This week I’m writing + filming about a hallmark This week I’m writing + filming about a hallmark of the Charlotte Mason method: narration. Have you ever heard of it? What would you like to know? 

I’m focusing heavily on how we use narration in our homeschool, but if you have specific questions about it, I would love for you to 1. Take the poll in my stories, and 2. Ask any questions you may have about narration in the comments so that I can answer them in my video! ❤️
Happy Mother’s Day! I especially want to encoura Happy Mother’s Day! I especially want to encourage those who are intentionally making a better life for their children than what they may have experienced as kids. It is not easy to change the cycle, but it’s well worth the effort. 

In the words of Louisa May Alcott, “A woman's happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor is the art of ruling it not as a queen, but a wise wife and mother."
📚 We are moving right along with term three of 📚 We are moving right along with term three of our school year. Slow but steady, we will finish up mid June and I’ll begin prepping for next school year in July and August! 📚

Here’s some of my random old and new tips + what I’ve been doing to help keep organized with the CMEC. 

01. Keep a regular day for nature outings or field trips. We have two days a week where I intentionally plan a hike or museum visit, etc. One is usually at the middle of the week and the other is at the end. It offers great variety to our weeks.

02. Notebook! I have had the girls consistently notebook this year, and it’s been such a delight to go back and see my form 1b student’s progress! I have a video coming out about how we notebook and why you should try it very soon! 

03. To stay on track with our morning timetable I’ve been writing the time we end each lesson in my logbook. It’s really changed how productive I am in making sure we get everything on our timetable done for the day. (I have a video on my logbook if you’re interested in learning more about that!)

04. And 05. Popsicle sticks! Friends, if you’re already a CMEC family, use these to help you choose which activities you review! I have on these for old singing games, French songs, folk dances or Swedish drill routines. I’ll share more on what I have on ours, specifically, but it’s fun because the girls and I get to be surprised rather than me choosing what we review!

06. Art instruction. Originally I had us doing three art lessons per week in the afternoon, but it didn’t allow for enough free choice, so we’ve reduced it down to one formal lesson a week for six weeks, then we change the method. So right now we are in week two of our chalkdrawing lessons. After six weeks we will switch to brush drawing instruction for the remainder of the term! As Charlotte Mason recommends, we draw from memory, model, and from imagination. 🌞

I hope this was helpful to you! So many of you guys are using @the.cmec next year! I am SO excited to see all of you at the online form meetings this coming year! 👏🏻 #thecmec #thecmecform1 #charlottemason
Do you keep your spices in a cabinet, on a shelf o Do you keep your spices in a cabinet, on a shelf or in a drawer? This drawer is right next to my stove and it’s my favorite way to store my spices! I reuse these little jars and fill them every couple of weeks with my bulk @azurestandard spices. 🧂
Are you planting a garden this year? What are you Are you planting a garden this year? What are you growing? Containers and raised beds? Or in ground? What do you plan to grow? Veggies? Flowers? We are doing a little bit of everything. 😍

It’s my third year growing food. (And ironically, our third house 😅) We just got our @greenstalkgarden planter, several @smartpots, and six raised beds that are ready to be filled next weekend. Really looking forward to this gardening season! 🥕🥬🥦🌽🌶🫑🫐🍓🥔
“Let then once get in touch with nature and a ha “Let then once get in touch with nature and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life.” -Charlotte Mason 

My kiddo had a birthday this past weekend. We do one main gift and a couple of small gifts; typically they’re  things they can use outdoors. Bikes have been a popular birthday item around here! My eldest wanted an apple tree last year. ☺️ But this year we got N a mud kitchen! Some friends of ours had one they built, and it inspired us. My kiddos have been playing on the forest floor in the mud for years now, but it’s exciting for them to have a little space in our garden for mud play. 🌳 What are some fun outdoorsy gifts you’ve purchased for your kids?
📚 When should I teach my child to read? How sho 📚 When should I teach my child to read? How should I teach my child to read? What does Charlotte Mason say about reading lessons? How did she teach children how to read? What curriculum do you use to teach your child how to read? 📚
These are all questions I answered in my blog post and video, “teaching reading the Charlotte Mason way” 📚 you can also swipe over to see some of my favorite CM quotes on teaching reading! 📚

