Footfive

Last night at bedtime, when our son refused to hug or say goodnight, Michael offered him the option of a “footfive.” “Sure!” he said. Like a high five, but done foot-to-foot, a “footfive” is one of the options we’ve developed over the years to give our kids ways to connect with us that are different […]

Fart

Conversation overhead at a school: Dad: How was your day? Son: Great! I farted in the middle of class! Many children, especially many boys, enjoy literature about farts, if you’re willing to consider fart and literature in the same sentence. No two ways about it–the surprise, the disgust, the visceral experience captures their attention nearly […]

Silence

“No music now, Mama,” my son requested after listening to two songs, even though he’d asked for the rowdy animal farm music in the first place. (Don’t get me wrong; we do rock out in morning traffic some days and we love, love, love it!) This time I sensed his request was more than a […]

Yet

Short and powerful, the word “yet” gives you an effective tool for helping children work through frustration. Here’s how you can use it, based on suggestions from the book Choice Words. If your child tells you, “I can’t!” and shows signs of distress or anger, use the phrase, “Not yet.”  Seems almost too good to […]

Cycles

Our class fish, Sky, died a week ago. The picture shows him on his first day with us, a light purple flash swimming near the green plant. Even though we’d all experienced the death of pets before, the moment still shook us up. One of our students, age nine, who found our fish floating, said […]

Overgeneralization

You may want to call an “Excessive Use of New Skill” penalty when your little adventurers branch out into new arenas. Exhibit A: our preschool doctor in this photo from last week—“Excessive Treatment of Microscopic Wounds!” As children explore the range of uses for their new skills and tools, overgeneralizing is a natural step in […]