Easter held new meaning for our family this year. As a child, I always loved the tradition of getting together with my cousins to wave the pretty branches on Palm Sunday then – in Pittsburgh – celebrating what was often the first warm Sunday of the season with a basket hunt and lots of chocolate. […]
Category: Homeschool
Homeschool Curriculum: Amazing Arugula
Here’s a free homeschool curriculum using the arugula you grow in your garden.
Summer Camp at Home: Bees
We enjoyed another week of simple activities thanks to How Wee Learn. The activities this week were a mix of successful and not quite working for us, so we thought on the fly (pun intended) and created our own fun. Day 1: Hexagons We began with our story about Harriet the Honeybee, and we learned […]
My Secret to a Good Day with My Kids
“One bad moment doesn’t make a bad day.” My kids remind me of this all the time when I’m having a moment of overwhelm or frustration. I used to say it to them. Now they say it to me far more frequently. But, the funny thing is, for us, one good hour can make a […]
Field trip: The Cabrillo Aquarium
Location: 600 Sampson Way, San Pedro, CA 90731Website: https://theecologycenter.org/Type of trip: educational, STEM We love the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, and someday there will be a separate post on all its wonder. But, in so many ways, I prefer the hands-on nature of the smaller, cheaper, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. You can do […]
How do you Hold Your Children?
It pains me to admit I’ve felt tremendous tension with my older daughter recently. We’ve had a bumpy season, not quite striking our balance between lazy time at home and structured time away. We’ve grown bored and quite sick of one another. And, I’ve been holding onto a vice grip of managing her behavior so […]
How Social Media Impacts Relationship Development
As a young adult, I heard someone I admire say, “In the end, life is about people and our relationships with them.” My jaw dropped. Why had no one told me this before? Why hadn’t that been the topic of every class I’d ever taken in school? Why did I spend so much time trying […]
Field trip: The Ecology Center
Location: 32701 Alipaz St, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675Website: https://theecologycenter.org/Type of trip: educational, nature immersive, playful! A few years ago, we started a tradition of “field trip Friday.” We like to stay local on the weekends, ideally not even getting in the car. Friday is a chance to bust the bubble for us, strike out […]
How to Teach Children Mindfulness
About once a week, I see a parent ask Facebook, “What are the best ways to start teaching mindfulness to children?” And then Facebook comes through with a list of three dozen Apps, YouTube channels and products that are “great!” What makes us think for a single second that we need to teach children mindfulness? […]
Mindful Family Schedule for Home-Based Learning
I’ve worked from home for over 15 years, and for the last 2 I’ve had my kids with me. So, if you find yourself new to working from home or suddenly home with kids all day, let me tell you: you’re going to need a schedule! This is ours. It’s play-based and mindful, and […]