When my boys were ready, I didn’t focus on a wide range of school choices. I had preconceived notions about the kind of place they should attend. These ideas were shaped by my own experience. My father worked for IBM. We moved a lot, and I attended many kinds of schools (public, private, boarding, alternative) …
School Choices: Life Was Simpler Then
School… then I remember elementary school. It was my world. My parents took great care in raising me, but they knew little about my day to day reality in school. They met my friends and attended teacher conferences. They heard occasional tales of woe, boredom, or triumph, which punctuated a seemingly uninterrupted sequence of days between early …
Five Reasons to Send Your Kids Outside to Play
My childhood afternoons in the 1970s were spent mostly outdoors. I played with my brothers and neighborhood friends, riding our bikes around, playing tag, or hanging out in a thicket of woods behind our house. The woods were tiny, but to me they seemed immense and full of surprises: berries to decorate a mud cake, …
Ten Ways to Get Kids Outdoors
A few days ago, we talked about important reasons why kids should spend time outdoors every day. Today we’ll learn about how to get them outdoors. Here are some time-tested ways to get kids outside and having fun. Go on a bug hunt: Discovering and observing bugs is a great way to teach children that they share …
Time To Clean House!
I’m an odd choice to write about housework because I hate doing it and I will really procrastinate. But I also like a clean house and when our place falls to pieces I start to feel a little crazy… and I know it’s time to clean house. I grew up in a very spic ‘n …
Fever Misting Spray
For comfort during a fever. Ingredients: 1/4 cup distilled or filtered water 1/4 cup witch hazel 3 drops peppermint essential oil 3 drops lavender essential oil Directions: Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to mix. Store in refrigerator to keep cool.
Saturday Night Fever
Summer may feel like a funny time to be talking about fevers but during the recent heat wave, my kids had colds with fevers. In the past I would have reached for the Tylenol hoping to bring that fever right down. When my daughter was little she would ask for “the purple medicine” when she …
Breastfeeding in America is Dangerous + Obscene: Part 3
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA)’s 22nd Annual World Breastfeeding Week begins this week (August 1). The theme is BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT: CLOSE TO MOTHERS. This year they have chosen to highlight peer counseling – training community members to support breastfeeding mothers in their local communities. WABA’s vision is “A world where breastfeeding is the cultural …
Breastfeeding in America is Dangerous + Obscene: Part 3Read More