9 Cool Ideas for Under-Bed Storage in the Kids’ Room
Okay, a few weeks ago we made the monsters leave the space under the bed to make room for welcome guests. Today I'd like to look at a lot more ideas to make use of the space under the bed in a kid's room. If you aren't already using it for a mattress for overnight...
Relics, Resort, or Run?
As a kid I remember accusing Mama of keeping our house like a museum - "keep it clean, keep it neat, make your bed, put stuff away." I thought a little layer of dust and a few books/toys strewn about would give our house a welcoming, lived-in look. Now that I'm the...
Kids and Money – Part 2
Last week I started addressing the questions related to allowance. I wrote about the money management side of the equation in Kids and Money - Part 1. Today I want to talk about the work side of this equation. I know a lot of people tie allowance to chores, which is...
Kids and Money – Part 1
Several people have recently asked me to chime in on allowances. OK, maybe not so recently - it has taken me months to write this post. Thank you for your patience! I have to admit I was surprised by the intensity of feelings out there on this subject. There are...
Kids in the Kitchen
When our kids turn nine they receive a cookbook and a night of the week to cook. The cookbook is homemade and includes ten menus (main dish and side dishes) that this child will learn to cook and all the recipes other kids already have in their cookbooks (yes, we add...
Just say “Yes!” (The Child Friendly Home – Part 4)
Nancy Regan did us a great favor in the 1980’s with her “Just Say, ‘No!’” campaign. She had a great idea, and it wasn’t just about forbidding certain behaviors. She advocated having an answer prepared before you encounter the question. So, what would happen if we...
Julia Sets (Periodic Chore Planning)
I am a mathematician at heart. I love numbers. I love number theory. I delight in understanding and playing with the relationships between numbers. As an undergrad, I focused on theoretical rather than applied mathematics. My senior project was on chaos theory...
Free at Last! (The Child Friendly Home – Part 3)
Several years ago some folks came to visit our home. After spending a bit with us, one lady commented, “You’d never know kids live here!” I know she meant it as a compliment, but it cut to my heart. Our house was orderly and furnished in a way that reflected my...
Consider the Ant (Daily Chores)
Proverbs 6:6 Got to the ant… consider her ways… I am not a big fan of ants. Sometimes it seems like ants are my lot in life. Every house we have lived in has had an ant problem. Maybe God is trying to draw my attention to the ant. But my response has been to add...
Making Life Possible (The Child Friendly Home – Part 2)
In The Child Friendly Home I mentioned that we have deliberately designed our house to accommodate children. I promised some practical ideas we have used to child-ify our home. (Yes, I totally made that word up.) Three Must Haves Label Maker. Small investment, huge...