Today I’m sharing one of my very favorite online resources for using Conscious Discipline with children who have special needs. This brilliant website is created by the amazingly talented staff in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools of Miami, Florida. You can go ahead and click the image above and go check out the website for yourself, but make […] Read more…
Looking for Kindness with Elf on the Shelf
Are you ready for Elf on the Shelf with a twist? Help your Elf on the Shelf find a new focus this holiday season! If you have never heard of Elf on the Shelf, click the photo above to find out more information. Our family adopted an Elf, Speedy, several years ago from Target. I love family […] Read more…
Gingerbread Activities: Fresh Out of the Oven!
Who is ready for some Gingerbread fun? Can you believe it’s December already?!? One thing I love about December is GINGERBREAD! I love everything about gingerbread–the way it smells, eating it, reading about it, decorating it, and playing with it! I even have a little Christmas tree dedicated to everything GINGERBREAD! I am “rolling” out several […] Read more…
Favorite Finds: Great Christmas Gifts for Preschoolers
When I was a classroom teacher parents and grandparents often asked me about what toys I would recommend for their preschoolers. I have always been very passionate about finding toys for children that give them opportunities to increase their language skills, motor skills, social skills, imaginative skills, and creativity. This year I sat down at my computer and […] Read more…
Thanks-GIVING
(clipart by Kari Bolt) Our family created this fun little project that has turned out to be a HUGE blessing! Back in the beginning of November we started what we called “Baskets of Blessings.” We wanted a way to express our gratitude to our neighbors for helping to create a great community! Under […] Read more…
The Wonderful Woman Lived in a Shoe
I love Nursery Rhymes! When I was teaching preschool I tried to include at least one nursery rhyme in our lessons each month. As a child I loved it when my mom would sing or recite old rhymes and songs for me. Nursery rhymes bring so many rich opportunities to teach and make learning connections […] Read more…
Family Night Activity: A Committment to be More Loving
Every once in a while our family needs a little reminder to be more loving toward one another. We get busy and off track and then we start seeing a lot more hurtful behavior from EVERYONE. This season of Thanksgiving is a good time to remember to focus on family and having hearts that cultivate love. […] Read more…
Creating a School Family: A Climate of Caring
Have you ever been in a group of children or adults where everyone wanted to talk at the same time? Did you like the way it felt when you couldn’t get in a word edgewise and you really wanted to be heard? I remember a time when I was in a group of adults that […] Read more…
Family Vacation: Reconnecting and Writing Our Story
What’s your family story? When you look back on your childhood what do you remember? I realized recently that due to the level of stress in my life I had lost access to some of the happy memories of my childhood and young adult years. Since quitting my full-time job back in May and following […] Read more…
Creating a School Family: Organizing Circle Time
Drum roll please….I promised you that there were some exciting new things coming to the blog soon and here we are! We are kicking it off this month with a new theme! The theme will help us focus on particular skills and activities that are related to the time of year and fit nicely into your classroom […] Read more…