Montessori Parenting & Learning
This post contains a vetted list of mindfulness children's books. On our journey to homeschooling, we continue to think long and hard about what and how to teach our two boys asking questions like:
“Who are they?”
“How do they learn?”
“What do we want for them?”
Time and time again we come back to hoping our children are happy and kind. We want them to be secure in who they are and in where they are heading in life. We want them to be present. [Read more…]
Family camping is quite an experience, especially when it involves young children. However, a top parenting goal for me, in general, is to create & to instill in my children a sense of awe & wonder for the world. In other words, camping as a family even with small kids is a part of instilling that love for the natural world.
Camping with kids doesn't have to be difficult but more often than not, it is. I won't lie to you. We have cut camping trips short. In other words, we have had many sleepless nights in our family tent & lots of tears camping with our three young sons.
You know what, though?
We keep going. The experience is worth it. The experiences – good and bad – make life.
Preparing children with skills and a proper mindset will lead them in the right direction of not only having fun but of actually building confidence while having the adventure. Feeling capable goes a long way in a young child. This simple yet powerful fact goes hand-in-hand with the family camping with kids tips I'm sharing below.
First, you have to prepare your family camping gear, organize your gear, and then prepare more than you would normally have to if you were camping with older children. A great way to get organized is with a camping with kids checklist.
This Coleman 8 Person Family Tent is high quality & spacious, it has all the bells & whistles a family might need on a camping trip. It is waterproof and water resistant and has room for three queen sized airbeds. Plus, it is easy to set up and offers a divider for privacy if you need it.
The Core 9 Person Extended Dome Family Tent is also a good choice for families. It is quite spacious and offers a few useful features such as a lantern hook and a gear lock. In addition, the venting system and water resistant technology are effective.
Bug Net for movement and the pure joy of chasing critters, beautiful butterflies and unique moths
Bug House to create a temporary home for the critters we met during our weekend only to be released within a few hours
Magnifying Glass & Binoculars to more closely examine the insects and animals we shared space with over the weekend
Flashlight for a sensory walk during dusk and the darker hours
Kid-Sized Camping Chairs for resting, reading, and contemplating. So, while you're grabbing your family tent, don't forget to pick up a kid folding chair (with a carrying bag is the best way to go) so that you can relax outside the tent.
Crayons & Drawing Pad for our journals and nature rubbings
Related Read: My No Fail Trick to Getting Kids to Behave in the Car
We love our Petzl headlamps!
One popular and effective way we prepare for camping with kids is with children's books about camping. Over the years, I have researched and reviewed both good and not so good children's books on the topic.
Generally, books have always been a big part of getting outdoors to connect with nature. There is something about a book that grounds a person. So, naturally, we use books as a way to introduce our children to the idea of camping. We want to inspire them and ignite their excitement and desire to be and to learn in the outdoor classroom.
When We Go Camping is perhaps my favorite. The illustrations are gorgeous and there is a rhythm to the whole book of which I want to be a part. This book truly connects a child to nature and to wildlife. There is a lot of learning within its pages. Your child will certainly be engaged in learning more after reading this book.
S Is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet is a sweet book introducing young children to the language of camping. Yes, that language includes “Smores”.
Fred and Ted Go Camping is Peter Eastman at his best. Weaves in opposites and the idea that different approaches to doing things may just work out all right. This book is a lot of fun.
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems is a must-have book of simple yet lovely poems. The book will leave you and your children with a lot of happiness. I enjoy how the author integrates sights and sounds of camping truly bringing the experience alive for kids and adults.
A few additional books worth noting include Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser
, Garden Wigglers: Earthworms in Your Backyard by Nancy Loewen
and Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer
for worms. Plus, National Geographic Readers: Ants
and National Geographic Readers: Frogs!
are also great first readers to prepare your children for all the goodness of the outdoors.
Below you will find four family camping tips that help prepare children for the trip. This post highlights the truly enjoyable part of preparing a child for a weekend in the “wilderness” – INDOOR CAMPING! Kids generally love building forts and playing in tents. Indoor camping simply adds more structure and creates a pretend play activity.e
We are fortunate to have Melissa & Doug sponsor our summer camping adventures by supplying us with some fabulous kid's camping gear, especially the gear to get us ready and prepared to go on our journey.
