Gosh, I finished this so long ago that I already barely remember anything more about it than I found some of it helpful? I really need to get better aGosh, I finished this so long ago that I already barely remember anything more about it than I found some of it helpful? I really need to get better about marking stuff finished on here when I actually finish!...more
This one gave me a lot to think about, and it definitely gave me many good excuses to get rid of a lot of toys people have given us that I hate or thaThis one gave me a lot to think about, and it definitely gave me many good excuses to get rid of a lot of toys people have given us that I hate or that our kids never really play with. We went through and took most of the stuff out of our kids’ rooms, with their help, and they really have been very happy playing with a small number of things, plus it’s so much easier to clean up at the end of the day! Now if only this ice storm would end so we can get all that stuff we don’t need anymore out of our house!
I’m still thinking about some of the other things Payne talks about, like simplifying meals (yes, I need this!), but figuring out how to implement them takes time.
Also, I’m still not 100% convinced that simplifying fixes everything. But I am 100% on board with finding ways to make things seem more manageable in our very small house, and if that helps the kids feel better too, it’s a bonus for sure!...more
Soooooo…I dunno. I picked this up on a whim while at the library because we’re definitely in the pretty much zero screen time category at this point iSoooooo…I dunno. I picked this up on a whim while at the library because we’re definitely in the pretty much zero screen time category at this point in time. But there were very few ideas in here that I thought my kids would be interested in, and the rest seemed so obvious I really didn’t need a book for them: Play train! Pretend to cook! Blow bubbles! Play with play dough! Make a tent!
Anyway, I wrote down a couple of things, but I sort of finished it feeling like…okay, we’re already doing most of these things, so now what? And I guess now what is I put on my children’s programming hat and be less lazy about planning activities? Ugh. Or I let my three year old take over and we just play lawn mowing construction team every day…...more
So, we have had very good results with this method with our very almost three-year-old. We’ve hit a few minor snags here and there, but overall it’s gSo, we have had very good results with this method with our very almost three-year-old. We’ve hit a few minor snags here and there, but overall it’s gone amazingly smoothly, which I honestly did not expect—even at night! Will definitely try starting about a year earlier with kid number two though.
Anyway, even though at times the author annoyed me a bit, for the most part I enjoyed the humor and found the majority of her reasoning sound, though I do question a few things she asserts to be true. We’ll probably use this book again when it’s time. ——- It’s time again, wish us luuuuuuuck! ——- Soooooo, day 1: AMAZINGLY well. It’s day 2 I’m worried about though! ——- And yeah…I think at this point (one week later) it’s safe to say that this method has worked well for us again. Our second is incredibly stubborn at times, so we were really worried that he would just…refuse. Instead he’s picked it up quickly and though he does have his belligerent moments, her advice on just sort of putting it in his hands and walking away totally works on him, and over all the whole process has been pretty darn painless! I still think some of the stuff Glowacki says is total nonsense, but whatever. I’m just glad not to have to buy and carry around diapers anymore!...more
My mother-in-law saw this somewhere and grabbed it just in case it might come in handy for helping Elijah learn how to read. There might be some helpfMy mother-in-law saw this somewhere and grabbed it just in case it might come in handy for helping Elijah learn how to read. There might be some helpful activities—I’ll definitely try to give it a fair shake—but WOW is it dated! Husband/wife relations seem to come straight from the 1950s and are kind of weird and gross. That’s making it really hard for me to focus on the actual learning methods, but other people seem to be swearing by it?
I’m really not feeling any pressure whatsoever to teach my kids to read by a certain year or whatever, I mostly just want to be able to help them learn whenever they’re interested and ready. I like that this does at least seem to have the goal of making it fun for the kids. Will it be fun for me as an adult to read far enough to get to that point? We shall see…...more
I definitely got some good ideas from this book, but I didn’t always agree with Bogart, and I did sometimes find her writing...irritating. I hate whenI definitely got some good ideas from this book, but I didn’t always agree with Bogart, and I did sometimes find her writing...irritating. I hate when people write things like, “Go do this thing I’m telling you to do. I’ll wait!” Does anyone ever actually get up and go do that thing right then? I’m betting no. But I still did like her general view of homeschooling, for the most part.
I can see myself possibly revisiting this book somewhere down the line, if this is the route we end up taking, but for now, I’ll just keep in mind what might work for a slightly-less-than-2-year-old....more
I get the idea that I should maybe have started with other books of Louv’s first? This one definitely has tons of ideas, but it’s so broad that I feltI get the idea that I should maybe have started with other books of Louv’s first? This one definitely has tons of ideas, but it’s so broad that I felt like only a relatively small portion could actually apply to my family, and probably more later on than now in the very early months of having a toddler. Might be worth looking at again in a couple of years, though.
