When in Doubt, Say YES!
Do you find yourself automatically saying “No” to your kids all of the time? It’s an easy habit for parents to fall into; often we start saying “No” to our children when they’re just babies “No-no,...
View ArticleChild Care Curriculum
Ready for another section of my Parent Handbook? We started with a description of how the Handbook is organized, then I shared the history of my child care program, our daily routine, and a family...
View ArticleFamily Fun in the Fall
Mother Nature provides an abundance of materials for fall family fun! The following activities won’t take a lot of time or cost a lot of money, but they will provide a great opportunity for some...
View ArticleDinosaurs Galore!
Children of all ages are fascinated with dinosaurs. Something about their gigantic size and the mystery surrounding their extinction has intrigued children – and adults – for generations. One way for...
View ArticleChoosing the Best Toys
At this time of the year many people who have children to buy for are looking for help choosing among the thousands of options. Since toys are the learning tools of children, it’s important to put some...
View ArticleHomemade Pizza Fun
One of the best things about family child care is the flexibility… What do you do when you’ve got homemade pizza half done, then your husband the sweetest, most wonderful man in the world surprises you...
View ArticleReggio Emilia Environment – Transformation in Progress
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m addicted to Pinterest and have collected more ideas than I know what do to with. My most recent Pinterest obsession started with photos of calm, beautiful,...
View ArticleWool Dryer Balls – Natural Baby Toys
As I was looking at photos of Reggio inspired environments I noticed wool balls in baskets on the floor for infants. Eureka – what a great idea! Having used wool diaper covers on Z-Man and Little Guy...
View ArticleMothers Day Craft – Sun Catchers
If you’ve been a frequent visitor here you’ll know that it’s not uncommon for me to be scrambling at the last moment for a quick and easy Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, or Christmas craft to do with the...
View ArticleEasy Father’s Day Craft – Personalized Hammers
Spoiler alert! If you’re the Dad of a child who attends my child care program you may want to back away from the computer and come back after you’ve opened your Father’s Day gift. Everyone else please...
View ArticleWECA Conference 2013 – Here We Come!
I know it’s hard to believe, considering how much I hate early mornings, but by the time this post goes live – 6:00 am – Teacher and I will have been up for two hours and on the highway for over an...
View ArticleA Peek into the 2013 WECA Conference
Another WECA Conference has come and gone, and a good time was had by all. Or at least by Teacher and I! I wasn’t in a picture-taking mood this year, but I did snap a couple of photos: Lisa Murphy aka...
View ArticleKalahari Resort Upgrade!
When I called to reserve a room at the Kalahari Resort for the WECA Conference I chose a Hut room because we could get a discount for being part of the Conference, and because Teacher and I don’t need...
View ArticleTempting Toys
Finding the right toy is a huge challenge considering how many thousands of toys are available in our local stores and online. Pretty packaging and slick commercials only muddy the waters. Toys are...
View ArticleRespecting Individual Differences
Many of the mysteries of behavior can be summed up in one short sentence: Children are unique! Beyond the obvious physical characteristics of hair and eye color lie individual differences in...
View ArticleTeaching Responsibility
Parents often wonder “How can I get my children to take care of their things and help around the house without arguing or complaining?” That’s a great question! It’s important for children to be...
View ArticleA Day with Tom Copeland
If you’re in family child care for any length of time it’s inevitable that at some point you’ll discover Tom Copeland. I don’t remember exactly when I first heard of him, but it must’ve been shortly...
View ArticleMake a Waldorf Hand Kite
About a year ago I made some major changes in my child care environment to give it a Reggio-Inspired feel. Throughout the process I did a LOT of research online and made a HUGE list of ideas to revisit...
View ArticleMother’s Day Craft – Candles
Spoiler alert! If you’re the mother of a child enrolled in my child care program you may want to skip this post for now and come back after you open your Mother’s Day gift. Just a thought… Everyone...
View ArticleDIY Outdoor Canopy
It all started with an innocent Pinterest pin – a “Suntracking Shelter” that you could move along metal arches as the sun moved across the sky. I thought it would be great for the sandbox because it’s...
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