school

Getting Into a Solid Routine Once School Starts

Routine…ahhhh…what every kid thrives on. In fact, when we are out of routine, my life feels like utter chaos and I end up a grumpy mess. Some families find comfort when school starts because life has a flow again where over the summer it was more of a stagnant pond (or better yet, crazy hurricane). It is true, kids do better all around when there is some sort of routine to follow. Think about it, the first week of school is all about learning the classroom routine and procedures on how to do things. Why do teachers take the time to do that? It’s because they are setting their year up for success. When kids know what to expect and how to navigate their day, there tends to be less behavioral issues, less chaos in the classroom and less overall misuse of time.

By Mary Bockert, ago

Teaching From Anywhere…

Let me preface with this is NOT a homeschooling post. This is a “If you have kids, read this” post.

When I decided to homeschool our oldest, it wasn’t an easy decision whatsoever. I had a battle going on inside me that brought many questions to the table.

Will she be well-rounded if I homeschool?

How will she be socially?

Am I equipped to get the job done right?

Will this be a frustrating experience or a pleasant one?

These questions flooded me on a daily basis until one day I just had to make the decision. Homeschooling it was! Being a former teacher, I used to roll my eyes at homeschooling moms who weren’t trained to be teachers. They didn’t the progression of how we educate kids so how could they be great at schooling their own kids?!?

By Mary Bockert, ago

My Child Has Anxiety…Now What?

As Ben and I have learned the secret that drives our sweet 2 year olds behavior, we have taken a proactive look into how we can best help her cope. Diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder just 3 short weeks ago, we have been on a whirlwind of emotions. Once the initial shock of it all had disapated a bit, I could truly focus on the issues at hand…What is severe anxiety disorder in children? How do we best help Delise overcome her anxiety? What might her anxiety look like at different stages of her life? How did this happen? With all of these questions, I turned to the professionals and sought out answers.

By Mary Bockert, ago