Raising Kids with True Grit: The Power of Resilience

PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3 There’s a topic that makes many educators and policy makers uncomfortable when it pops up.  So of course, I’m going to jump right into to it today because our kids need for us to confront this hard work for their sake.  One of the greatest fears parents…

Your Children Will Take You Places You Never Dreamed You’d Go

My father used to say this to us years ago and weight of his words revisited me this past week as I toured northern Italy with my children and grandchildren. For those of you who tuned in last week, I shared my first impressions of arriving in Venice, the floating city. I was awestruck. I…

Making Christmas Count – Part 3

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 It didn’t work out for my husband and I to spend Christmas this year with our kids and their families. But one of the great things about being retired is that we can come and go as we please (and as our budget allows). So we spent a…

Shoutout Saturday-Back Home

It’s Shoutout Saturday! Let me tell you about this very special gem from my collection by @gloriajeanpinkney entitled BACK HOME. _ 👨‍👩‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👴👵 Living far away from extended family can make it tough to build and maintain bonds that help young children build their identity. _ 🚙👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 This book reminds me of the many road trips my husband…

Want to help your child adjust to a recent move?

🎉👨‍👩‍👧‍👧🎊Host or attend several gatherings with family and friends to announce the move and celebrate this new chapter in your lives. — 🏖🏕🎡 Take the time to visit special places as a family that hold great memories and draw you closer to each other. — ✈️🗺🏫 Visit your new location if possible before you move so that…

Give The Gift of Learning

🎁🎁🎁To make your holiday season merry and bright, I am offering my Holiday Baby Box and Holiday Big Box to one-time and monthly subscribers at the $100 level and above! – 📕📗📘You will receive my book of the month along with access to advance content and resources. You also have the option to receive my…

How to Build Your Child’s Motor Skills

🙇🏻‍♂️🙇🏾‍♀️🙇🏼‍♂️🙇🏻‍♀️Do you want to build your child’s motor skills? You can do so by inviting your children to help you get your home ready for the holidays! – 🎄Hand your children holiday napkins to fold, or give them decorative pinecones to fill your dining room centerpiece. You can also give them a box of Christmas…

Children Must Be Seen And Heard

👧🏼👦🏾👧🏻🧒🏽👧🏿🧒🏼👧🏽👦🏻Every child needs to know that they are seen, heard, and important. — 🕰 As adults, we must make the effort to give undivided attention to our children. — 🙇🏻‍♂️🙇🏾‍♀️🙇🏽‍♂️Moments of quality and quantity time impact a child’s identity, self-esteem, confidence, and behavior towards others. — 💁🏽‍♀️ What are ways that you show your children they are…

Smart Play My Way

👶🏽👧🏻👦🏾🧒🏼👧🏿Kids are born with the strongest learning tools ever called the five senses: 👅 taste, ✋🏽 touch, 👂🏽hearing, 👁 sight and 👃🏽smell. – 🧸With these tools young children engage in activities I refer to as “Smart Play My Way”. When children play by themselves and with others they make sense of their world and come to know who they are as people. This…

How to Encourage Learning during the Holidays

🍎🍇🍋🥬🌽🥕🍠During the holidays, children look forward to family, festivities, and FOOD! That is why cooking is such a great way to encourage learning at this time of year. – 🙇🏽‍♀️In addition to creating tasty things to eat, cooking experiences help your children learn the following: – 1. how to count 2. how to sequence 3….

Shoutout Saturday w/Community Soup

🌻 It’s Shoutout Saturday, and I have to tell you about one of my favorite books entitled Community Soup by @almajfullerton! – 😀 Alma does a great job of communicating and illustrating international communities and their experiences with mixed media art. – 💯 Community Soup is a fun read with early learners! I highly recommend this book to…

Become a Patron for only $3

👶🏻👦🏾👧🏻🧒🏽🧒🏼👧🏾Early childhood is the most important developmental period in a person’s life. _ 💁🏽‍♀️Would you consider helping me use my 40 years of experience as an early childhood professional to unlock the genius in every child? _ ✅ You can join my Patreon family by subscribing for as little as $3/month today! _ 📲Just click the…