Picture Frame Dry Erase Board

Three weeks until summer! I need some ideas for these three months - please give me ideas.

The finished "dry erase" board, with the first word of the day.

I believe school should be year-round. I thought that as an undergraduate, as a teacher, and now I think it as a parent. I even write about the benefits of year-round school.

That will not happen in the foreseeable future, so my family must adjust. The kids are signed up for t-ball (they have quite the handsome coach as well!) and a few educational camps. While schooling should not have a three month gap, I also believe in the power of "down time."

Maintaing that balance is difficult and keeping their minds exercised is on my to-do list. Kids learn constantly whether parents want them to or not, but teaching through example and from household chores will not fill all the hours in the summer.

I need a plan, or at least some ideas. I've consulted Pinterest and found some great sources. Crafty people posted examples of making your own dry erase board, only with glass.

Turning an old picture frame into a dry erase board took less than an hour. I had this black frame downstairs. The back is broken in one place, and two of the mattes are missing, so I don't use it for "good pictures."

Falling apart a bit.

It did clean up and my husband helped me fix the back with a piece of wood. I added colorful scrapbook paper and I am pleased with the results:

Child not included.

Now I have to decide what to put on the squares, which is where I would like some input. Should each square be designated for a fact, or quote? Should I do one each day, maybe Monday-Thursday?

My ideas to fill the squares:
* Word of the day.
* Bible verse of the day.
* Quote of the day. (Dr. Suess?)
* Math problem of the day.
* Chores.
* Goal of the day. (Give each other compliments, help a neighbor?)

Any ideas? I would love some input!

Printable Books

Keeping the printable books - readers your kids bring home from school.

Ty and Za bring home their school work, and like any other young student, they bring home plenty. We do keep some of their work, but some ends up in the recycling bin too.

One type of work we keep is the printable books (readers, stories) that they make at school. I do this for a few reasons:

1. Ty and Za normally have spent time on these - colored them or drawn pictures.

2. Teachers send these readers home with the hope that students will have at least one "book" at their homes. My kids have tons of books, but not all kids do. Since teachers probably emphasize the importance of these readers, keeping them makes a nice home-school connection.

3. We reread them. Most of them have cute stories or lessons!

I hole punch them as they come into the house. To bind them, I used a circular clip from an office store. I then had Ty and Za pick out a ribbon to designate their packet of books. We have a couple of years pictured below.

Do you keep all, or some of you children's school work? How do you organize it?

New SAHM

This is another installment of The Visiting Classroom, where I have a guest blogger who is a SAHM (or dad). These guest posts hopefully bring some understanding to the important work we do, provide examples for teaching in the every day, and show that we are not alone in our struggles. 

Today's guest blogger is Jessica, who has two daughters.

1. You are a new SAHM, but not a new mom. How's it going?                                               Surprisingly well! I had fantasized about being a SAHM during my time at the law firm, but my idea of life as a stay at home mom was truly fantasy.  I believed the house would be clean, dinners would be made, that I’d be able to organize, get reconnected with friends, have play dates and teach my children how to read and write and still have time to exercise – all in one day!  

 I had no idea that staying at home would take more balancing and time management skills than my career as a litigator.  An infant and 3 ½ year old are quite demanding clients. But once I began to get over the idea that being a successful SAHM meant completing all those activities in a day’s time, I started to really enjoy the opportunity to be at home during this season of life.

2. What is your biggest struggle?

My biggest struggle is sleep.  My youngest Kaitlyn suffered from reflux at a very early age and has required a lot of extra care and doctor visits. She continuously struggles with gaining and maintaining weight, and receives treatment for problems associated with Sensory Processing Disorder. Consequently, she has slept through the night maybe only a handful of times her entire life; meaning I’ve been sleep deprived for about 13 months. I’ve discovered that when I am tired I have a short fuse, so I make it a priority to nap when I can.  Unfortunately, catching up on sleep cuts into my other duties such as cleaning, working and managing the house.  It has definitely been a struggle.

