Search Results for: blog creating child friendly homes

Interviews with Homeschoolers: Karen Loutzenhiser, Part Two

Karen Loutzenhizer, a homeschool mom from Utah, was kind enough to join me earlier to share some of her experiences. Here is the rest of our conversation. Karen, what are some of your other philosophies in regards to education? I really believe that we underestimate kids. Instead of just focusing on the pet topics so commonly taught to children, I attempt to open up all kinds of topics and present them in a kid-friendly, understandable format to my kids (all age 9 and under). We study chemistry and the periodic table, the Hittite people, and Monet–not just recycling and ancient … Continue reading →

Are We a Kid-Friendly Society or Not?

We talk a lot about the importance of children as a society—we talk about education and “family values”—but how many times have you been barked at in public because your child was tantruming or had someone give you a dirty look as you moved too slowly in the bank line because you were corralling a your children? Are we hypocrites or sending different messages as a society in regard to how we feel as a collective about children? After all, we are the society who used to have “children should be seen and not heard;” we are also the society … Continue reading →

Creating Child-friendly Homes

Posted on by

Do you think about your kids when you are considering purchasing a home or when remodeling? You should, they are part of your family also and in doing so you send the message to your kids that you are glad they are living with you. At least that’s what ParentLife thinks. In their September 2005 issue, they offered the top 10 tips for a child-friendly home, they are: (1) If you are thinking of remodeling, ask your child for his opinion about décor. (2) Make sure each child has his own space. Even if sharing a room with a sibling, … Continue reading →

Activities for LDS Kids by Shauna Mooney Kawasaki

Looking for a great series of activity books for your LDS homeschool? Shauna Mooney Kawasaki, in partnership with Leatherwood Press, has released a great series called “Activities for LDS Kids.” Let’s take a look at them. The first book is called, “Dot-to-Dot 1-30.” Your child can learn to count while connecting the dots to create fun pictures he can then color. This book has nondenominational pictures, so it doesn’t matter if you’re LDS or not – you will still find the pictures applicable. Next is “Dot-to-Dot 1-50.” Is your child ready to tackle the harder numbers? This is the book … Continue reading →

CASA

What is CASA? CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Far too many children each year are removed from their homes through no fault of their own. I can’t even begin to imagine the terror a child must feel when a stranger shows up to take him to stay with other strangers. Then there’s a never ending parade of more strangers. Those strangers can consist of police, caseworkers, judges, doctors, therapists, attorneys, teachers, social workers, foster homes, and more. It’s enough to make my head spin. CASA was developed to be a calm in the storm. CASA is made up … Continue reading →

Analyzing a New Neighborhood

For qualified buyers, now is a great time to purchase a home. There are many homes available on the market, and the prices are good. There are still plenty of reputable mortgage companies that are offering mortgages for qualified buyers. Will all of the choices to make before buying a home, one of the most important ones is exactly where you will live. You want to make sure that once you move in to your new home, you will like the neighborhood. One of the best ways to be sure that you will fit in to your new neighborhood is … Continue reading →

Pumpkin Carving Templates

Now that Halloween is this week, I may break down and let the kids carve their pumpkins. We have three small pumpkins for the kids to decorate individually, as well as one larger one for the family to do together. The kids have been begging us to turn them into jack-o-lanterns. For the smaller ones, we have a bucket of plastic pieces that can be pushed into the pumpkins to make creatures. This is a take on the Mr. Potato Head toy. But they still would like to actually carve. Since neither my husband nor myself are very artistically talented … Continue reading →

Parents Who Don’t Give Out Candy on Halloween

I’m not referring to curmudgeonly Mr. Wilson who thinks Halloween is just another way to get scammed by neighborhood rugrats. Nor am I referring to parents who are opposed to the holiday all together and prefer to celebrate All Saints Day with their children instead. I am referring to parents such as my neighbor whose son is diabetic. Each year she hangs an “Ask Me For Non-Sugar Treats” poster on her front door (you can download a poster at the Institute for Applied Biomedicine’s website) and offers a slew of alternative treats to kids who prefer something other than traditional … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review: March 31st Through April 6th

Have you been stocking up on ham and bacon this week? And what about the other great food bargains? If you don’t know what I am talking about, check out last week’s frugal articles. March 31st Goodwill Offers and Finds Do you shop at the Goodwill? Here are some of the finds that were available Saturday at my local Goodwill. Planning Your Frugal Summer Travel I know that we just reached spring, but summer won’t be far behind. And now is a perfect time to start planning your summer vacation. With the economy the way it is, many people will … Continue reading →

Celebrity Owned Hotels

I write a lot about actors, actresses, and musicians in the POP CULTURE blog and one of the trends I have been recently taking note of is the huge number of celebrities who are dabbling in other ventures, including real estate. And I’m not just talking about multiple homes, but many A-list Hollywood stars are adding hotels to their real estate portfolios. For instance did you know the B-52’s Kate Pierson owns the Lazy Meadow Motel in New York’s Catskills? And Clint Eastwood is the proud owner of Mission Ranch in Carmel, California? In fact, the award-winning actor enlisted a … Continue reading →