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Are you a new unschooling mum? Would you like to be ? Here is 3 things you should know. one This is you and your families life Nobody else or nobody's opinions matter, As a unschooling parent you will most likely hear others negativity about your lifestyle choices, I can guarantee every unschooling parent has one way or another heard it! I have heard -how will they get a job if they don't learn anything aren't home-schooling kids dumb, and laughed at - Once you see past the fact and shrug of those comments ,once you stop trying to explain and let others affect your parenting choices,once you accept that everyone will have their own opinions ,some are on board and understanding, and others not so open minded .You begin to realise that who really gives a crap what they say or think , embrace your unschooling journey , live outside the box and follow your heart , because unschooling really works, and your child deserves a better childhood then filling in textbooks and studying for tests their whole young lives. Two trust takes time Trusting your child, and trusting the unschooling philosophy takes time. You will have them days, just like most unschooling parents when you think to yourself - are they learning,? am I doing this right?, or omg what have I done?. The beautiful part of unschooling and natural learning is that when your child is ready and only then will they learn certain things, and like most things that takes time.You have to trust that in time all that is necessary for your child to learn and what they need to make their life's more comfortable ( reading, writing simple maths, geology everything they are interested in - will be learnt ) Trusting that the path of unschooling - which is allowing your child to learn how and what they want at their own pace, does not happen overnight, a reminder every now and then to yourself, that time is not important for learning , as learning is a never ending thing-will help you get through those days. Three LEARNING OPORTUNITIES ARE ALL AROUND US Natural learning ( unschooling) is unlike formal learning or following curriculums, Why? because being a Unschooling parent you start to understand that learning is happening all of the time, not just in those so called learning places or in textbooks. You begin to realise that Learning opportunities come from your everyday living , chores, maths,shops that day at the beach , video game playing , markets. You begin to see the hidden learning that comes in many shapes and forms from just living each day naturally, and getting on with whatever happens in daily life . You notice your childs questions when they become curious about something, you notice how many subjects life skills cover, and you begin to notice that learning opportunities are always around you - from this modern world and modern time we are in, learning is happening one way or another. Before the school system was created, every child got on fine, learning what they needed to learn from their natural surroundings, and from their natural learning abilities The same as our primal ancestors and hunter-gather tribes allowed their child to self educate : naturally learn " . The modern world is full of new technology where you can learn anything and everything from a click of a finger, you read signs and labels and media content daily, you do maths at shops, on gaming software and in daily life skills. Everything your child will need to learn to suit them for our future and our culture - they are naturally surrounded by.

As a unschooling parent the greatest reward is knowing that my child can and does learn naturally without school - EXAMPLES SHOWN BELOW So of course the top question everyone asks when you tell them your children are unschooled, is .. WTH were you thinking !! no they say... What are you serious, but how do they learn ? It comes as such a shock to them that yes ! In fact children do learn without being forced to sit at a desk 5 days a week, follow a planned lesson and without the use of textbooks. In a unschooling world children are free to play and pursue whatever interests they might have, lets say they enjoy playing Roblox, - like I have mentioned in my previous posts all the subjects Roblox covers while your child is playing, As they get better and more in-depth with their curiosity for the game, they begin to research using YouTube and google on how -to videos, hacks they can use,or how they can make their own game in roblox,ect -they begin to message friends on the game and for all this they need to spell and read , if they are unsure how to spell certain words they will come to you and ask how you spell it, - you spell it out - They type it in . If they are not sure what a word or sentence says, they will come to you, and you read it out for them ,they begin to remember and with whatever your child does in the day , some learning is developing and over time it all advances there is 2 ways that a unschooling child learns one learning develops from natural curiosity for something your child actually enjoys doing .In order to enjoy their curiosity your child will advance their learning skills .They will begin to research, ask questions , watch videos , copy work, and turn to you for help to further their enjoyments (meaning maybe they want a new microphone and webcam for their birthday so they can start to create their own YouTube gaming videos( my daughter last birthday), or maybe they want new paints and art pads so they can test their creative skills (my daughter this Christmas that just past 2021) or maybe like this year for my daughters birthday she wants a sewing machine, so she can have a go at making some textiles.