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Posts tagged unschooling

All Year Round Blog Carnival: Summer

Jun15th
2013
Leave a Comment Written by Darcel

SummerBlogCarnival

I am excited to share with you the Summer Edition of the All Year Round Blog Carnival. You’re ready for summer right? Me too!

Your Carnival Co-hosts: Carnival co-hosts:
sunnydaytodaymama, Mama Smiles, The Mahogany Way,Smiling like Sunshine, All Things Beautiful, Like Mama~Like Daughter, Little Homeschool Blessings, Simple Whimsy, janne’s jabberwocky, Made By Joey, Pinkoddy,Coombe Mill, Bury Family Life
sunnydaytodaymama

Link up your old or new summer themed blog posts (maximum 5 links a day per blog) and make sure to link to the URL of your post rather than the blog home page. Feel free to add links of your family activities, crafts, books, recipes, and more throughout the Summer Carnival and the summer theme is very flexible!
You’re welcome to grab a button and find out more about the All Year Round Blog carnival. Share this post, and let your friends know about the carnival, also follow All Year Round on Pinterest and find us on Twitter at#AllYearRoundSummer.

Enjoy your summer!

 

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childhood, daily life    all year round blog carnival, childhood, exploring, family, pinterest summer activities, pinterest summer projects, summer activities, summer family fun

I Like The Mother I Am Now MORE Than The Mother I Intended To Be

Jun11th
2013
18 Comments Written by Darcel

Welcome to the June 2013 Carnival of Natural Parenting:
Parenting in Theory vs. in Reality

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants are sharing how their ideas and methods of parenting have changed.

***

Before I had children I just knew I was going to be one of those moms that could give the look to her kids and they would immediately fall in line. I have given the look, but instead of falling in line they looked like their spirit was broken. The look on their faces was hurting me. I promised to be one of those parents that spanked their kids…especially if they were embarrassing me in public. After-all, I was spanked and I turned out fine….I think.  I thought homeschoolers were weird and I swore that I would never be one of those weird unsocialized homeschoolers. I would never use cloth diapers. Breastfeeding in public? Not me! That should be done in private and I would always be discreet.  My kids would never eat junk food and they most certainly wouldn’t talk back to me. I was going to be a strict but loving mother.

motheriam

All of that is hilarious! I used cloth diapers with my 2nd and in the beginning with my 3rd. I did start out spanking my first but quickly realized that was my lazy way of parenting. I don’t think homeschoolers are weird and unsocialized anymore…if anything I get it and I love it!  I make a point to be gentle and mindful with my kids. It has become harder for me as they grow older because I still expect too much of them at times. Being discreet while nursing in public? Sometimes.

I’ve been at this mothering thing for a little over 8yrs now and I like the mother I am now way more than the mother I intended to be. I have my moments, don’t we all? The mother I first intended to be thought children should be seen and not heard. I believed that children were manipulative and should be punished for the bad behavior accordingly. Now I believe that children are inherently good, they are curious, they are so innocent, and even when they get to the age where they really grasp manipulation – it’s not usually done to be hurtful. I realize that children are learning about this world and how to navigate it as best they can. My children are 8,6,3 and each year I see them getting older, but I also realize how young they really are! I’m 33 and still trying to figure out life.

family

I used to believe that if you told your children how to act they would do it. Now I understand that they model the behavior they see day after day. That’s a lot of pressure! My kids see me happy, sad, angry, yelling, apologizing. I’m still learning how to manage my emotions so I can help them learn to manage theirs. I think the reason my kids push my buttons so much is because I still have a lot of unresolved issues regarding my childhood. It wasn’t terrible, it was actually pretty good. But you know how you catch a scent of something and you recall a childhood memory? That’s how it is with parenting. The kids say or do something and it recalls a childhood memory. Instead of responding with love, there are times I respond the way I wished I had been able to as a child. I don’t always get it right, but I think being aware and knowing to change the next interaction is key.

 

***

Carnival of Natural Parenting -- Hobo Mama and Code Name: MamaVisit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

