There is one thing my preschooler always loves doing, and that is eating sugar-filled anything. It is our tradition then to bake Christmas treats for friends each year. Preparing Christmas treats and giving them to friends is a simple and fun activity for young children. We share Christmas treats to show that we care. What
A favorite tradition for our young family is to find a name on the community “giving tree” for whom to get a present. The giving tree, which is called an “angel tree” in some communities, is a tree with names of people (usually children) who have specific needs. By focusing on a specific individual with
Caroling helps lift one’s own spirits, and it is fun for the recipient as well. Singing Christmas carols for family, friends, or individuals in a local retirement center can help bring the Christmas spirit, as well as bring children out into the community during the holidays. I have fond memories of Christmas caroling as a
Everything about the book Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine by Allison Wortche and pictures by Patrice Barton is Spring-y, from the names of the children to the plants the children grow with their teacher. Overall, it is a book about selflessness and overcoming jealousy. As we read the book, five-year-old Strawberry and I discussed the feelings we
Our family is trying a new tradition this year! We will be “elves” helping pass along the Christmas spirit by delivering gifts for the Twelve Days of Christmas. We’ve decided on a family we know and love, and we are going to surprise them each day with a Christmas treat of some kind! My kids
Another thing we try to do each holiday season is revisit our abundance and decide which things we no longer need. We donate toys, as well as books and clothes, that we no longer need. When we donate gently used toys, we give others the chance to enjoy them more than we do. Donating toys
Today’s world is not kind. The “leaders” are not kind to other leaders. The people that are praised as leaders have often advanced by being unkind and self-serving. Rude drivers and rude neighbors fill our communities. People still exclude others because of race and religion. Not everyone is rude, so please don’t think I’m a total pessimist.
As local schools get out, I’ve heard friends exclaiming their frustration with how to get their kids to stop fighting, how to get their kids to stop acting bored, and how they are going to keep kids busy for a summer. I was delighting in the fact that nothing has changed for us, since homeschooling
