Getting at the Heart of Historic Sites with Children This has been something that I have been struggling with ever since my child was born. How do I go to historic sites and keep myself surrounded by history when I always have a child in tow? While I certainly expected much of what I have found in the historic property sphere, I also used to work at the aforementioned house in this video – so on some level, perhaps my perspective is a bit skewed by the expectation that more sites ought to have interactive […]
Forest School Gear
Choosing the right gear for forest school – especially when the school is one with no building – is really important. The gear has to withstand all of the elements and keep your child dry and at an appropriate temperature. And this goes for all the gear. Please note: I do not get a kick-back from any of the brands or websites mentioned here. The only exception is the book link – that is an affiliate link, but it also supports local bookshops. Brands There are several brands for children’s outdoor gear that make quality […]
Visiting Zoos with Your Little
It occurred to me after a recent conversation that not everyone is familiar with current standards for zoos and aquariums. A lot of todays zoos are committed to only caring for animals that need it. Many of the animals at the zoo are there because they don’t have another choice. This is a massive change from decades ago when animals were brought to captivity from the wild just because they were “cool”. When choosing a zoo or aquarium to go to, I tend to look up whether the institution is Association of Zoos and Aquariums […]
Forest School
We made the decision last spring to enroll our child in forest school. It has been a little bit of a learning curve, but it has been well worth it. Our kiddo has absolutely bloomed playing outdoors three days a week with children his own age. When we first started, he was only going two days a week, and we had kept up with his gym classes at the same time. But the benefits of forest school trumped the benefits of gym class by miles. Part of this is very much our child’s temperament. We […]
The Stroller Saga
I have been struggling hard with the stroller issue ever since the first one. There’s just not one stroller that can do everything! And worse, living in the city means that you need something compact. We were living in downtown Salem, Massachusetts when we chose our first stroller. It was a travel system – the Maxi-Cosi Zelia 5-in-1 Travel System. It was mostly okay for what we needed it for, but not amazing. To be fair, it is one of the cheapest well-rated systems on the market. It didn’t like off-roading or gravel. It hated […]
Giving Yourself Space at Mealtime
I’ve found recently that one of the most toxic phrases in my life is “You can just…” It has floated around for the past year with the follow ups: “… throw what you’re eating in a food processor and feed it to them.” “… find 15 minutes to yourself while they’re sleeping.” “… put them down.” “… listen to audiobooks while you’re taking them out in the stroller.” “… put him in the play-yard and take a shower.” I’ve been struggling to give myself space. Being a stay-at-home mom is significantly more difficult that I […]
New Year, Same Old Goals
Happy 2022! Or at least… Well, lets hope for turning over a new leaf. I can’t say that 2021 didn’t bring about some interesting changes to my life, or that those weren’t amazing changes. But change is a double-sided coin. My child was born at the beginning of the year, and as prepared for that as I felt, there were definitely moments. Childcare being too expensive and (as I continue to feel) dangerous for the unvaccinated, I found myself trying to pull off the Herculean task of working from home with a baby on my […]