The Invitation: Asking kids to “set up camp” indoors is not a stretch. In fact, I didn't even have to ask my boys to do anything, they did it themselves. They led me to set up the tent, put batteries in their flashlights and help them zip their alligator sleeping bags. They were so thrilled to set up camp indoors that the practicing part was all play.
We focused on Practical Life Skills like zipping up their alligator sleeping bags, turning on their bumblebee flashlights in the light and the dark and helping to set up the turtle tent.
We talked about critters like ants and worms, creatures like deer and plants that we may find on our adventures this summer. We explored life cycles of various critters, wriggled like worms and caterpillars in our Happy Giddy Tunnel and read many books (see above) on the topic.
And of course, we practiced sleeping in our tents.
Nature is the best teacher for our children. Rachel Carson says it well in her quote below. There is a lot of truth in her words and, given her status as a naturalist extraordinaire, one might infer that she was thinking from the perspective of being outdoors.
Children learn valuable skills simply by being and by exploring the natural environment around them. Skills, such as problem-solving, science, social & emotional skills, that we parents often demand of our young children have the opportunity to develop naturally if we allow them the space to do so.
There are no iPads or iPhones allowed on our adventures. {GASP!} There will be exploring, observing, telling stories and reading. So we prepared for Outdoor Activities by introducing our Family Nature Journal, going on a Nature Walk where we search for colors and a Listening Walk. We also decorated a Treasure Box to carry with us on our hikes.
Camping with kids is tricky enough without having to worry about entertaining the little scientists. So, consider these activities on your next trip:
Star Gazing
I love this idea from Stacy at Kids Stuff World for stargazing indoors using a strainer and a flashlight. My boys were totally into this activity. We also took some time to learn about the constellations and read some of the lovely myths that take place in the sky.
Reading & Singing
Aren't books and songs so great? A few of our favorites camping books are included in this post on Children's Books for Camping with Kids. I love singing and I especially love singing with my boys. My husband, well, he isn't so much into the singing but he is highly entertained by our singalongs.
A few of our favorites songs include She'll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain, Down by the Station, Orca Whale, The More We Get Together, Ring Around the Rosies, Ants Go Marching, I've Been Working on the Railroad, You are my Sunshine and Mr. Sun. I could go on but hopefully, that inspired you a bit.
Rock Collecting
Collect different shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. Turn it into a sorting and sensory activity
Wooden Sculpture
Gather pieces of wood from the beach or the forest and build away. Watch your toddler's imagination go wild building forts and bridges
Scavenger Hunt
If you're organized, prepare a sheet ahead of time with all sorts of critters, plants, and sights to gather in the hunt. If not, no big deal, the ‘real-time' scavenger is popular in our household
Water Play
If you're near a river, lake or ocean, this sensory activity is a given. Before you leave for your trip, gather a few water play essentials such as cups for pouring, basters for squirting, syringes and squeeze and spray bottles
Sand Writing
Another activity right at your camping doorstep so grab a stick and draw pictures, shapes, and your ABCs. Watch your little one go crazy in the dry and, oh yes, wet sand (mud is a toddler's best friend = lots of spare clothes).
I found this camping with kids checklist and was on my way. Don't feel like you need to follow this list or any other list but you should make a checklist. It is particularly important to get organized and plan well when you're camping with kids.
When you are towing a toddler along for the ride, the task of food becomes even a bit more daunting. All and all, I think we did well with our picky toddler.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Dessert
Snacks
As I mentioned above, I highly recommend a huge cooler and three separate large storage containers to hold your dry goods, sleeping gear, and kitchen gear. Oh, also a bin for cleaning and dish clothes. Dr. Bronners is always key!
Struggling with how to talk so kids will listen is a right of passage for parents and caretakers.
Learning how to improve communication with kids is not simply about getting them to act in a certain way, it is about guiding them to be better communicators, how to live peacefully, how to be kind, and to how to effectively resolve the conflict. This means knowing when to intervene, and knowing how to communicate during a conflict.
