I will confess that I’ve never read a gender specific parenting book. My older two are girls and my husband and I are dreading the pre-teen (now!) and teenage years. The warnings abound of what is to come from parents of older girls and this might drive me to pick up a book on parenting pre-teen or teenager girls. My little boy, on the other hand, is at the stage where he loves his mommy the most and is as sweet as can be. I wish this phase could last forever. Parenting a boy compared to girls seems relatively straightforward — a straight line of screen time limits and outdoor play versus the wiggly line for girls of pissy attitudes and struggles over what to wear. Or could this just be that my son is still little?!
Category: Parenting
My blog covers education and children’s books. When I cover parenting issues, it usually contains book recommendations. Parenting topics include academic subjects, summer learning, bullying, special needs, fitness and more.
5th Grade Book Club with Karen Day, author of No Cream Puffs
A Big THANK YOU to Karen Day for her visit! And just a shout out that SHE’S AN AMAZING SPEAKER. SHE IS OPEN TO VISITING SCHOOLS. Our elementary school brings authors into the classroom as part of our literacy program that is funded by the PTO. Here’s her contact info.
Book Club, Activity and Interview with Karen Day
My oldest choose No Cream Puffs by Karen Day for the first book club of the year. They are in 5th grade now and have been meeting for book club since 2nd grade. My daughter played soccer with the author’s daughter this past spring, but she had no idea that the mother is an author, though we (the moms) have all heard of Karen Day and knew of her books here in Newton, MA. What I didn’t know was that KAREN was a really great baseball player and the book is loosely based on her own childhood story! (see interview below)
How to Raise Boys Who Read from a dad of 6 boys!
Thank you to my work Dad Friend, who also has a blog called adverlicio.us, an online ad archive, for this great article from the Wall Street Journal on How to Raise Boys Who Read by Thomas Spence with a note that says “Hint: Not with Gross-Out Books and Video Game Bribes.” Spence is apparently disgusted by the pandering of publishers to reluctant boy readers with Gross-Out books and proposes a simple solution that worked for his 6 (that’s right, folks, SIX!!!!) boys: TURN OFF THE SCREENS! FILL THE HOUSE WITH GOOD BOOKS.
Invented Spelling Necessary for Learning to Read: Froshus Dobrmn Pensr
Invented spelling is the name for children’s misspellings before they know the rules adults use to spell, often before they know how to read. In some respects inventive spellers are learning to write as they learned to talk. Invented spelling is not so much an approach to writing as it is a way of removing obstacles in the path of a young writer. Children don’t automatically and spontaneously arrive at the correct spelling of a word simply because they read.
Just Playing by Anita Wadley (poem for parents of small children)
You might have received this poem on Play is a Child’s Work called “Just Playing” from your preschool as well, but it bears re-reading! And it just might help you discover clues to what your child might become when he or she is all grown up!
Family Reunion Vacations: Kennebunk, Maine
This was our 5th vacation in the Kennebunk/Kennebunkport, Maine area and we’ve always had a wonderful time. This year, however, the kids said it was the best vacation ever. What was on the agenda: a fishing trip aboard the Allyson, surfing lessons, The Children’s Museum in Portland, and, of course, our favorite tide pool spot.