I also shared what I do with my 3-year-old (which is very minimal) if you have younger children. You can view the post at the link in my profile! Are you up children school-aged? What do you use to teach reading?
I needed to accomplish a lot today. There was more I needed to accomplish a lot today. There was more unpacking and organizing to be done, pictures to be framed, meal planning to do, laundry that needed folding, bike rides to be had, meals to be prepared, sourdough to be prepped and lesson planning + pre-reading to do. Oh and dishes. So many dishes. 😅

I do essentially all of the inside housework aside from taking out the trash + recycle, but for a season my husband helped out while N was small by doing dinner dishes and sometimes even preparing dinner so I could nurse her after we ate. But as of late, I’m trying something new where I don’t ask my husband to clean up after dinner and instead I do it myself. I don’t mind it, and since my girls are old enough to get their own pj’s on now, I’ve been doing dinner clean-up (as well as lunch and breakfast clean-up and prep!) before I head upstairs to tuck them in, read them a story and sit with them while they fall asleep. Call me old fashioned, but I’m happy to do it, and I delight in my husband being able to enjoy some time with the girls after dinner instead of clean up a mess after a long day of working.

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this post - I’ve felt pulled in so many directions today and it’s something I feel often, (and I’m sure so many of you can relate) but after five months without a home to care for and nurture I simply can’t feel frustrated or annoyed at my list of 10,000 things I need to do. Instead I pray my way through each task. I sip tea in between. I light a candle and wear my great-grandmother’s apron as I work. I read notes like the one my six-year-old left for me this morning and I weep tears of gratitude and joy. Happy Sunday, my friends. ❤️ 
.
(swipe to read her note 🥰 + a transcription in the comments!)
Remember that word we heard so often when we were Remember that word we heard so often when we were parenting infants? Attachment.  What comes to mind? Breastfeeding on demand. Co-sleeping. Babywearing. All of those things that come pretty natural to us when taking care of a baby. But did you know that attachment doesn’t just end when your child gets bigger? Attachment is actually necessary THROUGH adolescence. 😳

Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté is a brilliant book that stopped me in my tracks. The book addresses the severe lack of attachment to parents that is incidentally replaced by an attachment to peers. I wrote all about it on my blog, but if you swipe over you can see a few passages that I underlined, highlighted, and wrote down in my notebook. 

Peer culture is more prevalent than ever. Not only because our society now prefers it that way, but because of social media’s ability to unite our youth in an unprecedented way. What we need is a shift in how we pass down culture to our kids from a horizontal attachment (peer to peer) back to a vertical attachment (family to child). I’ve often felt this long before I read this book, but we prioritize our Children’s friendships and relationships with others before we prioritize their relationships with us. We don’t value the family unit the way we used to decades ago, and it’s to the detriment of our children. 

I will gift this book to every new parent I meet from now on because of the wisdom the authors share. I wish all parents would read it so we could be on the same page as a society and those of us who choose to hold on to our kids wouldn’t be going against the grain. So this is my plea to you. If anything I’ve said piqued your interest, or struck a chord, please read Hold On To Your Kids! ✨

(For those of you who have read it! Share your thoughts with us! Help me convince everyone to read it! 👏🏻)
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Babywearing • July 9, 2018

Babywearing Beginners Guide (START HERE)

Yay! Welcome to one of my favorite post I’ve ever written. You’re most likely here because you are interested in learning more about how to wear your baby! I wrote this for all of my new and expecting caregivers who have an interest in one of my favorite things about motherhood: babywearing!

Let me start with this statement. Babywearing changed my life. It made me a better mother.  It made Grace a happier child. It made me a better wife! Lastly, it’s soooo helpful to me as a mother of multiples! Keep reading for a wealth of information and all the things you need to know as a babywearing beginner!

