Posts by Fillyjonk

Just wanted to say, two kids is different to one. Its very normal IMO for a second child to basically experience benign neglect, in contrast to the slightly frenetic schedules oldest kids can be treated to.    I also hear...

Yes that was a really good thread Miranda, I remember it!   I haven't got much to add especially as mine are younger, my oldest is only 9. However I think I get you on the wanting them to have covered the basics so as to be...

Can you take him to a library and see what he likes? Reading can be such an individual thing   A lot of longer books bear in mind are not harder, just have more words, iyswim. So I'd say something like Farmer Boy/the Little...

yeah it is like that for a bit emaye. Now I have three kid who can cook I forget that.   I've always expected my kids to be part of cleaning up. I think that's meant that they are not too messy. But we have big...

"And yet, I do want the music, the festivals, the handwork, the wholefoods, the connection to nature etc etc etc. And for now I have found a solution that is mostly working. Only I feel very lonely as I just am not religious or...

Re the art, love the art show idea. I have girls who go through stages of prolific artistry  and a big thing we've done is to make quality art materials available easily to them, as well as a bigish table in their shared bedroom...

Spelling specifically. I was a bad speller my whole childhood and I had read whole libraries by the time I was ten :-). What it actually took to get my spelling quite good was a. learning latin and b. doing lots of creative writing. I...

"Just wanted to say that I agree completely that toys everywhere aren't a huge deal. It was more that they're everywhere, mixed in with cat litter and probably mouse droppings because they have never been picked up to clean the floors...

I have to say eating together as a family is really important to me so I'd never get rid of a dining table.   Would there be any possibility of a table that folded back against the wall? I've seen small ones at IKEA, but I...

I think I'd find it politically too charged to show to my kids. I agree with some of what they say but I don't want my kids exposed to any insiduous pro-life anti-euthanasia stuff til they are a bit older and more rational. I'd prefer...