Related Post: What Questions to Ask Before You Intervene
Once you're done reading this article, you will feel more confident & more prepared to communicate with your child and to help guide your child to be a rock-solid communicator.
I promise. I got your back.
Don't panic. You are not alone.
This stuff is hard.
Toddler and preschooler communication is challenging for an adult. So, I thought I would share tips on improving communication with young children that I've gathered over the years as a parent and educator. This information will hopefully serve as a reference tool for you as you perfect your methods on how to talk so kids will listen, respond, and learn to communicate effectively.
Did you know that toddlers and preschoolers can solve their own problems? Yes, it is true!
“It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once was.”
~ Dr. Maria Montessori
So, just how to talk so kids will listen? Let's get into it.
With the help and guidance of us grown-ups, who often are too quick to offer solutions without giving children the opportunity to come up with a solution on their own, children just might be able to do it.
They just might surprise us.
The best part is that they can develop important life skills in problem-solving and decision making. Not to mention, they will feel capable and independent. Check out my book lists for children for ideas on how to help children develop key social and emotional skills.
During my training, I attended a wonderful Montessori presentation by a Virginia Varga. She pioneered the development of a Montessori Infant & Toddler curriculum in the 60s. Her experience with children, toddlers especially, is extensive, to say the least. She passed some of her knowledge on how to talk so kids will listen & learn to communicate effectively onto those of us lucky enough to be in her audience.
In short, she was pretty awesome.
[clickToTweet tweet=”‘Yes, I am a kind, strong, capable person. I can solve problems for myself.' #parenting” quote=”‘Yes, I am a kind, strong, capable person. I can solve problems for myself.' “]
I was fascinated with her.
She emphasized that toddlers are in their prime developing a sense of identity and that, by 2 years old, the basic structure of personality is already formed in these little spirits. That is not to say that personality can't change to some extent but the basic foundation already exists in form. Even at birth, temperament is deeply embedded in who we all are. I
loved it when Virginia said, emphasizing Maria Montessori herself, “already at 3, a child is a little man”. I could not help but giggle a bit thinking about my own children and all their “personality”.
One theme in her Montessori presentation was how parents and educators are too quick to problem-solve for children, that we are given many opportunities to guide them to make decisions on their own but we choose to offer solutions instead of asking questions.
Conflict resolution is a life skill. Helping children understand and process their emotions, and then manage them is a life skill. I am guilty. I am betting I am not alone in this boat.
I got so much out of her talk that I had to share some of the specific communication tactics with you.
You can not start too young with this approach. The approach takes practice and repetition. Even the youngest child who may not have the words to respond can take words into his world. He understands.
In my Montessori at Home Guide for Parents, I offer loads more helpful tips to add to your toolbox, ready for use!
[clickToTweet tweet=”‘By gently leading a child across the bridge you can celebrate the joy of psychological birth.'” quote=”‘By gently leading a child across the bridge you can celebrate the joy of psychological birth.'”]
I will end with a quote from the presentation: “By following and gently leading the child ‘across the bridge' you can celebrate the joy of the child's psychological birth. A child is a person “I am” and “I can”. There is so much more to write on this topic so indeed expect more to come…we can help our children be peaceful and bring peace to their minds and hearts.
Thanks for visiting…come back soon.
I hope we inspired you today!
Marnie
Related Read: The Secret to Positive Discipline – Why Time Outs Aren’t Enough
Do you have a child ready to start to save & spend his own money? Teaching kids money management is not an easy task. Saving is especially a tough nut to crack.
But it is important. We can agree on that fact.
Where do you start teaching kids about money? Feel a bit lost?
Yeah, me, too.
Well, here is good news!
Here is a fun way to start helping your kids learning about money. Use the adorable “I am Saving!” printable found below to help bring home the idea of what it means to save for an item. Delayed gratification is not an easy concept to teach kids. Use these labels to help you. Print out on sticker paper to affix onto a box or jar or bank to remind the child of his goal.
Related Read: 4 Fantastic Ways to Teach Your Child How to Save Money
I struggle with trying to find a balance between giving my kids everything that I did not have and teaching them gratitude and delayed gratification.