BABYWEARING BEGINNERS GUIDE

TYPES OF BABY CARRIERS

Here are the types of carriers you can use for babywearing… I have used every single one of these! Most are multi-use, but many of them I use for different reasons, and some I stopped using altogether. So here is a list, and I go into detailed explanation about my preferences below!
 
  • woven wraps (these are long pieces of fabric) woven by hand or machine on a loom
  • stretchy wraps (I stopped using these when Gracie was around 2 months old, and probably will never use one again as I prefer woven wraps for newborns. I’ve never used one with Norah.)
  • ring slings
  • soft structured carriers (half-buckle, free to grow, obimama, etc. all fit into this category)
Fun fact: Did you know that Babywearing International has a local group in just about every major city? They host a library of carriers that you can go and try before spending money on your own! You can check out the carriers for a month, try out a new carry, and talk to a VBE (volunteer babywearing educator) about babywearing!
 

Woven Wraps:

These are pieces of fabric that are used to do different types of carries. The most popular carry is a FWCC (front wrap cross carry). There are A TON of carriers for woven wraps, so don’t get overwhelmed if this is where you start! Try and perfect ONE carry at a time!

Woven wraps are great if you are okay with learning how to use them. There is a learning curve, and it takes dedication to learn different carriers. But the nice thing is that they work for front and back carriers, and the same wrap will typically last from the newborn days all the way into toddlerhood!
 
Visit the posts I linked below titled “beginner’s guide to woven wraps” for more info about materials and where to get a ring sling of your own!

beginner’s guide to woven wraps

 

Posts and Videos:

how to do two different carries with a shorty wrap
 
How to do a Double Hammock carry with a woven wrap
 
Woven Wrap Sizing
 
Woven Wrap Carries
 
My Favorite Woven Wrap Brands
 
Want to learn more about woven wraps? Check out these posts:
 
Beginner’s Guide to Woven Wraps
 
How to Breastfeed in a Woven Wrap
 
 

Stretchy Wraps

Stetchy wraps are long pieces of thin, soft fabric that you can manipulate into carriers just like woven wraps. However, these are not like woven wraps… you can only do a few carriers with these types of wraps.
 
I’m not adding a ton about this section as I don’t use these. I’m not a huge fan. I know some people like them for newborns, but I am an avid babywearer and prefer to keep carriers that can be used for a long period of time in my collection. Solly or happy baby wraps are just not useful past around 3 months because of the type of material they are.
 

Ring Slings

A ring sling is a shorter piece of fabric (usually around 2 meters) that has rings sewn to one end of it to create a “shoulder”. This is then wrapped around your body and threaded the rings.

Slings are great for newborns, and pretty awesome for medium sized babies. I wore Gracie in a sling until she was around two years old, and then she just felt to heavy. 

They are a great happy medium, however, if you don’t want to dive into the complicated world of woven wraps, but want more than just a soft structured carrier to wear your baby in.

Visit the posts I linked below titled “beginner’s guide to ring slings” for more info about what material they’re usually made out of, how to use one, and where to get a ring sling of your own!

Posts and Videos:

How to wear your newborn in a ring sling

how to wrap your pregnant belly with a ring sling for extra support

 
Want to learn more about ring slings? Check out the posts below:
 
Beginner’s Guide to Ring Slings
 
How to Wear Your Newborn in a Ring Sling

Soft Structured Carriers (SSC’s):

SSC’s (soft structured carriers) are pieces of fabric sewn into a structured carrier with buckles on them, typically. There are several different types, and several different sizes. They can be used for inward facing front carries, regular front carries, and inward facing back carries.
 
SSC’s are great for front carries from birth if you have the right carrier (I love my Baby Tula Free to Grow carrier), and can be used typically from around 7 pounds to 45 pounds. There are several different types of Tula baby carriers though, so if you want to learn more
 
SSC’s are awesome for toddlers too because they make big sizes that fit comfortable for both the wearee and wearer.

Visit the posts I linked below titled “beginner’s guide to soft structured carriers” for more info on the types of carriers (half buckle, free to grow, onbuhimo), to learn what my favorite SSC brands are, and more!