That said, I definitely agree with the whole idea of kids (and adults!) spending as much time outside as possible, and I do feel like Louv makes plenty of good points about why. But he was kind of preaching to the choir here....more
I just started this today and am only a couple chapters in and have already recoiled in horror several times. I do not identify with Arment in a numbeI just started this today and am only a couple chapters in and have already recoiled in horror several times. I do not identify with Arment in a number of ways, and it’s always a big turnoff when an author presumes to tell me how I feel or what I think or how I respond in a given situation and books that are written in this way super piss me off. But I’m willing to keep going and see if there’s any actually useful information further in? ————— Okay, so. Over all, this book has a lot of super helpful information, and is mostly inspiring and contains some really good ideas. But I still found Arment’s voice irritating, and I wish it were more inclusive of fathers who might be involved in their child(ren)’s homeschooling (they get a brief note of thanks in the second chapter and then the entire rest of the book is all “Wild + Free mama” this and “Wild + Free mama” that. Also... Sometimes it seems very clear that her family has a lot more money than mine does when she’s like, “my kid loves piano and practices at the baby grande in our living room.” What the? I do not know anyone who lives like this. So that certainly made it harder for me to see myself in the homeschooling lifestyle she describes.
I dunno, all of this is theoretical down-the-line maybes anyway, but I guess I do feel like homeschooling might be possible after reading this book, just kind of in a different way than she describes it. And I’m glad I finally (sort of) know what the hell a “living book” is (eventually defined after about ten previous mentions as if that’s a term just everyone should know)!...more
I found plenty of this information helpful, in that a lot of it was stuff I was already trying to do, but I also found that in some ways the MontessorI found plenty of this information helpful, in that a lot of it was stuff I was already trying to do, but I also found that in some ways the Montessori methods described here are not quite what I believe in. So I’m glad I read it, and I learned a few things I will definitely use, but some of the philosophies about learning are just a little too extreme for me (Don’t ever ask your child something you’re not absolutely sure they know the answer to or it will hurt their self esteem? Only realistic books until they’re like 6? Too late! Way too late!). It’s also a little more structured than I prefer. But I can appreciate the general idea. ...more
I like the ideas behind this book a ton, and there are a lot of practical instructions on things you can do in your own yard...if you have a ton of spI like the ideas behind this book a ton, and there are a lot of practical instructions on things you can do in your own yard...if you have a ton of space, and trees, and access to natural materials, and are comfortable with DIY-ing sort of major projects. I mostly just feel intimidated. But I guess this book is food for thought?...more
Welp, yeah. This definitely confirmed for me that we're doing the right thing spending as much time as possible outside with our toddler, but I was alWelp, yeah. This definitely confirmed for me that we're doing the right thing spending as much time as possible outside with our toddler, but I was already pretty convinced of the benefits before picking this book up. Like others have said, I wanted more of the practical side of things.
Hanscom does give a (very) few examples of loose parts and why they're important, but I could have used more specifics there. Also, so many of her examples are geared towards hanging out in the woods by a stream with rolling hills and big rocks, and what if you don't really have that nearby? She does sort of point to spending time in your yard or in a park, but I definitely came away with the feeling that that is vastly inferior, as well as feeling like it's bad that my toddler isn't spending 6-8 hours outside every single day. So I guess I wish this were a little more helpful for those of us who are not in the position of being able to send their child off to forest school every day.
There are clearly tons of benefits to children who have ample outside time, but Hanscom also makes it sound like just spending enough time outside in free play with other kids is enough to cure all behavioral and attention issues, as well as issues like myopia and clumsiness. And I do believe that in some cases, maybe even most cases. But she definitely does not even hint that there could be other causes for these problems than that kids are spending too much time inside looking at screens.
All that said, this is a quick, engaging read, and it did make me think a lot more about how we might want to handle school when it's time for that, as well as how we can make our toddler's current outside time on the weekends more exploratory. So...recommended, but with caveats!...more
I guess...this just wasn’t really what I expected it to be? I am fairly new to parenting books, but so far I have been pretty disappointed in the compI guess...this just wasn’t really what I expected it to be? I am fairly new to parenting books, but so far I have been pretty disappointed in the complete lack of practical advice in books with “How” in the title. I mean, I guess if you want to be nitpicky, in this case the how is in the subtitle, but either way I found this book to be more about the why and about the author’s issues with the evangelical church, which, okay, fair point, but it wasn’t what I was looking for is all.
