What most educational systems don’t account for is the vast discrepancy between students and their individual learning styles or ‘intelligences’. Some students are great at math or reading, while others are great learning a new sport or a new song. The key to a good education is allowing for all of the intelligences to be built on.

As a homeschooling parent/teacher, I found Dr. Mercola’s simple article about ‘multiple intelligences’ did a great job of outlining each learning style in an easy-to-understand format. In fact, I could easily recognize most of my strengths as well as my daughter’s, too.

But, the fascinating thing (to me anyway) was the link to an online test to determine your percentages of each intelligence. After I took the test and had fun dissecting my own chart, I had my 7 year old take it, too. (I wouldn’t suggest it for anyone much younger unless you’re ready to re-phrase most of the questions and even answer the questions for them.) What was amazing to me, was seeing how she answered differently than I would have for her. It turns out that she’s stronger in some areas than I’ve given her credit for, and vice versa.

Of course, the next step is for me to start recognizing her most prominent intelligences and allowing her the space to do more of her school work aligned with those strengths while not neglecting the weaker areas. Should make for an interesting next few months…

What about you? Have you heard of these intelligences before? If you have, is it now easier for you (or your student) to complete necessary tasks with this information in mind? Share your stories!

I called a friend of mine who is very in touch with all things organic, natural, and homeopathic and begged her for a natural remedy to help us through the weekend. And of course, she had one! I had totally forgotten about this solution until a mutual friend of ours came to a Mom’s Night Out with her sick baby who also had an ear infection. Not only did my friend tell this mom how to take care of it, another mom in the group walked into the kitchen, prepared this solution below and took it to my friend to administer to the desperate mom’s crying baby. The mom sent an email to all of us the next day thanking our friends for helping her out and ecstatic that the solution took care of her baby’s ear infection without a doctor’s visit!

(Obviously, you’ll want to go with your gut on anything anyone recommends for treating your children – if you’re not comfortable with it, don’t do it! Research another solution and go with what gives you (and your partner) the most peace. Just my own little disclaimer here before dispensing ‘medical’ advice…)

Here’s my friend’s instructions:

For ear infection: Pour 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan with some 2-3 cloves of diced garlic. Cook it until you get most of the aroma out of the garlic. (I think she cooked it for about 5-8 minutes.) Let it cool to room temperature (obviously!) before pouring the liquid into the ear (4 to 10 drops). You can use a small spoon or even an eye dropper to administer the liquid. You can pour it inside of the ear as many times you want, depending on the severity of the infection, but I would recommend that you wait about 1 hour in between ‘doses’.

By the way, another discussion that came up that night related to ear infections was the D word. That’s right – DAIRY. It seems that there is some link between children that get multiple ear infections when they’re little and dairy products. Sometimes, the ear infections are acting as an allergic reaction to the dairy, and when you’re able to wean the child off of dairy, the ear infections decrease. Just an idea for those of you moms that are pulling your hair out trying to figure out why the ear infections keep happening.

One last idea my friend sent us to try is a natural remedy for fever. Cut a garlic clove or an onion in half. Rub the cut side of the garlic or onion on the feet. Your feet actually absorb and process things rather quickly and this natural remedy has worked for MANY years before Tylenol was invented.

Not only has my friend done these things with her own children, but a couple of the other moms in our group have also tried these natural remedies for ear infections and fever with great success. If you try either of these ideas, please leave us a comment to let us know how it worked for you!

Wondering what to do with your elementary age kiddos over the summer? Have a Mac at home that they’re wanting to learn more about? Apple stores are offering summer camps where your kids can learn all about stuff to do on a Mac. Here’s what they have to say:

Your kids could talk about what they did this summer—or just press Play. At Apple Camp, kids ages 8-12 learn how to do cool stuff on a Mac: make a movie, show off photos like a pro, write and record a song, or create a multimedia presentation. You can sign up for as many three-hour workshops as you like. But space is limited, so do it soon. Then get ready for an adventure.

Interested? Check out Apple’s Summer Camp page here.

So, there’s my disclaimer before launching into the following rant…

What is up with commercials lately?!?!?  

The other night, my 5 year old daughter, Kate, and I were watching Superstars of Dance.  We were both excited to catch it on tv.  She was excited because she LOVES dancing of any kind.  She’s enthralled and entranced by all kinds of dancing – ballroom, ballet, hip hop, jazz – she really does love it all.  I was excited because I loved the idea of watching the different countries compete and then finding them on the globe – kind of a geography lesson rolled in with the fun of watching some dancing.