 

Posts and Videos:

Sakura Bloom Scout + Onbuhimo Comparison

How to use your Tula Free to Grow carrier

Tula Free to Grow review, unboxing & first thoughts

Which size Tula is right for my family?

What’s in my baby carrier stash?

How to adjust your Tula Free to Grow from factory settings

Baby Tula ‘Explore’ (forward facing carrier) review

 
Want to learn more about SSC’s? Check out the posts below:
 
Beginner’s Guide to Soft Structured Carriers
 
Sakura Bloom Scout + Onbuhimo Comparison
 
How to Buy a Baby Carrier
 

Accessories | Suck Pads and Reach Straps:

‘Suck pads’ are a type of accessory for any SSC. They protect the sides of the carrier from being damaged from a slobbery/teething babe. Gracie looooves chewing on the sides of her carriers!
 
‘Reach straps’ are there to help you reach the hood and snap it on when baby is sleeping. Tula SSC’s didn’t used to come with reach straps, but they do now! Many wearers used to get fancy bows or cute hearts and feathers. One of my favorite accessory shops is Just Wee Three.
 

 

Shop baby carriers:

 
 
 
 
 

FAQ’S

What are your favorite baby carrier brands?

Baby Tula is my favorite. (SSC’s, ring slings, lots of adorable matching accessories)

Wildbird Slings (ring slings)

Sakura Bloom (slings, Scout)

Pretty much any handwoven wrap

WANT TO KNOW WHERE TO GET A CARRIER? Click here!

 

What are the best carriers for hot weather?

The mesh soft structured carriers are great for hot weather! I have a Tula coast carrier that I love! It has a mesh panel in the middle to keep both baby and the wearer cool in hot weather.
 
If you are looking for a hot weather sling or wrap, try out a linen or chambray material. I’ve never used silk in hot weather, but I’ve heard it’s also very breathable!
 

What is the best carrier for a beginner?

I started wearing Gracie with a stretchy wrap when she was four months old. I DO NOT recommend that for beginners, haha. The easiest carrier to use is the Tula Free to Grow. It’s super simple, and there are lots of videos on how to use them with your baby. They have a mesh option too, which I talked more about above.

What’s the best carrier for a newborn?

I really love the Tula Free to Grow for beginners who want to wear their newborn. It’s foolproof and extremely easy to use. It also serves as a carrier as your baby grows (the weight range is 7-45 pounds) so it’s definitely the one I’m constantly recommending.

As I’m sure you’ve seen, I wear Norah in woven wraps and ring slings as well. I’ve been using those with her since the day we brought her home. I love these things for a newborn, but I’m an experienced babywearer. My advice to you is to try out the SSC, then a sling, then a woven wrap!

 
I think that’s it! For this post anyway. I could go on ALL day! Thank you SO much for reading!
 

More Babywearing Content:

HOW TO PUT YOUR NEWBORN IN A TULA FREE TO GROW

HOW TO WEAR YOUR NEWBORN IN A RING SLING

BABYWEARING 101: FOR BEGINNERS

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO USING A RING SLING

HOW TO DO A DOUBLE-HAMMOCK BACK CARRY VIDEO (WITH A BASE SIZE WOVEN WRAP)

WHAT’S IN MY BABY CARRIER STASH – 2016 EDITION (WITH VIDEO)

TULA BABY CARRIERS FREE TO GROW UNBOXING

HOW TO BREASTFEED A TODDLER IN A SOFT STRUCTURED CARRIER (TULA)

EIGHTEEN THINGS BABYWEARING HELPED ME DO IN 2016

 
Be sure to leave your questions below so I can answer them in my next babywearing post!
 

Filed Under: Babywearing Tagged With: babywearing, babywearing 101, babywearing basics, wrapping

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Babywearing | Beginner’s Guide To Ring Slings
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Comments

  1. Shea Calleri says

    June 28, 2016 at 1:07 am

    I don't know if it's your mama glow, but you are looking so beautiful!!! Motherhood looks great on you!

