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Thebuddingseed

In Children on
December 8, 2021

Toy Rotation Guide

Have you ever noticed that your children play more independently in a space that is clean and well organized? Or maybe you have found that after you spend hours cleaning and organizing a space then the children all of a sudden find that space interesting again and in a short time it looks like that same tornado went through. This is because when a space is tidy, things are put away in their rightful spot, and you can clearly see what is available it is easier for children to make independent choices. And when they can make independent choices they are more likely to play independently. I believe that the key to this type of space is Toy Rotation.

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In Children on
April 27, 2021

A BEE-Day Party!

As a mom, I find my children’s birthdays very emotional. It always make me think of it as “one year less I have with them.” Debbie Downer, I know…So I cope with this by making a pretty cake and throwing an awesome party! There are typically many DIY projects involved and we try to get the biggest bang for our buck so we aren’t spending lots of money on things we will only use once. For Noa’s first birthday we did a bumble bee theme! I tend to gravitate more toward muted colors so instead of bright yellow and white, I chose to go with a softer yellow, olive green, white, and gold.

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In Children, Parenting on
April 18, 2021

Cloth Diapers 101

Cloth diapering sounds like a big undertaking and a lot of work for a generation of parents who love convenience. But I’m here to tell you that it’s not a huge deal and it’s much more doable than you might imagine! When you look up cloth diapers there is a lot of information; types of diapers, fitted vs adjustable, all-in-ones vs inserts, and all sorts of things that people say you “need.” It sounds like a big commitment, both in the work it takes to keep up with cloth and a financial commitment. But the truth is you can get as committed as you want to cloth diapers and there are lots of ways to be frugal when purchasing your items. There is nobody coming around making sure you are doing it correctly, I promise! Maybe you only want to cloth diaper during the day and disposables at night, that’s ok! Maybe you do cloth at home and send disposables to daycare, that’s ok too! There are no rules.

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In Children on
April 17, 2021

Engaging Toys that Appeal to all Ages

If you have children of different ages living in your house, you probably know how tricky it can be to create a space that is engaging for the older children but still safe and age appropriate for the younger ones. What is the trick? The trick is finding toys that are open ended that appeal to all children, young and old. After a year at home with a baby, 3 toddlers and a 6 year old I have gotten an idea of what specific toys work for us in this type of environment. Here are a few of our favorites:

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In Children on
March 25, 2021

Noa’s Birth Story: A Pandemic Birth

My pregnancy with Noa was much different than my pregnancy with Raegan, mainly because this time around I was a type 1 diabetic. Because of type 1, I was high risk and pregnancy made it very difficult to maintain consistent blood sugar levels. Therefore, I had many more OB/GYN visits, scans, and NSTs. Type ones are also known for having large babies and run a higher risk for still birth when baby gets closer to term. Because of those reasons they don’t typically allow type 1 moms to go much past 39 weeks. This was ok with me because I already had a history of a giant baby (without diabetes) and I was over being pregnant way before 39 weeks anyways!

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In Children on
January 8, 2021

35 Daily at Home Montessori Activities For Young Children

  1. Wash hands
  2. Put on socks
  3. Pour glass of water
  4. Wipe up spill
  5. Get dressed
  6. Slice banana
  7. Water plants
  8. Do a puzzle
  9. Sorting Objects
  10. Put on jacket
  11. Make a noodle necklace
  12. Go on a nature walk
  13. Match socks
  14. Bake muffins
  15. Slice Cheese
  16. Plant seeds
  17. Feed a pet
  18. Brush Teeth
  19. Peel an orange
  20. Scramble eggs
  21. Fold washcloths
  22. Draw
  23. Brush hair
  24. Read a book
  25. Practicing opening different containers
  26. Play with clay or dough
  27. Practice cutting paper
  28. Put wet laundry into dryer
  29. Practice walking up and down the stairs independently
  30. Setting the table
  31. Dusting
  32. Sweeping
  33. Collect wild flowers
  34. Make a painting
  35. Enjoy a cup of tea

In Parenting on
August 19, 2020

Supporting Children with Big Emotions

Every day children are learning how to regulate their feelings and emotions. Shoot! Lots of adults are still learning to do this. Our family is coming off of a week up North on a lake with non-existent bedtimes, way too much sugar, and possibly more fun than our five year old can handle. In our house, this is a recipe for very tired children with big emotions. And I’m sure I am not alone in this this summer. I’ve been finding myself checking in with how I can help my daughter cope with all of these emotions while she takes a few days to catch up on sleep. It can be so easy to get caught up in those emotions with her, but I am trying to be purposeful in how I support her and all the feelings, especially the negative ones.

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In Homeschool on
August 13, 2020

Learning Journal

After deciding that we were going to homeschool our daughter who will be a kindergartner this year, I immediately started researching curriculums and materials. I found so many great resources but quickly realized that there could potentially be a lot of printing involved. Not only is that expensive but I imagine papers everywhere! After more searching, I stumbled on the idea of learning journals on Instagram. At first I thought it sounded like a lot of work, but the more I thought about it the more it seemed to line up with what we were looking for. Read more

In Children on
March 14, 2020

Daily Routine: Living in COVID-19 Isolation with Children

The thought of living in isolation for weeks and weeks in order to keep you and your family healthy is daunting. And it could easily turn into 3+ weeks of watching movies and Netflix. So how do we keep our sanity and keep our kids active and engaged? We create a routine that works for our family and we stick to it. Children need consistency to thrive. Shoot! I need consistency to thrive! This is the routine that I created for us that we will be using on schools days. Hopefully, it will help guide you to do the same.

In Children, Parenting on
May 1, 2019

Setting Boundaries and Limits the Montessori Way

“To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control is to betray the idea of freedom.” – Maria Montessori

Sometimes there is a little bit of confusion around Maria Montessori’s idea of “Follow the child” or “giving the child freedom.” She did not mean let your child do whatever they want, whenever they want and run wild. No. The element that is often left out is limits. What she really meant was “Freedom within Limits.” This is also probably the most difficult part of caring for a child the Montessori way. Montessori Parenting, mindful parenting, peaceful parenting, conscious parenting, respectful parenting, positive parenting – whatever you want to call it, is much different than the kind of parenting that we typically see. And it takes a lot of practice to make it an actual lifestyle.

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