With the 2020 presidential election in the US quickly approaching, many parents are wondering what is the best way to teach their kids about voting and elections. Tweens and teens are old enough to learn about the issues and the process of the 2020 election. Unfortunately, being old enough does not go hand-in-hand with having an educated opinion. Understanding politics and issues has become sooooo sticky and tricky in the modern era! Tiktok, YouTube, and other social media are inundating our kids with opinions and "facts," many of which are biased, oversimplified, or just plain wrong. It can be very hard for parents to figure out how to intelligently present their teens and tweens with information about politics, civics, and voting. Like usual, I've been spending tons of time researching this, and I'm here with some suggestions! Whether you are homeschooling your teens or you just want to have some intelligent family conversations, I've got your back. As I see it, … [Read more...]
So my kid is learning at home this year…now what do I do?
You've decided that your children are going to stay at home to learn this year. Or, maybe it was decided for you by your school district or your governor! Here in California, our governor has mandated that in-person learning is out for many families, at least for now. Whether you like it or not, distance learning is happening for many public and private schools. So how do you move forward and make the best of at-home learning for your family? If you have options in your school district to learn in-person or online, read this article about how to decide which type of schooling is best. Decisions to be made about learning at home First, find out what your school district has planned for your children. Go to their website and find out what plans have been made so far. Here are some of the questions to ask: What will the schedule be? How much time will my children be spending on the computer?What will the learning management system be?What access will the students have … [Read more...]
Summer Printable Planner for Tweens and Teens
Chances are, your teens and tweens could use some direction this summer. I've created a free summer printable planner for teens and tweens to help make their summer (and yours) better! How is summer 2020 going for your family? For many of us, things are still really strange because of Covid 19 and the continued sheltering in place orders. If your teens and tweens are still stuck at home and unable to see their friends as often as they'd like, they could probably use some help. Many kids are just kind of whiling away the hours online without any direction. If you're frustrated that they are just wasting their time, I've got a summer planner that can help to give them some direction. My free printable summer planner for teens and tweens is designed to help. I created it to help teens and tweens organize their activities so that they can have a fun and productive summer. I think many teens need to recapture that feeling of success that you get from making a plan and … [Read more...]
Parenting Tweens and Teens Can Be Lonely
Parenting teens and tweens can be a lonely experience. You're busy with your kids, your home, your job, and other responsibilities. Your house might be loud filled with the sounds of your kids. But when you are done dealing with everyone else's needs...is anyone there for you? Finding support as a parent When you first start out as a parent, there are many opportunities for making friends and asking for advice. You go to the park and chat with the other moms at the playground. Often we join baby groups and get to know other parents that way. I met one of my best friends out on a walk with my kids - I saw the other mom and her kids of a similar age, struck up a conversation...and ta da! Friends! If you're wondering how to toilet train, when to teach your baby to swim, or how to handle tantrums, plenty of other parents are at the park or at your mommy and me class, or waiting outside preschool, ready to chat and help you think about what to do. As kids get older … [Read more...]
Books for Tweens Who Love Harry Potter
Do you have a tween who loves the Harry Potter books? Want to help them find some books to read next? I've got thirteen more book series for fans of Harry Potter! This list of fantasy books has lots of choices for your magical tween. My son has read them all, so please comment below if you have any questions. I've included the recommended grade level and Lexile score for each book. The grade level recommendations are more about interest level than difficulty, so don't worry about them too much. The Lexile refers to the difficulty. If you have questions about this, please ask in the comments below or send me an email. Don't forget to pin for later! The Menagerie The Menagerie is a series by sisters Tui and Kari Sutherland. The Menagerie in the title is a secret place in Wyoming that contains unicorns, phoenixes, dragons, and other magical creatures. When the griffin cubs escape, seventh-grader Zoe has to get them back or the menagerie that her family has been … [Read more...]
Bored?!? Things for tweens to do while stuck inside
The social distancing and self-quarantining orders are really tough on tweens and teens. Most tweens and teens are social creatures and are used to having busy schedules. All of a sudden time is stretching out in front of them and while it may have seemed fun for a few days...now they are bored. Here's a list of ideas for things that tweens can do while stuck inside! I will be adding to this as I hear about more ideas, so please pin and check back later! If you have more ideas for me, please comment below! If you need some help organizing your tweens' and teens' days, please download my free printable daily planner for tweens and teens or for summer, I have a free printable summer weekly planner for tweens and teens. Art and Craft Lessons Disney Drawing Lessons When we went to Disneyland last year, my son and I really enjoyed doing the Disney drawing lesson at California Adventure. We were taught how to draw Daisy Duck by a real Disney artist. Well, no one is … [Read more...]
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