That said, I do agree with the author on a lot of things, and I appreciate a view of Christianity that is more open than is traditional, but...I just really wanted more depth, I think. A lot more depth....more
Sooooooo, my mother-in-law's best friend gave me this book, which was super thoughtful of her, but...wow, I can't do it. There is actually some decentSooooooo, my mother-in-law's best friend gave me this book, which was super thoughtful of her, but...wow, I can't do it. There is actually some decent advice in here, but it's also very steeped in stereotypes, and the way it's written is so obnoxious and condescending and presumptuous and gross to me, starting with the introduction:
"You've always dreamed of having that precious little daughter--one who is a little replica of you. You dream of the close relationship you'll have as mother and daughter, watching her taking her first step, buying her first tutu for her ballet recital, arranging her hair for her first date... (Nope, never really dreamed of having kids for the vast majority of my life, and the times I did think about it, I definitely imagined a boy, and I definitely, definitely never wanted a little replica of myself--ew! And ALSO, ballet and hair arranging, yay, these are clearly the best girl things!)
"And then you show up at the doctor's office for your sonogram. (Again, nope! Not every mom does this.)
"'What's that?' you say, pointing at a little something you can't quite place on the blurry black-and-white image.
"And the doc says, 'That's a penis.' (I have never been able to even discern a baby in sonogram images, how on earth would I manage to spot a penis?)
"You frown, not understanding. 'My daughter's got a penis?' (WHY IS HE MAKING ME SOUND LIKE SUCH AN IDIOT???)"
This is how the book begins, and by the end of the first page in the book I already wanted to throw it out the window. I did force myself to read a little farther, and have flipped around among later chapters to see if maybe once he's past the intro stuff it gets a little less annoying, but sadly it does not.
As I said earlier, there are some good pointers, although almost all of the ones I'm thinking of (don't let your child get away with murder, don't tell your kids that talking about sex or their sexual organs is bad and should not be done, don't let your emotions get the better of you when dealing with your kid's misbehavior) really apply to any child, not just boys.
And on the other hand, he comes down pretty darn heavily on the side of women should be stay at home moms, and does so in the most patronizing way.
I still want to throw this book out the window....more
Soooo...yeah. This just wasn't what I wanted it to be, I guess. It's SO much background info and reasons for why you want you kids to spend time in anSoooo...yeah. This just wasn't what I wanted it to be, I guess. It's SO much background info and reasons for why you want you kids to spend time in and love nature, but I already knew almost all of this stuff, so it felt really tedious. I wanted waaaaay more of the "How to..." and way less of the justifications for it.
I picked this up because my then 6-month-old son accidentally rolled into the grass on the patio and had a complete melt-down about it and then I of course freaked out and was like, "Oh no! My kid hates grass! What do I do?" Okay, it wasn't really that extreme (he definitely did panic, but sometimes he panics when someone coughs, so). But it did make me think about the fact that I love being outside, I love animals, I love astronomy and weather and camping and plants and the ocean...and I want him to love those things too, and to care about protecting the natural world.
I guess I really wanted something that tells you how to introduce your child to nature at an early age. What kind of activities do I do with a now 7-month-old to get him interested in the world around him? This book does cover getting kids out into nature at different ages, but mainly starting at like, 5 or 6, I think. I personally feel like it's probably good to start earlier, but I don't 100% know how, other than spending a lot of time outside, putting him in the grass on a blanket in a patch where there is no dog poo (hard to find) and letting him explore that way, and bringing his bathtub outside for water play. There might be bits and pieces like that in this book, but there's just SO. MUCH. INFORMATION to wade through.
I think it also sort of annoyed me how it's so many personal examples. Like, look at me, here's how I did it and my kid's amazing! Aren't I the perfect dad and coyote mentor? It just felt off-putting to me. Parenting books are irritating!
I guess I can see this book working for someone who doesn't really know much about why nature is important, only...are those the people who are picking up a book called How to Raise a Wild Child? I'm not convinced....more
Our doctor said to start feeding our 4-month old food, so naturally I freaked out and put every baby food book in the library on hold. This is the firOur doctor said to start feeding our 4-month old food, so naturally I freaked out and put every baby food book in the library on hold. This is the first one I looked at, and...what the hell? The first recipe is for peas with bone broth, butter and sea salt. Uh...okay? The next one is for carrots with tallow or lard and sea salt. The third one is for zucchini and marrow with bone broth and sea salt. This is cleeeeeearly not the book for me. First of all, vegetarian. Second of all, even before that, tallow and lard and bone broth and marrow are not things that have ever been in my house. Thirdly, I mean...I thought I was just supposed to squish up bananas or something? This stuff all just seems fancy and complicated, which I DEFINITELY do not have the time or energy for right now.
