Search Results for: blog preschool what are your expectations

Beware of Chick Flicks

I, like most girls, love a good chick flick. They’re girly and fun and have the potential to bring out a million different emotions in their 90 minute time frame. As a parent, I don’t get much time to watch movies. Logan has usually taken over with Dora, Elmo, Blues Clues, Bubble Guppies, and the countless other preschool shows. So when he is at his dad’s I make it a point to throw in at least one of Mommy’s shows. It gives me a chance to relax and do just a little something for me while he is away. It … Continue reading →

House Rules

Posting House Rules is a great way to communicate expectations of behavior and actions from every member of the family. It makes the rules less personal and keeps everyone on the same page. A child can easily refer to the rules that are posted rather than wonder if she will get in trouble or what the punishment will be. The lines are clearly drawn giving both the parents and children a sense of pride and security. House Rules are rules that apply to all members of the family at all times. The rules are not intended to diminish the parent … Continue reading →

Christian Character Curricululm: We Choose Virtues

We Choose Virtues is dedicated to instilling children with godly character. With whimsical artwork and an engaging style children easily learn the value of displaying virtue. In my years as a homeschooling mom, writer and curriculum reviewer, I am always faced with moms who want a curriculum focused on training up their children to display godly character and virtue. We Choose Virtues was developed by a preschool teacher and children’s pastor who saw this need and decided to fill the gap for her children and for your children. The program fits nicely into a homeschool, school or church environment. If … Continue reading →

Field Day

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Today was Field Day at school. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that the school had been planning for it for a long time. Jessie’s teacher and I talked about the day weeks ago. Mrs. Hicks was concerned about the logistics of getting two classes of preschool students across the street to the high school field. She was hoping for a lot of parental involvement. Mrs. Hicks was grateful that the babies were scheduled to be on the field at 8:30 so they would be the first ones to use the bounce houses. Since these children were … Continue reading →

Shaming is Never the Answer

Something I have been trying to focus on as a parent of a preschooler is not to make my child feel ashamed about bad behavior and herself. That’s a hard thing to do. However, I want her to grow up to be a strong, confident woman, that loves herself. I feel like shaming can harm the spirit of young children. It seems like I’ve heard a lot in the media lately about mothers doing just that. There was one Mom who made her teenage son stand on a street corner with a sign for several hours a day, reading, “I … Continue reading →

DIY Kid’s Christmas Crafts Kits

While foam crafts and pre-made Christmas kits are fun, the cost of all of those supplies can really add up. Fortunately, there are many fun Christmas crafts that you prepare ahead of time for kids. These do it yourself kits can be given as gifts, used as group crafts or just enjoyed with your kids at home. I know about preparing kid’s Christmas kits first hand, thanks to our annual Christmas festival at our church. We prepare different craft kits that can be used by the children in the Sunday School, in SuperChurch, in the preschool and during the three … Continue reading →

Making the Transition

I used to be the parent of a preschooler. That was last year. This year, I am now officially the parent of something else – A School Aged Child. I’m not so sure about this breed of little human. The expectations seem enormous, both on parent and child. Where we live, preschool is a fairly lah-dee-dah sort of endeavor, unless you really want to focus on academics, in which case there are preschools that will do that. We chose a play-based preschool that was easy to get to, with a beautiful building and playground and wonderful teachers whom we will … Continue reading →

Keeping the Kids on a Leash

Would you add a microchip to your preschooler? The other night, I watched a program about helicopter parenting. Simply put, parents are keeping a tight rein on their children these days. Partially it’s because we’re older when we become parents, and we place heavy expectations on our children. It’s also because we’re afraid of losing them, whether that’s to injuries or to children. Surely these concerns make sense. Parents want to make sure that their children are happy and fulfilled and have a great career. Parents also want to make sure that their children are safe. These concerns make sense, … Continue reading →

Adoption Books with Great Art: You Are Special, You Were Chosen

You Are Special; You Were Chosen is a sweet little book which grew out of the bedtime story that the author’s father read to her each night. Its soft, detailed colored pencil/pastel illustrations definitely qualify it for my Adoption Books with Great Art series. The lovely pictures show diverse children and families, including siblings of different races, which I really appreciate, as that is something I have a hard time finding. Books featuring a multiracial classroom are becoming common, as are books featuring families of color—but multiracial families are still difficult to find. I almost bought a book the other … Continue reading →

Almost Six Years Old, or Only Five Years Here?–More Adoption Time Muddles

Mary Ann recently wrote a blog on Should You Hold Your Child Back a Year? This is really pertinent for me right now. I wrote a blog last month about my ambivalence about Regina starting school. She is a bit behind in speech and fine motor skills and is not big on sitting still. (Adopted kids often have a difference between their developmental age and their chronological age. This may be because attachment anxiety keeps them from concentrating their energy on development, or because adopted children often repeat developmental stages with their new family. For internationally adopted kids, less time … Continue reading →