All parents of preschoolers want their kids to have a good day at school. Every day we worry a little (or a lot) about how our child's day is going. Is she playing? Is he happy? Does he miss me? Is she following the rules? As parents, we hope for the best and would do just about anything to help our little ones have fun, learn, and feel self-assured. With so much of … [Read more...]
Hygge with Kids: Our First Attempt
So Friday arrived, and it was time for my family's Hygge Day experiment. (See Looplilly's earlier post for more about the concept of hygge.) We'd been planning to try hygge for the first time (in a formal sense, at least) for a week or so, and my five-year-old had been surprisingly excited about it since I'd first mentioned it. I think it was the bacon and cake that sold … [Read more...]
Hygge Me! (And My Kids?)
If this is the first time you are hearing of hygge, prepare to hear it again. Hygge is gaining in popularity and was on Oxford Dictionary's short list for 2016 Word of the Year. (The winner was post-truth.) Pronounced hue-gah, hygge is the Danish word for coziness, but it includes so much more. Think soft slippers, candlelight, a carefully tended fire, wooden … [Read more...]
Reading and Writing with a Reluctant Kindergartener
My kindergartener can't read, and he's not very interested in learning how. He'd rather be climbing trees, riding his bike, or taping together random items from the recycling bin. (Yes, that's a thing.) I don't want to force my kindergartener to read before he's ready. I know research shows that doing so can cause problems (anxiety, stress, negative associations … [Read more...]
Let Your Kids Try These Audiobooks
Every time my family goes on the two-day car trip to visit the grandparents, my kids use the iPad to watch shows and play games. But, believe it or not, iPad with no time limits gets old after a while. And who needs all that screen time, even in the car? I decided we needed some audiobooks, and as it turned out, they were a big hit. Now instead of using the iPad all the … [Read more...]