There are some family recipes that look pretty good, but they look like regular cookbook type recipes, so I'm not sure what they're doing in a baby food book. Really the baby section is only about a third of the book.
If this book works for you, like it obviously does some, awesome! I do not get it though. I'm sending it back to the library and will keep looking for something less meat fatty and more simple....more
Okay, to be honest, I haven't completely read the whole book yet, but our baby is only 2 weeks old, so I just read everything through the newborn sectOkay, to be honest, I haven't completely read the whole book yet, but our baby is only 2 weeks old, so I just read everything through the newborn section and then skipped past the older kid stuff to the adult bits at the end.
I feel like a lot of this makes sense, and while there's not much we can really work on for a few more weeks, there are some things I'm trying now (taking him outside first thing in the morning--although he squeezes his eyes shut and refuses to look--dimming the lights at night, checking to see whether he just wants his paci reinserted when he cries before jumping straight to picking him up and feeding him), and I'll definitely be looking back at this next month to see where to go once he's 6-8 weeks.
Pretty helpful so far, only in what the heck year was this written? Let the father bond with the baby, and even change a diaper or two? Uhhhhh...I donPretty helpful so far, only in what the heck year was this written? Let the father bond with the baby, and even change a diaper or two? Uhhhhh...I don't think so. This is MY baby! ALL MINE!!!!!!
Sooo...I wrote the above at like 3 weeks or something, but by this point we've pretty much abandoned this book. Every now and then I'll remember that we have it and pick it up and try to figure out what on earth week we're on now at almost 8 months, but I'm finding it less helpful and more duh these days. I think partly because of the weird way they include stuff that's not really related developmentally? It'll be more like general info that they just put in wherever, and by the time we see it we're like, well, thanks, that would have been really helpful to know 17 weeks ago when we were figuring it out on our own!
That said, the information is good. I just struggle with the organization. And also with general laziness--it's just easier to internet things I have questions about, ha....more
Is it a valid critique of this cookbook that there aren't enough pictures? Probably not, since most of the book consists of purees, which I imagine alIs it a valid critique of this cookbook that there aren't enough pictures? Probably not, since most of the book consists of purees, which I imagine all look exactly the same, other than a few variations in color.
So, I checked this out before a baby appeared, and I think it looks pretty good? We're a long way from needing to think about baby food other than formula, but I guess the beauty of this is that in theory I could always make a bunch now and just freeze it for later. If I had any room in my freezer, that is, which I don't. Although now that I think about it a friend once showed me her filing system of purees and they were all in flat plastic baggies and could be stored upright once frozen and it was pretty genius. So maybe that? I dunno.
I did like that MIddleberg mentions all the different options for feeding your baby and includes recipes and/or suggestions of not just purees, but also appropriate foods if you want to go the baby-led weening route instead, as well as recipes for meals that will appeal to toddlers.
It's a very thorough book and I definitely don't have the energy to devote to it right now, mid-newborn sleep deprivation and all, and also all my library books are overdue so it will have to go back so my account can be unblocked (thanks for saving me, Nina!!!). But possibly in a month or so, once I've maybe figured out this whole baby thing a little better than I have now and still have some time before I go back to work I will think about checking it out again and giving a few things a try....more
This was a baby shower gift that I'm trying to work my way through. I find Karp really off-putting, and I definitely agree so far that this should havThis was a baby shower gift that I'm trying to work my way through. I find Karp really off-putting, and I definitely agree so far that this should have been 20-page pamphlet or something--it's soooooo bloated with repetition and filler and the tooting of his own horn.
BUT I did try swaddling my overly-tired-and-therefore-wired-and-angrily-flailing 2-week-old, cradling him against me on his side, and whisper-shouting "SHHHHH!" as loud as I could next to his ear, and it totally worked. So, there's that? But it felt real weird to be whisper-shouting at my newborn baby and really I feel like a better solution would be to just figure out how to keep him from getting overly tired in the first place.
I think this book does have some useful info, but the format kind of enrages me....more
I really like Erin Gleeson's cookbooks--the recipes really are super simple, and the books are just so pretty! This one has a few repeats from other cI really like Erin Gleeson's cookbooks--the recipes really are super simple, and the books are just so pretty! This one has a few repeats from other cookbooks of hers, but it's still a very fun collection of really basic recipes. I also like the idea of kids just making French radishes for fun. I mean, it totally sounds like something I would have been into as a kid (if I hadn't been obsessed with spinach with mayonnaise instead)....more
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