“They left the best part out!” “Annabeth is supposed to be blond!” “I like the book much better. They ruined the movie.” Over the years comparing books with movies has been a fun point of discussion and bonding for our family. We have enjoyed reading illustrated classics and other great books followed by watching the […]
Teaching Children to Protect Themselves from Pornography
The world we live in has moved away from the long established values of virtue, honesty, civility, and love. Yet, history has taught us that a strong society and happiness, both now and later, are based on those eternal virtues. The long established values provide safety and consistency in our homes. Kids can gain confidence […]
Creating a Written History for your Deceased Grandparents
Creating a Written History Do you wish your children could get to know your grandparents? Not just their birth and death dates and locations, but really get a feel for who they were. Here is a simple way to create a cherished history that helps you see beyond the dates. Message or email your living […]
Meet Mozart
How can we expect our children to learn to love great music if we never introduce it? Here is a quick way to give your kids a splash of knowledge about Mozart and to give them a glimpse of the world’s more refined things: Meet Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart = Put a picture of Mozart on […]
Controlling Anger
Parental guidance plays a big role in a child’s ability to manage anger and master self. Each child is different. Here are some possible ways to help your child learn to control anger: Teaching Your Child to Forbear: It is instructive to teach the word “forbear” and link it to “four bears.” Forbear means to […]
Innovative Thinking Prompts
Sometimes it is fun to mix up the usual routine a bit and add something different. A question to promote innovative thinking may be what is needed to set a child’s imagination running. What if we didn’t have a cup or a water bottle? Idea #1: Instead of setting the table with a cup put […]
Ten Minutes of Learning Chore
Make your bed, clean your room, help with the dishes…and LEARN! “10 Minutes of Learning” is a daily summer job at our house. It is simple and adds a lasting dimension to chore time.… Make a learning plan by having a one-on-one visit with each child. Ask questions and determine what your child is interested […]
Fun Book Series for Elementary School Boys
One of my boys will only read if he has to…..meaning 20 minutes a day and not one second more! His teacher suggested a series to me that has helped reading time not be so torturous. It is the “I Survived” series by Lauren Tarshis. The books are historical fiction. In all the books I […]
Learning Based Dinner Activity
Who’s Invited to Dinner? –a learning based dinner activity Dinner time is a family time. Talking around the table is instrumental in building relationships. Occasionally, it is fun to feed their minds and not just fill their bellies at the event. A five minute “splash” of knowledge about a person in history sparks questions and […]
Family Reading Goal
Why not build family unity and help kids excel in reading at the same time? We love to have a family reading goal…mostly because there is a potential for ice cream….but the other rewards are really greater. (It is OK that my kids don’t realize that yet. :)) The process is simple: set a reasonable […]