Inspiring Intelligence
Parenting Taboos
Dec 20th
This is beautiful. There are so many taboos that we do not discuss.
I do hope that we are able to talk more and be more supportive in our role as parents.
This is 15 minutes, and worth the time.
Preparing for Kindergarten
Dec 7th
Let me preface this post by saying that there are always at least 2 extremes to every issue.
I have been hearing a lot about people who are “Redshirting” their children from Kindergarten.
(Side note: I am a big fan of the authors of the article)
But, today, I am going to focus on the other extreme.
Preparing your child for Kindergarten.
There are things you can do to help,
but please,
remember we are talking about Kindergarten.
Kindergarten ≠ College
Daily activities can help prepare your child for school.
Play games.
Go on letter hunts.
- Write letters on cards and hide them throughout the house, then try to find them all and put them in order
- Talk about a specific letter and look for it in as many places as possible throughout the house.
- Play memory with letters written on notecards
Count things
- Count the items as you are unpacking groceries
- Count peas, crackers, candy and other things as you are eating
Compare and sort things
- Sort buttons, beads, straws
- Play the “which one is different” game with household items
But,
please,
have fun.
Be positive.
If there is already pressure on your child at this age,
imagine how much pressure you and your child will feel
when grades will go on a permanent record.
That does not happen until 6th grade.
Writing is not something that should be mastered before Kindergarten.
Allow your child opportunities to scribble and write for play.
Set up a pretend restaurant and let your child write down your order.
Turn your couch into a doctor’s office and let your child make notes about your health and then write you a prescription.
Scribbling is fine.
I am not a fan of worksheets.
I do not think that gluing triangle shapes onto the letter “T” is going to help your child master the letter “T.”
Instead, talk about words that start with the same sounds.
Play rhyming games.
Play the broken word game.
The Broken Word Game:
You say each of the sounds of the word separate from each other and ask your child to put them together.
Your child should put the 3 sounds in the word cat together when you say them.
(Be careful not to add extra sounds, though. Many people will say “KUH” instead of /K/ and that would make the word cuh-at, which would be harder to put together.)
And while I encourage you to provide opportunities for learning,
please
remember we are talking about Kindergarten.
Let the children enjoy being young.
Lighting of the Square at Georgetown
Nov 24th
November 26 at 5:30 p.m.
Come experience the magic as we kick-off the holiday season with our annual Lighting of the Square, traditionally held at dusk on the Friday after Thanksgiving! Come sing along with the Austin Carolers to your favorite holiday tunes and warm your tummy with cookies and hot chocolate! Watch as the Courthouse and the Downtown Square become a Holiday Wonderland!
Sponsored by the Georgetown Convention and Visitors Bureau
VisitGeorgetown.com
After you’ve kicked off the holiday season by watching the Lighting of the Square, go inside the Courthouse to have your picture taken with Santa!
Proceeds benefit Williamson County Brown Santa
Then stay informed about all of the holiday events in Georgetown here.
Tree Lighting & Santa’s Workshop
Nov 21st
On this magical night, join us in the tradition of lighting the tree. Over 50,000 lights illuminate the largest Live Oak Tree in Cedar Park. After the tree lighting ceremony, the City of Cedar Park will host Santa’s Workshop. Enjoy live music, carriage rides, games & prizes, yule fire, food concessions, arts & crafts and Santa Claus. You can get your picture taken with Santa for $2 .Bring the whole family for what promises to be a festive evening. Free Admission.
There will be a coloring contest, and you can get your entry form here.
This event is listed on the Kid WHYs calendar here.
We hope to see you there!
Heritage Oak Park, 875 Quest Parkway, Cedar Park, TX
Friday, December 4th from 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Changes
Nov 21st
So, there is good news and bad news.
The good news, is that I am excited about the new job
that I have been working for 3 weeks.
The bad news, is that it is an adjustment process,
so I am having a hard time keeping up with updates.
(Not that I have been the most active blogger out there,
but still.)
My calendar sits pretty empty.
But, I have taken on the role of
Family Ministries Director
where I lead both
the Mother’s Day Out
and Sunday School / Nursery.
I am really enjoying my new responsibilities,
and even though it is a big juggling act,
I am excited!
They Can Speak for Themselves…
Nov 17th
I think something must be in the air this week.
I have seen such great information on the internet.
First, a great video that every parent of a young child should see.
Then, a great article about creativity.
On a daily basis, I must battle parents and even teachers,
who believe that preschoolers should be
drilled and PREPARED for Kindergarten.
They want drills.
They want worksheets.
They want standards and schedules.
But, the result of all of this preparation?
Well, let the children speak for themselves:
I have a dream…
Nov 5th
For those of you who knew me pre-Mom,
this might come as a shock,
but I have really become a big fan of
anything that builds a sense of community.
I have even become a fan of communes
Okay,
maybe just the idea of one.
I am not sure I could really live in one.
But,
before I was a mom,
I was fiercely independent.
I had no problem traveling
anywhere in the world.
I loved meeting new people
trying new things
and
I would do it all alone.
Now
I want to do whatever I can to
help other moms feel less isolated.
See,
I moved to a new state when my daughter was 6 months old.
Goodbye old house
We did not know anyone.
But, I was moving with my husband,
which is more than I can say for previous moves.
So, I thought it would be fine.
We moved so I could stay home with my daughter.
And to help make it possible for me to stay home,
we gave up one of our cars.
So, I was home with my daughter
in a new state
with no car.
I enjoyed it at first.
I was having fun in my new role.
But I was beginning to feel isolated.
Not even a year later,
We got pregnant with our 2nd child.
That is when I first felt I needed more of a community.
Morning sickness is no fun
especially when there are no friends to help with the little one.
It only became more difficult when I had 2 little ones
and no support network.
I have made friends.
But there are still times I feel like I am in this alone.
I want to see more of a community.
I want to develop a place where children can learn and parents can connect.
I want to see a community that supports each other,
while still embracing independence.
How connected do you feel?
Messages we send
Oct 24th
Recently, I have been wondering how so many other parents do it all.
I will often be out in public and others will say things like,
“You must have your hands full.”
Often times, I appreciate that others understand
how difficult it is to raise young children.
Other times, though,
I wonder if I am presenting an image
that says I am struggling in my role.
I mean, early childhood is my passion.
Shouldn’t I look like I have it all together
when I am out in public
with my own young children?
Then, today, I received an email from a friend.
She wrote,
“I have to say that I just
don’t know how you get it all done.”
I appreciate that she thinks I do it all.
At the same time, I began to wonder
why we try so hard to present
a perfect image to others.
I mean, I understand
if you are trying to build a business,
you have to appear to know your stuff.
I know that if I look like I cannot parent my own children
it will be hard to get clients.
At the same time,
I want parents to understand that we all make mistakes.
We all say things out of frustration.
We all have children who are going to wear us down
at one point or another.
I do not want to present myself as the perfect parent.
I am passionate about children.
I am interested in learning everything I can about children.
I am not perfect, though.
I do want to teach my children
that I make mistakes.
I want them to understand
they will make mistakes, too.
I hope that we can become
comfortable sharing our imperfections
and become more supportive of each other.
I do not always want the grass to be greener
