Big Kids

Summer is here and my boys are so excited for their summer of fun! This means endless video games, sleeping in, ... Just Kidding! While our summers aren't overly structured, we do have some general guidelines we've used for...

I was recently fired from my job as “mom” from one of my employers. Well, maybe “laid off” is a better term. It was my 18-year-old daughter who did the firing. (I’m still employed by the 12-year-old). Like most lay-offs, I...

The Goddard School® of Waukee incorporates gardening into its daily curriculum for students twelve months through six years. We truly value the beauty of the gardening process as we guide children in planning, planting, watering, weeding, and maintaining different types...

Have you noticed that some of the most beloved characters in kid's literature have been separated from their moms due to tragic circumstances? Harry Potter. The Penderwicks, The Pevensie Kids. Do you ever get the sense that children's authors like getting...

Before having kids, we did everything on the weekends: cleaning, laundry, going to new events, exploring new restaurants, parks, etc. The weekdays were for working, exercise, dinner, and relaxing. Ah … what a simple life it was. After having our...

I remember well the mom sitting across from me with her school-aged son during a well child exam. Spread open on her lap was a planner, and every spot from waking until bedtime was filled. “When do you play?” I...

The “how was school” question usually gets a pretty standard response at our house. One day, was different. Sprinkled in between stories about P.E. and the lunch menu, my first-grade son told me he cried. A kid knocked down...

Bergman Academy is an independent school with intentionally small class sizes (maximum of 16 learners per class). It is located in the heart of historic Greenwood Park at the former Science Center of Iowa. A Bergman Academy education lasts far...

Having grown up in the eighties and nineties, I have lots of memories of life before the internet. Some of my most treasured memories are of writing and receiving snail mail with friends, family, and pen pals. Handwritten letters were...

One night after dinner my husband and I handed our smartphones to our kids (ages 8 and 10) and told them to call 9-1-1. They looked at us for a minute to see if we were serious, and I said,...