fralala
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Posts posted by fralala
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According to the article I saw, her parents plan to call her "Clipsey."
I admit: I actually find that storybook cute. But I do kind of feel like the name Eclipse itself-- as a first, not a middle name-- is kind of like that tattoo that seems really deep and You at the time, but then you're just stuck with years later when it no longer seems quite so defining.
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Different things work for different families. The guilt you feel sounds like a logical extension of beat-yourself-up perfectionism. So what is the worst thing that will happen if you skip family suppers? (If you have any trouble providing catastrophic answers, I can help, as a fellow perfectionist. The children will develop eating disorders, and become drug addicts, and one day I will be sitting in the old age home with no visitors ruing the day I hid in the other room and pretending I didn't hear, "Mom, he's throwing food at me!")
These things probably won't happen. Probably, your kids will grow up and enjoy chatting with you over meals once they are old enough to help prepare them, set the table, clear the table, load the dishes, chew with their mouths closed, tell amusing stories and assess their audience, listen without interrupting each other, and so forth. It does help me feel like I'm helping them get closer to this goal, though, to have one nice dinner on our schedule a week. The special tablecloth comes out, the vase comes out and we get some flowers, and we use nice dishes. We might be eating take-out or frozen pizza, because I know my own limitations (one hard thing at a time), but we do that, and maybe that would help you out of your guilt, too?
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Well, making videos might be her "Egypt". It counts. And her theatrics sound kind of amusing, if you're not the one who has to tolerate them!
With that said, I will say that in my own childhood, and in my kids' lives, it seems like many of those semi-weird, takes-an-interest-and-is-off-with-it things only occur when a kid lacks other diversions (such as entertaining video games and television shows) and has perhaps spent a fair amount of time rolling her eyes and complaining about being bored first. Since she's producing her own videos and that involves creativity, imagination, and so forth, I definitely wouldn't limit that...in fact, I'd use it (perhaps to make a scathing video review of how much she hated the latest audiobook?), but the other stuff can kind of dull kids' motivation, I think. And adults'.
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Indeed. In reading about the history of solar eclipses-- from the Chinese theory that a dragon was ingesting the sun, to the Greeks laying down their weapons at this apparent sign from the Gods-- I thought about our own curiosity: the solar eclipse so misunderstood (despite all available scientific explanations) that people are worrying that they might need special glasses on that day if they plan to drive. (Obviously, they should just drive with their eyes closed.)
As I said to the unfortunate man (unfortunate to be married to me) who began a story with, "You know, there was a man who went blind--" "STOP. JUST STOP."
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It's going to be a BIG deal for my little kids because they will get out of quiet time early to see the eclipse.
I am a little sad and also perplexed about schools intentionally keeping kids in during the eclipse to live-stream the event. Why go outside when you can just watch the video? Why go anywhere or do anything? When I was a kid, we were all given eclipse glasses and sent out of classes to view the eclipse. Also, has anyone considered the possibility that a child could look up at the sun on any day of the year and harm their vision? Should these children be given outdoor recess at all?
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So only kids in certain parts of South America are actually digging to China. A childhood myth, destroyed! Thank you.
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Well, my toddler son's proudest moments are when his big sisters dress him up in their dresses and barrettes. He's not above putting on my underwear or high heels, either. So not only would he not feel dumb or embarrassed to get his hair cut at a girl's salon, he would strut around like a big boy if he got the chance!
If it were a big deal to my husband (and it wouldn't be- he's the type of guy who wears purple shirts and looks darned good in them), I'd make him take the little guy for his first haircut. I imagine you, like most of us, have enough running around, loading and unloading kids into the car to do!
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Well, I'd say trying to vote for the right person and support equal opportunities at all levels of society is more important than protecting the feelings of individuals, but that gets...political.
Yes, treat everybody with human kindness (or forbearance, depending on the situation!), but...ultimately, the people who ask me where my (multiethnic) kids' parents are don't offend me or hurt my children one bit. We know who we are, and given the way they've apologized profusely afterward, I don't think they did so with malice (or will make the same mistake again).
When people make stereotypical comments about our ethnic group to my kids' faces because they don't realize my fair-skinned, light-haired kids are part of that group...it gives my kids the opportunity to build their moral courage and hopefully change a person's mind a little bit. Obviously, speaking up like that is something people of any "race" can do, and having moral courage is something we can all teach our children! Again, we've been fortunate enough that in this situation, no one has come back and argued for their point of view but have acted chastened...I really think most people are decent on a individual, personal level, aren't they?
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I read it and clicked a few links and found an quick list if anyone, like me, has an aversion to reading blog posts with lots of images and bright, shiny stuff sidetracking me.
http://evidencebasedteaching.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Teaching-Strategies.png
This reminded me, too, of one of Kate Snow's posts on how to teach an excellent homeschool math lesson:
http://kateshomeschoolmath.com/teach-excellent-homeschool-math-lesson/
The main step that doesn't come naturally to me that both include, and that I sometimes have to practice expressing in clear, concise terms, is exactly what I want my child to learn in each lesson.
