How much free, unstructured time does your child have each day? How much free, unstructured time with friends? 

Children stay pretty busy. When they’re at home, we spend a lot of time directing them. It’s time for this... time for that. Then it’s off to school. After school, it’s off to enrichment classes. When you think about it, that’s a lot of adult direction! 

This morning I was thinking about a passage I recently came across by a Buddhist monk and peace activist named Thich Nhat Hanh. He said:

“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well.

Before you even know you are pregnant, your baby has started developing their sense of touch. It is the earliest sense to develop and the one that is critical for healthy development.

“We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” ~Dalai Lama XIV

This!!! TRIANGLE, by the brilliant Mac Barnett and genius illustrator Jon Klassen, is one of my favorite, funny, children’s books available right now.

Einstein said “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” 

Children’s minds are naturally open and curious. They learn about life through play. They should have all kinds of opportunities to strengthen their imaginations with open-ended activities, so they can begin to make unexpected connections.

Typically, when I walk on the trail, I keep my gaze at eye level or above. I notice the trees and birds and clouds in the sky. I pay attention to what’s coming up ahead of me. The other day, though, I happened to look down and notice these gorgeous little flowers with their colors popping brightly in the sun. It was as if they were begging to be noticed among the fallen brown leaves and weeds.

We sure enjoyed Caitlin and her dedicated mommy performing Caitlin’s original song, MY FAMILY at my husband Ron’s recital. At one point Caitlin quickly glanced at her mom and smiled. That sweet connection wasn’t accidental. It was created by the shared experience.

We all live to be loved and to belong no matter what, so remind your children that they are valued and loved because they are a part of YOUR family. Start sentences with “In our family… .” 

I love this little gem of a book by Karen Beaumont. In a very silly way, I LIKE MYSELF encourages children to remember to appreciate themselves for who they are on the inside, not just how they look on the outside. 

We all have value the minute we are born. Our worth comes from the fact that every single one of us is a unique human being. Our children should feel that they are important to our families the minute they arrive.  But how?!!

I’ve taught a lot of art classes for children over the years. I’ve talked about the importance of allowing ample time for creative exploration, and I truly think that shouldn’t end with childhood. 

Dear Parents,

For all of you who are feeling inadequate, feeling like you’re in over your head at times or like you are screwing up your kids...good for you! 

Wait, what?!  Good for you? YES!

As your children play, stay close at times and quietly notice how they choose to spend their time. Give them the luxury of unscheduled free time every single day, so they learn to use their imaginations. Notice if they play in a way that helps them work through the ups and downs of their day.  Observing their play will tell you a lot about them- things they can’t articulate.

While I’m not anti-technology, I do believe children should be engaging all of their senses as they learn. They should be playing, exploring, questioning, creating, and collaborating. They should become active learners. That is what strengthens concentration and deepens critical thinking. Time behind a screen is time away from active learning, so we need to be careful in the early years. We need moderation. We don’t want to waste opportunities for higher learning to take place. I am okay with no technology in Kindergarten and limited use in the rest of elementary school. With strong human connections, the ability to stick with a task, and a true love of learning, I have no doubt children will catch on quickly to the ever-changing tech world.

Here is a short, thought-provoking article I came across from the Business Insider.

I wanted to recommend this little treasure of a book created by sisters Kirsten and Carin Branson. THE YELLOW TUTU is about a little girl with a big imagination and what happens when her schoolmates tease her.

Art is such an important activity for children. The main reason is because children get lost in the FUN of it. They tend to relax and focus while working on a piece, so creating art definitely supports a child’s emotional well-being, but it helps in other areas of development, too. Children expand their language by talking about their art and learning art terms. They strengthen their motor skills when holding a brush or kneading clay. They enhance their cognitive skills by mixing colors, painting shapes, and planning where and how to fill a blank space. 

Despite the many benefits, we sometimes avoid providing art activities at home, because we think we’re not creative or we’re afraid of the mess.

What’s the best way to live a significant life? Yikes! That’s a big question. While I don’t have the magic answer, I do believe it has to begin with living authentically.

My guess is right now you are trying to figure out what in the world this is! Well, you are looking at a small, clay figure that represents a BIG, humbling parenting lesson! 

To my boys (and anyone who looks carefully with an open mind), this is a young child’s interpretation of Marvin the Martian, a popular Looney Tunes character of the time. To me, however, this will always be a reminder of the day I blew it big time as a parent.

Children learn best when they are naturally curious. It is amazing to watch how they concentrate when they are engaged in activities inspired by their own actions and imaginations. As they experiment with materials, they improve their cognitive functioning. (What if I put this here-will it fall down? What if I make the base bigger-will it stay up?) It looks like play, but it is truly active learning. Active learning requires brains to be challenged, to problem-solve, and to learning something new. It requires concentration.

There are only 2 weeks until Spring! Each Spring, I plant milkweed in the Outdoor Classroom, so the children can watch the entire butterfly life cycle play out in front of their eyes. They get so excited! I get so excited! We observe the teeny, tiny caterpillars and the leaves they munch. We watch the caterpillars grow and then hunt to find where they chose to spin their chrysalises. Finally, when the timing is right, we get to see the butterflies actually emerge and fly around the garden. I mean, seriously, it’s incredibly fun and incredibly educational! The best part is it’s SO easy, you can do it, too! Here are 6 easy steps taken from onegreenplanet.org: