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  • Let’s Chat About Bedtime Routines!

    Let’s Chat About Bedtime Routines!
    2023/02/09

    Let's chat about bedtime routines! Are you having problems at bedtime? Then this post is for you! I have some YouTube videos for you to watch AFTER you listen to my 10-minute bedtime routine chat about my son's bedtime routines between the ages of six months and fourteen--what worked, what didn't! Again, please listen to my podcast episode FIRST!

    1. Listen to my 10-minute podcast episode, first.

    2. Next, watch these YouTube videos:

    • "Morning and Bedtime Routine Tips for Strong-Willed Children" by the Work Life Glue YouTube channel: "Having trouble getting your strong-willed child moving in the morning? Is bedtime a major struggle? We've been there! Trying to do necessary things with a strong-willed child can be a nightmare at times, especially when the child just woke up or is very tired. In this video, I am sharing tips for morning and bedtime routines with a strong-willed child."
    • "Nighttime Routine w/ 5 Kids" by My Little Domestic Church
    • "5 Tips for a Stress-Free Bedtime" by the Sunday with Sarah Waldorf YouTube channel: "Hello, friends! In this week's 'Sunday with Sarah,' I share my top five tips for how to put young children to bed without stress, drama, or tears! Sometimes bedtime feels like a battle but these ideas can help you turn war into peace." FYI: In her video, she talks about early and separate dinner time for children, this is what we did! We fed our son early--5 PM, often it was a training session for how to use utensils, cups, napkins, etc., because of his special needs. Then after he was asleep--typically by 7 PM, we ate dinner alone. ~Lisa
    • "MY TODDLER BREAKS OUT OF HER ROOM// BEDTIME ROUTINE" by The Ups And Downs YouTube channel: "Well we moved from crib to big girl bed and now our nights look like this. Are they different because she has Down syndrome? Nope. She's just a busy girl who thinks it's hilarious when she busts out of her room!" FYI: This video is beyond cute and adorable!

    3. Lastly, here is a link to my blog posts on bedtime issues with toddlers (over at my sister blog, Confessions of a Montessori Mom).

    Zzzzzz...

    Want updates on my NEW Montessori online courses, or joining my community? Visit confessionsofamontessorimom.com

    ~Lisa Nolan

    Photo Credit: Lisa Nolan (My son at age four-ish!)
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    11 分
  • Five MG Novels--by Unique and Diverse Authors--I Highly Recommend

    Five MG Novels--by Unique and Diverse Authors--I Highly Recommend
    2023/02/06

    In this episode I chat about five MG novels--by unique and diverse authors--I highly recommend (book links to Goodreads):

    1. Ways to Make Sunshine (Ryan Hart #1) by Renée Watson
    2. Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid by Mikaila Ulmer (1:34)
    3. Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young (4:26)
    4. Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Doom (Cookie Chronicles #1) by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr (9:05)
    5. Last Gate of the Emperor by K. Mbalia and Prince J. Makonnen (12:13)

    Were there any common themes, you ask, why yes! Yes, there were: heart, magic, mystery, humor, and charm. I rejected the MG novels that were sad, tragic, controversial, and or too heavy. I just felt like WE ALL needed a little heart, magic, mystery, humor, and charm in our lives--kids and tweens especially, after the years of COVID: being stuck in the house, health problems, and social isolation, to name a few. I had not planned on it at the time, I'm not one to shy away from sadness, tragedy, or controversy in MG books. It was a visceral reaction. So, for this episode, I bring you fun MG novels! Happy reading! ~Lisa Nolan

    Intro outro music by Kevin MacLeod. Keywords: middle-grade novels, reviews, MG reads, kid-lit, distinctive authors, heart, magic, mystery, humor, charm. Book images from Goodreads.
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    18 分
  • Let’s Chat About ”The Learning Brain, Memory and Brain Development in Children” by Torkel Klingberg, MD Ph.D.

    Let’s Chat About ”The Learning Brain, Memory and Brain Development in Children” by Torkel Klingberg, MD Ph.D.
    2023/02/02

    Today I chat about this amazing book that dives into math and number sense, "working memory," the effects of stress on the brain of youngsters, and a lot more: The Learning Brain, Memory and Brain Development in Children by Torkel Klingberg, MD Ph.D. (This is not an interview, FYI.) ~Lisa Nolan

    ABOUT: "Despite all our highly publicized efforts to improve our schools, the United States is still falling behind. We recently ranked 15th in the world in reading, math, and science. Clearly, more needs to be done. In The Learning Brain, Torkel Klingberg urges us to use the insights of neuroscience to improve the education of our children.

    "The key to improving education lies in understanding how the brain works: that is where learning takes place, after all. The book focuses in particular on working memory--our ability to concentrate and to keep relevant information in our head while ignoring distractions (a topic the author covered in The Overflowing Brain). Research shows enormous variation in working memory among children, with some ten-year-olds performing at the level of a fourteen-year-old, and others at that of a six-year-old. More important, children with high working memory have better math and reading skills, while children with poor working memory consistently underperform. Interestingly, teachers tend to perceive children with poor working memory as dreamy or unfocused, not recognizing that these children have a memory problem. But what can we do for these children? For one, we can train working memory. The Learning Brain provides a variety of different techniques and scientific insights that may just teach us how to improve our children's working memory. Klingberg also discusses how stress can impair working memory (skydivers tested just before a jump showed a 30% drop in working memory) and how aerobic exercise can actually modify the brain's nerve cells and improve classroom performance.

    "Torkel Klingberg is one of the world's leading cognitive neuroscientists, but in this book he wears his erudition lightly, writing with simplicity and good humor as he shows us how to give our children the best chance to learn and grow." ~Goodreads

    Book image from Goodreads. Intro outro music owned and licensed by Kevin MacLeod. Key words: learning, brain, memory, development, children, math, number sense, working memory, stress, youngsters.
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    38 分
  • Montessori and Winter Micro Spaces

    Montessori and Winter Micro Spaces
    2023/01/31

    What are winter micro spaces? Are they "Montessori"? And should you have them? Listen and find out! ~Lisa Nolan

    Photo by donnierayjones on Foter. Intro outro music owned and licensed by Kevin MacLeod. Key words: Montessori, home, environment, preschoolers, toddlers, children, winter.
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    38 分
  • Indoor ”Calming” Gross Motor Activities

    Indoor ”Calming” Gross Motor Activities
    2022/12/28

    Today I am sharing some "calming" gross motor activities to do indoors with your kids! ~Lisa Nolan

    Photo by AiyaHMPH on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
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    14 分
  • The Self-Compassionate Teen: mindfulness & compassion skills to conquer your critical inner voice by Dr. Karen Bluth, a book chat

    The Self-Compassionate Teen: mindfulness & compassion skills to conquer your critical inner voice by Dr. Karen Bluth, a book chat
    2022/05/25
    The Self-Compassionate Teen: mindfulness & compassion skills to conquer your critical inner voice by Dr. Karen Bluth, a book chat Listen as I chat about and share passages from this amazing book for teens (and tweens)! It was originally posted on my private membership website, but in response to the recent tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Texas, I wanted to share it with the general public. If you have a tween or a teen, work with 11 to 18-year-olds, GET THIS BOOK! About the book: "Are you kind to everyone but yourself? This book will help you find the strength and courage to move beyond self-criticism and just be you. "Do you ever feel like you’re just not good enough? Do you often compare yourself to friends, classmates, or even celebrities and models? As a teen facing intense physical, mental, and social changes, it’s easy to get caught up in self-judgment and criticism. The problem is, over time, these negative thoughts can build up, cloud your world, and lead to stress, anxiety, and even depression. So, how can you start being nicer to yourself? "Written by psychologist Karen Bluth and based on practices adapted from Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer’s Mindful Self-Compassion program, this book offers fun, everyday exercises grounded in mindfulness and self-compassion to help you overcome crippling self-criticism and respond to feelings of self-doubt with greater kindness and self-care. You’ll find real tools to help you work through difficult thoughts and feelings, navigate life’s emotional ups and downs, and be as accepting of yourself as you are of others. "Learning to believe in yourself means being aware of the self-critical voice inside you, and then discovering how to not take it so seriously. With this book, you’ll learn how self-compassion can actually be a much greater motivator for reaching your goals than self-criticism. In fact, being kind to yourself when you’re struggling can actually reduce stress and make you more resilient! "So, stop beating yourself up, and start reading this book. You have an important friend to make—you!" ~Amazon.com description “Research shows that practicing self-compassion decreases stress, anxiety, and depression, while it increases resilience and motivation. This is especially relevant during the tumultuous teen years when so many physical and emotional changes are taking place. Each chapter tackles a different aspect of teens’ lives, including schoolwork, relationships, self-image, and LGBTQIA+ identity. While the general advice is helpful, such as taking breaks from social media if it’s causing someone to feel like they don’t measure up, the most practical aspects of the book are the meditation exercises, which include links to audio versions. Teens can create a free account on the New Harbinger website to ­access these audio files. Many of the exercises cover similar concepts, but they can all assist teens in acknowledging their emotions and treating themselves with more empathy. VERDICT: A solid purchase for libraries serving teens during troubled times.” ~School Library Journal, published on 2020-11-02 (Amazon.com) “Karen Bluth is one of the world’s leading experts on self-compassion for teens. This well-written book shows teens how to be kind to themselves in the midst of daily challenges such as school, body image, and social media. After switching from self-criticism to self-compassion for just one moment, you’ll probably be convinced. You might be giving yourself the biggest favor of your life.” ~Christopher Germer, Ph.D., faculty at Harvard Medical School, and co-creator of the Mindful Self-Compassion program "This book also includes 21 downloadable audio practices the reader has access to indefinitely. This is such an important addition to a book like this because practicing is so important to learn any skill, and the same goes for acquiring mindfulness and compassion skills. I know this to be true because I introduce young people to mindfulness and self-compassion skills in a course I teach called Making Friends with Yourself (MFY). "I confidently endorse this book to therapists who want helpful ways to introduce mindfulness and self-compassion skills into their therapeutic interventions with young people. I write this because as a Child, Youth, and Family Therapist myself, with years of experience working with teens with a variety of well-being challenges I have seen the benefits of doing so. "As for Dr. Bluth’s writing style; her writing is almost like she is in the room with you; speaking to you in a down-to-earth fashion, in a highly respectful tone, and with deep compassion. She is clearly on a mission to bring mindfulness and self-compassion skills to as many young people as possible." ~Eileen Beltzner, Goodreads, learn more here. ~Lisa Nolan
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    37 分
  • Organizing the Home and Making It Montessori-Friendly Part Two

    Organizing the Home and Making It Montessori-Friendly Part Two
    2022/02/17

    In part two I continue to dig deep into the remaining four Montessori-friendly articles on how to organize. Find links to these four articles below. (Please excuse the not-so-great quality, this was one of my earliest podcast episodes before I did my own editing.)

    1. Creating Learning Spaces at Home
    2. Environmental Set-Up for Homeschool, Childcare, and ECE Classrooms
    3. Five Easy Ideas for Making Your Home More Kid-Friendly
    4. Kids Room Organization: Teach Them to do it Themselves

    UPDATE Lastly, this article did not make it into either episode, but you can visit the link and read it here--not mine, LOL: Eight Tips for Decluttering on a Low Income (from a mom who’s been there) ~Lisa Nolan

    Photo of cat by backonthebus on Foter.com / CC BY-NC
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    15 分
  • Organizing the Home and Making It Montessori-Friendly Part One

    Organizing the Home and Making It Montessori-Friendly Part One
    2022/02/15

    Organizing your Montessori home environment is a perfect project for starting off the new year, when you are spring cleaning, whenever you are in a "nesting" mood, or whenever you move to a new home! In this podcast episode (part one) I dig deep into seven Montessori-friendly articles on how to organize. Links to the Montessori-friendly articles on organization that I shared in this episode:

    1. Kids' Clutter is Visual Noise
    2. Ten Genius Toy Storage Solutions Every Mom Needs
    3. Organizing Kids Clothes for Stress Free Mornings
    4. How to Organize a Dresser for Kids with Free Printable Labels
    5. One Genius Hack That Will Change the Way You Store Puzzles
    6. Nursery Storage and Organization Ideas
    7. The New Way to Reduce Kids Paper Clutter (And Still Keep Their Memories)

    UPDATE Lastly, this article did not make it into either episode, but you can visit the link and read it here--not mine, LOL: Eight Tips for Decluttering on a Low Income (from a mom who’s been there). Happy organizing! ~Lisa Nolan

    Photo of cat by backonthebus on Foter.com / CC BY-NC
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    21 分