(As she has lately been sketching her own clothing dress designs from time to time. and also she has been watching YouTube videos of making things, like a girl who makes rugs? rugs yes I know.) But this is her interests, and so from all her above curiosities she has learnt a variety of new skills and gained alot of new learning tools, two learning happens from daily life living, throughout each day their is always learning that your child is doing and its happening subconsciously. like reading price tags, labels, instructions, advertisement signs, media text , watching different youtube viral videos , lego building , gardening,chores,pocket money,pretend play,listening to the news,over hearing conversations, on outings.asking the time,talking on phone calls and so on.Next time when your at the beach notice how your child observes the waves, builds a sandcastle, collects specimens , observes the rockpools,picks up little sea creatures,runs,climbs,flips. This is all learning and each of these things covers subjects. There is a never ending variety of learning tools in this modern environment that your child uses in daily life. what should my child be learning , -you ask? Forget everything you have ever been taught , children do not need to know what verbs, nouns, or adjectives are , children do not need to know algebra, they do not need to know about ancient Rome or need to know other pointless things they teach in school , do you know why? Because none of the stuff we were taught at school, are needed in our real lifes as adults, when have we ever been to a job interview and they ask so do you know what a verb is? or what is the capital city of Australia. The thing is ,If there ever comes a time when we do need certain " subjects" for say a job, - or we become interested in certain topics. We do our own research ,then in that moment ! - when we need to use it ! not 15 years earlier when we were at school, where we have forgotten all that we were taught .Thats what unschooling and the natural learning path is all about ,learning when the time suits you, when you are passionate and curious . Thats how learning as a unschooler works. You learn only what you need , to enjoy your life comfortably. Your child should learn whatever they are interested in, whatever they need for their own life's ,forget what you were taught ,embrace the natural learning path your child is on what if they are behind ? Every child learns at different stages some learn to read and write at the age of 4 some after 13, some learn their times tables by the age of 8 and some never do.It doesn't matter how or when a child learns- as learning is a never ending thing.Maybe the question instead of asking what if they are behind ?, should be , do they really need to be learning this at all? or at this age? I mean does a 8 year old really to to be able to fluently read.why? So just trust your child that when the time comes, they will learn what is necessary to them , hey who knows they may even be a young adult when they decide they need to use it. so when our unschooling journey started near the end of 2020 - I wrote down some notes of each of my childrens learning abilities This is what I wrote for my youngest son then 5yo in kindergarten June 2020 Huey-Hayes learning to use and navigate his way through technology ( iphone,xbox) can count to 17 - confuses after with 80 ect , can not read numbers knows simple math in the 1 digits , 2+3=5 ect learning to spell his own name doesnt know what alphabet letters are / nor any reading or writing skills doesn't know any time,money skills doesnt understand left from right, what first or last means starting to join in with family convos loves to roleplay magic, superheros end of year/start of new year reflection report 2020/2021 Huey has shown interest in money he know knows 100c = $1 , he knows his $1,$2 ,50c 20c ,10c and 5c he can now count past 50 can tell me what most numbers are between 1-10,also some various 2 digit number , 15, 31 ect ( he is able to write them down aswell) he knows his left from right he now knows the difference between the beginning of the line the end of the line start and finish , he know 1st 2nd and 3rd place meanings he can write his own name,know the letters H and U , and knows the letters x, y,a and d as this are on xbox controller he has learnt to swim while going to beach and surfing learning different underwater sea creatures and mammal names from his toy collection he loves playing with , hump back whale, blue whale , reef shark ,octopus ect always asks questions, loves roleplaying superheros (drama) - directs me and gives me lines to do and say. end of year reflection 2021 Huey can add double digits as well as large multiplications together , his maths has advanced incredibly over the last year he can easily and fastly add 22+35 etc and 1000+200+55 etc together he can read out large numbers in correct place value th h t o / 1245 counts way over 100 can add his money together 50c + 20c+ 5c = 75 etc he can now read tags at shops in correct decimal $1.89 = 1 dollar and 89 cents starting to know small 2x tables ( doubles ) he can read analog clocks , does not yet know meaning of half past quarter to etc he loves playing Minecraft and can navigate and build all by himself on Xbox and iphone, can set phone stop watches , check weather apps , download apps ( almost completely can navigate on phone himself ) knows almost every letter in alphabet from sight, still can not write them all tho knows how to write mum, dad, hi,bad,mad,hulk gun,huey no real reading skills yet starting to understand the world, has different countries , and different states inside those countries like Australian states NSW TAS ect has been finding his own gems ,rocks and crystals , knows words like amethyst , quarts, slate ,bedrock, gravel , knows his 10 % , knows his 50% are the same as half of , can tell me almost every question i ask related to them (beginning to understand divided by 2 and x2 are like the same. He has also learnt alot from our adventures exploring the wild , being amongst nature and has learnt alot of random facts about animals and real life living from YouTube videos - he will come and share these facts with me and teach me knew things- like dogs have more bones then humans ,a fresh water snail kills 20.000 people a year or other interesting things. He has learned alot of great life skills,how to use power tools, chores, baking ,feeding the dogs ,skateboarding, and so on . One thing I have noticed also is just how much confidence and happy he has become .He communicates and joins into our conversations, he has his own thoughts and opinions, He always cracks some bloody funny jokes and he is just the sweetest thing always telling me how much he loves me ! its about the journey , the learning path they take is up to them so - That is some of the things I recorded from the start of our unschooling journey July 2020 to the end of Dec 2021 - you can see their just how much my son has naturally learned, he has not done any lessons, no textbooks, I have not forced him to learn anything.Everything he has learnt and done is up to him. - As you can see he is more advanced in his maths skills then his english , and thats completely fine - when he is ready , I know he will get there. Check out my how we unschool posts, to see work examples He has learnt through playing and enjoying his childhood, what he learns and when he learns it , is completely up to him.