  • My little gastronomes — “I’ll never cook a separate meal for my children,” Maud at Awfully Chipper vowed before she had children; but things didn’t turn out quite as she’d imagined.
  • Know Better, Do Better. Except When I Don’t. — Jennifer from True Confessions of a Real Mommy was able to settle in her parenting choices before her children arrived, but that doesn’t mean she always lives up to them.
  • Judgments Made Before Motherhood — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama looks back on her views of parents she came in contact with before she became a mother and how much her worldview of parenting has changed!
  • A Bend in The Road — Lyndsay at ourfeministplayschool writes about how her visions of homeschooling her son during the elementary school years have changed drastically in the last year – because HE wants to go to school.
  • I Wish Children Came with Instruction Manuals — While Dionna at Code Name: Mama loves reading about parenting, she’s not found any one book that counts as an instruction manual. Every child is different, every family is different, every dynamic is different. No single parenting method or style is the be-all end-all. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if parenting were like troubleshooting?
  • The Mistakes I’ve Made — Kate at Here Now Brown Cow laments the choices she made with her first child and explains how ditching her preconceived ideas on parenting is helping her to grow a happy family.
  • I Only Expected to Love… — Kellie at Our Mindful Life went into parenting expecting to not have all the answers. It turns out, she was right!
  • They See Me Wearin’, They Hatin’ — Erin Yuki at And Now, for Something Completely Different contemplates putting her babywearing aspirations into practice, and discussed how she deals with “babywearing haters.”
  • Parenting Human Beings — Erika Gebhardt lists her parenting “mistakes,” and the one concept that has revolutionized her parenting.
  • Doing it right: what I knew before I had kids… — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud, guest posting at Natural Parents Network realises that the number one game in town, when it comes to parenting, is judgement about doing it right. But “doing it right” looks different to everybody.
  • A synopsis of our reality as first time parents — Amanda at My Life in a Nut Shell summarizes the struggles she went through to get pregnant, and how her daughter’s high needs paved the way for her and her husband to become natural parents.
  • Theory to Reality? — Jorje compares her original pre-kid ideas (some from her own childhood) to her personal parenting realities on MommaJorje.com.
  • The Princess Paradigm — Laura at Pug in the Kitchen had planned to raise her daughter in a sparkly, princess-free home, but in turn has found herself embracing the glitz.
  • Healthy Eating With Kids: Ideal vs. Real — Christy at Eco Journey In The Burbs had definite ideas about what healthy eating was going to look like in her family before she had kids. Little did she realize that her kids would have something to say about it.
  • How to deal with unwanted parenting advice — Tat at Mum in Search thought that dealing with unwanted parenting advice would be a breeze. It turned out to be one of her biggest challenges as a new mum.
  • How I trained my 43 month old in 89 days! — Becky at Old New Legacy used to mock sticker charts, until they became her best friend in the process of potty training.
  • My Double Life: Scheduling with Twins — Mercedes at Project Procrastinot was banging her head against the wall trying to keep up with the plan she made during pregnancy, until she let her babies lead the way.
  • Parenting in the land of compromise — As a holistic health geek trying to take care of her health issues naturally, Jessica at Crunchy-Chewy Mama regrets that her needs sometimes get in the way of her children’s needs.
  • Practice Makes Good, Not Perfect — Rachael at The Variegated Life comes to see that through practice, she just might already be the parent she wants to be.
  • 3 Dangerous Myths about Parenting and Partnering: How to Free Yourself and Your Family — Sheila Pai at A Living Family shares in theory (blog) and reality (video) how she frees herself from 3 Dangerous Myths about Parenting and Partnering that can damage the connection, peace and love she seeks to nurture in her relationships with family and others.
  • 5 Things I Thought MY Children Would Never Do — Luschka at Diary of a First Child largely laughs at herself and her previous misconceptions about things her children would or wouldn’t do, or be allowed to do.
  • Policing politeness — Lauren at Hobo Mama rethinks a conviction she had about modeling vs. teaching her children about courtesy.
  • The Before and The After: Learning about Parenting — Amy at Me, Mothering, and Making it All Work reminisces about the perspective she held as a young adult working with children (and parents) . . . before she became a mother.
  • Parenting Beliefs: Becoming the Parent You Want to Be — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children discusses how we can make a mindful decision to become the parent we want to be. Decisions we make affect who we will become.
  • The Great Breastfeeding Debacle — In Lisa at The Squishable Baby’s mind, breastfeeding would be easy.
  • What my daughter taught me about being a parent — Mrs Green asks, “Is it ever ok to lock your child in their bedroom?”
  • Sensory Box Fail! — Megan at The Boho Mama discovers that thoughtful sensory activities can sometimes lead to pasta in your bra and beans up your nose.
  • Montessori and My Children – Theory vs. Reality — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her experiences with Montessori parenting and describes the results she sees in her now-adult children.
  • I Like The Mother I Am Now More Than The Mother I Intended To Be — Darcel at The Mahogany Way thought she would just give her kids the look and they would immediately fall in line.
  • How I Ended Up Like My Tiger Mom With Peaceful Parenting — Theek at The Laotian Commotion somehow ended up like her Tiger Mom, even though she purposely tried for the complete opposite as a peaceful parent.

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childhood, motherhood, Parenting    #CarNatPar, breastfeeding, carnival of natural parenting, childhood, deep thoughts, motherhood, mothering, parenthood, Parenting

Have A Fabulous Summer Without Spending A Ton of Money

Jun10th
2013
7 Comments Written by Darcel

When I was a kid my Summers were spent having sleepovers, bike riding,  playing on the front porch, or at the park with my friends. Everywhere I look I see parents talking about what camp their kid is going to, or  wondering what activities to enroll their kids in. The only lessons I’m looking to get my kids into this summer are swimming lessons. That’s it. Why are summer camps hundreds if not thousands of dollars!? I think that is just ridiculous.

You can have a fabulous summer without spending a ton of money. I have three very active kids and certain activities can get costly, so I’m always on the lookout for ways to save money and still have fun.
Here’s a list of things we’ve done in summers past and will be doing this summer.

fab summer

The beach.

