Search Results for: blog practice not perfection

Should You Force Your Child to Practice?

Practice makes perfect—and when it comes to young children, it is often repetition and practice that makes it possible for a child to learn to read, write, kick a soccer ball and all sorts of other activities and skills. As parents, however, we may find ourselves in the midst of a teary, painful power struggle—trying to force a child to practice writing his alphabet or reading out loud, and wonder if forcing them to practice is really in the best interest of everyone involved? The truth is, we parents are often trying to get our children to do things that … Continue reading →

Practice, Not Perfection

We ARE moving forward, we are making progress, improvements, life changes, etc. We may not be exactly where we want to go yet, and some days it may seem pretty sloggy going, but overall we are making headway. I think it is important for us single parents to remember that while we might have a long-term goal or we might be working hard to get our lives back on track, it is about practice and baby steps–not immediate perfection. For me, it helps to think of it as “practice”–I am working on things; trying to make improvements; change my way … Continue reading →

Is It too Much to Demand Perfection?

I recently wrote about a school where everything up on the bulletin boards have errors. Nothing, including the teacher’s comments, were correctly written–yet the work was show cased. I know that one of the “thoughts” in current educational practice is to emphasize the process rather than the product. To be honest, I give plenty of assignments that emphasize process. I think it is important for young children to have the opportunity to explore. However, yesterday I was talking to a parent who was ‘disgusted’ with her child’s teacher. A lively conversation ensued about the rigors of private elementary school in … Continue reading →

Simple Summer Fun

Summer does not have to include trips to the beach or Disney to entertain the kids. Preschoolers are easy to please when it comes to fun. They still have the ability to use their imagination to make up for the imperfections of a backyard vacation. Simple Summer Fun Ideas: Backyard Picnic: Lunch can be made delightful with a picnic! Grab a blanket, paper plates and cups, and a simple fare of fruit, sandwiches, and veggies. Fruit kabobs are sure to get you a mom of the year award. Just get some skewers and add on melon, apple, peaches, bananas, and … Continue reading →

A Day of Thanksgiving Preparation

The day has finally come when all my research and recipe testing, as a pregnancy task/urge, will be put to use for some good “old fashioned” Thanksgiving pies! It is an epic journey of sorts, especially at thirty six weeks of pregnancy. I am a perfectionist by nature and pregnancy has only increased my need to do things in the best way possible. Pies have been a long time hobby of mine, although in the past few years I have not had much occasion to bake them. After acquiring a tub of lard (rendered from chemical free pig fat), my … Continue reading →

Teaching Handwriting without a Curriculum

On my blog’s Facebook page, I was asked to recommend a handwriting curriculum. I have received this question many times before and always cringe when asked. I cringe because I have nothing to recommend. Years of homeschool reviews and homeschooling under my belt and I still have not used a formal handwriting curriculum. Frankly, I never understood why one would use a curriculum based on handwriting. I teach handwriting the old fashioned way by sitting at a whiteboard and showing each stroke of each letter. My children would sit with lined paper and mimic my movements. I will not claim … Continue reading →

Christian Perspective: Is Yoga a Conflict?

Yoga is a controversial issue among Christians. Some say it is simply a form of exercise while others say it is a physical representation of worship to another god. As an exercise separated from the roots of its spiritual beginnings there should be nothing wrong with the poses. However, many say the separation of spirituality and exercise is not possible based on what yoga means. Since yoga is thought of as just another aerobics class many have laughed at the idea that yoga could somehow conflict with their spiritual beliefs. It would be like saying a treadmill conflicts with your … Continue reading →

Don’t Horse Around with Animal Shots

One of my young daughter’s favorite parts of summer vacation is attending the state fair. As a die hard animal lover, she lives to see prize-winning livestock up close and personal. Last year she went eye-to-eye with a 500-pound sow and knee-to-eye with a massive Clydesdale. I try to capture the magical moments with my digital camera, but am not always successful. This year, however, I am planning to incorporate a few tips I learned from a friend who used to shoot livestock photos for farm brochures. Here are just a few gems he passed on to me: Prepare the … Continue reading →

Details, Details

That’s how I think about details. Really, I don’t like them much. Now, I am a wonderful organizer, and I keep track of all of the details of life very well. However, give me an art project and I will have no problem finishing it with a few flaws worked into the mix. Those just tell me I’m human, right? No detail-oriented perfectionism here. Of course, there are times when detail orientation is rather useful. I want my surgeon to be detail-oriented. I would prefer that those who build bridges get the engineering details just right. I’ve just accepted that … Continue reading →

On Confidence

So much about being a parent of a new baby is about confidence. If it’s your first child, this confidence can take a while to develop. What is your parenting path? How do you best respond to the needs of your child? How do you negotiate the well-intentioned advice of everyone in sight? When I had my daughter, my only plan was to respond to her needs. In our family, this led to nursing on demand and bed sharing. It also led to gentle discipline methods – that is, when I am disciplined enough myself to follow through on my … Continue reading →