But I also include a step I don't think either list mentions, which is to start off by checking to see what my kids already know about the above, or how they would answer the main question of the lesson. I would never start off telling my kids "what they need to know" before finding out what they already know, and how they know it. If their "knowledge" is flawed, all the better, because they tend to remember something better once they've been corrected and discussed it!
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Do you think it would be best to try Singapore then? The more I look at Math Mammoth I don't think my daughter will like the plain style, and lack of color/fun. Singapore has the colorful textbook that makes the learning more fun. I originally was looking at MIF and MM because I thought they would be easier to teach, but I have never tried Singapore.
If you're completely on the fence and would be willing to teach any of these options, my vote is for letting your daughter look at the same samples you're looking at and asking her to choose. That can be a really fun way to venture forth as partners using a new curriculum! In my opinion, you can't go wrong with these 3-- ultimately, you are going to tailor the curriculum you use to your child, so since it sounds like she probably won't always need as much practice or guidance, you can just skip some pages, or save them for year-end review or summer practice.
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I wish I had the studies to trot out right now, but I recall reading at some point that rhyming isn't strongly correlated with early reading skills. My sister teaches English language learners (grade K) and they often are able to read (at a K level) before they can identify rhyming words. My own kids had no problem with rhyming and would play rhyming games with me when they were 3 and 4, but weren't/aren't early readers..so anecdotally, too, it's not necessarily tied to decoding ability!
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It's totally normal for siblings to fight.
it's totally normal for one overextended parent (with a new baby) to be unable to give them all the attention they crave.
It's totally normal for this to create a cycle of behaving badly and said parent just wanting to escape with the good child (the baby!).
If you are still around, sdab, I hope you have a support system and that you do not take the recommendations you've received as criticism of your parenting. In fact, knowing what one should do (or another parent should do) is a totally different matter than doing it. I know I've read the wonderful books recommended above, and still get trapped in the negative cycle when I'm sleep-deprived, or overextended, or lacking a support system. Expecting our children to behave perfectly all the time means we're often too hard on ourselves, as well. Go easy on your kids, and go easy on yourself. A new baby is a very difficult transition, and it takes a lot of hard work to make everybody feel loved and appreciated on a daily (hourly) basis. Now I have to go do some of that work myself, because I have one kid calling the other a poopy, the other screaming that the other called her a vampire, and another peering over my shoulder to read what I've been potentially saying about her...nothing causes bad behavior more in this household than a parent paying attention to a Device!
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Oh, man. That is especially hard when it is your own mother. My MIL is like that. Except she is constantly pushing me to have my tubes tied. It hurts. It goes against the idea one cherishes of the doting grandparent, the one who pesters her children for more grandchildren. I just try to go the "Cornelia Presenting Her Children as Her Treasures" route.
(I had someone gasp to me once, "You're not having another, are you? GEEZ." I comforted myself with the cruel and smug personal opinion that his own children were not very nice. Of course, that is less comforting when the person whose children you are personally opining on is your own parent, or your spouse's parent!)
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Well, it sounds like the "old way" is actually not the way any of us learned math, but the way they were teaching math 100 years ago.
Would you have gotten the correct answer if you'd been taught using the mnemonic "BEDMAS", I wonder? (Where D comes before M?)
There is an interesting explanation below about the differences in the treatment of the division sign in problems like this between math today and math in the early 1900s which boils down to: "Historically the symbol ÷ was used to mean you should divide by the entire product on the right of the symbol."
https://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2016/08/31/what-is-6%c3%b7212-the-correct-answer-explained/
But...my sense is that there may be a less fascinating explanation for arriving at different answers to this problem, which is that many people use the mnemonic longer than they remember that multiplication and division actually take equal precedence in the order of operations, if not in the mnemonics.
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I have not used Mastering Essential Math Skills, but hopefully this bump will help locate someone who has. Isn't it mostly intended as summer supplement or way to keep math fresh between levels? It seems to me that using it for several years would just push you back even more...and might not confront the bigger problem here, which is not your daughter working slowly (that's okay in most non-artificial situations) but the fact that she has a problem remembering what she has already learned (to some extent normal, but when it goes beyond the extent of normal brain drain, majorly confidence-sapping and discouraging for everybody). Do you think the problem here is conceptual, or can she (slowly!) figure out the x facts in her head if you're not expecting instant recall? What kind of things has she been very successful in or enjoyed in math? Beast Academy was deeply frustrating to my graphic-novel-loving-daughter because it was made her feel dumb-- not being able to always follow along with the math presented wasn't enjoyable for her and she felt like it confirmed some of her ugly fears about her abilities (when she actually beats me in many aspects of math if presented with the material first in a more concrete and hands-on way). The best (fun) math supplements for her have been games, especially those in which she can gain a confidence boost by beating her dear mother (who always feels rather brilliant when she manages to fudge yet another seeming game of "chance").
