I am one of many parents who LOVES the start of summer. Less morning routine obligations. Less lunches to pack. More options to relax and play. More vacations etc etc… And yet, I have read articles about the learning loss that occurs over these summer breaks. For example I just read that…
Author Archives: Kristin Buursma
Story Starters for Kids
As I read articles on parenting and teaching, I continually read about the importance of introducing our children to words, language and stories. Reading to them when they are young, encouraging them to read and write as they get older and using proper language pronunciation and words are so vital to helping kids get a good start in their language and vocabulary. One of my favorite activities is something I call “story starters”.
Indoor Summer Play
Sometimes, it is simply too hot or rainy to head outside or you have a small time frame to fill before another activity. Here are some indoor activities that can be easily tweaked to be fun and age appropriate.
Outdoor Summer Activities for the Family
The school year is wrapping up and you are busy putting away the multitude of papers that came home with your child. Now, you take a breath and wonder what will fill your summer days? You may have days when you are simply enjoying a day with just your kids. What are some meaningful and fun activities that you can be working on?
Do You Need a Summer Nanny?
There are so many days of summer and so many hours to fill! What are you and your kids going to do? Have you considered an in-home summer nanny? Here are just some of the perks of having your own summer nanny:
Meeting Kids Emotionally
Do you ever catch yourself dealing with a situation in the same way again and again, despite a lack of positive results? For me, this occurred in my approach to child meltdowns. When my kids are tired, or grumpy or simply having a bad day and the slightest thing seems to set them off, I would try the same approach with little results. Until I learned…
Lessons from the Childcare Pros
Last month, I attended a teacher’s workshop focusing on helping preschool and daycare workers improve their teaching style and classroom setting. So much of what I learned can translate over to the nanny and parenting worlds. Here are 2 highlights:
Off to the Forest Hills Expo
This weekend, Jeff and I have the opportunity to take part in the Forest Hills Expo at Ada Christian School from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. This is a great event allowing families to learn more about local businesses, play some games and possibly win some prizes.
Children and Chores
Children and chores… How do we make the decisions about what age, what chores and what expectations we can have when it comes to our children taking part in chores around the house.
Read, Read, Read!
I attended parent night at my children’ school last night and walked away with one main lesson. READ! Here are some of the basics that I walked away with…