The pool at the YMCA. If you can’t afford the full price membership ask for the open doors form. You’ll pay based on income.

Join the Rec Center. You can also pay based on your income.

Playing outside at the park, in your yard, at a friend’s house.

Movie nights with Netflix and popcorn.

Regal Cinemas Summer Movies For $1.

Buy a kiddie pool and fill it with sand.

The Library

Festivals. Here in Virginia, I’ve signed up for Festevents. I get emails about every festival that happens near us year round and many of them are free. Also in Virginia is Tidewater Moms.

Macaroni Kid is a National year round newsletter. You subscribe and enter your city and state. They always have a variety of activities to participate in.

Go bike riding. Don’t have a bike?  People on Craigslist sell nice used ones for good prices.

BBQ at a park with friends pot luck style.

Make ice towers with food coloring.

Make popsicles.

Bake cookies, cakes, and brownies.

Cookout on the grill for dinner several times a week.

Visit and shop the farmers markets.

Make lemonade.

Gardening.

Camping.

Hiking at the sate parks.

Roast marshmallows

Make bubbles

Color outside with sidewalk chalk or sidewalk paint.

Check out my unschooling, gettin crafty, and group summer projects boards on Pinterest.

How do you plan to enjoy summer without spending a ton of money?

******
Seespeakhearmama, you are the winner of the Sprout Organic Foods Snack Giveaway!

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childhood, motherhood    childhood, crafting, daily life, exploring, gardening, inexpensive summer activities, pinterest summer activities, pinterest summer projects, summer activities, summer family fun, summer for less, Virginia, virginia summer activities

Never-ending Story

Jun3rd
2013
10 Comments Written by Darcel

KIAH

 

peek-a-boo

 

DoubleParty

 

SamSprout

 

That moment where you could fall asleep standing up? That’s me right now. This last week has kicked my butt! Looking over our pictures and thinking about all the times we went out, I see we did a lot of fun stuff. Today is our do nothing day. I designate one every week.

We’ve been to the pool 2-3 times at the YMCA. The beach has a rival! There was double birthday party #2 for Ava and Samuel. The first one was rained out, so the family met up at Chick-fil-A. Did I mention this in a previous post? We rescheduled for this past Saturday with our friends at one of Ava’s favorite parks. It was hot as heck out there, but we were in a nicely shaded spot and a nice breeze came through towards the end of the party.

I picked up my knitting needles for the first time in weeks. I think I need to do more of that.
I’m not quite ready to reveal my newest business venture. Like I said before, I have several ideas and I’ve narrowed it down to the two that I could launch now. I was gonna try to go ahead with both…but then I realized there’s no way I can keep up with both ventures, blogging, and taking care of myself and the kids. The knot in my rope is slowly coming out…I need to tie another one. It’s starting to feel like I’m in this never-ending story of always busy.

I’ve been having a serious case of mommy guilt the last few weeks. I’m constantly writing stuff down, researching, in my email. I’m learning to work smarter not harder…hopefully all of this will pay off soon. I may drop off the blog for a bit this week. You’ll be able to find me on Twitter and Facebook. Both of those take minutes to do and blogging takes a good chunk of time. I also haven’t been able to read and comment on your blogs like I want. Sorry!

Don’t forget to check out the Mindful Parenting eBundle if you haven’t already 22 amazing resources on Motherhood, Mommy Overwhelm(ahem)Creating with Kids, Having ‘The Talk’ with your daughter, Divorcing Peacefully with Children, and many many more! If you don’t need these resources yourself, maybe you know someone who does? I am affiliate so if you purchase this bundle I will receive a 50% commission from it. I would promote it even if it was only 20% because it’s that good!

One more thing…you see Samuel checking out his new Sprout Organic Food Snacks in that last photo? He ate the entire bag. Those things are actually pretty good. I was surprised! I gave the fruit/veggie mix ones to Samuel and put the yogurt bites where he can’t reach them. We’re good on the allergic reactions for a while. The crispy chews were the perfect size for little fingers and they’re made with brown rice. Perfect for car trips, at the pool, or the park. I like that there’s more than six in one pack.
Leave a comment for your chance to win a sample pack(small box)of Sprout Organic Foods.

I will announce the winner next Monday in a separate blog post. Please make sure to leave your email address(only visible to me)

sprout, organic, baby food, natural, toddler snacks, vegetables, fruit, toddler snacks giveaway, toddler food, meals, snacks, yogurt bites, on the go, all natural

#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Sprout Foods. This could include the Sprout Foods providing us w/ content, product, access or other forms of payment. Check out the new Sprout Foods website at www.sproutorganicfoods.com.

 

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and your week is just as awesome!

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Hello! I'm Darcel... I used to work in healthcare, wanted to be a pediatrician when I grew up - now I'm Mothering three little ones. Unschooling. Talking Birth. Knitting. Believing chocolate fixes almost anything. Sipping Moscato every now and then. Thinking in Pink.

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