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Kjirstyn

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Everything posted by Kjirstyn

  1. Thank you very much, everyone! That was super helpful to get a broad range of answers (although there was a lot of overlap, which is also great). What is the deal with play, anyway? I hear that EVERYWHERE. I don't doubt it, but I just...it's hard to grasp why it's so important, somehow. Maybe it's something I'll only comprehend in retrospect. ?
  2. I've heard a lot of replies on this topic from CM mamas, but I'm curious what folks from a more classical background might say-- or if they'd say just the same types of things. ? I know CM and classical are not necessarily divergent, but there seems to be a stronger focus on beauty and truth type values from CMers than I get from folks who define themselves as largely classical, and I'm curious if that variation in mentality would produce different answers. Or perhaps my perception of the differences is inaccurate in the first place. *shrug* So for you veteran homeschoolers (whose kids are, say, 12+)...what would you tell your younger self when you had preschoolers? What would you focus on? What would you change? What would you do more of? (This doesn't necessarily assume that official school is happening at these ages, but just what you would focus on in a preschool child's life, as a homeschool parent- academic or otherwise.) Thanks!
  3. Does anyone have a well thought of annotated Shakespeare to recommend? This is for me, and I have no history in Shakespeare at all, but would like to get more comfortable with it. I was thinking an annotated version might be the way to go (I don't have a preference on what play...maybe a comedy to start with?) but if there's another way to start on it, feel free to bring up those ideas as well. Thanks!
  4. I've watched this twice and bought the soundtrack...definitely something addictive about it. :laugh: Definitely agree that you have to suspend reality...I looked up the bare bones on Barnum afterwards and snorted a little at how far off the story was, but...whatcha gonna do. My favorite scene (not necessarily favorite song; I like them all quite a bit) was the ropes dance for "Rewrite the Stars". That was amazing! Did nobody like Hugh Jackman in Kate and Leopold? That was the first time I "met" him and...you know. Swoon. :-D
  5. Thank you all very much! I've been looking into some of these and I think we'll be in good shape for awhile now. :-D (I think there's a good chance some of these will be more relevant in a couple years, but I actually think How It's Made will be a pretty good match even as young as they are.)
  6. It's hard to describe what I'm looking for, but that also makes it hard to google for ideas! My two boys LOVE Blippi on youtube, which is a channel of practical education-- tractors, machines, working vehicles, etc. I really like how it's presented-- no cartoons, not really talking "down" to the kids but teaching them real life knowledge that isn't academic, since that's pretty easy to find. We've long since worked through all of Blippi's videos and I'm on a somewhat futile search to track down other similar resources. All I'm finding is animated machines, or counting tractors, that sort of thing. Bob the Builder is not a hit around here, for example. :-D I would love to find some videos on, say, construction (building something, not just construction vehicles) or working on a machine that needs fixed, or things of that ilk. I don't know how to describe it! It doesn't even have to be for children, but I assume that adult stuff wouldn't quite trip a kid's trigger even if topic matter did. Any ideas?
  7. Haven't read the rest of your posts, but I KNOW!!! Mine are not particularly picky, but my 3yo has NEVER been interested in food, from day one, and so I literally have to feed him if I want him to eat more than three bites. He's not disobedient, and he'll eat if I tell him to, but he just has ZERO interest and I can leave him there for an HOUR and he will happily sit there...and not eat a single bite. My 2yo is a big fan of food, but he's still missing his molars, and struggles with pretty much any meat. So even though he's TWO I still find myself pulling out the baby food mill so he can get enough decent calories down. Neither of these is the end of the world, but it's both of them, hands on, every meal, and it's just wearying. (Where's that head banging the wall emoji when you need one?)
  8. Thanks for the ideas! I definitely need to start remembering the table setting and laundry loading...we've done those but for some reason I completely forget about them until I'VE done them. :-D I'll have to start having them wipe down their chairs and spots, too. I've always had the hardest time with the whole concept of them tagging along doing what I do...that was always MY plan, but somehow my oldest just hasn't been in to that, so I've had to be a lot more purposeful about keeping him busy...he likes play to a certain extent, but he gets tired of too much free time and since he doesn't tag along of his own accord...I have to consciously think of it, and what he's capable of. :-)
  9. Yes, we do that! I was just making a list so I could remember for when we have littles again someday. 😠Our two unload most of the dishwasher between them, wash the table (the 3yo), take dishes from table to sink, help pull around laundry baskets, juuust learning to fold washcloths! Ummm...oh, and they can use the dustvac to clean up small messes. Which they make a lot of. ðŸ˜
  10. What chores can your 2 or 3yos do? I'm wondering what ideas I might be overlooking, and the more the better...we always seem to be running short of them around here, and both my kids are SO much happier when they break up their playing with some real WORK. Go figure. 😅😅
  11. I'm not looking for Martha Stewart standard hospitality (one can dream)...but more of a down to earth, realistic hospitality within the reach of moms with littles and not much of a social inclination/skill set. Also (secondary topic)...books on self discipline. Sometimes just READING about something helps spur me on further on a given journey. 😆
  12. I have looked through the available ones on the Apple app store but I don't know if I'm just app-stupid or what...I couldn't find any that looked like they had any value, and nearly all of them cost money, which is fine IF they are worth it. :-D Recommendations? I'd like one he can operate without parental help, because this will basically be a rare treat, when I have to focus on something else.
  13. Well that was unanimous, so my path is clear. Thanks everyone. :-D
  14. How exactly do Cuisenaire rods work? I've seen them, but they don't really have much of an explanation just on a purchase page. :-) I've contemplated getting the Montessori number rods and I'm wondering what things they might have in common, and why C-rods might be a good substitute- or not.
