Hard is not the same thing as bad
What moments of parenting feel overwhelming to you? Book Review: Hard Is Not the Same Thing as Bad If I were to sit down to a coffee chat with new friends, I’d include Abbie Halberstadt on the invite list. While I do not actually know Abbie, her humor, advice, and encouragement would make us easy friends who could laugh and cry together before we even finished my first cup of coffee and her hot chocolate. Reading her book Hard is not the Same Thing as Bad felt like sitting in on a weekly book club with Abbie. #hintstab I have been following Abbie Halberstadt, author of M is for Mama, for a while and looking forward to her latest book Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad. She posts on social media about the miraculous and messy world of motherhood. She and her husband have 10 children (including 2 sets of twins with identical birthdays) and their story can be found on her parenting podcast and blog https://misformama.net/. Abbie’s down-to-earth honesty is refreshing as she shares her parenting experiences through the lens of hard is not the same thing as bad and her hope in Jesus Christ. So many…
15 Answers to Mom I am Bored
What is your quick answer to “Mom I am bored”? “Mom I am bored” is an anthem that will be sung throughout many households over the next few weeks of winter break. Have you already heard it at yours? Just as much as we look forward to a break from school or work, we dread hearing the “I am bored” phrase that is sure to pop up within hours or days. Here are 15 answers to Mom I am bored, whether you are mom, dad, grandma, or babysitter. You can skim the blog post titles and click on the ones that fit your situation. A little boredom never hurts, but reading these ahead of time will help you have an answer for school break boredom when the question comes. If you are new to my blog, here is how I reference the different stages of childhood. Younger years: babies and preschool Middle years: elementary and middle school Launching years: high school and college https://www.tailorjoy.com/10-ideas-for-indoor-fun-on-hot-or-rainy-days/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/digital-escape-rooms/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/chore-charts/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/10-reading-questions-to-ask-your-child/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/home-for-the-holidays/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/four-in-a-row-game-board/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/20-read-aloud-books-for-the-middle-years/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/table-talk-2/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/product-review-youscience-aptitude-discovery/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/10-life-skills-for-the-launching-years/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/the-middle-years-calming-the-chaos/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/smooth-transitions-from-college-to-home/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/math-conversations-with-preschoolers/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/prek-play-makes-learning-fun/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/learn-to-say-yes/ Wonder how other people are spending their breaks? Read this. https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/how-i-spent-my-holiday-break And a bonus– Download this printable list of waiting games…
Yoga Pretzels
What is a quick and easy way to help kids stretch their bodies and increase their patience and confidence? Product Review: Yoga Pretzels Years ago as a young teacher, I purchased a pack of Yoga Pretzels: 50 fun yoga activities for kids and grownups. This card deck has traveled with me to my various classrooms and tutoring sites. It has helped my students and children stretch during those silent 3-minute stretch breaks while testing, gave us fun activities to do during indoor recess, and helped calm the minds of tutoring clients as they transition from school to tutoring sessions. Now my grown-up daughter is borrowing them for her pediatric occupational therapy sessions. Yoga Pretzels are a quick and easy way to help kids stretch their bodies and brains while increasing their patience and confidence. These Yoga Pretzels have definitely been worth whatever I paid for them 15 years ago! A quick search shows they are still available in stores and on Amazon today. The sturdy cards have a picture of the yoga pose on one side and step-by-step instructions beautifully illustrated on the other side. There’s also an instructional booklet enclosed. I briefly talked to my students and clients about…
6 Time Management Tips
What type of calendar or time management system do you use? Time management is much harder for some people than others, yet it is a very useful stress management tool and life skill. Here are 6 time management tips to help you plan and balance your time. Time Management Tips Use a calendar or agenda system to manage your time. Having some type of system other than your head is a very helpful habit. Block time for important things. Use your calendar to block time for more than just appointments. Block time for work, school, appointments, commitments, hobbies, self-care, fun, family, etc. Blocking time will help you easily see where you need to include more balance and where you can fit in the urgent things that arise. I am much less stressed if my week has a starting point. When urgent things pop up, and they do, I can look at my calendar to see where I have an empty block or time or what I can rearrange rather than feeling overwhelmed in choosing between the important and the urgent. Plan, then pivot. Finding balance may mean color-coding your commitments (easy to do on Google Calendar) so that you can…