Take Classes with me on Outschool! Plus, free $20 coupon for new families.

 

Hello, my dear followers! 💗 It seems like forever since Tyler was a toddler and I was writing activity posts for you! Tyler is now 11, I became a licensed mental health professional years ago, and am currently starting on a journey that has made me brilliantly happy...teaching on the international platform, Outschool!

Outschool has been a DREAM for me in that I can use my boundless creativity to create classes that I'm passionate about and love teaching, all with my own flexible schedule that lets me stay home with Tyler (who also takes classes)! Plus, of course, teaching children is something that makes my heart sing. Meeting and teaching students what I love from all over the world has been simply amazing. I would love to continue our parenting journey together and teach your beautiful children.  

Here you can find my profile and classes on Outschool. You can check out my ratings/reviews, see the current classes I'm teaching, and message me with class or time requests, or questions. I have a huge list of class ideas that I'm excited about, so subscribe to my teacher profile to find out what I'm teaching next! I currently have several one-time, ongoing weekly classes and camps based on focus/impulse control and relaxation skills, as well as a book club, a "nerdy knowledge" club for brainiacs, a plant show-and-tell for botanist kids, and a fun science experiment! There's so much more to come, especially for teens.  

If you're new to Outschool, you can try it out for free! As of today (they may end this deal eventually), this link will take you to Outschool where you'll obtain $20 in free classes when you sign-up and use the coupon within 30 days. No strings attached! There's never a subscription fee for Outschool. You don't even have to take my classes to get this deal. In addition, if you'd like 50% off of your first class with me, message me on Outschool and mention my blog and I'll refund you after you enroll! 

Here are some of my current classes!

My Outschool "Resume"

💜 Hello! I love learning and growing, and have a true passion for teaching and passing along what I know to children and teens. I've been doing it in various ways for over two decades! Outschool is the perfect way for me to do exactly what I love most. 

💙 I'm teaching classes around all aspects of mental health, from fun and engaging classes around impulse control, coping skills, growth-mindset, and self-esteem, to informative and interesting classes around mental health, to safe clubs for children with different diagnoses. 

💚 I will also be teaching classes and clubs around my own special interests and hobbies, and engaging children in fun learning activities that I've used in my decades of work with children. These topics will include Gardening, STEAM activities, local (to me) Virginia History, and Creative Writing. 


💛 I graduated college with dual four year degrees in Psychology and English, Creative Writing, also completing the Honor's Program. I am currently licensed in the state of Virginia as a Qualified Mental Health Professional with children.


🧡 I have most recently worked to support virtual public school learners in my home, providing before and after care with fun, educational STEAM and Reading activities. 

❤️ For eight years, I was both an Intensive In-home and TDT Counselor in public schools, supporting youth with severe behavioral challenges, anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc. 

💜 I successfully home-schooled my son. 

💙 I was a business owner and teacher of a Montessori-inspired preschool and have an internationally read blog on Montessori-inspired activities, featured in a book and many websites.

💚 In my earlier years, I worked as a beloved nanny for several families, and also as a daycare 
and wrap-around Kindergarten teacher. I loved creating educational activities for children!

💛 I have a wealth of experience with children who are Autistic, have ADHD, and/or Tourette Syndrome, so I have a vast amount of knowledge and experience with kids who are beautifully different. All are welcome! 


🧡 I love making positive connections with the children I teach. I believe that learning should be fun and I hope that I will inspire in my students a further curiosity about themselves, the world and people around them. I believe that learning is life-long and extends beyond the usual classroom. Many of the classes I teach are what I wish could be included in every public school child's education for the development of a mentally healthy and well-rounded youth!

❤️ In my spare time, I love hiking, vegetable and herb gardening, exploring new places, yoga, board games, art, reading, and acts of kindness. I love cooking but am terrible at baking! I have a kitty, Kennedy, who is 18.5 years old, which is 90 in human years! I've lived in four states and thirteen towns and cities -- I enjoy meeting new people and exploring different areas. My biggest dream is to somehow become terribly wealthy, travel the world, meet and learn from people from all different cultures!

Frozen II: Lessons in Healthy Emotional Growth and Relationships (for EVERYONE, not just the kids!)