As a Unschooling mum , I love when my child comes to me and asks a question, do you know why? Why because it reminds me of why I wanted to embrace the Unschooling philosophy in the first place.I wanted my child to be naturally curious of the world, and want to learn for the joy of learning themselves, not because they are being bribed with gold stars , high marks and awards.You will be very surprised of how natural daily living and natural learning work so well together. Even how going with the flow, of your life's adventures can turn into a great science , geography and history lesson. post contains amazon affiliates Lets take today for instance We decide to go for a quick drive in the bush to see if we could find any dead wood,- so my husband can make the kids some branch tree blocks, who knew trying to find the right piece of stick would be so hard and take so long.Anyways half hour in , numerous tracks we randomly came to a honey bee farm , in the middle of the bush ,now this got alot of questions being asked,The kids learnt that bees eat pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers, thats how they create honey that we eat.They got to see with their own eyes how humans farm honey in honey bee hive boxes.We also discussed how plants and flowers need bees to help them grow and produce fruit , by pollinating them(we discussed how pollination works).We pulled the car over to have a better look , and had to quickly whined up the windows up, as bees were everywhere , I discussed with the kids how bees, do not purposely try to sting us only when they are threatened and that if the honey bee stings a human they die see In that one spontaneous moment taking a random track we came across some science and geography questions we could share with the kids But that was not all ! Other natural Questions and conversations were being said, We were nearly at the bottom of the most biggest mountain ever, and my eldest son asked how are mountains made ! Hmm I had no idea, how are they made dad ? - I said ... Luckily dad knew, they are made when earths crust moves, from the plates the collide and the pressure pushes up forming mountains.(I even learnt some new science and geography stuff today) We drove past a few random signs , and pulled over to have a read, we realised we were closed to a old mining abended town " a ghost town" - now that got my daughters attention what a ghost town? - we explained what ghost town means , and how back 100 years ago in 1910 it was a thriving old town, families would come and mine and live but once the resources ran out, everyone moved away and only what's lefts of the buildings remain - hence they call it a ghost town. some history was also covered today in our spontaneous adventure. The learning was still not over. As we kept driving looking for that perfect stick -we drove past a random super old picnic spot , right next to a flowing creek, we pulled up to let the kids have a little explore and my son got out his metal detector ( we always keep this in the car, for moments like this ) and went around trying to try his luck , he waved it by a old fire, we discussed how the charcoal set it of, he ended up finding a fairly new pen in the end ? huh.. weird. We also discussed pine wood is soft wood, and the difference between soft and hard wood, and probably alot more that I cannot remember . Its amazing to see my children naturally learn science and geography This was all within a hour and a half, being out amongst nature, going out to find dead tree branches and coming back with some science, history and geography knowledge, I love random adventures that turn into curiosity questions from my Unschooled children,to be able to learn side by side naturally with them is the greatest reward Natural -science,geography,english & history The kids loved learning about bees, so much , we decided to order a bee hotel so we can observe them from home, and a grow your own bee pollination plant kit - so the kids can grow their own bee friendly flowers and watch them pollinate. - if you'd like to see your child learn and observe bees naturally aswell , click on the images to take you to checkout. Update* The kids love playing with their wooden natural block set BarefootChild are proud supporters for handmade childrens toys and artisans on etsy - they have a beautifully range of handmade block sets just like ours, you can find the link Here , that will take you to their big range

This is a post in a 4 part unschooling collection for 2021, Check out turning everyday living into subjects , Unschool learning portfolios 2021 and our Unschooling adventures 2021 for more of our Natural learning journey. So I will be sharing more of our Unschooling adventures from last year to help you understand how everyday living can be turned into subjects for your unschooling/home-schooling learning records .A picture speaks a thousand words, these are my learning records we used for our home-schooling record keeping last year ,Everything my children learnt was spontaneous while we were out and about , just living life, no rhythm, no lessons, just good old nature and natural curiosity. Open discussions, observations and exploration. Unschooling is about embracing life, living in the moment and naturally learning side by side with your child.

