Give Thanks
What are you giving thanks for this year? Giving thanks should be a daily habit, not just a once a year table talk. Let’s cultivate thanksgiving, give thanks, well before we sit down at the tables or prepare to serve up a meal to those less fortunate or don our scrubs for a day at work. The pandemic gave ample opportunity to renew our list of things to be thankful for. For many of us, people and relationships got elevated to the top of the list. The definition of “framily” grew out of our Covid bubbles. In a houseful of “things” we most missed our friends and family. We became especially thankful for opportunities to travel and see loved ones. This year, let’s not only make a list of things to be thankful for, but let’s give thanks with grateful hearts. Let’s spread joy and cheer to all we meet. Let’s cultivate thanksgiving and motivate others to do the same! Here’s a free Thanksgiving printable to help you remember to give thanks with a grateful heart. The pdf download is an 8×10 so you can print it on your home printers. I am so thankful for how my business and…
10 Life Skills for the Launching Years
What life skills did you fail to learn before moving away from home? The launching years are a perfect time to teach your teens the life skills they need to cope with the challenges in the world around them so that they can feel confident and prepared. So many of these skills can be learned alongside parents and adults as they go about their everyday life. Do not wait until your kids are grown to start this! We started earlier than most, but the rewards have been great. Here are 10 basic life skill categories you use to think about what your teens already know and what you can teach them during the launching years. Life Skills for Teens 1. Meal Prep Teach your kids what makes a nutritious balanced meal and how to cook 5 or 6 simple ones. Show them cooking basics. As their confidence grows, expand their recipes and teach them meal planning and grocery shopping. Assign them a night to cook each week. Teach them to grill and how to brew good coffee. 2. Home Management Teaching cleaning chores and laundry should not wait until the launching years! Now teach kids how to use household appliances,…
Math Conversations with Preschoolers
How do you begin a conversation about math with a preschooler beyond singing the Ants Go Marching Two by Two? Introducing young children to math at home does not have to be complicated, but math conversations with preschoolers can go beyond simple counting songs or fingerplays. Young children are naturally curious about math. Numbers, geometry, and patterns are easy to incorporate into a preschool life, and so are math conversations with preschoolers. Even a walk around the neighborhood can be an opportunity to talk about math. Count dogs. Talk about how one dog counts as one no matter the size. Later you can categorize the dogs or count several categories of animals. Ask open ended questions. No dogs? Talk about cars, buildings, or nature. Geometry and patterns are also easy to incorporate. Name shapes as you walk or read books. Talk about how shape names do not change even if a shape is a different direction. Cut a few shapes out of paper and let your child arrange them to make pictures or create patterns. Tangrams are also a fun way to play with shapes and patterns at any age! I have been known to set out Tangrams and other…
Cold Brew Coffee Review
Did you know that cold brew coffee has been around for many, many years, and it’s not just a current craze? My parents and grandparents made cold brew coffee all of my life. Our fridge always housed bottles of liquid gold, cold brewed coffee concentrate. We never had to worry about shelf life because we went through it quickly. Hot black coffee was the natural way to start and end the day and to offer to guests. Once some friends even let themselves in our house just before we returned home from a trip and hid my mom’s cold brew and ate up the ice cream in the freezer. The ice cream was forgivable, but we couldn’t imagine a more horrible prank than to hide the coffee! While I had to use mini 4 cup coffee pots thru college, I soon got my own Toddy Cold Brew system. Cold brew regular and decaf liquid concentrate are always in my fridge. While we dabble with French press and pour overs at our house, we always have cold brew on hand for hot or iced coffee. My favorite benefit is the lower acidity of the cold brewed coffee than the traditional hot…
15 Parenting Books
Ever wish you had a quick list of helpful books for raising a child? Here are 15 parenting books! This list is not comprehensive nor will you agree 100% with every chapter in each book, however, it’s like a recipe. You take the basic ideas and tailor them to your family’s needs or what’s in the pantry that day. I find it much easier to modify a recipe than to make one up, wouldn’t you agree? No book list should ever replace solid Biblical truth. The best parents are those who understand that solid parenting skills come from the unchanging truth of God. They also reach out to like-minded others who are just a few steps ahead of them. A friend recently asked me for some parenting resources, and I literally went to my bookshelf and pulled off a few favorites. These are parenting books I have read or used over the years. I ask that you use discernment in whether or not they are the best resource for you. Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a teacher, or a favorite friend, I hope this list will be helpful. It’s divided into 3 sections, and I’ve included Amazon…
In Order
