Untitled

[jenniandjody]

Help Your Kids Find a Business Idea

Help Your Kids Find a Business Idea

Most parents love the idea of their kids making their own money, and who wouldn’t want their kids to gain the life skills that come from running a business? But the first obstacle that most families face is coming up with a business idea.

This Saturday we’re kicking off a radio series on this very topic. Our guest is Certified Public Accountant Carol Topp who wrote a curriculum for families called

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Why is Art Important?

Why is Art Important?

Isn’t art just something fun that we let our kids do to keep themselves busy and ward off the dreaded boredom?

Not so much.

Life Lesson: It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

In my own life I have struggled with allowing myself to make mistakes. Often times, I was afraid to begin a DIY project for fear I would mess it up. I could feel the struggle inside. “Just go ahead and try your idea – Oh, you’d better…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

The Starving Artist Myth — BUSTED! The starving artist is starving by choice. Art does not have to be synonymous with poverty. Even Vincent Van Gogh, perhaps the poster boy for the starving artist archetype, wasn’t exactly starving.

[jenniandjody]

Coaches, Role Models & Mentors

Coaches, Role Models & Mentors

Back to school also means back to extra curricular, and with these come new relationships, tighter schedules and more commitments. Knowing that your little chicklette is going to be spending a ton of time with a new adult, have you ever considered interviewing them? You know, checking them out to see if they’re a good fit.

Would you hand off your precious offspring to a complete stranger for…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

The Absorbent Mind

Do you have a little person in your house between the ages of birth and six years old? Do you know someone who does? Then, you need to know about the Absorbent Mind period because there are some very specific things parents can do to make the most of these very important years.

This week we’ve been talking about the Montessori education method and philosophy, and in our post on creating a…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Should We Consider Montessori When We Homeschool?

Should We Consider Montessori When We Homeschool?

Once I saw passion brimming from my son, I knew politics was going to be in his life forever. It was then that I was compelled to tailor his education around his goal of becoming a lawyer. Little did I know that I was following a basic tenant of The Montessori Method. As the years have gone by, and the more I’ve read, I am even more astounded by the genius of this philosophy.

What is Montessori?

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Simple Steps to Creating a Montessori Toddler Room

Simple Steps to Creating a Montessori Toddler Room

A very special thanks goes out to Kenny Friedman of smonkyou.com for permission to use the featured image for this post. The inspiring picture that you see here is his son Miloh's room.

My two year old just started sleeping in his own room. Until now, he slept with us, which was very handy for breastfeeding and early potty training, but now that he’s transitioning into his own space, I’m on the…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

The Teen Party Dilemma

The Teen Party Dilemma

Today's post is a guest blog from our friend and author Cynthia Schrock. A few years ago, Jody used the ideas in her book to create the most AMAZING Sweet 16 party for Lexi! It was a truly beautiful day, full of surprises and memories that Lexi and her friends will have for a lifetime. Be sure to visit Cynthia's blog, and pick up a copy of her book. You WON'T regret it!

How many birthday parties…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Are You Raising Kids Who Will Do Hard Things?

Are You Raising Kids Who Will Do Hard Things?

Ever have this happen in your house: your kid is beaming with excitement over their new activity/hobby/idea, only to throw in the towel once they figure out they aren’t rock stars at it and that they actually have to practice to be any good?

Why does this happen? Because it’s not in most people’s nature (especially kids) to want to do hard things. But that places us, the parents, in a pickle. Do…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Inspired By Garbage

When was the last time you took a good look at the possibilities in your garbage can?

Last week we talked about helping our kids find their passion and pursue it earnestly. This week, we’re turning our attention to kids who have done just that.

Here in Sarasota, there’s a group of five teens who have become local celebrities because of the treasure they found in their trash. They call themselves

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

A College Prep Secret You've Probably Never Heard

A College Prep Secret You’ve Probably Never Heard

Are SAT or ACT scores important for college admission?  Maybe.

Does my kid need to be in the top 10% of his class to get into a good school? Possibly.

What about extra curriculars and volunteer work; are they really important on a college resume?  It depends.

Ready for a juicy college prep secret? This is one that you might have never heard, but it could be the single most important thing you do…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

HOMESCHOOLING MOM ON NATIONAL TV!

HOMESCHOOLING MOM ON NATIONAL TV!

Jean Burk, homeschooling veteran and creator of the award-winning College Prep Genius program will be on a national talk show tomorrow, July 18th (7:00 AM EDT & PDT, 6:00 AM CDT on the WE Channel -86 million viewers) with Forbes Riley -The Two Billion Dollar Woman!

Jean will share how she helped her own homeschooled kids received FREE College, FREE grad school and FREE law school as well as tens…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Out-Of-The-Box U

So, you’re starting to figure out what your kids are super interested in, maybe even passionate about. (If you’re not quite there yet, check out yesterday’s post for some inspiration.)

Now what? Where do you go with this information, and how do you help your kids dive deep into their interests without having to remortgage your house?

There are awesome opportunities tucked away in hidden places…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Does Your Kid Have a "Thing?"

Does Your Kid Have a “Thing?”

A few years ago one of my children was celebrating a birthday. He had $50 to spend (a gift from a great grandparent), and he couldn’t figure out a way to spend more than $6 of it.

As he lapped the store, he would pick something up and carry it around for a while and then decide it wasn’t quite right and put it back. He asked me if I thought his G.G. (great-grandma) would be sad if he didn’t spend…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

7 Ways that Toys Can Make Summer Fun AND Meaningful

7 Ways that Toys Can Make Summer Fun AND Meaningful

It’s like a game of tug-of-war: kids want the summer to be all about the fun, and parents want the summer to be productive (even if only slightly). But what if it could be both?

Toys can be powerful tools in the lives of our kids. Here are seven ideas for using toys to maximize this summer’s fun, while helping our kids to learn and grow.

1. Ugly Doll Films

Got techie kids who love video games and…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Confessions of a Tea Party Hating Mom

Confessions of a Tea Party Hating Mom

“Mommy, want to have a tea party with me?”

Okay, here it is. It sounds ugly, but it’s the truth. My skin crawls at the sound of that question. I confess…I hate tea parties.

I also hate playing with Barbies or any dolls really. I don’t enjoy pretending to eat Play Doh creations. In fact, I pretty much despise most imaginary play.

And for a long time, it made me feel like a bad mom.

When my older…

View On WordPress

[jenniandjody]

Not All Play Is Created Equal

Not All Play Is Created Equal

When we were kids, most of our play was “open play” — a form of play which is primarily directed by the players. But for the most part, today’s play looks different than ours did, and our kids are worse off for it.

According to Tim Holliday, owner of Children’s Worldneighborhood toy store here in our hometown of Sarasota, open play means, “You take [a toy] out of the box, and it’s up to the child…

View On WordPress