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Making Mud Pies

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:03:57 -0400

Making Mud Pies

Curiosity and Helping Your Kids Find Answers

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:02:32 -0400

Curiosity and Helping Your Kids Find Answers

Practice During Neutral Times

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:01:13 -0400

The last couple weeks we have been having issues with Kenzie being loud at certain times. We would ask her to be quiet or we would give her the shhh, and she’d ignore us and keep singing or talking or making whatever noise she wanted. We were frustrated. We were giving consequences but continually felt like we weren’t making progress. I have talked about training before the moment, and what I did today is similar to that. It is basically training when you aren’t in the heat of frustration. With our situation and Kenzie, I was able to practice with her when we weren’t so annoyed. I told her to sing, talk or make noise. Then, I’d ask her to be quite or tell her to shhh. Throughout the day, we practiced at random times. It did translate when I really needed her to be quiet. We will probably need to practice more, but it is so effective to work on things with kids in play as well as in neutral moments. Our game, “Yes Mommy,” is another example of practicing during neutral times.

T-Ball Number Fun

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:00:04 -0400

T-Ball Number Fun

Curiosity and a Science Experiment

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:58:29 -0400

Curiosity and a Science Experiment

10 More Ways to Help Kids Deal with Anger

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:56:17 -0400

I have done a post before on 10 Ways to Calm an Angry Child. I want to give you some more tools to handle anger in a child. I also want to encourage you to get to the root of true anger. Kids can become angry and frustrated just because they’re kids and don’t know how to handle their emotions yet. This can come from simple things like not getting exactly what they want. You may experience signs of anger. Some kids naturally have a more aggressive bent. However, other kids have true reasons to be angry. This often stems from division in spouse relationships. It can also be an evil being done to them - the evil can by physical or verbal. Sometimes there might be issues with other children at school or relationships with siblings. Maybe there are frustrations because of struggles in learning or developing. Try to get to the root of it. Please try to not live in denial about the roots. If it is something that is being imposed on them because of the relationship with your spouse, please try and fix it. It effects your kids more than you know. If it’s something external, help them. However, we need to be willing to tell our children that their feelings of anger should not be kept inside and pent up. They need tools to express it. Try and not let these activities become a reward for aggressive or angry behavior. If you can catch them quickly before it turns negative and pre-emptively strike, that’s the best idea.

1. Smash Play Doh

2. Go Outside and Yell

3. Get a Big Piece of Paper and Some Crayons and Let them Scribble Aggressively

4. Let them Throw Wet Sponges Against a Wall

5. Give Them a Whole Bucket of Tennis Balls and Let Them Throw Them as Far as They Can

6. Let Them Run and Pick Up Those Same Tennis Balls

7. Encourage them to Use Words to Express Anger

8. Have them Draw a Picture of Why They are Angry or How they Feel

9. Have them Go Outside and Stomp or Jump

10. Turn on Soft Music

Again, try and get to the root first!

Paper Pumpkin Craft Tutorial

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 22:12:59 -0400

Paper Pumpkin Craft Tutorial

Curiosity and Asking Questions About the World

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 22:06:48 -0400

Curiosity and Asking Questions About the World

If they keep turning on the light at bedtime, un-screw the light...

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 22:00:12 -0400

If they keep turning on the light at bedtime, un-screw the light bulb.

R is for Rainbow Craft

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:58:20 -0400

R is for Rainbow Craft

Curiosity and Wondering - Encouraging Kids to Ask Questions

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:57:12 -0400

Curiosity and Wondering - Encouraging Kids to Ask Questions

Parenting Tip: Have Them Help with Special Projects

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:55:27 -0400

Parenting Tip: Have Them Help with Special Projects

Halloween Ginger Bread Cookies

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:52:22 -0400

Halloween Ginger Bread Cookies

Curiosity “I Will” Statements

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:48:58 -0400

Curiosity “I Will” Statements

Use a Toothpick to Determine Thickness of Dough

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:47:33 -0400

Use a Toothpick to Determine Thickness of Dough

Halloween Cupcakes

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:11:19 -0400

Halloween Cupcakes

Curiosity Word Ring - Character Development

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:04:45 -0400

Curiosity Word Ring - Character Development

Stop to Smell the Roses

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:03:18 -0400

I often feel like I’m in so much of a hurry. My kids are noticing something new on the sidewalk or staring up at the sky, and I’m trying to rush them on to our next thing. I don’t often enough take time to let them hook and re-hook their carseat straps just so they can become better at doing it. I want to rush off to wherever I think we need to go. Our walks become for exercise and purpose rather than taking time to just enjoy each other and our environment. Part of doing this blog was to live in the moment and be more intentional in my time with my kids. Part of that time just needs to involve being and helping to discover life through the eyes of a child - with wonder, excitement and no “to do” list.

Shape Search

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:02:27 -0400

Shape Search

Persuasiveness with a Serpent and a Dove - 2 crafts included

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:01:04 -0400

Persuasiveness with a Serpent and a Dove - 2 crafts included