Anyway, hope you find what you need and someone who has actually used Mastering Essential Math Skills can provide more information about its content and whether it might help bring her up to speed!
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Maybe something like MindUp would include some of what you're looking for?
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You know, this is a nice thread. I like hearing (reading) well-spoken women describing specific details about their mothers, when they were younger. We noticed. We remembered.
My mother and her sisters-- my aunts-- have always cared a great deal about their appearance. They are all trim (and obsessed with this), take pride in dressing neatly and presentably. However, none wears make-up, and none colors her gray hair. None has ever had a manicure or pedicure. They don't even shave their legs, although as they've grown older, this isn't so apparent. While my sister feels she was scarred by having a mother who didn't counsel her on the proper shade of lipstick and how to apply mascara, I had no problem with it. I think the only problem comes when your mother makes you feel bad about your own choices, when they might differ from her own.
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The BBC has Newsround, for 6-12yos (according to Wikipedia... I haven't ever watched it):
Thanks for the suggestion! This looks really good.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround
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Vacuumed, mopped, took out trash, did laundry, went for walk with kids, did some planning, and now it is time for chocolate and a little bit of sloth.
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I am laughing imaging the visceral reaction as you attempted to venture forth into the world of public school textbooks...
It is good to occasionally be reminded of what you're not missing.
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"It" being what?
The HIG? This is not from Primary Mathematics but from a third-party author.
Pushing memory work (vs more organic means of nearly the same things) and have pretty negative repercussions including math anxiety. The facts do need to be mastered. There are many non-stressful means to that end.
Bill
I just assumed anyone talking about memorization in 1A was using an assortment of playful games and activities to do it, not drills and flashcards and timers and such methods of math destruction, but you're right that the memorization recommendation seems out of place in the HIG. (I mean, even the concept of memorizing number bonds is kind of weird to me-- but I am a visual learner teaching visual learners, so for us this is like saying "Memorize a horse.")
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For us, things that were "boring" were either too easy or too hard. Math became bearable when we switched to something that fit her better. I also backed up a grade and built confidence. Language arts were too easy and too repetitive. We switched things up and went up a level. I thought it would be too much, but I think we've finally got something that is challenging enough to keep interest and build skills.
This is such a good point! I have talked to my teacher friends about this, and they agree: "Boring" is often a code word for something that isn't at the right level.
With that said, if things are at the right level and kids just would prefer to be doing something else (and I think sometimes at home, with lots of siblings, including young siblings who don't have to do school yet, this can be a big factor in not enjoying schoolwork), I think it's normal for them to complain. However, in my house, that is TOTALLY unwelcome because it make me not enjoy my children. I have told them I am happy they share their feelings with me about many things in life, but with lessons we are going to fake it till we make it because we can actually change some of our negative feelings by approaching things with a good attitude. I praise good attitudes. I reward good attitudes related to schoolwork. This is important to me. I don't mind hearing specific concerns-- they don't like a specific lesson, or program, or amount of practice-- but I don't want to hear vague, negative-attitude-type things such as "This is boring" because it doesn't help me make lessons more enjoyable and it just mires them (and ME) in a very negative place.
So for your kids that are old enough, I don't think it would hurt to call a family meeting and set some ground rules on negativity while seriously taking their suggestions and writing them down and seeing what you might be able to change on your side. But it also may partially be that you do have those little ones who are, presumably, running around and playing and having fun and freedom, so instead of thinking of yourself as doing poorly as a teacher (not making things fun enough), it might be worth it just to realize that your house and family relationships are so cozy they'd like to be making their own choices about what to do there. Could that partially be it?
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My personal preference is actually to have these things in two different books. So I would like the "separate file" option. But it sounds like I may be in the minority. (I don't have a printer so I have to either buy printed books or print files out all in one go, and I do like those "extras" to be separate from the lesson itself.)
Quick, "Grab and Go" Healthy Snacks
in The Chat Board
Posted
People have different metabolisms, but most people's bodies can adjust to reasonable meal schedules.
This isn't really something I feel strongly about defending-- it doesn't bother me a bit if other families snack more than mine!-- but it's pretty standard in lots of places to have regular mealtimes, or not to snack at all between meals, and people adjust. I'm not really sure what you don't get? Many cultures and families find constant snacking to be similarly perplexing, though, so I guess this is one of those things where what you do feels really right!
As for snack suggestions...nuts or nut butters, if there are no allergies? Avocadoes? It looks like the snacks you offer are already a really good mix of fat and protein...maybe adding fiber would help? Greek yogurt with ground flaxseed or some almonds?