My Homeschool Philosophy: Part 1
Welcome to the first edition of the Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted by Authentic Parenting and Mudpiemama! In the month of January, we start afresh, a new year, new ideas. Hence, our participants have looked into the topic of “Birth and New Beginnings”. Take a look at the end of this post to find a list of links to the entries of the other participants. This year my daughter turns three. This milestone and a new year I have decided to be more intentional about homeschooling. Not to mean I’m really homeschooling at all and research shows that early academics are...
Read More10 (More) Craft Supplies Every Kid Needs
I was just working on this post about “must-have” craft supplies when Job Description Mommy published her 10 Toddler Art Supply Must Haves! Great minds and all, right? Luckily we only had some overlap (finger paints and pipe cleaners are a must!) so I decided to change mine to make it a supplement to hers. So you really don’t want to miss the first 10 must haves at her blog. Crafting and Art is so important in allowing kids to use their imagination. For mom, it breaks up the monotony of being trapped in doors during the winter. Here are some must-haves for your craft...
Read MoreSpanish for Mommies: Common Commands and Questions
Have you been using any Spanish endearments? In the second installation of my Spanish for Mommies series I’m going to share some common commands you might use during your day. Now these are commands in the linguistic sense not in the control-based-parenting manner. Please read about gentle parenting for why being commanding doesn’t work. Here are some common commands you probably say every day to your kids and their Spanish translation: cuidado – be careful. kwee DAH doe lávese las manos – wash your hands. LA vay say las MAHN ohs por favor...
Read MoreSpanish for Mommies: Terms of Endearment
Welcome to a new series I’ll be doing on helping your little ones learn Spanish! Now, I need to point out that I am not fluent in Spanish and I’m certainly not a native speaker. If you have access to a native speaker then wonderful! Exposure to native speakers is absolutely the best way to introduce your child to another language. However, don’t give up if you happen to live in the Mid-west with nary a Spanish Immersion School around (actually there is one in Columbus but that’s 3 hours from me). Being bilingual is so necessary in the modern world and it...
Read MoreHolistic Education (“unschooling”) FAQs
I had a wonderful discussion with some friends about homeschooling. Some are questions even “regular” homeschoolers have about child-led learning which I like to call Holistic Education but is also called unschooling or deschooling. I’d love to hear your questions too! Question: There are basic things in life that we need to know. What about math? I agree there are basic things that we *need* to know. The “what about math” question is one of the most frequently asked questions about “un”schooling. How will they learn math if they choose what...
Read MoreHome School vs. Public School
A few weeks ago I pointed you to a post over at PhD in Parenting about homeschooling and public schooling. It was a great post because it generated so much discussion! As any good thought provoking post will do, it has stayed in my mind and by formulating my response to it my own views on learning have solidified. So, before I get started, I’m going to say I will be disagreeing with Annie on nearly every point and using her post to make counterpoints – but this isn’t in any way meant to be an attack on her as I respect her views and enjoy her blog greatly! I also...
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