    Reply
  2. Natali says

    June 28, 2016 at 5:50 am

    Omg, how adorable!!! Such a cute and natural way to stay connected with the little one and make carrying more comfortable for both of you. 🙂

    http://www.lartoffashion.com/2016/06/27/10factsaboutme/

    Reply
  3. Laura Mitbrodt says

    June 28, 2016 at 7:51 am

    These wraps are so cute, I love all of the fun prints
    xo
    http://www.laurajaneatelier.com

    Reply
  4. ravenlocks says

    June 28, 2016 at 8:12 pm

    I'm definitely going to have to show this post to my sister in law 🙂 She would love to see this!

    Great post and thank you for sharing.

    xo Azu

    http://www.raven-locsk.blogspot.com

    Reply
  5. Shannon Boyce says

    June 29, 2016 at 1:58 am

    Oh my gosh, this is so sweet! Those wraps are amazing.
    the-creationofbeauty.blogspot.com

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Babywearing | Beginners Guide To Using A Ring Sling - Living in Color says:
    February 16, 2017 at 8:28 pm

    […] and soft structured carrier. They each have different functions and you can read more about that in this post here. But we’ll stick to ring slings since that’s the focus of this post! How old does […]

    Reply
  2. Ten Items You REALLY Need On Your Baby Registry - Living in Color says:
    March 9, 2017 at 6:33 am

    […] can benefit from it! If you are interested in more info on babywearing, see my posts below! BABYWEARING FOR BEGINNERS | LEARNING THE ROPES EIGHTEEN THINGS BABYWEARING HELPED ME DO THIS PAST YEAR DADS WHO WEAR […]

    Reply
  3. Babywearing | How to do a Double Hammock Carry (DH) - Living in Color says:
    March 28, 2017 at 6:52 pm

    […] on your own. HOW-TO VIDEO: HAPPY BABYWEARING!   CHECK OUT THESE OTHER BABYWEARING POSTS: BABYWEARING FOR BEGINNERS | LEARNING THE ROPES EIGHTEEN THINGS BABYWEARING HELPED ME DO THIS PAST YEAR DADS WHO WEAR BABIES ORANGE GROVES WITH […]

    Reply
  4. Babywearing | What's in my Baby Carrier Stash (Video) - Living in Color says:
    May 3, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    […] BABYWEARING FOR BEGINNERS | LEARNING THE ROPES […]

    Reply
  5. Beginners Guide to Using a Ring Sling - Baby Tula Blog says:
    August 1, 2017 at 2:10 am

    […] and soft structured carrier. They each have different functions and you can read more about that in this post here. How old does baby have to be to be worn in a ring sling? Each sling has it’s own weight limit […]

    Reply

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I'm Larissa. A mama to daughters and wife to my college sweetheart. I am passionate about sustainable fashion, whole foods recipes, and Charlotte Mason home education. I also love being outdoors with my family. You can usually find me sporting a wide-brimmed hat, with a baby on my back.

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This week I’m writing + filming about a hallmark This week I’m writing + filming about a hallmark of the Charlotte Mason method: narration. Have you ever heard of it? What would you like to know? 

I’m focusing heavily on how we use narration in our homeschool, but if you have specific questions about it, I would love for you to 1. Take the poll in my stories, and 2. Ask any questions you may have about narration in the comments so that I can answer them in my video! ❤️
Happy Mother’s Day! I especially want to encoura Happy Mother’s Day! I especially want to encourage those who are intentionally making a better life for their children than what they may have experienced as kids. It is not easy to change the cycle, but it’s well worth the effort. 

In the words of Louisa May Alcott, “A woman's happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor is the art of ruling it not as a queen, but a wise wife and mother."
📚 We are moving right along with term three of 📚 We are moving right along with term three of our school year. Slow but steady, we will finish up mid June and I’ll begin prepping for next school year in July and August! 📚

Here’s some of my random old and new tips + what I’ve been doing to help keep organized with the CMEC. 

01. Keep a regular day for nature outings or field trips. We have two days a week where I intentionally plan a hike or museum visit, etc. One is usually at the middle of the week and the other is at the end. It offers great variety to our weeks.