Can you relate?
What do you do when a child really wants an item from the most recent Lego catalog? or want to attend a friend's birthday party with a gift?
Related Read: Teaching Kids about Money – 6 Tips & Activities
Kids like tangible. Kids like concrete.
I wish you luck my friend. Teaching kids about money doesn't happen overnight. It is a process that happens over the years.
Best,
Marnie
Do you have a child in your life who is a bit “all over the place”? Is he a “paper stuffer”? When you enter his room, do you have to push open the door because it is such a mess? We can share frustrations and laugh about these kids but these tendencies will cause many problems as they grow and develop into adults. If you are in this boat, then the issue is one of an executive function disorder and maybe even an issue with mental health.
Consider this post an introductory guide to executive function, what it means, signs of executive dysfunction, and strategies to develop these skills in kids who are struggling with executive functioning. Are you concerned about your child?
In most cases, there's nothing to worry about; every child develops differently, what may appear as learning disabilities are actually learning differences, and some children just need special forms of attention to inspire their abilities.
Some persistent deficiencies in executive function, however, can be indicative of a serious learning disorder, so it's important to learn more about executive skills and how to foster these skills in your child if he or she seems to be behind. So, let's dig a bit deeper.
The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University defines executive function skills as “the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.” These skills allow us to focus on particular details, prioritize effectively, and enforce delayed gratification to make sure that things get done.
Executive skills aren't innate. While some children have more potential to develop effective executive skills than others, these skills are largely a product of a child's brain chemistry and environment.
One of the most important factors in the development of these skills is identifying the gaps in executive function early in a child's life. Once observed, teachers and parents can implement create a plan including activities, exercises, and perhaps outside therapy to assist in a child's development of executive skills.
Related Read: Resources to Help Your Child with Executive Functioning Skills
In extreme cases, negative environmental factors can prevent normal brain growth and cause children to exhibit hyperactive or disruptive behaviors. Furthermore, impediments to the normal development of executive functioning in young children can have continuing negative effects throughout a child's developing and adult years, so learning about the symptoms of poor executive functioning and the strategies that can be used to improve this critical developmental factor can help parents and caregivers guide at-risk children back on positive developmental tracks.
It is important to remember that children are not born with executive function skills. Instead, they are born with the potential to develop these skills.
Executive Function Disorder is often associated with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). ADHD is considered to be a type of executive function impairment but certainly not every child with executive dysfunction has ADHD. A child may be considered to have EFD when his or her executive functioning skills appear out of sync with her development.
According to the ADD publication ADDitude, children start developing executive functions at age two. These functions continue to develop until age 30. ADDitude estimates that people with ADHD can experience delays in the development of executive functioning by up to 40 percent, and it's believed that EFD may be linked to poor development in the prefrontal cortex.
The three main areas involving executive functioning are working memory, self-regulation, and mental flexibility. These three areas are interrelated and affect most areas of the brain. In order for EF to execute effectively, all three areas much work together.
{Source: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University}
There are seven types of skills that are associated with executive function.
These skills are:
In children with EFD, most or all of these executive skills are inhibited. By using various exercises and techniques, it may be possible to boost or restore executive skills in affected children.
While children with ADHD often have trouble paying attention to activities in the present, children with EFD have an inability to plan for the future. Children with this disorder have trouble setting schedules or staying organized, and they may habitually lose personal items.
Some common signs of EFD include:
In young children, EFD may show itself in the form of angry or frustrated behavior. Young children with EFD may have trouble handling setbacks, and they may throw tantrums over seemingly minimal issues.
Instead of capably expressing their emotions with words or other socially acceptable mediums of expression, children with EFD may act aggressively. They may also be resistant to the normal flow of classroom behavior, and they may stubbornly choose to act on their own impulses rather than follow the established protocols.
As children with executive functioning issues get older and enter grade school, they become highly resistant to any changes in routine. In addition, their organization difficulties become more pronounced.
During middle school and high school, failures to adapt to social norms and implement systems to help with EFD may lead to becoming increasingly socially withdrawn. Additionally, they may engage in risky behaviors. For example, they may have trouble choosing careers or holding down jobs.
