Chores and the Fine art of bribery.

I hate matching socks. Always have. Now with kids the chore has been particularly taxing with so many little socks too keep up with. Because of this we have a sockbag. Usually starts as a grocery bag of unmatched socks and can morph into an ikea bag full by summer when it is ignored in favor of sandals and the like before it is properly sorted in the fall.

My kids are getting bigger - as are their socks. They help out OK enough when I ask them to help but this year hubs tried a wee bit of bribery. A treat. A twizzler or 2.

The socks are almost all sorted. In record time I might add.

I'm thinking the 'incentive' was worth it. Do you offer rewards for jobs done?

Good Split

We have split classes in our school and I know a lot of parents are concerned about their kids being in a split class past kindergarten.

Mostly the concern I hear is about ensuring they are learning at the level they should be. Will the upper class make kids in the lower class feel like they are behind? Will the upper class kids end up behind single grade classes because they are exposed to the lower grades lessons? For some it was more social - would the wide age range isolate them socially?

 In my school experience I spent a few years in split classes when I was in British and Spanish schools, for me it was a good experience so when my daughter was put in a split 1/2 class last year for 1st grade in her new school I was not terribly phased. She was pretty nervous - but it was about being in a new school with no friends, not about the class, probably in part because I wasn't.

While she made friends on day one and settled in no problem I'm not going to tell you that that year didn't have it's bumps in the road, that would be a lie. For my daughter the challenge of a split class manifested itself with reading. Half way into the year 'everyone' could read better according to her and we had many a teary night sobbing that she had not advanced to the next level of reading books just like her friends. Yes, some of those friends were in grade 1 like my daughter but most of those friends were in grade 2. I understood that they would naturally read better but she had trouble understanding that she wasn't behind. And yes, I a bit worried too, but before we knew it she found her reading groove and was off to the races.

When it came to maths and science being in a split class meant that we all came to realize she was pretty good at those subjects and was happy explore 2nd grade work as much as she enjoyed doing her 1st grade lessons.

Writing on the other hand was more challenging for her, although it wasn't something that upset her like reading did, it was something that her teacher was concerned about. As we came into spring she was not writing at the level she should be and her teach brought it to my attention. Together we figured it out, my daughter had a while elephant - she had so much to say that she couldn't decide what was the best thing to write down (sounds like her mother!) and by the time she decided time was up.  From then on her teacher spent time teaching her skills to help her focus her thoughts and not focus on the spelling so much.

When her teacher later approached me to know what my preferences for my daughters next year would be I didn't hesitate, "I'd like her to stay with you", I said. for me it was a no brainer - here was a teacher my daughter adored who understood not only where my daughter felt challenged but also already knew how to help her and knew her strengths. No time would be wasted in grade 2 with a new teacher who would have to get to know her and her issue with writing and I knew that being in the upper grade of her split class the next year would give her comfort and confidence. Her teacher was happy I felt that way - she wanted to keep my kid too.

Today is her 1st day of grade 2. My daughter has spent most of the summer looking forward to seeing her teacher again, so much so she wanted to dress in her teachers favorite colour today. She was a little sad that her grade 2 friends moved on to grade 3 in another class and really sad that her buddy was moving to a non-split grade 2 class, but last night a friend messaged me that her daughter, starting grade 1 in my daughters class was a bit nervous, would my daughter help her feel more comfortable? I asked my daughter and she squealed with joy happy to buddy up.

This morning my daughter was beyond thrilled to start school. She couldn't wait to hug her teacher and help her friend and it's infectious. Her younger brother is now a Senior in his kindergarten class,

'Are you looking forward to starting school?' I asked him this morning.

'Yes", he said. "And I can't wait to help the little juniors this year."

I think it is going to be a good year.

And as much as I'm enjoying my 2 and a half hours to myself this morning I can't wait to pick them up and hear how the day has been.

Little Footprints Top Eco Friendly Cottage Toys

There's nothing my family likes more every summer than finding a sweet cottage and hanging out by the lake. We can spend hours playing in nature but we also like to bring a small selection of cottage play favorites with us when we go.

Here's our Little Footprints family favorites, 5 things you can be sure will be in our cottage toy box this summer...

We love blowing bubbles at the cottage. New to us this year is this Artterro Bubble Wand kit and with it we plan to have an even better time! Made in the States by a company big on sustainable fun just like us and filled with enough for a pair of wands, complete with how-to's, fun shaped patterns and even a recipe for home made bubble solution - all in one wee recycled content box. Ages 8 and up.

For years now this is my little guys 'go to' take along toy - ask him to pick something to bring and it will be this - a  Zoom to the Moon play set perfect for the kid who loves imaginary play and as a mom I love that when the fun is done every thing stores in the spaceship. Ideal to keep track of everything when your away from home. Made from renewable rubber wood and child safe paints. I can honestly say after years of play I'm impressed with how well the paints hold up.  Ages 3 and up

Shut The Box is a true favorite in our house. Sometimes played alone but best against each other - we've even make it a tournament - we race to turn our tiles down before the other can. One of those games that gets you to enjoy doing maths even without realizing it. I discovered it at a family friends when I was little and am now thrilled to have this sustainably produced one available. Perfect sitting by the dock or on a chilly rainy day. Ages 5 and up

My son playing with the families Shut the Box.

We started family quizzes by playing 20 questions and now that my kid is starting to read she loves to play them. Betting on Nature, an animal card game, is the perfect go anywhere challenge for us all. Skills, laughs and learning, what more can you ask from fun you can fit in your pocket? Perfect for ages 7 to 107

Paints at a cottage are a must have. No matter if it's painted rocks, pictures, fairy houses or found art - it all benefits from a splash of paint! And the cottage benefits when its all natural. Nothings better for that than Clementine Art's natural paints. The colours are fabulous and they're perfect for the artistry of any age.



These are our faves for this year. We love to hear if you have others you think are great. In the mean time thanks for stopping by and I hope your enjoying your Spring day!

Cheers,
Barb

Fun While it Rains.

While one of my kids might actually be getting sick and tired of rain the other is beginning to muse aloud that it might be nice it it *always* rained. Course she does see the problem that presents to dream #1: to live somewhere where she can swim outside all year round.

So while the sun struggles to make an appearance today we look back at the past 11 out of 18 days where it rained and find lots and lots of opportunities for fun indoors.

You can only get so soggy after all.

Here to help with some indoor inspiration is Little Footprints Top 10 Rainy Day Things for Fun.

Get your Boom Boom on! This ultimate deck of Family trading cards inspires to do good in meaningful and achievable ways and calls on you to pass on the goodness online. From planting flowers for others to enjoy, to telling old stories to younger generations these cards make random acts of kindness fun for the whole family.

Brand new to the shop this 51 piece Tyrannosaurus 3D Dino puzzle can strike about 20 different poses keeping Dinosaur Aficionados busy for hours! Made sustainable and responsibly by French eco fun maker Bioviva, a company committed to the environment since they started making fun in the mid-90's.
Ages 6 & up

Create masterpieces on a rainy afternoon with is Paint With Wool kit. A box full of wool canvases, lots of brightly coloured roving and even 3 felter's needles! Everything you need to make 4 amazing works of art, you just bring a suitable surface to work on. Once your done turn the box into a frame. Full instructions and inspiration included.
Ages 8 & up



More a sculptor than a painter? Clementine Art's Modeling Dough is just the ticket to bring cheery colour to a drab overcast day. They look lovely, smell lovely and feel lovely - what more to you need to sculpt the next masterpiece?

Get active indoors and no batteries required with this Balance Board. Made in the USA from sustainably forested materials, this formaldehyde free plywood board has a challenging maze to keep you coordinated and on your toes. Try the rolling the balls inward for a beginners challenge but if Daddies think rolling the balls out is just as easy they just might loose the family bet! Available in 2 sizes. Perfect for 3 to 93

A bit of drizzle can make examining nature even more fun. Grab a pair of galoshes and head out with this Naturebag full of ways to look at nature around you and record what you find. There's even a blindfold for a all natural guessing game. Canadian made this eco friendly award winner is full of wonderful stuff. Ages 3 - 12

Outside in the puddles or inside in the bath this tug boat is totally fun. Made from recycled milk jugs by Green Toys it's a fantastic water toy, available in 3 colours and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. Ages: 6m & up




Stuck inside with the wee one? Enjoy a game of eye spy wildlife right outside your window with this set of Backyard Buddy Blocks. Perfect size for little hands. Learn basic colours and animals with this set made from responsibly harvested rubber wood and child safe paints.

At under $10 this game leaves you change to get something yummy at your own Farmers Market. A game about looking out for each other and problem solving to make the market a success. A wonderful game made in Perth Ontario perfect for ages 6 to 12 with two sets of rules for basic and more complex play.

I always think the funnest things to keep you busy on a rainy day are things with more than one thing going for it which is why I love these puzzles you get colour yourself. Made from plantation rubber wood they are available as a Sea Turtle, Butterfly or Train paint them up then try to put them back together again!
Ages 3 and up.



Course it's easy to beat the rainy day blues so long as your having fun so I hope you get a chance to have some fun today!

Fridays I'm In Love: With These Chicks

Easter is right around the corner. Tomorrow the neighborhood festivities kick off around here with Easter Egg Hunts, visits with family and a parade on Sunday.

There's lots of chocolates and treats to be had and hid but when did it become all about chocolate? Don't get me wrong I love the stuff, more than I should, but does that mean I need to hop my kids full of it for the sake of a bunny and a basket? So since I know that the neighborhood and family will provide tonnes of energy amping sweets we are going to hide crafts and toys instead and if the item is too big we will put a ticket in an egg for them to trade.

What won't need a ticket when we hide them is this set of 3 puzzle Chicks. Each of the 6 pieces will fit nicely in an egg to be hid and once found the kids can trade with each other till they each get a complete chick. Since I know they are also made sustainably with rubber-wood and child safe paints I also can feel good knowing their fun is also planet friendly.

Wear Pink So Others Can Too!

Tomorrow is Pink Day.

In 2007 two Nova Scotia students marshaled their friends and others via email to wear pink in support of a younger student who had been bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school. Now we have Pink Day on April 13th to show tolerance and support anti-bullying efforts.

In this house we're already planning.

My daughters plans are laughable. She plans to wear pink. She decided this 3 days ago. Course, I don't know how she was going to get around it if she didn't want to participate - it's not like she has anything to wear that *isn't* pink.

My son's plans are sadly fraught with more concern. He wants to wear pink. Asked me what we have that he could wear - I suggested we raid his sisters closet or maybe wear pink polish.

'Polish!' he cried delight.

To date my son has been well chuffed to sport blue, yellow or green polish. He has an older sister, he does what she does. He likes how it looks. Recently, mostly now that he has started kindergarten, he has been increasingly concerned about what his friends will think when they see his fingers or toes all done up.

He think about it for a second longer and says somewhat worriedly some friends will laugh.

I asked him what he was going to do.

He said 'maybe I will hide my fingers every-time I'm talking to him'. I said for sure he could do that.

Then he said 'No, I think I'll just ignore him instead'

Wise words from a young dude.

Tomorrow please wear pink so everyone can wear what they want to wear when they want to wear it no matter who they are, what they are, what they like and all that stuff.

Cheers
Barb

Mid-Week at My Place - Cookin' for the Kids

When I switched my kids to this new school one of the things I liked was that the school offered a lunch program. It was run by a group of volunteer parents who cooked fresh, diverse hot meals for the kids at the school who wanted them. The meals are funded through donations and every kid is welcome to a plate and seconds - even thirds if there is any left.

The idea is simple, no kid should go hungry at school.

Sadly, at other schools many do.

For me it was wonderful, here were parents providing what I believed should be a mainstay in a cold climate like Canada's - a healthy hot meal. I never understood why places like Florida, with their hot climate, had subsidized hot lunches but here where the weather can sometimes tip below -20c the school board didn't even offer soup to primary and junior school kids.

Needless to say. I signed up to volunteers, and yesterday was my 1st day in the kitchen.

It was busy and tiring - we only have from 9am to lunchtime to get the meal ready for up to 170 kids and we do it from a kitchen half the size of mine at home with minimal equipment. There were 2 other parents cooking yesterday, seasoned volunteer, and I was amazed what we can do with so little. As we cooked and the smell filled the air I could hear kids in the hall going "Mmmmm! Smells good!" and a few popping their heads in to ask what was on the menu. By quarter to twelve we had Mac and Cheese made from scratch, salad with fresh made dressing, fruit and rice ready for anyone who wanted it.

Since I hadn't served yet I hung around to see how that went as well so I knew what to do when it was my turn. The 1st kid thru the door was my daughter. Immediately I saw her begin to beam and I could see the pride in her eyes that I was there as a 'lunch lady'. I'm not too sure what she enjoyed more, the hot meal or being able to tell her friends that I helped make it. Doesn't really matter, I know I enjoyed doing it, and am glad to be part of it.

Worryingly, as I said, it runs on donations and a little bit of funding. While the program is in it's 3rd or 4th year it is evident that it needs more donations and volunteers to be sustainable. Changes were made this year to try to ensure it's success and we are hoping that our efforts between now and the new year are enough to keep it going - otherwise not only will my daughter no longer be able to have a hot lunch, a nice to have for her, but there will be some kids in the school, the kids that inspired the program in the first place, who will go hungry. We know this because before the program started they sat in the caf. every day with no food from home and when school started in September and there was a delay in starting the program there were a few kids arriving lunch-less to the cafeteria every day.

 Next week I fly solo in the kitchen for one day. I'm nervous that I can pull it off on my own but I'm going to do my level best. There's nothing better than a full tummy to help little minds grow and learn,and  I think I'm privileged to be able to help such a program. I hope to be able to do it until our school board decides a full belly is just as important as a textbook when it comes to learning.

If your reading this and thinking you would like to help us out somehow we would appreciate it! Much of the equipment we use is either insufficient or in need of replacing and our donations recieved barely cover the food. If anyone out there has any of the following new or gently used kitchen items to part with we would gratefully accept the help.

Right now we need:

• a couple new rice cookers
• restaurant sized buffet chaffing dishes
• a food processor
• large pots (that can fit on a residential sized stove)
• new kitchen knives
• more cutlery for the kids or better yet 'mess kits' they can take home and clean so we can use less paper plates (we have very limited access to a commercial dishwasher)

Many thanks as always for stopping by and having a read.

BHappy and have fun where ever you are!

Barb

My Free Range Kid

This year my kids started a new school. For my daughter this meant leaving her old school and friends and full day classes now that she is 1st grade. Thankfully her excitement at starting grade 1 tempered her sadness for leaving her old school. As for my son, he started half day kindergarten, which meant that he finally got to start school after 2 years of trying to join my daughters kindergarten class.

Like most schools around here the kindergarten kids go in to class at a different door than the bigger kids - all the way at the other side of the school - and I had him scheduled for morning classes so they both had to line up at the same time, and of course, if your late there's the need for a slip from the office. It's a big school too, a full block - the distance between those doors is probably the distance between my house and our corner store and we have to round 2 corners to get from door to door.

My dilemma, being in 2 places at once. My solution? Listening to my daughter.

On the second day of school as the bell rang and we stood in the kindergarten area waiting for my sons teacher to open the door she said "I'll go by myself! I know where to go!"

So with a kiss, hug and promise to pick her up after school she ran off gleefully to her door.

It took 5 seconds for her to be out of my sight and another 5 minutes for me to walk over to that side to see if she was still there. She wasn't.

6 and a half hours later I stood by those doors waiting for her to finish class. Of course she had made it to her door and lineup and came out of the school with her class as the bell rang. Safe and sound and as happy as a clam. When asked what her favorite parts of the day were it turned out that taking herself to the lineup ranked top along with music class and having 2 recesses. So, now each time we wait at the kindergarten doors she takes herself to her line when the bell rings.

To me this routine is nothing more than finding a way to make things work while being able to reinforce my child's sense of independence and my trust in her. I didn't think much of it until another kindergarten mother noticed her run off and was surprised at my comfort level having my 6 year old leave my sight. She said she wasn't sure she would have the nerve to do it. I only then realised we were 'Free Ranging' again as well as being practical.

As has happened before, I got that pang inside that said 'What do other mothers think? Do they think I'm crazy? Reckless?' The that wise voice inside, the one we know we should listen too when we hear it said "Who cares? You know whats best for your kids and know what level of risk is acceptable to you and that's all that matters."

The voice is right, my kid is safe, happy and proud of her abilities. She knows I trust her and I hope if we keep on trusting her she will always trust us.

One in the Hand Equals Three On The Tree

We went on a pear pick the other day. Last year I signed us up as volunteers for Not Far From The Tree a local charitable organization that gleans local trees for their fruit and shares the bounty. Without clobbering them over the head with it, they are only 3 and 6 after all!, I have been looking for ways to teach my kids to understand where their food comes from as well as to be socially aware and giving. I must admit my family did bring me up to be very self sufficient but not very philanthropic - I hope to do a bit better with my kids.