This is a continued post of a 4 part post collection of how we unschooled subjects- naturally last year in 2021 , these are some of our examples -I used for our home-school registration record keeping collection (these are little scrapbook sort of things I make throughout the year and add to a plastic sleeve folder ( Our visual learning portfolio ) - for homeschool registration requirements, and to reflect on what the kids learn throughout the year through pictures. Everything my children learn is spontaneous~ with no textbooks , no planned lessons and no sitting behind a desk- between four walls all day,They learn naturally, through daily life living and from nature.Check out our other posts for our 2021 unschooling journey Turning everyday living into subjects / How we Unschooled 2021 and learning portfolios 2021 A childhood should be worth remembering, its about being together as a family, embracing we all have the ability to be natural learners and not limiting our children's learning to " only happens at school "

This is a continued post of a 4 part post collection of how we unschooled subjects- naturally last year in 2021 , these are some of our examples -I used for our home-school registration record keeping collection, check out our other posts, Turning everyday living into subjects 2021, How we unschooled 2021 and Our Unschooling adventures 2021 In my previous posts I explain how I use 3 methods to record our unschooling learning - ,a daily diary, a photo portfolio, and a hardcopy " portfolio" - a plastic sleeve folder that keeps any random drawings,writing,paintings " any school like" stuff the kids do over the year goes in it for their unschool - home-school registration record keeping. Last year the kids each filled 2 folders ( which they lovely decorated with stickers ) up.Below is some things that they spontaneously done - either asked for things to be printed of , or decided they wanted to draw and write - Keeping anything that they write on is also a great way to watch the progress of their writing skills develop over time. My then 6 year old son's work (yr 1 ) -turn 7 dec Below you can see how over last year his drawing and attention to detail advanced, - naturally . You can also see how he is beginning to develop his writing skills - he naturally began to form letters in his drawing and is slowly learning to write words my then 8/9 year old daughter (yr 3 ) below you can see my daughters creative side, she loves to write notes and lists from time to time - her spelling and writing skills have advanced so much in the last couple of years my then 7/8 yo son (yr 2 ) You can notice throughout the year how much my sons writing (letter form ) and pen grip has advanced, He had no writing skills at the end of 2020 and now he is able to sound out and write words all on his own ( which he will usually write on youtube himself - now he can write pen to paper- lots of different words himself Unschooling does work There's a huge misconception that because a child is free to pursue their own learning path - then how must they learn? - . As you can see just SOME of the things my children learnt and did last year, without anything planned ,anything forced - just following their curiosity, going on adventures and embracing the moment. Unschooling can work for everyone Its all about opening up to the idea, that school was never meant to be ! Life is a classroom ,your child is the teacher and the only lesson they should ever follow is that of their own curiosity.

