Board game hack: turn Connect 4 into a reading activity
Did you know Connect 4 can be hacked to be a reading game! It’s easy!
5 tips for talking to young children about sex, body exploration, and avoiding shame
The A-Z explanation of human sexuality is far too much for young children to grasp and would certainly be overwhelming, but I wholly believe that it is empowering for kids to know about their bodies — real, accurate information delivered in small doses adding layer upon layer of detail as their questions prompt further answers. I think this is one of our most important jobs as parents. It falls to us to be our children’s most reliable, honest source of information because if those answers don’t come from us, they will come from somewhere else and you can be sure that other sources will serve them up in ways that will anger/upset/terrify you.
How do I talk to potential roomies about living with me and my kid?
My soon-to-be ex-husband and I have shared custody of our son, which means he is with me about half of the month. In addition to being a mother, I work full time and am studying full time as well. (Read: I’m poor.) I’m living with a family member at the moment but I’m trying to relocate closer to school and work.
The 25 most adorable cosplayers at Comic-Con
EEEEP! I am loving this round-up of 25 adorable cosplayers at Comic-Con — it’s the perfect antidote for those of us nursing our “I can’t go to Comic-Con” blues. How can you feel sad when such a cute version of Iron Man exists?! Here are a few more of my faves!
The importance of teaching kids about their bodies to protect them
I still remember the conversation, in the coat room of a restaurant for my eighth birthday where my parents tried to explain to me that I had done nothing wrong and why I needed to tell them when an adult acted in a way that made me uncomfortable. They also reiterated that while respecting adults is important that, my body belonged to me and that no one should yell at me, bully or ever touch me without my permission.
Rainbow ice chalk and 3 other easy child-led science experiments
We’re big fans of science experiments and experiences in our home so I’m always on the lookout for fun things to try. I found these experiments at Reading Confetti and Science Bob, and knew we had to try them. I feel like it’s only fair to warn you that each of these experiments has a certain degree of mess involved — there’s a lot of corn starch in this post.
Pain, impermanence, and how much I miss my foster siblings
My parents have been foster parents for the past 12 years, and by extension my siblings and I have been foster siblings. It hasn’t always been easy — there has been joy, lots of pain, and laughter. Over the years we have had over 80 children. Some for a night, some for a weekend, some for a few months and some for years.
How can we create a kid-friendly zone in a small city apartment?
K has already said that he will miss his backyard mud kitchen, and I don’t blame him. First of all: MUD! GLORIOUS MUD! Secondly, there is a lot of “No” in the life of a little kid. K’s mud kitchen is his world of “Yes!” He can make all of the mess he wants and experiment to his heart’s content without anyone fussing about set-up or clean-up or telling him what to do. Now he won’t have a back yard, so no more mud kitchen for him.