It seems like we were celebrating the start of 2020 just yesterday. In reality, it’s been nearly two months! We’re already to Ash Wednesday and Lent. Though I’m not Catholic (or part of a Protestant tradition that follows the liturgical calendar), I believe that all Christians can benefit from observing the various seasons of the liturgical … [Read more...] about Paper Chain Prayer Calendar for Lent
school-age children
7 Ways to Help Your Kids Form Close Sibling Relationships
My sister and I were really close when we were growing up, but we also fought like cats and dogs. I’m seeing this same pattern emerge with my own kids. My three daughters are best of friends, but they sometimes feel frustrated with each other and end up fighting. Based on what I hear from other parents, this seems to be fairly typical. … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Help Your Kids Form Close Sibling Relationships
How to Keep Unbelieving Kids from Ruining Santa for Kids Who Believe
My kids know who Santa is, but they don’t believe he is a real person. They enjoy him as a fictional character, just as they do fairy tale princesses and superheroes. This isn’t the case for most of our friends and family members. The children in these families believe that Santa is real, and this is an important part of their Christmas … [Read more...] about How to Keep Unbelieving Kids from Ruining Santa for Kids Who Believe
Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt
One of the things my kids really enjoyed doing this past fall was going on a scavenger hunt. We used a printable that I created a couple of years ago (find it here). They had so much fun walking through our neighborhood in search of the items pictured on the printable. I’ve made a similar printable for a Christmas light scavenger hunt! … [Read more...] about Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt
Birthday Cake Pancakes
The oldest of my three daughters had her fifth birthday earlier this month! She loves sprinkles, so I decided to make Birthday Cake Pancakes for breakfast as part of our celebration. I’ve seen these made using boxed cake mixes, but they are easy to make from scratch. They make a birthday morning—or any other morning—extra … [Read more...] about Birthday Cake Pancakes
Our 2019-2020 Kindergarten Curriculum
Can you believe that my oldest child is in kindergarten? It feels a bit surreal because I’m sure it was just yesterday that she was a baby! However, I’m now homeschooling a kindergartner and a preschooler while my 1-year-old keeps watch. My preschooler is using many of the same materials we used when my oldest was in preschool (see an … [Read more...] about Our 2019-2020 Kindergarten Curriculum
Printable First Day of School Sign for Photos
Many parents take photos of their kids when they are headed out the door or walking up to their classrooms on the first day of school. Recently, some families have begun having their kids hold cute signs that provide a little bit of info about themselves. I take lots of photos of my kids, but I’ve never kept up with things like baby books … [Read more...] about Printable First Day of School Sign for Photos
40 Questions for Kids to Ask Their Grandparents
A few years ago I wrote a post about the importance of grandparents. I noted in that post that grandparents have a wealth of knowledge that they can pass along to their grandkids and that they help connect grandkids to their history. Given kids can learn so many things from their grandparents, perhaps it is best not to take a laissez-faire … [Read more...] about 40 Questions for Kids to Ask Their Grandparents