During one of the commercial breaks there was a trailer for an upcoming horror flick. (Keep in mind, it’s only 7 o’clock.)  The moving images that were on our television screen during that 30 second commercial were incredibly disturbing to ME, much less to my 5yo.  And that was with the sound muted.  I’m sorry, but watching a man walking on hands and knees while his head turns around backwards, is a little more than disconcerting.  [I would link to it here so that you would know what I'm talking about, but 1) I don't want to give the movie any more press than it's already getting 2) Quite honestly, I don't want to be disturbed by seeing those images again and 3) There are several movies coming out right now that are doing the same kind of thing.  Besides all that, I think you get the picture.] 

I know they’re probably going for shock value – which they’ve definitely achieved.  I know that there’s a huge market for these movies, especially to teenagers (which is probably another rant for another day).  I know that it’s a free country and they can play these kinds of commercials whenever they like.  But, honestly, does we have to subject small children to these kinds of things during the first hour of prime time?  During a ‘family-friendly’ tv show?

I’m incensed.  I know that many more intelligent people have been ranting about sex and violence on tv for much longer than myself, but I this really sent me over the edge.  Is this really the best the networks have to offer?  So, now, I’m off to write a letter… which I NEVER do… but, there’s really only so much that a person can handle.

So, you tell me.  Am I off my rocker?  Am I just overly sensitive to this particular brand of advertising?  What do you think?  Have you written a letter before?  How do you handle things that push your buttons in advertising?  Leave me a comment below…

Waffles:
My husband just discovered this method and I tried it this morning and FELL. IN. LOVE.

Use a pizza wheel. I still like to follow the straight lines of the waffle pattern. Shawn likes to cut waffles up like a pie. Follow your heart on that, but definitely pick up the pizza cutter to do it!

Sandwiches:
I can’t stand having to cut the crust off of sandwiches (my kids have learned to either eat them or just eat around them), but when company comes over, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. So, I’ve learned to grab this kitchen accessory:

It’s officially called a “Bash ‘N Chop Cutter” because you’re supposed to be able to ‘bash’ the garlic and then chop it with the sharp end. But, ask me how many times I’ve actually used it to chop any vegetable, much less garlic… Works great for cutting the edges of the bread and also cutting sandwiches into squares or triangles or ‘soldiers’ (long skinny rectangles).

Apples:
Don’t know if you have one of these lying around, but I LOVE my apple corer/divider. It makes chopping apples up into slices for the kiddos super easy. This one is a little more expensive, but I think I was able to pick one up at IKEA for about a buck…

Pancakes:
You could probably use the “Bash ‘N Chop Cutter” or the Pizza Wheel to cut pancakes, but I actually prefer to just make smaller pancakes to begin with. I like to make lots of little silver dollar pancakes and tell the kids to eat them in one bite, or just pick them up with their fingers (messy when you use syrup, but worth the extra hand washing to preserve my sanity). Of course, you could always use this MeckMom tip and buy a cheap condiment dispenser too…

So, those are my tips for you. What things do you do in the kitchen to help make kid food easier??

 
Dear Mother,

I know that you will be reading this at Christmas time, but as I am sitting here writing, we are celebrating the Thanksgiving Holidays.  So, if you’ll forgive the obvious tribute to this season, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share the things for which I’m most grateful as a mother.

First, I’m thankful for this project and the wonderful man who started it, your husband.  I’m grateful to have the opportunity to take a moment to reflect on my own experience as a mother and to read about others’ experiences also.  I’m grateful for a man that would see the value in mothers of all depths of experience sharing their journey with each other.  To be validated and be given the voice to say the things that are important to each of us is most definitely a gift for us as much as it is a gift for you to receive.

I’m grateful for the group of mothers that surround me.  These women offer great comfort to me as, together, we all figure out this thing called ‘motherhood’.  I’m thankful for a group of friends that will laugh with me at my child’s latest mishmash of words, celebrate with me as my child graduates from preschool, hang my children’s artwork on their refrigerator with pride, hold my hand and cry with me as we wait for a doctor’s test results to come back, encourage me when I feel like a failure, give me advice when my three year old little boy refuses to potty train, answer the phone at 3 AM to tell me it’s normal that my kid is doing this and a little Tylenol should do the trick, and commiserate with me on the days when I want to chuck it all in and run away from home.  I love that these women give me the room to be myself in all my strengths and weaknesses and love me just the way I am.  I honestly don’t know how moms without a support system of some sort are able to do it.  I know that without these beautiful women in my life, I would be so much less of a mother and a human being.

I’m grateful for a mother and mother-in-law that live near enough to babysit on a regular basis, but still respect my sense of privacy and the need to be my own kind of mother in my home.  I so appreciate the way that they give me advice without being condescending and congratulate me when I do things right – even if it’s not the way they would have done it.  I am so deeply grateful that they LOVE my children as only a grandmother could and look forward to the days they get to spend together.  And that my children love to spend time with them, too, is almost more than I could ask.