After weeks of anticipation, I finally saw Frozen II, and as a mental health professional, was joyously taken aback over and over. From anxiety to the depths of depression, healthy relationships to the joy and healing powers of finding and being true to yourself, this film is beautifully packed with important messages and examples for viewers of any age. I was so moved, I felt compelled to talk about some of them here. If you haven’t seen the film yet, there are definitely SPOILERS below, so beware.

Let's kick it off with what I found to be the most shocking piece in the film. Depression and hopelessness...in a Disney movie? We’ve got it in Frozen II. Halfway through the movie, after dealing with some tough emotions stemming from her past, we see Anna in a black cave, crying and beaten down after seemingly losing Elsa and Olaf, and the writers allow her to stay for a bit in this dark, hopeless mental place. She states and shows her absolutely raw pain. This is reality for all of us at some point in our lives, it’s certain that we’ll be brought upon terrible times and moments, yet our society doesn’t often make it okay to feel that way, so many people hide away and suffer alone. In their solitude, some even take their lives. Anna seems to even be close to this, slumped against the cave wall, stating, “Hello darkness. I’m ready to succumb.” The fact that Frozen II allows children to see that it’s normal to be in a rough place is promising, then they also see how she starts to overcome. She can feel her feelings as they are, as we all should, but doesn’t give in to the dark. Slowly, step by step, she accepts that nothing will be the same again, rises-up to repeat a mantra (great coping skill) that all she can do is “make a choice” and take steps towards “the next right thing.” It’s a wonderful, realistic, and important moment. [Link to this song, because there's just so much good in there, on YouTube: The Next Right Thing]

Another scene where feelings are quite blatantly addressed is when Kristoff/Sven states “You feel what your feel, and your feelings are real. C'mon Kristoff, let down your guard.” This is especially powerful coming from a male character, even if Krisotff doesn’t do it directly, but through Sven. Society tends to raise boys to shut off their feelings or else be negatively labeled, leading to some pretty rough coping for them in hard times. This also leads to boys failing to communicate feelings straight through into adulthood, hurting their relationships, as well as themselves. I hope that plenty of boys will see this film and ingest the message that all feelings are normal and okay.

The idea that we can only control ourselves is clearly brought to light in this film. When Anna tells Elsa, “You are not responsible for their choices” around the history of the people of Arrendelle (or, as we discover, her grandfather), it’s such a true statement that most of us need to hear. We cannot control what others do, nor should we feel guilt for their choices. Thank you to the writers for sending this message to those who will watch this movie again and again and have that idea hopefully cemented into their mind. The idea that we are at fault for what others do (our children, etc.) causes unneeded pain for us all. In addition, the fact that Elsa and Anna did what they could to make things right, even if they weren’t the cause of the problem, was a lovely display of good character necessary for the health of today’s world. 

Frozen I and II are strong with female power, and though the relationship between Anna  and Kristoff is present and a good example of two healthy people, this story line isn't allowed to dominate. The main plot focuses on the development of the strong relationship between Elsa and Anna, and Elsa with herself. No fairytale romance focus here, as with the original Frozen, and it’s what we needed to continue to see. No love interest is more important than family and doing the right thing. Anna states and shows over and over that she believes fiercely in her sister and puts her first. It’s a strong example around staying strong and true to others. When Anna tells Elsa “You’ll always have me” we have no doubt that it’s true, because she continues to prove it, even in the most challenging times. It’s the reason Elsa can fully rise to her true self. May we all have at least one person with whom we serve that role, and at least one who plays it for us. 

Continuing with relationships, Kristoff and Anna are also a fantastic model for adults and children alike. Kristoff is clearly completely in love with Anna, as we see with his proposal attempts and heartfelt solo song in the forest, but it’s also a healthy love. Kristoff sees Anna as her equal, doesn’t need to control her, and lets her be herself and do as she feels she needs to. When he comes across Anna running from the Giants in the forest, he states, “I’m here. What do you need?” rather than trying to save the day, it shows the respect he has for her. He knows she doesn’t need him to take over unless she asks. He also states “My love isn’t fragile” and has no upset when Anna apologizes for leaving him in the forest because she felt the need to support her sister. Sure, he was sad and worried, but also knew that was normal and okay. In "Lost in the Woods" he sings "Again, you're gone, off on a different path than mine, I'm left behind . . . .You had to go, and of course it's always fine. I could probably catch-up with you tomorrow.' Relationship goals all over the place here. 