Anyway....

Back to the trees. After patiently waiting a whole year to be called to pick and missing a few chances we finally made the picker cut and the three of us went a' pickin'. The kids loved it! My daughter was a dab hand at the picking tool as she gleefully picked any pear she could reach. My son, a wee bit smaller, was quite happy to collect the fallen fruit into a separate bag - an occasionally eat a few . Their chatter kept everyone laughing and it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Fun as it was it was also wonderfully productive. NFFTT is a food share program. The owner of the tree lists their tree with the organization and when the fruit is ready to pick a team of 'gleaners' is dispatched to pick the tree as clean as they can, as well as tidy up any fallen fruit mess and debris from the pick. The bounty is divided into thirds; 1/3 for the tree owner, 1/3 divided among the pickers and 1/3 goes to food banks and organizations that feed those in need. Pretty neat, huh? Over 6,000 pounds have been picked so far in Toronto alone.

For our pick we weighed in at in excess of 250 pounds of pears and since no one took their full share over 100 pounds of fresh ready to ripen pears were taken to a local food bank that evening. All the while a gentle lesson in community, sharing and ecology was passed onto my kids that afternoon.

Pretty fruitful day if you ask me ;)
Sign up your tree if you have one - we'll happily come pick it for ya!

Thanks for stopping by for a read, BHappy and have fun.

Cotton Kisses

Every morning when my daughter gives me my morning kiss and hug she smells like cotton. Warm, fresh and earthy she smells just lovely.

I didn't realize that this would be an added benefit of deciding that she would get a cotton futon as her new 'big girl' mattress along with her new 'big girl bed' she got for her birthday, but it is.

After researching my choices and realizing that we just could not afford to purchase a natural latex or organic mattress at this time we -well I -elected to go with a natural cotton futon sans foam core from the oldest futon shop in Toronto, my 3rd purchased there if I think about it actually. Given that I didn't want foam it was a special order - 'yes, I know it lasts longer sir, but thats why I don't want it!' and took a week which gave us time to purchase a captains bed made in Canada with low VOC particleboard from a Canadian retailer. And topped it off with new cotton sheets and a natural down duvet & pillow.

My daughter is thrilled with her new bed and so am I knowing it is cotton she breathes and not synthetics (I do recognize that the mattress does have fire retardants in it but an organic wool mattress out of our reach right now.)

As for my little son, I think he likes his sisters bed too since we finding trying to pretend he is sleeping there every night! I see another cotton futon in our future!
The captains bed off-gassed a bit but it was not that bad and I expected that but I really didn't expect my kid to take on the cotton smell and I am so glad she has and I love lying on her bed smelling the lovely cotton and daydreaming!

Welcome!

Hi there and welcome to my new blog!

Every since I had my first child I have been getting greener and greener. It began, I think, with simply reading the back of food boxes. I had been reading the back of boxes a long time ago but once I had the kiddies I started really caring about avoiding all the fake stuff, sugars and salts running rampant in packaged foods. Not a stretch when your also reading about the biological effects of additives in food. Obesity, negative cognitive effects I(ADHD, effects on autism, sleep troubles and so on), physical dependencies on sugars and salt, just to start. All things I would like to mitigate as much as I can for my kids, all things I can effect change on.

Next I began to think about the environment my kids are in. Bisphenol, phthalates, plastic off-gassing and chipped paint. My second, Zane, is a mouther. In his first year he had to taste and chew on everything! Toys, books, rocks, soap. From the most obvious to the most obtuse, he would give it a chew and I would get thinking about it. I know a lot about airborne particulate and off-gassing of foams, plastics and fire retardants from many years running my own company as a Corporate Interior Designer. And I would think, " if I don't like what he's chewing on, and the airborne chemicals relates to it, how do I feel about the process to manufacturer it?"


So, here we are.

In this blog I hope to diary all the wonderful things I have learnt about becoming Planet Friendly with my kids and share it with you. My greatest focus will be Planet Friendly play and sustainable fun, but I also will share anything else I can about our own experiences becoming eco-friendly as a family.

I hope you enjoy this blog and I welcome and comments and suggestions you may have to make it even better.

thanks for stopping by!

BHappy,
Barb