As a year of virtual/hybrid/in-person learning ends, we’re realizing exactly how much our kids have grown during the pandemic. Shorts that were ok off-camera for online school need to be replaced. Unintentional crop tops signal it’s time for a wardrobe refresh. If clothes shopping feels intimidating or just something you’d rather not do right now,…
tweens
Dear Students, We Did It!
Dear Students, I know this year hasn’t been easy. In fact, it’s been one long rollercoaster ride with more twists, turns, and loops that any of us could have ever imagined but now that our year is coming to a close, I am so glad you stuck with me on this crazy unpredictable ride. When…
Tips and Scripts for Managing Screen Time When School Is Online
We’ve just rounded the corner on the 10 month mark of our county schools being closed. With health metrics not being anywhere close to schools being able to reopen in our area and the first semester coming to a close quickly, parents everywhere are feeling fed up with online school, Managing screen time when school…
How to Encourage Your Child to Become a STEM Star at Home
As a mom of 2 high school engineering students, I’m often asked what I did to foster their love of STEM. Honestly, there was nothing I didn’t do! I’ve always encouraged my kids curiosity, challenged them to think differently about the world, and been supportive of their ideas. Today I’m honored to share a guest…
Sumdog Provides Online Personalized Math & Spelling Practice for Ages 5-14
This post is sponsored by Sumdog Our kids have been attending school virtually for months and the novelty of learning online is long gone. With little light at the end of the tunnel that gives us hope that school will resume fully in-person this spring, we’re concerned. We’re increasingly concerned about our kids’ mental health,…
Best Gifts for Unplugged Fun to Combat Online School Fatigue
The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. Managing screen time limits during a pandemic has been no easy task. With school not able to be in person, our kids are relying on screens for learning and also…
2020 Gift Guide: Best STEM Gifts for Kids of All Ages (PreK-Teen)
The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. Every year I say that my Best STEM Gifts for Kids of All Ages gift guide is the biggest one to date and this one continues the trend. There continues…
2020 Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Tweens (ages 8-12)
The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link. Ah, the tween years! The kids who comprise this age group have one foot firmly still planted in childhood while the other wants to leap towards the teen years. Ready…
New Tween Star Stable Book Series & Free Activities Provide Escape from Coronavirus Reality
Online school, being stuck at home, and social interactions from screens have become the new norm. Without school, friends, and the routines that they’re used to, kids everywhere could use an escape. The new normal is hard so I’m appreciative of things like Star Stable that lets kids take the focus away from coronavirus and…
Dear Students, I Miss You!
If you asked me last year if I missed teaching, I would have said no. Ask me today and I’ll tell you I do. I had no plans to return to the classroom but a strange twist of fate brought me back to teaching and I find myself missing my students more than I ever…