The following post was written by contributor Emily Carter of The Pilots Wife.  It originally appeared in September 2010.

The time is upon us again. Back to School is in full swing across the country. As you are gathering your supplies and shopping for new clothes, I wanted to share some thoughts on heading back to school from a teacher’s perspective.

Your child’s teacher might not share these things with you, but I can assure you, they will be thinking them!

6 Tips for Heading Back to School

1. View This Year as a Clean Slate

Last year your child may have had their very favorite teacher (or maybe not-so-favorite). Regardless of the previous teacher, look at this new year as a chance to start fresh.

Your new teacher will probably be different than last year’s so give your child some time to adjust to different expectations and routines. [Read more...]

I’m enjoying a break from blogging as my family settles in to life with our new baby.  I’m leaving you in the hands of some very talented guest writers.  Today, Simple Kids is pleased to welcome Lisa Boisvert MacKenzie of  The Wonder of Childhood.  Enjoy!  – Kara

A little child looks up at the sky and asks, “Mama, why is the sky blue?” Mama responds “hmmn…. I wonder.”

There is a pause. The child gets quiet and turns inward. Silence. The child looks up with a knowing smile, “I know, the sky is a blanket for the earth, to tuck it in at night and keep it cozy,” to which to mother nods.

Another child asks his dad, “Why do birds sing?” The dad pauses and responds, “Gee, I wonder…” He waits. The child muses on it for a few moments and comes up with an answer, “I know, it’s their way of talking to each other.”

Children come to understanding through wonder. Curiosity, inquisition, engagement and enthusiasm flow out of wonder and in turn inspire more wonder and understanding. It is this spirit of inquiry that leads to wisdom, the ability to ask a question, hold the question and wait for the answer to come, which leads to more wondering, more enthusiasm and curiosity, a rich and juicy life, full of wonder, awe and wisdom.

“Wisdom begins in wonder.” Socrates

The child is born with a sense of wonder.

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The following is by contributor Amy Anderson of Let’s Explore.

My kids love a good surprise – how about yours? Since the baby days of peek-a-boo, I’ve loved finding little ways to add more smiles and giggles to our days.

As often as I can, I look for sweet, memorable, or unexpected things I can do for my kids. I feel like I shine as a parent when I make the everyday things special - these moments fill me up as much as they do for my girls.

So, here are a few ideas I have up my sleeve that I know will both surprise and delight my two girls. They are easy, frugal, and don’t require much more than my time. There are going to be lots of smiles around here!

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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 toddlers.  I hope you enjoy it!  Best Wishes – Kara

Toddlerhood:  a time when our child is often full on emotion and short on patience.  But, toddlerhood can also be a time of great joy, silliness, and bonding.

In fact, many parents I know, myself included, declare these years to be among their favorite ages, despite the sometimes rocky phases one and two year olds can go through.

Patience and Laughter

It is true that toddlers have a reputation for getting frustrated easily and sometimes lashing out.  They aren’t naturally very patient so it is important that their caregivers are patient.

I know that this is sometimes easier said than done, but one thing I have learned about patience is that it gets easier the more you practice it.  And toddlers give us lots of chances to practice patience.

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I’m enjoying a break from blogging as my family settles in to life with our new baby. However, I’m leaving you in the hands of some very talented guest writers.  Today, Simple Kids is pleased to welcome Deanna Smith. I think you’ll be very touched by her words, as I was.  – Kara

When I was newly pregnant with my daughter, the thoughts filling my head were competitive, fierce and determined.

My spirits were high to not only be the most stellar mother possible, but also to have the most perfect, beautiful, smart daughter ever before seen on this earth.

I had a checklist: she would crawl at 6 months, walk at 9 months, begin the violin at 3, read ridiculously early and just overall be a genius/prodigy. I looked around at all of my friend’s babies and made mental notes so that I could push my child to beat all of their milestones.

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