27/05/2020
I'm simultaneously reading and listening to The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline (respectively) by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. The Whole-Brain Child had been on my to-read list for a long time, but I hit a point in my parenting that I realized (again) that what I was doing wasn't working and didn't match my philosophy but that I didn't have the tools or skills to parent effectively. I knew it was time to learn again. I prayed for help and was reminded of these books and they were both available from my library!
I'm still not very far into them, but the things I've learned already have been helpful and given me a paradigm shift. Here's a question for you to ponder:
What is the purpose of discipline? Is it to give out a punishment? The Latin origin of the word discipline means "to teach." Is a punishment always the best way to teach? And what does it teach?
These books do not outline approach to parenting. Instead, they encourage parents to connect emotionally with their children (which is often easier said than done), to help them be "felt," before they "discipline" or teach their children in whatever way may be most effective.
You can pick up your copy of The Whole-Brain Child here: https://amzn.to/2ZHP8NN
And No-Drama Discipline here: https://amzn.to/3d8Y6ax
What parenting books have been most helpful to you?
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive
02/04/2020
I have been looking for a one-day, no-knead, sourdough bread recipe to use while our mixer is broken (and we have a new baby). I'm excited to give this a try!
How to Make a Simple Sourdough Boule - Nourishing Simplicity
Crunchy, chewy, sourdough bread, with only a few simple steps this may be the easiest simple sourdough boule you have ever made.
14/01/2020
Here is my recipe for elderberry syrup. We use it off and on year-round, but especially during cold and flu season!
Homemade Elderberry Syrup
We're in the throes of cold and flu season, and there seems to be a particularly nasty strain going around. When J quickly came down with something this past weekend, I regretted not ordering my elderberries sooner. Elderberry syrup is a great natural remedy for fighting the cold and flu. It can be....
14/01/2020
This is my recipe for elderberry syrup. It's influenced by several different recipes I've seen online. Enjoy!
Homemade Elderberry Syrup
We're in the throes of cold and flu season, and there seems to be a particularly nasty strain going around. When J quickly came down with something this past weekend, I regretted not ordering my elderberries sooner. Elderberry syrup is a great natural remedy for fighting the cold and flu. It can be....
09/11/2019
We are not saved only once, but over and over again as we turn from sin to Jesus Christ and humbly accept Him as our Savior, the only one who can cleanse us from our sins, which, though they “be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
Repentance Is Joy
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to teach the women’s class at my church. We discussed the talk “We Can Do Better and Be Better” by President Russell M. Nelson. I felt inspired to ask the women to skim the talk and call out words that President Nelson used to describe repentance. I wrote...
04/11/2019
Winter is on its way! Being outside, in general, is still something I'm learning to love, and I'm doing better, but wintertime is especially hard for me. I hate being cold! I really appreciated this article, as I've been coming more and more to realize that so much is based on our mindset. This winter, I hope to do better to embrace the cold with warm enough clothing, cosy blankets, candles, and warm drinks! But we won't just stay inside! We'll bundle up and enjoy the four seasons we've been blessed with! Wish me luck!
https://www.fastcompany.com/3052970/the-norwegian-secret-to-enjoying-a-long-winter?fbclid=IwAR3SbF10PLyO-eyotwJ_coCVrOx4dA8UjdlTjQrwHinEontUzd735vOdIAU
20/02/2019
I had my consultation with A Delectable Education this week. I got my curriculum plan for this year, and I'm just so excited to begin! I started playing around with my scheduling cards to work out a weekly schedule. It was quite the puzzle to figure out how to fit all those wonderful subjects in the 2.5-hour time block, but I got it! I've transferred the schedule to a spreadsheet so I can adjustthe order of lessons based on what works best for us.
In a Charlotte Mason education, formal lessons do not begin until after the sixth birthday, but as I look through the different lessons J (5) and I will be working on, there are really only a few that C (3) can't participate in. She is begging to do school, so I'm sure she'll want to join us for most of the lessons, but it is never required.
Form 1B (roughly first grade) begins for us next month! J will have four terms in 1B so we can have a normal school year schedule next year when we start Form 1A.
I'm just so excited for all the things we'll all get to learn and experience together. We just have to wait one more month! I can't wait to show you some of the books we'll be using!
08/02/2019
This is an excellent article about reading aloud by Kelly over at Happy You, Happy Family.
We've been able to read at least one story each day for years because we've cemented read-aloud time to our bed-time and nap-time routines. I've always made it a priority because I know how important it is. If you're struggling to fit reading aloud in your day, check out this post for reasons why reading aloud is so important and tips to help you secure this important habit.
It's science: Reading out loud to your kids makes them smarter and kinder
The best thing is that it’s completely free, it takes just 10-15 minutes a day, and anyone can do it.
07/02/2019
We live practically kitty-corner from a delicious doughnut shop and bakery. I can see it from my front window and think about going to it practically every day.
I REALLY wanted a doughnut today, but we're having doughnuts for Valentine's Day next week, so I wanted to hold out until then.
I decided to make dessert pretzels instead! We followed this recipe from Love and Lemons (https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-soft-baked-pretzels/), but we added some extra brown sugar and cinnamon to the dough (it kind of tasted like cinnamon roll dough). And after we boiled the pretzels, we coated them in cinnamon-sugar.
They came out delicious, with a crispy coating and caramel-y bottom. This was the last one. I remembered to snap a quick picture before we devoured it!
02/02/2019
Parent habit training! Dustin and I are both a little guilty of consuming too much media. Dustin's weakness is the news. Mine is social media. These are the greatest time wasters in a day.
We decided to use our competitiveness to our advantage. We have to weigh in at the end of the day. At the end of the month, whoever has the fewest marks gets a $15 prize!
29/01/2019
Many students struggle who learn to read with a whole language approach. But memorizing dozens of phonics rules before being able read isn't the answer either.
The Charlotte Mason approach to reading blends the two. From the first reading lesson, students are taught to recognize WORDS, the way advanced readers read. We see a word and know what it days without sounding it out. But students are also taught phonics rules in the context of the literature they are reading, so they will know how to decode unfamiliar words.
Using this approach, children can read real books from the start! No "cat sat on the mat" readers with no meaning. They can be engaged with the text in their very first lesson and continue on with interest, enthusiasm, and confidence.
Why Millions Of Kids Can't Read, And What Better Teaching Can Do About It
The instruction many students get is not based on the overwhelming scientific evidence about how kids turn spoken sounds into letters and words on a page.