Below are examples of skills on which to focus.
Here is a short list:
Most instances of executive function disorder manifest at an early age, so early intervention is important. For example, one of the best ways to help develop skills to combat these challenges is to expose to activities and exercises that will help close gaps. With that said, once it's clear that EFD is interfering with a child's ability to learn and develop socially, it may be useful to enlist the assistance of professionals. For instance, speech therapists, reading tutors, or psychologists test & guide your child. Finally, an executive function test will pinpoint the exact areas that need focus.
In-class behavioral modification techniques, such as daily report cards and token systems, may be effective strategies. Adults might consider the use of external information crutches like cards, smartphone apps, and sticky notes to improve focus and motivation.
Related Read: Activities Guide: Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence
Lastly, children with EFD may be responsive to the same stimulant drugs that are used to treat ADHD. As in all cases of behavioral issues, however, drugs should be relied on as a last resort after behavioral modification and positive forms of adult support have failed.
Bottom line, a child needs to create a system that works for him. This system may include:
There are a variety of activities that may assist a child with executive function disorder in attaining normative cognitive and social development. Here are some examples of effective executive function activities:
There are a number of different board games and other types of games that you can play with your child to encourage the healthy development of executive skills. While it's unclear how much these games actually improve the symptoms of EFD, they provide opportunities to spend quality time with your child, which will certainly improve his or her social adaptability and overall happiness.
Competitive sports are some of the best activities for executive function disorder. These types of activities assist children in developing social skills, and they also boost cognitive flexibility and anticipation.
While any type of physical exercise will help with the symptoms of EFD by improving overall health, team sports allow children to become closer to their peers and learn more about working together to achieve shared goals. It isn't necessary to compete in physical sports; any type of competitive activity, such as chess, will improve executive functioning in children.
It has long since been concluded that music helps improve brain functioning, and listening to music can help children with EFD focus and regulate their emotions. The benefits of music become even more pronounced, however, when you encourage your child with EFD to learn how to play an instrument.
Drawing, building, and designing whether in 2D or 3D are enormously helpful for a high performing child with executive function dysfunction. In many cases, children with executive dysfunction are also gifted, which means their brain is often on fire. Therefore, the adults in their lives need to make certain these children have outlets.
I attended a conference on parenting gifted children recently. One of the presenters, Seth Perler, focused his presentation (and life's work for that matter) on helping gifted children with these gaps in executive functioning. I took away a ton from his talk. His main takeaway for me and one I believe he emphasized was our relationship with the child matters the most.
Children struggling with these tasks, often struggle with big emotions, depression, anxiety, poor self-image, too. In other words, Children experience and feel the world differently than the typical human being does. As we work with them through the process of developing their weaknesses into strengths, we need to be developing a strong, solid, loving, genuine relationship with them. Furthermore, don't allow the child to define himself or be defined by his giftedness or “disability”. It was a powerful way to end his extremely practical talk outlining helpful strategies for teachers and parents.
Time is one of life’s most precious resources. If you waste an hour, you can’t get it back for any amount of money. That’s why teaching your kids priceless time management and organizational skills early and often are top priorities. Accomplishing this is hard if you divide your time among multiple children and a job outside of the home.
Routine and chore charts help you to quickly set expectations for your kids regarding their personal activities, school work, and household chores. These activity charts for kids feature simple designs that are engaging enough to spark interest in even your most jaded teen. Don’t waste a second. Dive right into these daily schedules for kids ideas!
Morning routine charts save the day for parents who have toddlers. Your routine charts, however, should include both morning and evening activities to get your little ones happily moving in the right direction.
Related Read: The Secret to Positive Discipline – Why Time Outs Aren’t Enough
This picture-based chart uses plenty of colors to guide your toddler through his or her day. The title shows a bright, yellow sun that your child will associate with day time and waking up in the morning. Personalize the chart by putting your toddler’s name in the title. Since your toddler’s activities are relatively limited, this chart shows a short list of tasks using fun graphics.
