After 20 years of raising three my own children, reading dozens of parenting books, hundreds of articles, and working with thousands of children I’ve learned a thing or two that might make your journey a little bit easier.
As our children get ready to make the transition into kindergarten many parents begin to ask themselves whether or not their child is ready for kindergarten. One of the many things that changes from a preschool classroom into a kindergarten one is the ratio of adults to children. In childcare the ratio is 1:8. That … Read more
I know you are excited to share your favorite holiday movies with your children. I know you want to do it now. But I am telling you, as a parent who has screwed it up, wait. Think about what would be the absolute perfect age for your child to see it, when they would get … Read more
My favorite media and movies for preschool and kindergarten age children ages 3-6 #1 Little Bear (1995) This is a little known book series illustrated by Maurice Sendak that was turned into a television series.We own all of them on VHS because I love them so very much. So wholesome and good. You can watch … Read more
I have three kids. Two are mostly grown and one is almost 10 as of this year. It’s slightly awkward redoing many of the bucket list things I did with my older children again with my younger one. A lot changes in the world in a decade. After reading many of these lists I decided … Read more
Being Mindful of Your Words Our words have power and effect on others and there are several common things adults do in their speech that has the opposite effect on children. It will transform your teaching if you can be mindful of them and manage to change the way you speak to children. Will you … Read more
I saw Arrowleaf Balsamroot flowers in bloom on Friday during my afternoon hike. The appearance of this common wildflower is my cue to remind families to teach their children to not pick wildflowers. One of the hills where we play has a remarkable population of blue flax flowers. These flowers are extremely fragile and last … Read more
Parenting is hard. When you’re in the trenches sometimes it can be tough to remember why on earth you signed up for this. Here are the top 5 lessons 20 years of parenting taught me that I didn’t really learn or read about anywhere else. Being responsible for the development of another human being demands … Read more
Drop-off for your little one at any program can be a challenge. You are their safe place in the big wide world. The lack of walls and coziness can make it extra hard. Attachment is a tricky business, oddly enough they say your child cannot be attached to more than one adult at a time … Read more
Children under the age of 7 should never ever watch a live action movie. Perhaps the exception to this is a terribly old technicolor film like The Wizard of Oz but really they ought to be avoided entirely and here is why. Your child cannot yet cognitively understand that it is not real. Yes yes … Read more
Did you know our Province has a system of Laws and processes that ensure children remain in poverty when their parents die? Probate law in this country and Province allows the Province to charge HUGE fees to estates. And I do mean huge 3-7%, repeatedly. If you die without a Will the Provincial Guardian and … Read more