3. What goals do you have with the kids?   

My top three goals (not in any specific order) are first, make time to move.  When weather cooperates we head to one of the local parks, but through much of the winter we headed downstairs for some exercise in our unfinished basement. The kids play, swing and Emaline can ride her bike.  With a child as energetic as Emaline, it’s essential to make time for her to play and expend some energy. 

Second, give the girls a healthy and calorie-rich meal.  My girls have not yet learned to love food as I do, so getting them to eat enough and make good food choices is difficult. When I was working full time, I hardly prepared meals except on the weekends – week meals consisted primarily of prepared frozen meals or take out.  But now I am cooking and baking regularly. The girls (and my husband) are really enjoying it! 

Third, encourage learning wherever, whenever. Whether it’s reading lots of stories at bedtime, creative pretend play while I clean/cook, or dinner time “Guess what princess/movie/book character I am,” I am constantly thinking of how I can enrich the girls’ playtime with learning.  I have been cognizant of using a wide array of vocabulary with Emaline during pretend play and regular conversations, and I am starting to see the fruits of it during our conversations.  I have discovered that just adding some vocabulary, rhyming, singing or counting games during the day really is beneficial, even if you don’t see the benefits immediately.

4. You balance working at home while having the kids. Any tricks to share? 

Although Kaitlyn’s medical needs these last two months have kept me from working, I had been working at least two days a week from home or a law library. I took some good advice from another SAHM/attorney friend who recommended I do not have the kids in the house while I work and boy was she ever right!  On scheduled workdays Emaline goes to preschool (which we love) and Kaitlyn spends her day with a nearby friend.   

When I was working full time I often needed to complete work at home, even after a full work day, so I am used to working after the kids go to bed or having my husband help out on weekends for completing assignments. I also am the type of person that when working from home, I am able focus on work and ignore the housework.  So those matters never got in the way of my assignments.

5. What is the best part of being with your kids extra time?

Watching them grow every day, and being able to give Kaitlyn the special care she needs.  My husband worked part-time during Emaline’s first year, and my mother was able to come and stay with us the other part of the week while I worked full time.  While it was a blessing for my mother and husband, I missed her terribly and always felt that our relationship wasn’t as close as I would have liked it to be.  Being at home has definitely been a blessing to my relationship with Emaline and has really allowed me to develop my relationship with Kaitlyn early on in a way I wasn’t able to with Emaline.

Although it was unplanned and a financial shock, it turned out to be a blessing that the law firm shut down when it did. Kaitlyn was diagnosed with severe reflux shortly after I was told the news. Since that time, she has required lots of extra care, and has been plagued with colds, stomach bugs, and ear infections; much more than her sister was at this age. Kaitlyn, like her older sister, has also been treated for problems associated with Sensory Processing Disorder. While Emaline had feeding issues and struggled to gain weight, for a variety of reasons Kaitlyn’s turned out to be more severe. 

Kaitlyn has also had issues with gross motor skill development, because of this she currently has two days where she goes for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy appointments in addition to a weekly weight check at her pediatrician. With all these appointments, maintaining a full time litigation job would have been impossible. My husband and I feel very blessed for this opportunity for me to be at home with the girls at this time and give Kaitlyn the extra attention she needs.

About our mom-->

Jessica is mother to 3 ½ year old Emaline and 13 month old Kaitlyn.  In 2012, Jessica’s commercial litigation career was sidetracked when her law firm shut down during Kaitlyn’s maternity leave.  She is currently combining being a SAHM with working part time as a Legal Research and Writing Specialist for solo practitioners and small law firms on an independent contractor basis. 

Interested in being spotlighted for the next Visiting Classroom? We are looking for ordinary parents who love teaching their children every day. Contact me lauraleemoss@gmail.com for more information. 

Ultimate Blog Party 2013

A long time ago, I joined a blog party...

And it was a blast.

I began following blogs that I still read today. I got great ideas for my life and blog. It is time for the 5 Minutes for Mom Blog Party again - and I am excited to be part of it.

So welcome blog-party-goers! My name is Lauralee. I'm a mom and a teacher. I look at parenting through a teacher's lens. My blog has two big goals:

1. To communicate with other SAH parents about living the life while sometimes feeling alienated from other adults, and
2. To knock out some of the mysteries surrounding education.