  15. First time homeschooler here, so while I can see this isn't a big deal, I'm just unsure of what the best reaction is... My 3yo is doing a preschool curriculum that we really enjoy. I really don't feel that "doing" preschool is all that important, really, but we were kind of pulled into it by the kid himself, who seemed to need more challenge for his brain. He does enjoy it, and we've picked an all-in-one option that helps me not fret about missing some of the bases. :-D However. He just does not grasp numbers. I'm not worried about this developmentally, and to set against his math status he is fabulous about letter sounds and colors. But what I'm wondering is: should I continue kind of gently tugging him through what the curriculum presents on the premise that repeated exposure will eventually have an effect, or should I set aside the math for now and maybe pull out more number manipulatives and work on those with him?
  16. And on magazines, we like National Geographic LITTLE Kids (not just Kids), and Ranger Rick Cub (not Ranger Rick Jr.).
  17. I'm looking for the "Letter Factory" of numbers. 😊 I got sooo many recommendations for Letter Factory and my 2.5yo loves it and it has really gotten sounds into his head in a way I apparently never did. I'm wondering if there is something out there with a similar following for toddler level numbers (LeapFrog or otherwise.) We did find LeapFrog Numberland but haven't been overly enamored of it. Thanks!
  18. Thank you, this was actually VERY helpful! And thank you for this. I don't personally adhere to kids getting their own way all the time (far from it) so I was a little unsure how to implement the other components of Montessori with my parenting philosophies! But as I understand it, a child will choose what is best for them at a given time, or something like that. As I mentioned above, my 2.5yo will not choose something simply because it was hard the first time. I do that! It's hardly a barometer I want him to choose according to. So yes, I will just stop fretting about it and add a little more structure to it.
  19. What does Montessori look like in a 2.5yo? Specifically, how long do they tend to stick with a given activity? We are implementing an informal Montessori preschool at home. We do have several classic Montessori activities (pink tower, color boxes, etc.) as well as just several ideas off of Pinterest. I will point out ahead of time that we are not religious about the whole thing, but more taking the philosophy as a whole, for many reasons. (It suits our kids fabulously; the organization component suits me; it fits in with our goal to involve the children in real life chores in the first place, etc.) The kids love it. I am enjoying it, even though it's a lot of work to teach two toddlers how to do each activity, carry trays, clean up, etc. But what is normal for a 2.5 yo in a classroom, when a real teacher is teaching this? Do they stick with a project for very long? Mine feel a little bit like rabbits to me, constantly jumping up and wanting to move on to the next thing. Depending on the activity, I will either help them clean up and complete the process properly (regardless of how NOT long it has been) or if I know they are fine with it but just too distracted by so many options that they keep switching...then I'll insist they stick to it for a few more minutes. How does this work? Is this all just new (one week in) and they'll settle down and do a project for longer? Is this just 2.5 talking? (And 1.5, but either way. Similar behaviors.) I look at the projects and am a little confused as to how they could spend very long on a given thing, but then I figure I'm not 2.5. Except they don't spend long on anything. :-D ETA: Oh! Also. We only have so much space for activities, although I have worked hard to carve out as much as we can and will continue to do so. Since we don't have a whole classroom to fill up with trays...how often is realistic for switching things out? Once a week? I've read about swapping out things that just don't get used, but I'm uncertain about that...for example, the first go round, my 2.5yo will decide he doesn't like it because it's hard, so given a choice he won't do it again. But when I have brought it out for the second lesson (or third), then he decides he likes it, because he can do it now. So how does this fit in with the "child led" component? Please share anything that comes to mind, I'm interested in all you know!
  20. I think the caption says it all, but I'll qualify that I'm especially interested in IG accounts, just for that "slice of life" component, and visuals of how different folks do the same things. Obviously they don't have to be religious WTM (as opposed to other angles on classical ed), but I am looking for ones more oriented that way so I can get a feel for how it looks in other households.
  21. Thank you, I'm going to try out their free week and see how we like it!
  22. Thank you! I think what I'm going to find most useful about the Montessori angle is simply the guidance to help ME be more purposeful about including him in the tasks I do that he is capable of. Just seeing what the 2yos in Montessori videos are capable of motivates me to up the bar and have him help. And re-locate things to his level. :-D
  23. Has anyone done Montessori flavored preschool? I'm considering going this direction before turning back to Classical for the rest of the school years. (Hopefully I'm not committing blasphemy by bringing this up here. :-D) Mostly I'm considering this because my 2.5yo needs some focus to his days to keep his brain happier. I am NOT a fan of what I picture as "normal" preschool stuff (arts and crafts and messes is basically how it seems to me) and honestly, I think the kid himself is more inclined to my perception of Montessori-- doing "real" stuff is very much his preference, and he's not particularly artsy craftsy project inclined. IMust get it from his mother.) I guess I'm asking just for...some guidance? If you've done this. I am tracking down some books to read to give me a better idea of what I'm considering, but human to human help is always very welcome and useful. And actually, as I look into this I'm kind of panicking for some reason and actually wondering if I should be sending him to a Montessori preschool for a year before bringing him home...and I don't want to do that. I just think he would really flourish if he had some of this type of activity in his life and I'm a little intimidated by how to provide it. Let me just say up front that I feel like I'm overlooking a lot of opportunities to help him be a part of my day (setting the table, folding washcloths, etc.) and so part of what appeals to me about this is training ME to be more purposeful about keeping him tasked out. (Not because I'm a slave driver, but because he LOVES this kind of a day. He does not enjoy a day of no structure and endless play.) Hopefully that makes sense?
  24. This is a new one for me and I'm flipping through her website trying to decide what to think. It has its appealing points, to be sure. :-) Could I get some reviews from those who have used it?
  25. I keep hearing about LF Letter Factory, so I guess I need to give that one a try. Thanks. :-D
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