Uncomplicated parenting in a complex world.
The following is by contributor Vanessa Brown of I Never Grew Up.
I am trying to distract myself from the fact that in a couple of weeks my first child will be entering school. As soon as she enters those doors I will, without a doubt, break into some pretty embarrassing sobs and heaves.
I know that in order to not give my daughter a complex I need to get myself busy preparing for something that will show my excitement for her entering school.
Thank you to everyone who entered the Playful Learning book and e-course giveaway! I really do think this is a book that every parent should have on their bookshelves and I’m excited that a Simple Kids reader is going to win a copy as well as a spot in the Playful Learning Spaces e-course.
So, without further delay … the winner is:
(rachel.hall.stay@******)
“Great ideas! I’d love to read the book!”
Congratulations!
Rachel, check your email for further instructions and we’ll get you all set up with your prizes.
Thanks again to everyone who entered and thank you to Mariah Bruehl for allowing Simple Kids to be a part of the Playful Learning book tour. If you didn’t win, I encourage you to check out the Playful Learning book as well as the blog book tour for more ideas and inspiration.
I’m taking a few weeks away from blogging as my family celebrates our new baby, Mia. Before I “unplugged” from the computer, I worked on this series about Ages and Stages. Today’s installment is about preschoolers. I hope you enjoy it! Best Wishes – Kara
The preschool years are such a fun age. This is a time when your child’s personality will really start to shine. Preschoolers are naturally curious and interested in the world, and the people, around them. This is the age of imagination and pretend play, making friends, and new discoveries.
It is pretty wonderful to see your child’s individuality come out and to see them grow and change during these years. It seems I say this with every stage, but the preschool years are some of the most enjoyable, in my opinion.
While all of the potential turbulence of the toddler years isn’t quite behind them, this age is generally a more mellow age as children begin to understand and employ a bit more patience, kindness, and empathy with others.
All of the bumps aren’t out of the road, and some kids do seem to have a more challenging time than their peers. However, while there are still strong emotions, most parents note less escalation into the temper tantrums or the physical lashing out of the toddler years.
Preschoolers are very expressive, one of my favorite things about this age, to be honest. Not much beats the enthusiasm of a preschooler when they are happy or excited about something.
Whoops! I need to apologize to you, dear readers. Evidently I’m not as clever as I thought I was when I was setting up posts for my blogging break and I didn’t get yesterday’s Ages and Stages: Preschoolers post up for you. The post will run tomorrow, and I’ll try to be more on top of things in the future.
(I can’t even use sleep deprivation as an excuse, since I set up the posts before baby Mia was born. Can you believe she’s almost 4 weeks old?)
In the meantime, while I haven’t been doing much blog reading lately, there are a few links I’d love to bring to your attention today:
Have a fantastic Sunday, my friends!
Now, I’m going back to snuggling on this baby …
Hello readers! I’m so excited about today’s post! Simple Kids contributor Mariah Bruehl has written an amazing book called Playful Learning. I have been reading my copy and making notes likes crazy, getting so many new ideas and inspiration from her. I’ll admit that I’m a little biased because I think quite highly of Mariah, but I truly think this is one of those books that belongs on every parent’s bookshelf.
Mariah is also the genius behind the Playful Learning website and shop and the e-course Playful Learning Spaces. She’s got a fun post and a terrific giveaway for you today. Thanks Mariah! – Kara
This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 30th. Thanks!
Now that the book Playful Learning: Develop Your Child’s Sense of Joy and Wonder has made its way out into the world, many people have asked me what my goal was in writing the book. I must say, that is a hard question to answer, but if I had to choose one thing that I hope to accomplish, it is that children and families co-create habits of heart and mind.
Yes, it is important that children memorize their addition and multiplication facts and become proficient in important skills and drills. Yet, if they are not developed within a larger context of intellectual character then we are missing the mark.
Having written the book roughly two years ago, I have had the benefit of seeing how many of the learning experiences have had an impact on my daughters over time. Not only in the development of their skills, but also in their disposition towards fully utilizing and expressing their new-found abilities.