Post contains amazon affiliates How we Provide Unschooling Learning resources As a Unschooling mum, when ever my children spark new curiosity's I know that they are passionate about, I take every opportunity to provide the "resources" and give them hands on opportunities as much as possible.Thats how unschooling works, children become curious and when they have curiosity of something that they truly love and enjoy they want to soak up as much information for the subject they can,so as a Unschooling parent you help provide them with the necessary tools. So last year my eldest son 8 was very passionate about gemstones and crystals ( he still is ) We furthered his curiosity by using toys and tools To help further his learning path for this passion we gave him the "resources," to help "teach" and "educate" him in geology over the year .So for birthday and Christmas presents he received a gemstone tumbler he absolutely loved using this .He would constantly be looking for special rocks whenever we were out - to smooth and polish in it .My boys love real tools, so we knew he would love a multi tool - that sand, polishes ,cuts -it does EVERYTHING - and oh does he ever ! - he uses this all of the time to polish and shine his "rocks and gems he finds and collects, He also received various gemstone dig kits ,crystals and a grow your own crystal kits.( they all came with information and gem facts , that he read and learnt more about) See by providing these resources, he is covering many science,& geography topics,(learning about rocks,/gems /crystals - how they form, the feel , how to identify, how and why they grow ,the history and how people value them etc. He is also covering technology ,english and even maths topics - from using hands on "tools and machines , following a process ,reading instructions, information books ,discussing the price gems are worth, and lots LOTS more.. We furthered his curiosity by using nature What better way to learn about gems and geology then using nature as a "resource " having a real go ourselves, Last year, and still to this day -we go adventure to different spots trying our luck at finding our own crystals and gemstones,- My son received a gold sifter set and gold pan that he got of his grandma for his birthday , so we take that and have turns. Before we go ,we will google spots online that are " gems spots" , we discuss these together. and to my shock we get lucky sometimes . My son has been able to find lots of amethysts, clear quartz crystals and a few other little gems himself which he gets very excited about.He loves observing them, cleaning and have open discussions about them. He also received a metal detector for Christmas (this is the 2nd one as his first one a year ago was left in the rain!) - so whenever we are out and about , He gets this out to have a look for any - treasures and gold. He hasn't found either yet but his found some bullet shells, old metal and other random things.Throughout the year he has added to his "geologist" collection with his own pic axe, magnifying glass ,spray bottle,and specimen contains He has been lucky to find lots of purple amethysts and clear quartz We furthered his curiosity by using tourist attractions Last year he went to a museum with his grandma and siblings - where he was able to see and learn about all different crystal,gems and minerals, He got to see first hand the huge variety of different specimens there is out there waiting to be found. We have been able to visit a old silver mining town where we discussed how the old timers mined and He visited a gem shop where he was able to talk with the geologist in there who finds thousands of dollars worth of crystals, gems and fossils.( he brought himself a real old shark tooth fossil with his own pocket money ) and this year we are planning to visit a huge gem fest show that happens in Tassie! Unschooling - really is Natural learning Its crazy how much learning - or should i say " natural learning " goes on from allowing your child to follow their curiosity while providing them with the resources and tools needed to pursue those passions. Its a whole family learning side by side, experience.We are all in it together. Covering each subject Naturally.

An Article by Angela Kidd Children are life's most wonderful blessings but you have to admit, they're no angels at all times. It's quite natural for toddlers to test your patience often because they're still developing their behaviour and discovering what's right from wrong (on top of their endless reservoir of energy). When you're at your wit's end with your little one, follow these tips to staying patient with toddlers: Level with your child In situations like this, you have to stop thinking like a grown-up! More often than not, especially with young kids, their troublesome behaviour isn't deliberate. It mainly stems from either frustration or innocence. That's why when they're acting "bad", treat it as a teaching moment - say what you need to say, ask questions, then move on. Have the extra patience knowing that if they can't communicate what they want properly, they'll act out. Put yourself in their shoes and try to understand in their level. Offer choices Nobody wants to be told what to do all day, even children. Being told "no" to almost everything will naturally frustrate them. When they ask for something and you won't allow it, give them another option. For