Elsa’s solitary scenes, when she’s about to figure out she is what she’s been looking for (and Elsa thereafter), were visually stunning and equally empowering. Elsa doesn’t need a romantic relationship to be whole and happy. She is focusing on herself and figuring out who she is. In today's world, it’s becoming more “acceptable” to not be in a relationship and to define yourself on your own, and Frozen II firmly supports the idea. Sometimes it can be best to develop our basic selves before throwing our lost and confused selves into a relationship. The fact that we have Elsa as a character to look up to in these ways can only make current, and upcoming generations of women, and our society in general, that much stronger.

In the Frozen films, we not only see the depths of depression, but anxiety as well. Since the first Frozen film, Elsa has been suffering from anxiety around her magic, and then the pressures of becoming Queen at a young age. I can’t recall another Disney “princess” who so clearly suffers from a mental disorder, but with over 18% of the population dealing with anxiety, I appreciate a strong character like Elsa demonstrating it. In Frozen II we see Elsa’s continued anxiety around being Queen, as well as trying to fit in as she’d like with her own family and friends (we see this discomfort in the charades scene). Her deep desires for freedom, and something better suited for her, conflict with the roles she’s expected to play. When Elsa decides to follow the mysterious voice, heads off on her own and pushes through challenges through the dark seas and beyond, she faces her fears head-on, discovers herself, and we see the anxiety melt away. Again, the message and example is an important one.     

Anxiety impacts our thoughts, and can cause our ideas and beliefs to become distorted, and this makes a quick but important appearance in film. In the moment where Elsa tells Olaf, “That’s just your fear. Fear is what can’t be trusted” it sent the message that in times when we’re afraid, we should check the validity of our feelings a little more closely. Anxiety lies.  Past trauma clouds our thinking when triggered. The only quote I have in my counseling office is, “Don’t believe everything you think.” It’s simple, yet deep, and incredibly true. Check and change your thoughts and you can change your behaviors, and therefore your life. It’s a lovely seed to plant in the mind of our children, and a reminder for many grown-ups. 

We see in Frozen II that it’s okay to grow and change, find your own path, and be in a place where you’re happiest and fit in best. This also isn’t always an easy journey, as the song “All is Found” near the end sings, “You had to get a little lost, on your way to being found.” Elsa knew in the beginning, “deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be,” but tries to fight the feeling, which we see was a mistake. Moving away from Arrendelle is a huge change for Elsa, and everyone, but she does what’s right for herself, and she has the support of those closest to her...because that’s love...letting others be free to be themselves.  This is one of my personal favorite realizations in my adult life, and I love that it’s here for children to normalize from a young age. Again, their “love is not fragile” -- they all understand that their feelings haven’t changed, despite being a bit physically far away. This security is a lovely model in a society today where families, and even spouses, aren’t always living in the same locality due to people living out their dreams, wherever they may lead them. 

Thank you to Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Robert Lopez for creating such an important piece of work supporting the healthy rise of future generations, as well as us adults in tow. This is a DVD that will be added to my collection not only for my son, but to use in my counseling with children, and to enjoy myself. Bravo!

Frozen 2 Official Website: https://frozen.disney.com/

Where have we been?! Where can you find us now?

Hello! So yes, it's been awhile, right?! I'm happy to report that Ty and myself are alive and doing very well. I'm currently a counselor to at-risk youth and their families 45+ hours a week, which has become one of my new passions. Balancing that with being a single mother to a very sweet, energetic child the last 2.5 years hasn't left me with much free time for the blogging world!

Another reason why I'm so busy is that we started homeschooling/unschooling this year! Tyler is in "Kindergarten" though his brain and development have been all over the place, so learning at home has been an easy solution to ensure that he's getting both the challenges that he needs and some special attention where he deserves it as well. It wasn't an easy decision to make, and truly a scary one at first, though I find it's working well for both of us. Teaching Ty is what I've been doing all along, so why not continue?!

While I'm not blogging, I've found it fast and simple to utilize Instagram to share our schooling journey, including some activities. You can find us at https://instagram.com/peanut.and.sunshine/ . If you wanted to peek at what we were doing before September, you can view our older Instagram as well by searching user name: Rougeurbleu.