02. Notebook! I have had the girls consistently notebook this year, and it’s been such a delight to go back and see my form 1b student’s progress! I have a video coming out about how we notebook and why you should try it very soon! 

03. To stay on track with our morning timetable I’ve been writing the time we end each lesson in my logbook. It’s really changed how productive I am in making sure we get everything on our timetable done for the day. (I have a video on my logbook if you’re interested in learning more about that!)

04. And 05. Popsicle sticks! Friends, if you’re already a CMEC family, use these to help you choose which activities you review! I have on these for old singing games, French songs, folk dances or Swedish drill routines. I’ll share more on what I have on ours, specifically, but it’s fun because the girls and I get to be surprised rather than me choosing what we review!

06. Art instruction. Originally I had us doing three art lessons per week in the afternoon, but it didn’t allow for enough free choice, so we’ve reduced it down to one formal lesson a week for six weeks, then we change the method. So right now we are in week two of our chalkdrawing lessons. After six weeks we will switch to brush drawing instruction for the remainder of the term! As Charlotte Mason recommends, we draw from memory, model, and from imagination. 🌞

I hope this was helpful to you! So many of you guys are using @the.cmec next year! I am SO excited to see all of you at the online form meetings this coming year! 👏🏻 #thecmec #thecmecform1 #charlottemason
Do you keep your spices in a cabinet, on a shelf o Do you keep your spices in a cabinet, on a shelf or in a drawer? This drawer is right next to my stove and it’s my favorite way to store my spices! I reuse these little jars and fill them every couple of weeks with my bulk @azurestandard spices. 🧂
Are you planting a garden this year? What are you Are you planting a garden this year? What are you growing? Containers and raised beds? Or in ground? What do you plan to grow? Veggies? Flowers? We are doing a little bit of everything. 😍

It’s my third year growing food. (And ironically, our third house 😅) We just got our @greenstalkgarden planter, several @smartpots, and six raised beds that are ready to be filled next weekend. Really looking forward to this gardening season! 🥕🥬🥦🌽🌶🫑🫐🍓🥔
“Let then once get in touch with nature and a ha “Let then once get in touch with nature and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life.” -Charlotte Mason 

My kiddo had a birthday this past weekend. We do one main gift and a couple of small gifts; typically they’re  things they can use outdoors. Bikes have been a popular birthday item around here! My eldest wanted an apple tree last year. ☺️ But this year we got N a mud kitchen! Some friends of ours had one they built, and it inspired us. My kiddos have been playing on the forest floor in the mud for years now, but it’s exciting for them to have a little space in our garden for mud play. 🌳 What are some fun outdoorsy gifts you’ve purchased for your kids?
📚 When should I teach my child to read? How sho 📚 When should I teach my child to read? How should I teach my child to read? What does Charlotte Mason say about reading lessons? How did she teach children how to read? What curriculum do you use to teach your child how to read? 📚
These are all questions I answered in my blog post and video, “teaching reading the Charlotte Mason way” 📚 you can also swipe over to see some of my favorite CM quotes on teaching reading! 📚

I also shared what I do with my 3-year-old (which is very minimal) if you have younger children. You can view the post at the link in my profile! Are you up children school-aged? What do you use to teach reading?
I needed to accomplish a lot today. There was more I needed to accomplish a lot today. There was more unpacking and organizing to be done, pictures to be framed, meal planning to do, laundry that needed folding, bike rides to be had, meals to be prepared, sourdough to be prepped and lesson planning + pre-reading to do. Oh and dishes. So many dishes. 😅

I do essentially all of the inside housework aside from taking out the trash + recycle, but for a season my husband helped out while N was small by doing dinner dishes and sometimes even preparing dinner so I could nurse her after we ate. But as of late, I’m trying something new where I don’t ask my husband to clean up after dinner and instead I do it myself. I don’t mind it, and since my girls are old enough to get their own pj’s on now, I’ve been doing dinner clean-up (as well as lunch and breakfast clean-up and prep!) before I head upstairs to tuck them in, read them a story and sit with them while they fall asleep. Call me old fashioned, but I’m happy to do it, and I delight in my husband being able to enjoy some time with the girls after dinner instead of clean up a mess after a long day of working.