example, if your little one asks for a lollipop right before bedtime, you can politely explain why she can't have one then offer a glass of milk instead. This way, she doesn't feel like she can't do anything or have anything at all. Observe your own behaviour Kids watch you and pick up on your actions more than you know. If you whine a lot, complain when there's nothing good on tv, raise your voice when you're upset or don't finish everything on your plate during meals? Don't expect your little one to have perfect behaviour when you yourself are showing some bad habits. Always be careful about what you say or do around your kid because you are their role model! Let things be One of the best parenting advice you can get - don't sweat the small stuff. If they spill cereal on the floor, played with your lipstick or made some other mistake, it's really not worth your time and energy if you get mad and scold your child. Correct the mistake and leave it at that. Simply put, let kids be kids! Kids won't have maximized their childhood if they didn't get on their parents' nerves! Just follow these effective tips to staying patient with toddlers! Angela Kidd is an author and illustrator, a wife and a mother to 3 beautiful children. In her spare time, she would personally create storybooks and colouring books for her children for fun and they loved it.. And so did she. Angela quit her job and created her own line of educational activity books for children of various ages, with the main goal of making learning fun! You can check out some of Angela's amazing colouring books here.My personal favourites is the daily gratitude journal book for kids and the Camping Colouring Book:- A Colouring Book of Nature With Beautiful Illustrations of Mountains, Lakes, Forest and the Stunning Outdoors

Lynn Lamont M.A. holds a B.S. Degree in Speech Correction and a M.A. Degree in American Sign Language Education from New York University in New York City. She is currently a certified teacher in Michigan and Florida, where she resides and presents live Sign Baby Sign Workshops. She is a published author and baby sign language influencer.This is Her interview. What is baby sign language all about ? Baby sign language, is a specific gesture-based communication designed to interact with newborns, It has grown in popularity over the past couple of years. It is designed to assist extremely small babies in expressing their wants and desires faster than they would normally be able to. What are the benefits of baby sign language ? Baby gesture specialists think that just by removing the barrier between a child's way of communicating and their capacity of expressing, anger and outbursts may be prevented. Toddlers as young as five to six months old may acquire the necessary fundamental signals that includes items or ideas like "hunger," "milk," "drinking," "tired," "warm," "cool," "play," "bathroom," and "soft toy." The skill to express simple things might aid interaction by creating a link to the spoken words. It can even aid in the subsequent development of spoken and textual modes of interaction. What are the Advantages of Sign Language for Infants and parents? The following are some of the advantages of teaching your children signing language: The higher capability of grasping the verbal language, particularly between the ages of one and two. Faster usage of verbal communication ability Early usage of sentence form in verbal communication Reduction in toddlers wailing and screaming Improved parent-child relationship Possible IQ boost Signing enhances one's learning experience for the rest of life. Most sign language using families claimed that the young children could express more to parents throughout the key periods, even feelings. Every parent of an infant understands. It can be tough to know why the kid is acting the manner they do. However, gestures allow the kid to convey themselves differently. What Is the Best Way to Teach Toddler Sign Language? You need to create the sign every time you utter a phrase in daily life. The secret is dedication and perseverance: Utter the phrase "milk" and make the "milk" gesture each time you offer the kid milk. Specialists advise that whichever gestures parents choose to introduce initially must be utilized in combination with talking loudly. It is essential always to display the gesture and utter the phrase or word. Never get disheartened if the infant does not replicate a gesture immediately. You'll have to show it several times over several days until they get it. The following suggestions will help you teach faster: Start by displaying only a few symbols It will be simple for parents to recall when to show gestures and to execute those regularly. Begin only with words you believe are beneficial, such as "eating," "drinking," or "sleeping." Consistently speak the words that the gesture represents. Parents want gestures to serve as a link to spoken communication rather than to replace it. Continue to use the gesture whenever you say that term it represents - continuity is important. Don't be too fast in signing off. Toddlers acquire by repeating. Thus, when you're questioning the kid whether he's thirsty, use the "drink" gesture many times as well as the phrase the query in a unique manner each moment: "Do you want anything to eat?" "Would you like to have food?" etc. When creating a gesture for a thing, indicate it, state