is a phenomenal children’s hospital. They are not only one of the best places from a medical standpoint, they also do a tremendous job of meeting the needs of the whole child as well as the child’s family. On the list of desired donation items, which they use to engage the children staying in the hospital, I noticed playdough and craft kits. I wanted to give my kids a chance to really get involved in the project, so I thought I’d have them help create playdough cupcake kits (inspired by this post from NurtureStore). Nothing like the combination of playdough and party-style cupcakes to make a child smile!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by good parenting advice? Ever feel like your head might explode, not only from the sheer volume of well-meaning recommendations, but also from the mind-numbing contradictions among “experts”? Ever sat on the verge of tears (or completely gushing with them) because of the thoughtless, misguided, or — even worse — totally spot-on critiquing of your parenting?
We haven’t hit Thanksgiving yet, but it’s already looking like winter around here this weekend!
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