YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Blog Posts by teachmama

    • User Post: Y-E-S, My Daughter Can Be a Cheerleader if She Wants To

      By teachmama | Yahoo Motherboard – Mon, Jan 31, 2011 12:50 AM EST

      I loved being a cheerleader. There. I said it.

      And I would be proud if my daughters wanted to follow in my footsteps and become cheerleaders, too.

      I honestly loved it. I cheered for knee-high football leagues from the time I was in elementary school until middle school, and I made the high school freshman squad then spent three years on the Varsity squad. As a senior, I was captain. I spent a ton of years cheering, and I enjoyed every one of them.

      I loved the leadership opportunities that cheerleading afforded me. I loved that cheerleading kept me healthy and strong and taught me to work cooperatively--collaboratively--with a group of my peers. I loved the challenge of learning something new, trying out difficult stunts, seeing exciting places, and meeting people from all over our area. I loved feeling like I was a key player in generating spirit for a school I truly adored.

      Does that color your perception of me? Does being a cheerleader mean I'm an airhead? Ditsy

      Read More »

    • One of the most difficult elements of teaching children about kindness and gratitude is the part where you teach them about being kind for kindness' sake.

      Especially for the little ones, when kids do something nice, they want the world to know. When my son gives his sister the last cookie, when my daughter helps a classmate tie a shoe or fix a ponytail, when my youngest lets our dog back in without me asking, they expect recognition.

      They want their kindness sung from the mountain tops--for their teachers and parents and friends and God and Santa and all of the big guys to give them a pat on the back for it. They want the Special Plate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they expect more gems in their jars.

      I knew I'd have opportunities this holiday season for my three kiddos to experience giving first-hand. We'd make gifts and present them to grandparents and aunts and uncles . We'd buy gifts for a needy family, wrap them, and send them away. We would spend one

      Read More »

    • User Post: I don't like ME during the holidays

      By teachmama | Parenting – Mon, Dec 20, 2010 8:39 PM EST

      I realized it when I reached for a Rescue Remedy and the tiny tin was empty. What in the world? I just bought these. . .

      My patience was short. It has been short-all month long. And rather than lose my temper, yell, scream--or cry--at 8:29 am when trying to get the troops bundled up, out of the house, and to my daughter's school in ten minutes, I needed help. Enter: Rescue Remedy. But apparently not today. Deep breaths, deep breaths. . .

      I should be skipping around the house, humming holiday tunes and trying to trick one of my kiddos-or my husband-to stand under the mistletoe with me. But instead, I'm rushing around, trying to do it all, when. . . I just cannot. I really, really wish I liked myself more during the holiday season. But every year, I am embarrassed, angry, and upset at the mom-monster I become during the last month of the year.

      When my kids' tiny noses start running at the beginning of cold season, I energetically help them with lotion-infused Kleenex

      Read More »

    • One of our favorite fall traditions is to throw on our aprons and do a little baking together, and there's nothing like Iced Pumpkin Cookies to get kids excited to help while they learn a little along the way.

      Many people dread the thought of kids in the kitchen--the mess, the stress, and the effort it takes just don't outweigh the benefits in some people's minds, especially if the kids are under five. But my feeling is to start 'em young.

      Get those little ones in the kitchen, hands washed, aprons, on, and use this time as a fun way of throwing in some early literacy, math, and science skills. Need a few more reasons to get the little guys up at the counter?

      Here are three big reasons to make this season's baking a family affair:


      1. The learning opportunities:       New tastes, textures, and smells are in abundance in the kitchen, with almost every holiday recipe. And with even just a little tweaking, recipes can be made kid-friendly and ready to support early literacy skills. Add a

      Read More »

    • User post: Talking to Kids About Cancer--5 Things to Keep in Mind

      By teachmama | Yahoo Motherboard – Mon, Oct 18, 2010 3:29 AM EDT

      • What do you say to a child when it comes to the tricky--and emotional--topic of cancer?
      • How much does a 5 year-old--or a 15 year-old--need to know about a family member's diagnosis?
      • Should you bare all of the facts or try to gloss over cancer information with children?
      • Is it better to wait or share information immediately?
      • Does it really matter if a child knows the truth about a diagnosis or not?
      • Exactly what words, phrases, or terms are best to use with children?
      Although it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, breast cancer is a disease that deserves more than just one month of "special" pink, star-studded attention. Too many of my friends and family members have been affected by breast cancer--spirits ravished, bodies destroyed, families forever changed--that it's high time to put some serious money into research, research into practice, and practice into finding treatments that will ultimately lead to a cure. Until then, many, Read More »

    • 10 Tips for Making the School Year as Successful as Humanly Possible

      By teachmama | Parenting – Sun, Oct 10, 2010 6:24 PM EDT

      I realized after the second week of school--and my daughter's first missed homework assignment--that I needed to switch gears from frazzled part-time working parent of three, to a calm, cool, and collected former classroom teacher to help me manage this rough road of. . . first grade.
      Of course I can do this. At one point, I taught 140 high school freshmen and sophomores, grading their endless papers, diagramming sentences, and talking them through The Lord of the Flies. A first grader and two preschoolers should be nothing, right?

      So here are my Quick Tricks, my successful school year survival tips, in no particular order, so that I stay focused this year and so that no one else will forget (okay, lose) their kids' homework packets:

      1. Make early and frequent contact with your child's teacher. Don't be afraid to send an email if you have a question or concern, or just send a note to say 'hi' and introduce yourself. Ask how you can support classroom learning at home, and ask how you

      Read More »

    • User post: Three kids later, I'm a very different mom

      By teachmama | Parenting – Sat, Oct 9, 2010 4:06 AM EDT

      Driving home from Costco today, with a smile on my face and a full belly from a lunch of samples, I realized that I am not the mother today that I once was five years ago, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It makes sense; we learn as we grow, and as we grow, we change. But with a 5, 3, and 2 year old, I feel like I am a completely different mother than I was only five years ago.

      I once searched the internet, Ebay, and catalogs for a shopping cart protector for my first baby; now, I am grateful for any one of my children to willingly sit in the cart-front or back, strapped in or not-and I have no idea what happened to that trusty cart protector.

      When I was a new mom, I looked forward to my daughter's every next step: crawling, getting teeth, walking, talking, playgroups, and preschool. It took me a few years, and two babies later, to appreciate the now--each day, every smile, every single giggle and tear.

      I used to plan my days according to nap times, wanting my

      Read More »

    • At the Relay for Life, 'Team Scott' Rocks the House!

      By teachmama | Parenting – Fri, Sep 24, 2010 8:02 PM EDT

      For the last three years, my family has rocked it as 'Team Scott' in our local Relay for Life; it's a tradition we will carry on for as many years as our legs will allow us.

      Our tent boasts soccer balls and streamers of red, white, and blue. Our team heads balls, makes passes, and kicks balls around during our teammates' down time. While taking turns doing laps around our high school's track, we remember that cancer never takes a break. So we keep on walking. For a full day, we keep the rhythm moving, no matter how tired our bodies may be.

      We chat with neighbors, friends, classmates, and family. We laugh about good times, and we remember that difficult last month.

      To raise more money for this cause, we sell tattoos and paint faces and hands. The track glows with the necklaces and bracelets we sell come nightfall, and former soccer players gather by the luminaria that mark the memory--and celebrate the life--of our good friend, Scott.

      Taken way too early and leaving behind

      Read More »