the location, and subsequently do the procedure thrice more. After several weeks of focusing upon the initial signals, broaden the toddler's vocabulary using gestures of items that excite him. Kids usually take quickly and like making gestures for items or people they adore, like books, toys, dolls, caps, even pets or creatures like a puppy, parrot, or fish. How can we find more about baby sign language? People in our network are providing helpful tips for teaching baby sign language. We aim to improve interaction and IQ levels in early kids, empowering them throughout their school and professional lives. We can assist you in teaching baby signs.You can buy our - sign baby sign book here . links contain amazon affiliates, if you purchase from them, BarefootChild will receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you More helpful books to help you on your baby sign language journey include: Baby Sign Language Made Easy: 101 Signs to Start Communicating with Your Child Now Baby Signs: A Baby-Sized Introduction to Speaking with Sign Language My First Book of Baby Signs: 40 Essential Signs to Learn and Practice The Baby Signing Bible: Baby Sign Language Made Easy

An Article by Helen R William Helen is the Editor at Consistent Parenting Advice.com Her site addresses HOW to adopt a firm, clear, consistent parenting approach, while enabling you to enhance and increase your emotional well-being. I believe that being a consistent parent is both vitally important and totally necessary to ensure a happy family life. Spiritual Parenting helps your children to affirm their innate sense of truth. The core of your child's being is his spirituality. From here grows his sense of self esteem and the values and morals which bring his sense of belonging. Spiritual Parenting allows you to nurture your child's spirituality by creating magic through dancing, music and nature, and through sharing feelings and imagination. Here's how to embrace your child's spirituality Music Sing together often. Use music cd's, dvd's, instruments, pot lids, the sound of the wind, rain drumming on the roof, your voices, concerts, community events. Sing while you walk, bath, cook, clean and play. Make up songs, create nonsense rhymes and tunes, sing the words of favourite books instead of reading them. Dance Dance with your children often - through this glorious experience children learn about the joy of music and movement. Be a mirror to your child through your own sense of delighting in dance. Imagination Open your child up to beauty and wonder by endowing the daily routine with peace and magic. Reveal this through loving guidance, through imaginative play and through your words, actions, songs and joy. Nature Go out often into nature through the changing seasons. Let your child get wet in puddles, skip together instead of walking, stop often to notice a different smell, make sure that you yourself delight in the marvel of the great outdoors. Learn together the names of plants and trees and delight in each others knowledge. Set up a nature table at home where new discoveries can be invited and encouraged. Feelings Teach your children to name their feelings by acknowledging and naming your own. "I'm feeling sad right now. That makes me feel very happy. I feel upset. I feel surprised". "I feel" statements will encourage your children to come up with their own, thus creating a healthy and wholesome sense of self. Ask them often, "How does that make you feel?" Listen to your child as well as talking with him. This validates not only his sense of self, but allows for the growth of his intuitive self. Really listen for what he is saying and show him that you hear. Magic Show your child that life is magical, enchanting, rich and astonishing by creating unexpected pockets of surprise for them. Spiritual parenting helps your child cope well with change in life by giving life a mystical quality instead of a fearful approach. This enables a sense of adventure. Years later my two eldest children still talk about the time their father woke them up at midnight, and then took them in their pyjamas on a car ride to see the first lights on the village Christmas tree. By creating a magical adventure through his own infectious joy, their father gave them an opportunity to extend their own inner magic through his spiritual parenting approach. Silence Don't be afraid to teach them about the beauty of silence. Encourage your young children to enjoy undisturbed quiet moments in your company. Show them by enjoying moments of silence in their presence, sitting quietly with your eyes closed. Teach them the value of walking together without talking. This is how they learn to feel their own inner peace. Cherishing Cherish them with physical affection, with words of love, with little gifts of flowers, unusual finds in the garden, written notes and through reading, playing and singing together. Give them your undivided time and attention when you are walking with them, encouraging them to talk about their day, their friends, their hopes and dreams and encourage, encourage, encourage. Bedtime Create bedtime rituals that focus on the special nature of each of your children. Settle them into sleep feeling nourished, cherished and special. Try telling them "I love you today because..." and add a new reason for every night. Spiritual parenting in this way is a calm, child centred approach.