Ty has been especially focused on the areas of Math, Science, and Geography this year. We've also been working on feeling identification and coping skills, as well as a good amount of physical activity (especially gymnastics), as I truly believe in developing the whole child, not just academics!

As always, you can also find activities (counseling activities included now as well) via my Pinterest boards: https://www.pinterest.com/peaceparenting/ It's amazing to see how many hits this blog continues to get, and so many of them are thanks to pinners on Pinterest!

I can't rule-out an occasional post about a topic or two here on this blog, so if you're following, you could certainly stay put. For now, I wish you all happiness and love, and perhaps I'll see you over on Instagram! :)

12 Activities Using Plastic Easter Eggs and Egg Cartons

Buy a bag of plastic eggs, save an egg carton, and BAM, you have fun, hands-on activities for your kids from age one to mid-elementary school!

 

Note: To make these activities Montessori-friendly, be sure to only provide exactly the right amount of eggs (i.e. 12 eggs for a dozen carton).

 

 

 

For the youngest set, simply putting eggs into the carton is enough! If you're playing with the child rather than letting them work alone, this is also a great time to name each color as they place them into the carton. This activity naturally works on 1:1 correspondence, though your child will likely have no idea they're learning early math concepts!

 

Depending on your child's counting interest and ability, have them count each egg as they place them, either using a dozen or 18 count egg carton. You could certainly also cut a carton in half  or thirds for just beginning to count. Another variation is to have them name each color as they place the eggs.

 

 

For color identification, have your child place all of just one color you've named into the carton.

 

As shown in the picture above of a similar activity, paint or use markers to color each individual cup and have your child match the eggs to the colors.

 

Paint color patterns into the cups for your child to recognize and place in order, saying the colors/pattern out loud. Use simple patterns for the younger child (i.e. blue, yellow, blue yellow), more complex patterns for those who are ready (i.e green, pink, blue, green, pink, blue) or even more complex for the child who needs more challenge (i.e. blue, yellow, yellow, green, blue, yellow, yellow, green). 

 

Give your child a pile of 12 opened eggs and let them match the tops and bottom to the same color. This works on matching as well as motor skills; getting those eggs together can be tricky (though maybe that's just my own fine motor deficit showing)!

 

 

Fill a carton of eggs with various colors and ask your child to tell you, for example, how many green eggs there are, how many blue eggs, etc.

 

In the photo above, Tyler is working on fractions. He has had a good understanding of these first and knows about numerators and denominators. I would ask him how many of a specific color there were and he would give me the answer in fraction form (3/12ths of the eggs are blue). For a beginner you could start with the top row full of one color and the bottom row filled with another to show about halves.

 

Ty has recently learned to count change, so to make it even more fun (not that the ability in itself isn't thrilling to a child), I put several coins in each eggs and let him count how much was in each. For a beginner you could put one penny or other coin they're familiar with skip counting by in each egg and have them count the total. For those who are more advanced, counting the total amount of change in the carton (each egg having several coins) is fun, either by hand or for those learning to use a calculator as well as decimal points.

 

Linking-up with mountains of great ideas at Living Montessori Now

 

 

 

Easter-inspired Math Meals!

 

Like many young children, Ty can be a pretty picky eater. Add to this some serious texture issues related to sensory quirks and you've got some major challenges. I'm often looking for ways to make eating more fun. While browsing the seasonal section of our local grocery store, I came upon these classic deviled egg trays...and had an a-ha moment!

Though it's been a while, some of you may remember that Tyler enjoys math. A lot. A lot, lot. The very idea of updating the huge amount of math we've covered truly makes my head spin. So, anyhow, using a Sharpie, I turned the tray into a clock! Tyler was instantly intrigued. He enjoys saying "I ate all of 1:00!" and enjoys eating his way around the clock, getting a good variety of foods as he goes. We've been doing this for a couple weeks now and it still works to make meals more fun for him!

For children not interested in or ready for the concept of clocks, you can simply use it for number recognition: "What food is in six?" or "What number are your beans in?". Of course the kiddos can help fill their tray as well: "Where do you think we could put your carrots? Two or three?" and then the child's task is to find that number and fill it. You could teach even and odd numbers to a child who's ready by, for example, placing fruit items in the even spots and vegetables in the odd. Or look at halves by making one half of the clock veggies and the other fruit. Hands-on math fun!

