Family Favorite Christmas Books
I love snuggling up with my kids to read all year long, but there's just something special about cuddling in when the snow is falling outside and the twinkle lights are glowing. Do you have favorite holiday stories? Here are a few of ours -- maybe you and your family can enjoy one each night leading up to Christmas. Family Favorite Christmas Books Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a holiday classic we all know from growing up, and sometimes it's fun to revisit those. Ever wonder How Santa Got His Job? This is a fun read aloud. Have you ever wanted to build...
Intense Children and The Holidays: A Parent’s Guide
For intense children, the holidays can be a difficult season. Find out how to help your intense kids during the holidays, and get some much needed tips for navigating the chaos and overstimulation that comes with the season. The holidays are upon us and our intense kids can make that quite a challenge. You may find that your already intense child actually increases in intensity and anxiety as the holiday season progresses. This can make an already busy season feel totally overwhelming for us as parents. Intense Kids And Intense Holidays First, I want to...
The Social Emotional Needs Of Gifted And Neurodiverse Children
The social and emotional needs of gifted and twice exceptional children are a common concern for parents. How do we help strengthen and support our neurodiverse children as they navigate social development and emotional regulation? The Challenges Of Raising Gifted And Twice Exceptional Children: Social Emotional Needs Asynchronous Development First, let's define asynchrony as it related to gifted and twice exceptional children. Asynchrony is the term used to describe the mismatch between cognitive, emotional, and physical development of gifted individuals. Gifted...
25 Great Gifts for Animal Lovers
My house has been a miniature zoo for as long as I can remember. You've probably seen our turtles swimming calmly in the background of some of my Facebook live videos. We became chicken keepers this year. At any given moment you can catch my youngest daughter snuggling a gerbil, our rabbit, or a lizard she's found outside. Our dog, Bellatrix, makes frequent appearances on my social media, and that same animal-loving daughter of mine is angling to add a horse to our menagerie in the future. We love animals around here, and I know we're not alone! Animals are a great equalizer, typically...
Homeschooling High School: Transcripts, Mom-Guilt, And Finishing Strong
Homeschooling high school with an interest-led approach can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be! These practical tips and tricks for assigning grades, creating transcripts, and managing the worry and guilt will help you and your child finish strong. Grades For Interest-Led Learning It can be difficult to know where to start if grades are required for your interest-led homeschool. Whether it is to meet a state requirement or to create a high school transcript, most homeschoolers eventually have to determine grades their our children. But how? Do we base grades on...
Homeschooling High School With Interest-Led Learning
There is a misconception that interest led learning is not appropriate for a high school education in your homeschool. The good news is that all the same benefits of interest-led learning still apply in the middle and high school years. Does Interest-Led Learning Really Count For High School Credit? One of the first objections I hear from parents has to do with creating a transcript as a record of your interest-led approach. Please, let me assure you, this is not only doable, but many of us have found that a high school transcript filled with advanced studies in particular...
Traveling with Kids Who Struggle with Anxiety
As a mom of child with anxiety, I know that the disruptions to routines caused by travel can be the start of all sorts of problems. We love traveling, and try to take advantage of short trips near and far for fun, and to enhance our homeschooling. But, since we’re raising four kids, two of whom struggle with anxiety, our trips take a bit of extra planning to make sure our anxious children have confidence when they’re embarking on new adventures. Tips For Traveling With Anxious Kids Traveling with kids who struggle with anxiety requires a bit of extra planning and effort, but the rewards...
Interest-Led Learning In The Early Years: Preschool and Beyond
Curious about Interest-led learning for your younger child, but not sure where to start? This will guide you through letting your child take the lead beginning in preschool and on into the elementary years. Following your kids' curiosity and crafting your homeschool around their interests can be a powerful way to motivate learning. When your homeschool becomes more playful, it becomes more interesting and engaging. The Value Of Interest-Led Learning For Neurodiverse Children Using our kids' interests to fuel their education is a powerful way to motivate and tap into their natural...
STEM Gifts for Science Loving Kids
How many of you -- like me -- have kiddos who will get all excited about science gifts if they find them under the tree? Just look at all of these great STEM gifts. You can launch rockets, make perfume, build structures, and even program robots. These hands-on gift ideas will be a guaranteed hit for the entire family. Experiment and explore new and exciting games and toys to create a solid foundation for STEM discovery. You can create a passion for learning by making STEM interesting, and above all, fun. STEM Gifts for Science Loving Kids Weather Station...
Interest Led Homeschooling: Helping Your Child Find Their Interests
How do we help our kids find their interests? What can we do to foster them and what happens if our kids change interests? These are all good questions and worth exploring as we move into a more relaxed, eclectic, interest led, child driven approach in our homeschools. What Is Child-Led Learning? Child-led learning is an approach to homeschooling in which kids pursue their own interests in their learning. This is opposed to having the parent or adult actively driving all the different components of their child's education. It's a chance to step out of the way a little bit,...