Graphics of a potty, a cartoon character making its bed, some clothing, some plated food, a toothbrush, and a comb let your toddler know the sequence of events in his or her morning. Whether you use pictures that you snapped from your smartphone or computer-generated clip art, associate the visuals with words. This gets your child ready for reading later.
Easy to understand visuals also dominate the child’s evening schedule chart. The title shows a crescent moon and stars, which signals bedtime for your toddler. These activities and their associated pictures are included in the chart.
Related Resource: The 7 Most Beautiful & Easy to Use Toddler Bedtime Routine Charts
Customize the morning and evening chart with Velcro tabs and fabric. Cut out yellow stars and green dots from pieces of felt from your local fabric store. Place them in a small pouch that you can hang from a thumbtack. Let your child press a green dot next to tasks as he or she finishes them. If your toddler does a particularly good job on an activity, praise him or her by pressing a yellow star near the task. This will keep your little one engaged and motivated.
Preschoolers are known for their growing independence and their willingness to help around the house. With this daily schedule for kids, you’ll encourage them to be creative while they learn life skills.
Have your child create his or her own activity chart with your help. In this chart, morning tasks are a mix of routine activities and age-appropriate household chores.
Here are some example activities:
Related Read: 12 Tips for a Smoother Morning Routine for You & Your Kids
Here are some examples of evening routines:
While your child is likely capable of accomplishing these tasks without constant help from you, he or she often gets sidetracked. This activity chart consists of a sturdy poster board that has Velcro tabs and colorful cards for each activity. Print out pre-scripted cards from the internet, or you can make your own from scratch. Work out the ideal numbered sequence of tasks with your child; put the tasks’ numbers on the back of the cards.
When your child finishes a task that’s in his or her stack of cards, he or she will stick the card on the activity board’s Velcro tab. Getting chores done becomes a game. If your child doesn’t remember what he or she needs to do next, refer them to their cards.
If this sound daunting to you, check out these printable morning & evening routine cards!
Years ago, a friend of mine wished to introduce chores to her 3.5 year old. So, she bought a cute chore chart for visual learning. I had thought a lot about this topic so I was curious about her approach.
She asked her daughter to explain the chart to me. Brilliant. She allowed her daughter to take ownership of the experience. As a result, she described her first chore with enthusiasm and pride. So that – “her first chore” – brings me to my next point.
My friend opted to start slowly by introducing chores thoughtfully. In other words, the first chores might not only become ingrained in her daughter's learning but chores that also have more than one meaning (e.g. chore = reward).
For example, her daughter's first chore was the compost bin, which I think is so smart. Her daughter learns about earning life's precious “things” through hard work but she also learns about preparing food and science.
What opportunity to teach and to learn!
As kids enter grade school, they have more classroom work and less of a desire to help around the house. To keep them organized and useful at home, you’ll need more than morning routine charts with Velcro stars and creative card tricks. This activity chart shows a typical daily schedule for kids who are between 6 and 12 years old, and it has a hook to keep them engaged in their work.
Here are some sample morning tasks.
Here are some sample evening tasks.
This schedule board needs a sturdier surface than the previous charts. Use a cork bulletin board to hold printed tasks that are individually held in place by Velcro tabs. Since your child has more schoolwork and limited time, it’s important to associate each task with a time reference. You and your child decide when those activities and chores need to be done and create time cards for each task.
As your child finishes each activity on time, he or she puts a marble in the cup. You count the marbles daily. If the child reaches a certain amount of marbles at a week’s end, he or she gets a special reward such as a game app, ice cream treat, or a day of no chores.
Opportunities to shape your child’s time and money management abilities abound when your kid becomes a teenager. While most charts for kids feature physical boards only, this example activity chart goes digital.
Example morning activities and age-appropriate housework for teens.
Sample evening routine and chores for teens.
The schedule and activity list for teens should include lists of chores that can be switched out and modified as your family’s needs change. Include a QR code on the poster board so that your child can sync work activities on the physical board with extra instructions about chores on his or her smartphone.
Have your child send a notification when he or she completes tasks. If your teen completed each activity in a timely and effective manner, load a prepaid Visa debit card with the teen’s allowance money. When activities are not done properly, deduct a percentage from his or her allowance.