I am a teacher by heart, and I strongly believe that parents are their children's first teachers. (That is a cliche, but I do believe it). When parents understand why teachers "do what they do," parents and students are happier. I incorporate everyday, sensible learning with my kids, and record it along the way. I hope that my ideas help other parents, whether they casually teach their children, or are dedicated to home-schooling.

I would love for you to follow me here, or on my Facebook page.

Right now I am off to visit other blogs and look at the party prizes. Hang around my blog, ask me questions - I look forward to meeting all of you!

Your SAHM Office is Your Home

You never leave your office.

In my former life I would leave work thinking, "what the h---- was that. I did nothing today." Of course I had done something. Even if I had not accomplished my goals, I had interacted with students and set an example for them. I presented material, and looking back, some of it had stuck.

I think.

Switching from a teacher to a SAHM, I honestly felt I would have good and bad days. After all, I would be with little students and I knew potential problems. I thought that the two jobs would be similar. I figured whatever struggles I had at work would be gone, leaving fewer struggles.

This is my actual desk - I barely have room to type.

I was wrong. I wasn't wrong because of what I thought, but because of what I ignored: when you work outside the home, you get to leave, to keep work problems at work, and to start fresh the next day.

True, the problems can go home. I brought papers home to grade daily, but I never brought a student home. I brought stress and concerns, but I had means of escape at home.

Your home is your office as a SAHM. And for parents transitioning to a new role, this is a shocker. If your desk is cluttered at work, you may have energy to clean the next day after having a reprieve. If your kitchen is trashed at "work," you will see that mess every stroll through your house.

I also failed to realize that I would have many "desks." I'm in charge, right? The cluttered stairs, playroom, kitchen, living room - it's all my domain. It drives my crazy, because my employees are a tad unpredictable and free spirited.

After acknowledging this, I began making my bedroom my safe haven. I try to keep kid stuff out of it, and my husband's stuff doesn't bother me. If I need to regroup during the day, I escape. I feel better and then I can return to my "desks," a tad recharged.

What works for other SAHMs? Do you have your own place, even if it is only your bedroom?

Financial Friday: Birthday Decor

An inexpensive and fun birthday surprise. 

We've been sick this week - almost all of us - so I have neglected my blog. I did feel like posting a quick activity that I did a few months ago for Ty's birthday.

I saw this decorating tip on Pinterest, and adapted as I went. I used leftover crepe paper, balloons, and ribbon along with tape and scissors.

I circled the strips, and then made one cut.

I found it easiest to tape a group together, rather than hang each piece individually.

I used painter's tape because I was going to tape to a wooden door frame.

The longest part was hanging and taping everything up. Plus, I had to wait until he was SOUND asleep for the night, so I was actually up late working.

The next morning, he was surprised and thought the decorations were fun. Very inexpensive, and hopefully memorable, birthday surprise.

Financial Friday: Library Time

Library time.

I keep my eyes peeled for inexpensive or free activities to get my kids out of the house, especially while it is cold. Going to the library is free, and my kids get great experiences there.

When children interact with books, they are forming a relationship with reading materials. The library allows kids to see different types of books and choose which ones to explore. If a child is going through an interest- stage (dinosaur, trucks, police) books provide a simple building block for learning.

Reading, and activities like visiting the library, can be natural and part of your child's life routine. I hear parents say that they will go to the library later in life - when the child can read. Just like teaching a child the seat-belt must always be worn in the car, teach through example that reading, that picking out fun books to borrow, is a life-long habit. (For more information on reading to babies for habit-forming skills, this interview with Tricia O'Brien has some inspirational ideas).

Libraries are free (except for the late-fees which I have right now), and are perfect ventures for parents, stay-at-home or not. Happy Financial Friday!

Baby C.J. explores books like she explores everything - with her mouth.

Check out these other great posts about reading or the library.

No Time For Flashcards:  8 Ways Parents Discourage Their Kids From Reading

Literature Young Adult Fiction: 7 Reasons Why Kids Should Read