 

I should note that in order to fill the whole clock I often have to put the same food in two spots, but children who eat a wide variety of food (this is not Ty) could have little nibbles of everything. Kids love choices!

What do you do to make meal-time more fun and interesting? Please feel free to share in the comments!

  

Our New Montessori-Inspired Playroom

For anyone who's read through my previous posts on our Montessori-inspired home environment and thought "I don't have enough room for that!", this one's for you! If you've missed the others, this was our recent Montessori Preschool environment as well as our original Montessori Home.

Since moving in with relatives two months ago, we've had (as expected) much less space to work with. I can't say that I'm unhappy as we've been given our own bedroom, bathroom and this room to use as a playroom (and they're all conveniently right next to each other), but it was a challenge nonetheless to fit what usually sprawled all over the house into mostly one room! This is what I've done and I have to say I'm much more pleased that I imagined I would be (plus a free place to stay while we get back on our feet is a blessing no matter what)!


I was able to fit three shelves against one wall, currently holding geography, literacy, science, math (okay the whole middle shelf is math as that's still his main focus), puzzles, sensorial items, blocks and some pretend play (which he isn't that into these days, showing imagination with verbal stories etc).


This window makes the entire room for me. Natural light makes me feel so alive! I of course didn't wish to block the windows with furniture, so I lined his book baskets underneath. One basket is for books I know for sure he can read completely on his own, and another is full of math related books. The rest are a mix though I'd like to make one full of books by the same author or illustrator. There are also some three and five pound weights pictured there. Both his father and I do cross fit (me just as home for now) so he's definitely imitating that and wanting to be "strong" like us and enjoys lifting weights.


I've set-up our Weather Center here in this window with an outdoor thermometer, and indoor thermometer as well as our old cards and laminated weather board printed free from Montessori Print Shop.


I'm pretty sure I'll never get rid of this overstuffed chair. We spend so much time here snuggled under blankets and reading. Yet another basket of books is pictured here as well and is where we keep our library books.


Another view...plus a little boy with bed head doing some early morning reading.


This corner holds his favorite games (rotated often as everything is), musical instruments, his old journals from last year which he enjoys reading, and a cd player with books on cd from the library and music cd's. The cd player gets a tremendous amount of use.


Ty isn't one to do work at a table very often, but his play doh gets a lot of use here. It was originally on a shelf downstairs for use at this other table, but he insisted the play doh come up to the playroom where we spend the majority of our time. He still enjoys his chalkboard and reading the date and any other messages or pictures I've left him here. A basket with softer balls and scarves is available for large motor play, though he often prefers doing headstands in the chair or jumping and somersaulting off of it for his indoor physical activity (yes, I'm rather liberal with such things...he's way too active to deny him).


Another view of the room. I created the number wall cards myself with cardstock and number templates found online (this was a while ago so forgive me for not having a link). This morning he wanted to work in a numbers workbook I bought him for fun for his birthday. I'm not too into workbooks for learning, but this is just fun practice working with what he already knows and helps him practice writing small and on lines, something he could work on (though I'm not too concerned about this at age three unless he is).


Another view. Here Ty is putting some cling-on decorations onto the window. I recently bought some Crayola window crayons for him that crystallize in the sun and can't wait to try them out!

Downstairs in the dining room there are shelves with toys that are best used on the kitchen floor (the rest of the house is carpeting other than the small bathrooms) such as cars and floor puzzles and the game Twister, as there's simply more room to play it in the living and dining room areas.


On his larger table, which sits in the kitchen, there are several mediums for drawing, writing and art as well as paper and a chalkboard/wipeboard. I am soon putting together all of his craft supplies in a nearby storage container. He isn't too into art other than paining these days, but his morning nanny (I've recently needed to return to work of course, being a single mom now) is an art major so she may be able to come up with some neat ideas that he's interested in!

We will likely be moving to our own place by the summer so look forward to yet another post on our Montessori-inspired environment coming soon. I have to say I enjoy creating these spaces!