Do you ever wonder why students jump around project to project without finishing it in order? Teaching students or your children to prioritize and complete projects in order is a doable goal. One easy way is to write a list of things to complete and teach them to complete projects in order. In the elementary classroom during a block of work time, I write down a list of things on the board that need to be done. I teach my students that my lists are always meant to be completed starting at the top. When you complete the first item, you move on to the second item, etc. Sometimes I draw a line dividing the top part of the list from the bottom part. This is usually a visual reminder that the things above the line must be completed and the things below the line are things to do if you get time or if you actually complete all the above. Writing lists help students visualize, prioritize, and complete projects in order. I’m not fond of long lists of things to do, but occasionally this is necessary on a “catch up” day when students are in various stages of completion…
Homework Help
Have you set yourself up for endless hours of sitting with your children and nagging them to get their homework done or having to work through every single problem with them? Homework help involves helping a child set up a structure for the time. Here are a few easy steps and homework tips to get out of the habit of nagging a child through homework. Set up a regular homework time and place. Set out school supplies in easy reach. Set expectations for that time, such as working for 15 minutes then taking a short break or completing all of an assignment before a break. Talk about eliminating distractions during homework time, such as TV watching. Depending on the age of your child, be nearby but not next to them. Or be next to them, but working on your own work. It helps develop their independence. Some children will need more gradual backing off of parental and teacher support, but the earlier you can do this the more independent they will become. I often suggest that parents let children get started on their work and ask for help when they need it rather than a parent unpacking the backpack and…
Be Honest
Do you know that honest feeling of relief you get when you just tell someone the truth? “Be honest” is one of the few rules I have for my tutoring clients. I’d rather a child tell me they didn’t turn in their homework than lie to me about the teacher losing it. Being honest allows us to get to the heart of the matter, such as lack of motivation or feeling overwhelmed by the amount of overdue work. Honesty is a character trait that we should strive for, but we also need to strive to create relationships that cultivate honest conversations. Being honest is hard work but being known as a person of integrity adds much to your character. We tend to want to hide the truth when things are not going as planned or when we think we will disappoint people. Being honest in a relationship builds trust. Our homes, offices, and classrooms can be spaces where it’s safe to tell the truth. Spaces where we reach out to one another. Where telling the truth is honored and help and hope are offered. Spaces where condemnation and criticism drip from the lips of those in attendance do not value…
Free Table Talk Conversation Starter Questions
Are you more like a pencil or a school bus? I love to ask people conversation starter questions like this one! I have asked it around the dinner table, to help a student prepare for an interview, on an airplane, in line at an amusement park, at gatherings, walking down the beach, and many more places to people both young and old. Mostly I just love to get people thinking and talking. I always ask them to give one reason to support their answer. I have heard plenty of interesting answers, the best being from my daughter who said she was sharp like a pencil but you never knew when she might snap! Why ask conversation starter questions If you think this is just a silly idea, let me explain. Conversation starter questions like this cause one to think about a pencil and then to think about a school bus. Probably floods of memories come when they think about their own experience with buses or lack of experience. Then they have to think about themself and what they want to review or hide about themself when they answer. Next, they have to evaluate both options and analyze the object and…
Tailor Joy Together
Ever wondered what the benefits are of having a personal tailor? Tailors Tailors make adjustments on the spot and look for inconsistencies. They understand that selecting the right fabric to suit the environment and occasion gives you a big advantage. Tailors creatively highlight their clients’ personal style. They save you time and money overall. You feel more confident in clothes that fit and flatter. Did you know the Bible talks about God gifting some people to be tailors? Take a look at Exodus 28:3. Tailor Joy Tailoring joy works much the same way. The benefits of tailored joy are smiling more and sighing less. People who tailor their attitudes and actions to cultivate joy in everyday life are reaping the benefits personally and professionally. Navigating the ups and downs is challenging. Choosing to count your blessings no matter what the day brings is one way to tailor joy today. Having joy can significantly impact your emotions, overall confidence, and even the direction of your day. Joy is a gift from God. Joy is our strength! It helps you smile more and sigh less. Sometimes it’s just a little tip or reminder that can significantly impact your day. Such as having…