Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. I love celebrating Jesus and His resurrected life. I appreciate how—symbolic of Jesus’ rebirth—the whole earth breaks forth in life, budding fresh and new from a frozen world stripped bare. Easter gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the life of Christ. I… [Continue Reading]
Tots to Teens
How to stop your child’s angry cycle
The flash of anger in my tween daughter’s eyes surprised me. We’d been camping, and Maddie’s 6-year-old sister, Aly, had just burned her finger on hot ash. As I treat the wound, Maddie strode up. “I hurt myself, too,” she said, with attitude. “Last night when we were making S’mores.” “Hold on,” I said. As… [Continue Reading]
Homeschooling Fears
When I first started homeschooling I was afraid of a few things. Homeschooling Fears 1. My kids would get on my nerves. 2. My kids wouldn’t get enough socialization. 3. My educational weaknesses would be my kids’ educational weaknesses. Now in my 17th year of homeschooling, I can say that all of those have… [Continue Reading]
4 Activities for Your Child’s Summer
4 Activities for Your Child’s Summer For many children, summer is a time for travel, imagination, and time with siblings. Think back to when you were a kid. Which memories of summer activities are the strongest in your mind? Which memories do you want to give to your children too? Which childhood summer memories are… [Continue Reading]
Preparing Your Teen’s Heart for Graduation
I’ve been a homeschooling mom for twenty-five years with two college graduates and one child in the process. (I also have a kindergartener and two preschoolers, but that’s a different blog!) How do you prepare your teen’s heart for college? My kids did (mostly) awesome in college. They got good grades, made good friends, and… [Continue Reading]
How to Ruin Your Teens for Life
How to Ruin Your Teens for Life 1. Hide your past mistakes. Put on an act that you are perfect and your teenagers are the ones with all the problems. (After all, if your teens hear what you did in your past, they might want to follow.) 2. Don’t worry about where they are going… [Continue Reading]
When You’re a Child of Divorce
I remember the first time I heard that a friend’s parents were divorcing. I must have been 7 at the time, and I didn’t understand. Was that possible? People were allowed to do that? It didn’t seem right. More than that, it seemed wrong. Growing up, I didn’t know my biological dad, and my… [Continue Reading]
19 Tips for Reading Aloud to Your Kids
One of my favorite times of the day is when I get the kids settled in a night and it’s time to read. Currently we’re reading Little House on the Prairie. And recently we just finished Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avelona. (Pst. You can buy the WHOLE Anne of Green Gables Series… [Continue Reading]
MyCarDoesWhat.org | A FUN way to teach your child about car safety features!
MyCarDoesWhat.org A FUN way to teach your child about car safety features! “We downloaded Dashboard Blitz, an app on car safety features and my 6-year-old and I had a blast playing it!” This isn’t a phrase I ever thought would cross my lips, but it did. And it’s true. I’ve been thinking a lot… [Continue Reading]
Meaningful Easter Basket Books For Your Kids
Easter is one of my favorite times of the year. I love celebrating Jesus and His resurrected life. I appreciate how—symbolic of Jesus’ rebirth—the whole earth breaks forth in life, budding fresh and new from a frozen world stripped bare. Easter gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the life of Christ. I… [Continue Reading]
86 Creative Activities for Pre-Teens & Teens {Plus Printable!}
Summer is flying by and you’re probably already hearing the words, “I’m bored.” As a mom of pre-teens and teens it’s easy to give in to electric devises to entertain kids. It’s harder to come up with creative ways for them to spend long summer days. Here are 86 of them! Color Paint Draw Bake… [Continue Reading]