• Last updated 2/9/13 by SavvyHomeschool

By Savvy Homeschool Moms             In this episode the moms chat about vacation, science with paper airplanes and what to do when a homeschool curriculum doesn't work for you.             Some links in this episode: Journey North Mystery Class   Pento for the iPad   Homeschool Classifieds     To see the full show notes, including a LOT MORE links to all the resources mentioned, please visit our website: The Savvy Homeschool Moms, episode 25. To subscribe to or download our show, check us out on iTunes, or our... read more

• Last updated 1/8/11 by Mothering Editorial

By Brittany ShahmehriIssue 109, November/December 2001 Recently, my husband's laptop needed repair, and he called technical support to arrange for service. When he explained the problem, the phone representative at the multinational computer company said, "I'm going to recommend level-two support, but the technician will have to call you tomorrow to schedule an appointment. Today he's home with his sick kid." When we still lived in the US, my husband might have wondered what a sick child had to do with his laptop. But last year we moved to Sweden, where parents not... read more

• Last updated 6/27/11 by Cynthia Mosher

Here is a list of great (FREE!) websites that are devotes to school readiness topics.  Information on how to prepare you child to start school, free printable worksheets, free readiness tests to see if your child is ready to start school, activity suggestions for things to do with your school-aged child at home, etc.  I hope you find it helpful!   Free printable kindergarten worksheets, full-color and easy to print.  Worksheets in these different areas: fine motor skill development, auditory processing skill development, phonemic awareness skill development,... read more

• Last updated 11/28/12 by Melanie Mayo

Is anatomy destiny? Former Mothering features editor Candace Walsh was raised in a family where medicalized birth was the default. She thought, when she got pregnant with her daughter in 2000, that the only next step was to start seeing an obstetrician. But the hurried, brusque doctor didn't make her feel safe or cared for at all. Her maternal instincts were screaming, "Run away!" That led her on the path to seek out a midwife, Sylvie Blaustein (later featured in The Business of Being Born.)    When she and her then-husband moved to Santa Fe in 2002, it was only... read more

• Last updated 4/3/13 by Cynthia Mosher

There are several factors to consider in deciding when your child is ready to begin school. 1) Evaluate Maturity As a former preschool and kindergarten teacher, I believe that one of the most important aspects of a child’s readiness is his social and emotional development.   2) Assess Basic School Skills A child should be gaining confidence in several of the following categories before you consider enrolling him in a preschool or kindergarten program:   Gross Motor skills. Controlling the large muscles such as arms and legs with... read more

• Last updated 10/17/11 by Mothering Editorial

Growing Down: My Three-year-old Teaches Me About Enlightenment By Maggie SheaWeb Exclusive, June 26, 2006 Nestled in the cave of her bottom bunk, dressed in a purple nightgown, a miniature philosopher attempts to enlighten her mother. At three, she has the cosmos on her mind. Her insights come mainly at night, after I've read her two or three stories. "Can you snuggle up with me?" she says as she curls into me. Her saucer-shaped blue eyes light up with joy then turn serious with fear, her perky mouth following suit, as she tells tales, tries out new theories and gives... read more

• Last updated 6/20/10 by Mothering Editorial

Dear Naomi, my 4 year old son has become very anxious over the past weeks for everything to remain in a certain order he sets up . He get's very upset if reality does not comply with his wishes. He tries to control me, other kids, our dogs, and gets angry and hits/yells/curses/bites me if I do not act as he wishes. We've been following Attachment Parenting and are unschooling, being as respectful as we can of his needs. We don't want to medically label him, but how can we find out what the real cause for his behavior is? Could it be hormonal, neurological? Validation is... read more

• Last updated 6/26/12 by Mothering Editorial

By C. A. SchmidtIssue 143 - July/August 2007 "Mom," said Gabriel, wielding a plastic sword, "can I have a crown?" My son is four years old and fancies himself a knight. It was a Monday in late spring, a rare weekday morning at home together. Squelching my first instinct, which had been to nip over to Party City for something cheap and plastic, I offered to make the crown myself. Gabriel looked at me dubiously. Even he knows that crafts are not my forte. But I'm a single mom who's developed a few tricks. I can manage stuck gates and stopped-up toilets—why not a... read more

• Last updated 1/14/13 by Marcy Axness

If I've been a bit incommunicado lately it's because I've been busy reaping delicious fruits of parenting for peace: enjoying some of the delights of parenting adult children! Between visiting New York to catch my son in a fabulous show at the 92nd St. Y and spending time with my daughter as she is about to begin her last college semester before embarking on The World, it's been a couple weeks of juicy mothering life and no blogging life.   It's been a time to deeply savor the lived reality of what I wrote about somewhat wistfully in the conclusion of my book... read more

• Last updated 10/19/12 by Melanie Mayo

Guest post by David Sewell McCann Sparkle Stories is offering a free story JUST for Mothering readers!  Visit their page here to listen to one of their favorite tales for free. When Albert Einstein gives advice about intelligence, we take it seriously. “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” We read his words, and all nod our heads in agreement because, well – he’s Albert Einstein – and because it simply rings true. We have witnessed our... read more