Over the summer, my dear friend who lives in Indiana invited my family to visit the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, MI. We made the 2.5 hour trek, and as we were pressing our faces against the glass; observing all the unique animals and creatures, we came to the ape exhibit. As soon as you walked into the exhibit,…
Years ago, I found myself full of anxiety from the demands teaching in a public school kindergarten class brought. I often thought if I come to school with such stress and anxiety, what must my young students be feeling? That is when I was introduced to yoga for kids. It was a life-changing practice that I am so happy to…
It is winter once again in Michigan which means parents and caregivers are looking for ways to beat those indoor winter blues. Although it is dark and cold, exploring nature both indoors and out will help foster independence, promote active learning and engage children in creative activities! Get Dressed and Go Out! Getting dressed in all our winter gear…
Cooking with your child can be fun and provide many opportunities to develop skills in math, literacy, language, and science. Children also develop self-confidence and healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. Some areas of development that cooking promotes include: Language and communication-Children learn new vocabulary, increase language and promote early literacy. Children can tell you what they…
Each moment spent interacting in an early childhood program is an opportunity for learning. We call these “Teachable Moments.” Children learn from what they see and how they experience the world. When children experience secure relationships, they demonstrate secure relationships with others. The same is true if children experience insecure relationships with teachers, then they may have difficulty interacting with…
Subitizing is the ability to “see” a small amount and know “how many” there are instantly without counting. Develop number sense with your preschooler.
Mackinac Island is the one place in Michigan that everyone must visit. It’s a place the entire family can enjoy. I’ve been vacationing with my children on Mackinac Island every summer since they were babies. It’s a tradition for my family since my husband and I were married on the island. Each year for our anniversary we visit with the…
Since March, families throughout the U.S. have had to adapt to major changes in the way we work and learn. With 18 million events and meetings organized nationwide each year, the vast majority of those meetings during the last four months have had to take place online. And of course, distance learning has now become the only option for American…
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cybercrime has increased 300% since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis. But adults aren’t the only ones who need to worry about keeping their data safe from identity thieves, fraudsters, and spying corporations. With major companies like YouTube and TikTok under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for potential violations of child privacy…
What will schools look like in the fall? Mike Latvis, Executive Director of Legislative Affairs, Wayne RESA answers some of your questions.
In 2016, there were over 2 million homeschool students in the United States. At this time, it is estimated that those numbers will grow between 2% and 8% over the next few years. It might seem overwhelming at first, but there are several local programs that can help parents in their homeschooling journey. One program that I found very useful…
It’s no secret that being a single mom involves a lot of hard, thankless work. Of course, moms also need hard, thankless work that pays. According to a recent survey, up to 50% of women said their biggest fear about getting a divorce was living on one income. And that fear only increases when you’re the custodial parent of your…
Things I have learned, am still learning about, and talking about with my family. It begins at home 1. Educate Yourself My public schooling has clearly left out some of the most important and most crucial parts of this country’s flawed history. I am embarrassed that I used to think before that I was so lucky to be educated in…
Any parent would do virtually anything possible to keep their child safe. But the reality is that you can’t watch your kiddo every second of the day. Now that both parents and kids are spending even more time at home and are trying to adjust to a number of changes, it’s natural that members of your household might become distracted,…
The Soft Sack giant bean bag sofa is 6 feet long and filled with memory foam. The jumbo bean bag is big enough for my 3 girls.
