In the spirit of having a low-key December (I know that's not really a thing), I set modest goals before we packed up to go to my mom's last week. 1. Finish all the laundry--that's essential, because coming home to a stinky pile of clothes is not relaxing. 2. Pack--the kids packed their own clothes … Continue reading How to have a happy December
Do Reading Logs Make Reading Horrible? Here’s a Handy Short-cut!
I don’t know about your school, but my kids’ school is pretty cool. If my kid wants to take his shoes off and run around in his socks, he can. If my daughter needs to chew gum because it keeps her from chewing her hair, no problem. I walk into the lobby, and I’m surrounded … Continue reading Do Reading Logs Make Reading Horrible? Here’s a Handy Short-cut!
The REAL way to be a bad parent
There’s a list out there of “Ten Ways to be the Worst Mother in the World” (I can’t find it, but trust me, it’s out there) but it’s a total lie, because I read it to my kids, and they said, “You do all those things and they make you a great mother.” They’re not … Continue reading The REAL way to be a bad parent
The Latest Fight Against the Machines
No, this has nothing to do with Terminator Genisys. But yes, it is a rehash of a familiar plot—not sending robots back in time, but my perpetual battle against my children and their “device time.” Why do I have to be the bad guy? Yeah, I’ve got something in common with Arnold, and I’m proud … Continue reading The Latest Fight Against the Machines
Timber Howligan First Month Update: Success!
Self-publishing is a business, so here’s the accounting: I promised to donate any proceeds to charity, the animal rescue organization Alley Cat Allies. Here’s what Timber earned in his first month out in the world: $4.07 from CreateSpace (11 copies) $11.87 from Draft2Digital (5 copies) $85.70 from paperbacks I sold directly (28 copies, including 12 … Continue reading Timber Howligan First Month Update: Success!
Summer reading fun, device-free
We work hard around here to protect our reading time. It isn't easy--those long summer days are great for swimming, bouncing on the trampoline, and once school ends, there's the biggest temptation of all: Device time. When my son turned eight, he earned himself the right to an iPad mini by being a voracious reader … Continue reading Summer reading fun, device-free
The Common Core— Is it a plot by evil bureaucrats to make our kids stupid?
Yesterday I asked the director of my children’s elementary school this question. He surprised me by not laughing or scoffing as I expected. “No,” he said simply, quite seriously. “But there are people who don’t like it.” That’s why I like him. He has a gift for understatement. I stumbled into the quagmire that is … Continue reading The Common Core— Is it a plot by evil bureaucrats to make our kids stupid?
Blame the screen?
We are a family of readers, so when my seven-year old daughter announced, “I just don’t like to read, Mama,” I didn’t know what to do. She’s in a year-round school, so for weeks I’d been struggling to get her interested in her obligatory “thirty minutes” of reading before bedtime. She was fine if I … Continue reading Blame the screen?
What to do when your kid doesn’t love reading like you do
We are a family of readers. Though a house fire cleared our library shelves ten years ago, we’ve done an admirable job of restocking, especially with children’s books. We read at the table. In the bath. In the car. And especially, before bedtime. My eight-year old—an avid reader since the age of 4, when he … Continue reading What to do when your kid doesn’t love reading like you do
On Encouragement
Fine Feathers is a blog about “An aspiring writer’s journey.” This writer’s journey began with an unexpected illness—chronic migraines—and the loss of a medical career. It has included a mostly silent battle with daily headaches, which has engendered great sympathy for the plight of other patients dealing with the frustrations of medical care. It has … Continue reading On Encouragement
