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Whenever I start to feel guilty about the fact that I spent the majority of my Christmas vacation wearing my pajamas, I remind myself that I did in fact accomplish something very monumental, right there in my worn-out flannel bottoms and time-softened jersey shirt.  Well, rather, I should say my son accomplished something very monumental. … continue reading

In the steamy warm of the summer season of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. supplied the currently popular ” I Have a Dream” speech. He mentioned his dream for a future where kids of all races might stroll with each other as well as ” not be evaluated by the shade of their skin but… continue reading

It’s that time of year again.  Parents everywhere are standing behind one-way windows or sitting on child-sized chairs, trying to peek in on preschool classrooms and hoping to ascertain whether or not it’s the right fit for their children. I often have people ask me what they should be looking for.  My first answer: You have… continue reading

“We treat everybody the same.” It was an innocuous comment really.  Assuredly said with the best of intentions. So why did it get under my skin? Let me make a few things clear before I begin to blur the common definition of fairness.  I do think children need consistency and that they do rise to… continue reading

Articles: Pondering Praise Hip Hip Hooray for Valentine’s Day! Have a great weekend!

Because I follow the brilliant Janet Lansbury on Facebook, I have come across several interesting posts about praise recently.  In one of those, Lisa Sunbury of Regarding Baby shared her thoughts in  Praise Not , a read I would recommend.  All this reading got me thinking about praise. It can be a tricky subject, the… continue reading

I find it interesting, given the interesting discussion on praise that we just had, that Valentine’s Day is creeping around the corner.  It may seem unrelated to some, but in my mind if there is one thing that is an even more powerful reinforcer for children than praise it is love.  Pure, unconditional love.  That can be… continue reading

Mandy Ehman at Life…Your Way, is offering Valentine links all this week for you to enjoy with your families. Today, her feature is treats and crafts for kids, so I thought I’d share a fun kid-friendly treat I made with my boys over the weekend.  (Click here to see all of today’s links!) After seeing… continue reading

So what do you do about a toddler who suddenly says “NO” to everything? Here are some of my thoughts featured in this month’s First Friday Q&A. (Those who pay close attention will notice this growing baby boy is using up some of my lung capacity. :0) (This video can also be found on YouTube here.) More… continue reading

I’m reposting a favorite of Scott’s (of Brick by Brick).  Thanks for the reminder, Scott.  (And while we’re on the subject of favorites, check out my latest favorite from his blog, No “Art” But Plenty of Creativity.) While ADD,  or attention deficit disorder,  is a term frequently referred to in educational and developmental settings (an… continue reading