I’m not really sure where I’m going with this post - I’ve felt pulled in so many directions today and it’s something I feel often, (and I’m sure so many of you can relate) but after five months without a home to care for and nurture I simply can’t feel frustrated or annoyed at my list of 10,000 things I need to do. Instead I pray my way through each task. I sip tea in between. I light a candle and wear my great-grandmother’s apron as I work. I read notes like the one my six-year-old left for me this morning and I weep tears of gratitude and joy. Happy Sunday, my friends. ❤️ 
.
(swipe to read her note 🥰 + a transcription in the comments!)
Remember that word we heard so often when we were Remember that word we heard so often when we were parenting infants? Attachment.  What comes to mind? Breastfeeding on demand. Co-sleeping. Babywearing. All of those things that come pretty natural to us when taking care of a baby. But did you know that attachment doesn’t just end when your child gets bigger? Attachment is actually necessary THROUGH adolescence. 😳

Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté is a brilliant book that stopped me in my tracks. The book addresses the severe lack of attachment to parents that is incidentally replaced by an attachment to peers. I wrote all about it on my blog, but if you swipe over you can see a few passages that I underlined, highlighted, and wrote down in my notebook. 

Peer culture is more prevalent than ever. Not only because our society now prefers it that way, but because of social media’s ability to unite our youth in an unprecedented way. What we need is a shift in how we pass down culture to our kids from a horizontal attachment (peer to peer) back to a vertical attachment (family to child). I’ve often felt this long before I read this book, but we prioritize our Children’s friendships and relationships with others before we prioritize their relationships with us. We don’t value the family unit the way we used to decades ago, and it’s to the detriment of our children. 

I will gift this book to every new parent I meet from now on because of the wisdom the authors share. I wish all parents would read it so we could be on the same page as a society and those of us who choose to hold on to our kids wouldn’t be going against the grain. So this is my plea to you. If anything I’ve said piqued your interest, or struck a chord, please read Hold On To Your Kids! ✨

(For those of you who have read it! Share your thoughts with us! Help me convince everyone to read it! 👏🏻)
I promised I would share how I teach foreign langu I promised I would share how I teach foreign language the Mason way✨

When my oldest (now 6) was younger we loved and used @theculturedkid but since beginning formal lessons we’ve switched to this wonderful book by @cherrydalepress. 

Mason recommends that students learn 5-6 new French words a day and that they use them frequently. She writes in Home Education, “…children should learn French orally, by listening to and repeating French words and phrases; that they should begin so early that the difference of the accent does not strike them, but they repeat the French word all the same as if it were English, and use it freely…” (p. 80) she then writes about how important it is to employ the use of French vocabulary words during time out-of-doors. My kids and I have taken this to heart, because it isn’t uncommon for us all to be walking along the hiking trail, singing our French folk songs together. It’s something I’ll remember that we do together for many years. 

The Cherrydale Press program allows the child to learn common phrases, orally, a bit at a time. Along the way, they learn common verbs and vocabulary. 

Each “series” lasts about 2 weeks.
So here is the process we go through in that time:

01. We practice and memorize the English phrases. 
Here’s an example: 
I take the book.
I open the book.
I close the book.
So we say the phrases as we ACT THEM OUT, which is crucial to this method of learning French and retaining it! It’s helped me tremendously as a non-native speaker.

02. We then learn the French verbs from those phrases in French: je prends, j’ouvre, and je ferme. We memorize how to say them and act them out!

03. We learn the whole thing in French as we act it out. 
Je prends le livre.
j’ouvre le livre.
je ferme le livre.

After my daughter can say/act them without error, on her own, we move on to the next series!

Thanks to The Living Page, I keep a French notebook where I record the phrases or words we learn! (That’s what I shared in my stories the other day!)

In addition to this program, we have two French folk songs, one French vocabulary song per term (we sing daily) and a story we listen to in French, thanks to @the.cmec and their support!

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