Projects that benefit the whole family, done by parent(s) and child(ren) working together, give a child a sense of being useful in the family. Feeling that he can do valuable work may help him to focus more on the needs of the family than his own needs and wants. We've found that Nicholas tends to be very calm … Continue reading Children as Household Helpers
psychology
Quit faking it. They need the bed.
Back in 1997 I got kind of crazy for a while, and one day when I was on my way to work everything was so horrible and seemed so hopeless that I started crying on the bus, which is in itself an incredibly depressing experience: Nobody will look at you; they just pretend you don't … Continue reading Quit faking it. They need the bed.
Don’t take out the trash!
Here's an idea for reducing your garbage output: Don't take out the trash until the collection day. Store all of your trash inside your living space. Is it taking up too much room? That motivates you to throw away less stuff. Does it stink? That motivates you to think about better ways to dispose of … Continue reading Don’t take out the trash!
One Thing and Three Things
[adapted from a post to a discussion board when our son Nicholas was 19 months old] When I was a young adult, having trouble adjusting to working full-time on a fixed schedule with a commute instead of being in the more flexible environment of college, and also was having some other problems that led me to … Continue reading One Thing and Three Things
Earth Day
Earth Day is an opportunity to think about how you've treated the earth (and how the earth has treated you) in the past year, and to strive to improve that relationship. Earth Day is a great opportunity to commit yourself to positive change.
The Earthling's Handbook 