Natural Learning
Today started with no real plan. Boy #3 had speech this morning and gymnastics and baseball scheduled later this afternoon. (I know — I think that sounds like a lot of one kid too. But it’s the last day of speech and the last day
Girls Outperform Boys
academically. A study published today in Business First found that in western New York: Girls outnumber boys in the ranks of elite students Girls outscore boys on most standardized exams Girls outperform boys in most school districts The results of this study, while sad, don’t
Picking Stones
Yesterday we picked stones. If you’re from around here — rural southeastern Wisconsin — you probably know what I mean. If not, well, you’re lucky. Picking stones might sound like a Ms. Frizzle-esque homeschool/learning type field trip, where we all scurry to the rock field
New Look?
Ok, you’re going to have to give me some input. According to our latest poll, you’re almost 50/50 split on the new look. So tell me: What do you like about it? What don’t you like? Any features that would make the blog easier or
Hug Your Boys
Boys need two things that we tend to forget about when we focus only on their physical abilities and their higher activity levels: They need more touch and more conversation. — Michael Thompson, PhD, author of Raising Cain How often do you hug your sons?
Guest Blogger: Sarah Webb on Testosterone
We have another blogathon guest blogger today! Sarah Webb is a scientist-turned-writer who has written about subjects including stem cells, the Mars rovers, and her own inability to do a handstand. (She’s also the one who pointed me to the dancing cockatoo.) Her work has
10 Things I Like
Boys #2 and 3 got into it today. Again. Boy #2 looked across the lunch table and told #3, “I hate you.” Inside, I was screaming. We’ve been through this before. They — all four of them — know that saying they “hate” someone is
Political Purity Over Protection of Children?
Thirteen-year-old Daniel Hauser has returned home. Hauser is the (homeschooled) Minnesota boy who last week disappeared with his mother, Colleen, in an effort to avoid court-ordered chemotherapy. The case has obviously sparked a lot of debate. It touches on medical ethics, parental authority and the
Why Boys Love Candy
My boys love candy. They love Halloween, with loaded down plastic pumpkins. They love softball games, with concession stands full of treats and mad money jingling in their pockets. And they love parades, with the promise of candy littering the streets. (Yes, my children shoved
Life Offline
Over on Digital Mom, writer Melissa Sais muses about screen time. We’ve been told over and over how bad sitting in front of the TV is for our boys. And the common wisdom is that video games are addictive, mind-numbing entertainment of questionable value. Never