Our Montessori Home Preschool

Before circumstances forced me to move out of state last month, I ran a small Montessori-inspired preschool in my home, Montessori Minds. It isn't easy starting a preschool and being the sole owner, advertiser, environment, handbook and contract creator, researcher, bookkeeper, teacher, shopper, janitor etc, but it was my dream long ago to have my own school, and even though I only ran the school for six months, it was worth it! I loved what I did, the children truly enjoyed coming to school, and parents (who soon became my closest friends in the area), were thrilled. I miss it and the children (some shown here with permission) terribly, but seeing that the first post on our Montessori home over year ago is still so popular, I am happy to show and perhaps inspire my readers with this environment as well.

I regret the quality of the photos. I was only able to utilize my phone during this time.


These were our Montessori and Montessori-inspired work shelves. From left to right: Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics and Literacy. Work rugs were in a bin on the left and a work table to the right. I handmade the number wall cards with cardstock. I purposely made the odd and even numbers different colors and graduated the shades.
 
It amazed me how quickly the children often remembered to work on a rug and return materials to the shelf, and were truly delighted in remembering to do so. This photo was from just the first couple weeks when they were getting the hang of it after several demonstrations (the room configuration was different here as well). Kids love when everything has it's place. Great confidence builder!


Left to Right: Tomas the cat (beloved class pet!), Building/block area with lots of room to build and carefully selected materials (think Wedgits, Twig blocks, unit blocks), Music Center, Games and Puzzles shelves. There were boards the children could lay on the carpet to make building easier and less frustrating.


Montessori-inspired works, activities and toys that children lacked an interest with were rotated out frequently and replaced with other items. Shopping daycare closing sales and consignment stores allowed me to keep a large closet full of wooden, quality items cheaply!


Another view of our music, games and puzzles area as well as our Calendar (wipe off version), Weather Center (cards and board free here from Montessori Print Shop), and chalkboard. Not pictured was a large corkboard with clothespins glued to it for children to display their artwork. Inside the closet they kept their coats, shoes, and each had a large, labeled drawer at their level where they could easily access their own clothes, bedding etc.


This room (traditionally the dining room) was for (from left to right) our Art Center, Writing and Pretend Play. Our cultural box from Japan sat on the bottom of the art shelves and a world and USA map hung from the walls along with laminated photos of people from all over the world (created easily in this post). The table was used for free art, offered art and science projects, as well as snack and pretend play.

 
Lots of space to spread out and explore our Japan Box.


This was our reading area, with plenty of books with on array of topics and favorite authors, including easy readers, seasonal books and library books that covered each child's current interests.


They loved sitting in the cozy chair solo or together, reading to each other or each engrossed in their own book. A child-sized rocker was available, but who can resist an overstuffed chair? I certainly can't!

Sidenote: I loved that the entire school was visible to me from anywhere I was, including when in the kitchen. This was a townhome that really worked out for the purpose of a small school! In case you're curious, we used on of the bedrooms (upstairs) as a media room with the television, couch etc. Utilizing your living room as a play space may work if you feel you need space and are willing to be a bit non-traditional.




Our outdoor area was just as important as indoors. We utilized a sandbox, water table, trikes and bikes, slide, balls of all sorts, ball hockey equipment, bowling, baseball, monster stompers, golf etc and as you can see, we did messy play like shaving cream and painting (with feet) outdoors in the summer!

My crew often went on bike rides or walks around the neighborhood and into the woods to explore, discovering all sorts of bugs and claw marks from bears on the trees. We were playing out back one day when we heard construction vehicles and went on a walk to investigate (shown above). We were often finding different kinds of workers around the neighborhood to excitedly observe. There are plenty of learning experiences that you can't simulate in a classroom or even with books!

We often brought our work table outdoors for snack during our summer session. Nothing like relaxing with the sound of birds and scampering of squirrels in the fresh air while you enjoy a healthy nibble!


We also utilized a large field with a hill nearby where the children simply ran, raced each other, played games like duck-duck-goose, and they were exceptionally good at finding caterpillars, as shown here.They were a sweet group who truly loved creatures big and small.


Until perhaps another day and place in my life, goodbye Montessori Minds. It's an absolute thrill to do what you love!


If you're following along on Mobile, you may not see my links. You can get updates and follow our journey through:

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