I’m grateful for a husband that loves me dearly, that loves our children dearly, and loves our life together.  I know that I’m extremely blessed to have a man that not only encourages me to be a better mother, but also a better wife and a better person.  It’s so easy for a mother of small children to become so centered on them and all the duties and minutia they require, that she forgets who she is when there are no children around to care for.  So, not only does he willingly watch the kids so that I can attend regular “Mommy’s Night Outs”, but he also consistently reminds me that who I was before I became a mother is still who I am, and that part of me still needs to be nourished.  He pushes me out the door for my weekly book club, listens to me even when I’m griping about the smallest of things, and reminds me that I’m the best mom for these kids.  I know that many mothers do not have this kind of man in their life, and so I’m incredibly and deeply thankful that I have him to share this journey.

Most of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to raise 3 beautiful children.  There were several years that we didn’t think we would be able to have children, and those years were some of the most difficult, painful, and soul-searching years of my life.  But, I now know that I am the person I am today because of those years and the depths that I went to with myself, my husband, and my God.  I know that I was uniquely crafted to be the mother of these particular three children, to help raise them to be grounded in who they are at their very core, to know and feel that they are deeply loved, and to trust that they are exactly who they are supposed to be for a purpose.  I don’t always know how to do that the ‘right way’.  In fact, some days I don’t feel up for the challenge or qualified to even change their diapers, much less support them in their very personal and unique experience through life.  But, then I remember the other people in my life and how ‘it takes a village’, and I take a deep breath, listen to the God inside of me (or the God inside one of those people) for a moment, and I take the next step.

Dear Mother, I hope that you are also grateful for these things and more, because I know that not every mother has been given the chance to have the same experience out of this life. I hope that this Christmas season finds you surrounded by those who love you and whom you love the most, encouraged greatly to continue being the incredible mother you most undoubtedly are, and filled with hope for the years to come on this never-ending journey called ‘motherhood’.  Know that, no matter the circumstance, you are a blessing, you are highly honored, and you are the best mother for your children.  I know that I will not be alone as I think of you in the days, weeks and months to come and pray God’s absolute best for your life.  And I hope that you would think and pray for all of us in return.  

Merry Christmas and MANY more Happy New Years to you!

Kay

~mother to Kate (5.5), Ethan (3.5), and Karis (2)

Instead of spending lots of money on each other for Christmas, a husband and wife have decided to make gifts for each other and donate the money they would have spent to a village in Africa they visited this summer. The husband decided it would be cool to do something to encourage his wife with a collection of letters from other mothers. So, he’s opened it up to the internet and asked mothers everywhere to send him letters of encouragement, tips, wisdom, etc that he can compile into a book to present to her for Christmas. Here’s a portion of what he’s said:

As you may already know, I am creating Christmas for my wife this year and this is the site devoted to her present. Simply stated, I am collecting a series of “open letters” from mothers, to mothers. I am asking you to share your stories — no matter how raw or difficult. Share you concerns or worries — no matter how foolish they may seem. Share your wisdom — no matter how you came by it. Share your mother story. The only request? Start the letter “Dear Mother” and sign it. I will compile all of the letters in a Christmas book for both my wife AND YOU. If you share a letter before Christmas you will receive a copy of the Mother Letters.

I know that I’ll be writing a letter soon (as soon as the kiddos go down for bedtime and I can think clearly again) because a mother of any level of experience has something valid, beautiful, and encouraging to say about motherhood. And consider this my challenge to you to do the same… In fact, I’ll write another post when I’ve finished my letter just to let you know I’ve done it and now it’s your turn.

So, are you on?? Leave me a comment and let me know if you’re up for it, too!

Q: Any tips for handling a 3yo boy who likes to call everybody silly names? (pumpkinhead, pottyhead, poopoohead, boogerhead. I could go on… LOL) We’ve spanked, we’ve done timeouts, we’ve taken away toys, we’ve ignored it, we’ve laughed at it, and we’re all out of ideas. We even resorted to calling him the same name he calls us, (that was short lived as he thought it was the funniest thing he ever heard) and nothing seems to work.

A: We’ve set the rule of no name calling at all, just in case you hurt someone’s feelings when you are just trying to be funny.

AND we’re only allowed to use bathroom words IN the bathroom (which has stopped the embarassingly loud announcements of “I have to poo!” in restaurants, but has also spawned numerous toot and tee tee bathtime songs). To me, this was a safe way for them to get to enjoy those funny things about their bodies which all little ones find so hilarious without shaming our family in public.

But you know, since my girls aren’t allowed to say, “I gotta go poo!” in public any more, we’ve had to come up with acceptable alternatives. Wouldn’t Ethan look so sweet and precious with, “Excuse me, I need to go freshen up.” Priceless.