First of all What is Unstructured Play you ask? Unstructured play or free play is simple - it means letting a child be a child with no interference from parents or adults on how they should be playing and spending their own time.Children can engage in open-ended play that has no specific learning objective, there is no strategy behind it and no directions to follow. The play is based on how the child sees it "pretends " with their own minds and how they mimic adult dutys.When children engage in unstructured play, their play is motivated by their own desires and curiosity, and guided by their own mental rules.Free Play is something that they willingly engage in, deciding for themselves when to start and when to stop. Unstructured play doesn't necessarily mean a child plays alone.In fact your child may roleplay with other children,each choosing the roles they want to play, where they improvise and imagine scenarios So there is 2 types of play Unstructured play & structured play Unstructured play Unstructured free play is creative and open-ended the child is free to start and stop when they like , they create and see as they please, there is generally no rules or guidelines to follow , unless they child makes up the rules .A child can improvised with no set goals , no boundaries and unlimited possibilities. They imagine. Example building a house out of blocks how your child imagines it, picking up a paintbrush and painting whatever they chose freely wrestling with siblings, playing games with no main goal - just for fun, (floor is lava,) finishing school and free to play as they choose dressups, loose parts play , open ended toys,roleplay using sticks and other natural objects as swords, imaginary things Unstructured play takes many shapes and forms , its pretty much sums up to Play that your child enjoys,chooses and immersing themselves in without a authority figure (parent , teacher,coach) - giving directions.There is no time constraints, no goals , just natural learning and curiosity guiding them with their imagine structured play Structured play Is goal-oriented play, It generally involves using logic to solve problems,Structured play involves following rules or instructions to reach a particular goal.It means that an end result is expected out of that play/activity. It can be mental or even physical activity and involves specific learning. Usually, structured play activities are done under supervision (Parent, coach, teacher). Examples following instructions on how to build a lego house ,car model, experiment toy Going to art class after school , following planned lesson, painting a number to colour painting going to karate lessons, soccer , ballet , playing games with a goal and rules finish school and have to go to a structured class/lesson group ( music, speech) Structured play sums up to play that has a pacific purpose - to learn, win and follow directions.The play has structure , start and finishing times, rules and instructions to follow, the play is " controlled" Why is Unstructured play so important? Unstructured play - plays a vital role in child development. According to the American Academy of Paediatricians (AAP), unstructured play is essential for healthy brain development. Playing helps young brains develop, The experience of the "playing " affects the connections between neurons in the brain’s prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that controls thought analysis and decision-making),Play is helping kids develop executive functions like the ability to regulate emotions and solve problems. Research also suggests that pretend play helps foster abstract thought and the ability to envision other perspectives, Because unstructured play involves trying out different strategies without particular goals or serious consequences, children get to practice different activities during play and see what happens.Experts say that unstructured play teaches us how to deal with the unexpected—a critically important skill in today's uncertain world. 7 Benefits of Unstructured Play Through unstructured play – both solo and with friends – kids develop and reinforce a number of life skills including: Creative thinking – thinking outside the box to solve problems. Creative thinking helps kids excel in the classroom, their careers and their hobbies. Creativity and imagination: Because there are no fixed rules to follow, children can make their own games and guidelines. This opportunity to create and use imagination is important to cognitive development. Conflict resolution – sharing and fair treatment of playmates. Conflict resolution teaches kids ethics, relationships and about treating people fairly. Decision making – Who does what, helps who or takes the lead? Decision making helps people take action and is key to strong leadership. Problem-solving – Problems are an everyday part of life. Problem-solving helps kids overcome everyday challenges and builds resilience.Problem-solving abilities: Children work together during unstructured play to solve problems. While activities should be supervised, unstructured play allows children time to work together on problems and resolve a conflict or question. Even if the play is with an object (blocks) and not another person. Negotiation – swapping, agreeing rules and responsibilities. Negotiation will help your kids learn about compromise and how to agree a solution. Resilience – things don’t always work out the way we hope. Resilience teaches kids about life’s ups and downs and the importance of perseverance. Teamwork – playing with friends or siblings. Teamwork is an essential skill in play, family life, the classroom, workplace and in society! Social skills: Unstructured play encourages social skills and teamwork. Children take turns, learn to listen and share with each other, develop imaginary scenarios and make decisions together. Because they are the ones driving play, they have the chance to learn on their own among friends. Stages of Play Below are the 4 stages of play according to Dr. Smilansky, which contribute to a child’s development and learning. These are: 1 Functional play Functional play has been described as the first play of children. Beginning in infancy, as a child learns to control his actions and make things happen, he finds enjoyment in shaking a rattle, splashing in the bath, and dropping objects repeatedly from his high chair. These repetitive actions are slowly replaced by more complex forms of play, but functional play is enjoyed by children throughout their childhood as they discover new actions to master.1 Infants first learn to exercise their “wired-in” behaviors with simple actions, and as they discover how things work, they develop their motor responses. Repeating a behavior leads to mastery and that gives the child pleasure. Play begins when the child deliberately engages in the activity for pleasure What is Functional Play? Any repetitive action that the child finds enjoyable is considered functional play. Throwing objects, opening and closing things, stacking blocks and then knocking them over, filling and dumping containers, pushing a toy back and forth, and banging objects together are all examples of functional play. The benefits of functional play The repetitive nature of this play is how children learn about their world. They learn about the properties of physical objects and cause and effect. These simple discoveries prepare them for learning more complex skills later on. Children also develop their gross and fine motor skills through practice and gain confidence as they develop new skills. 2 Constructive play When children manipulate their environment to create things, they are engaged in constructive play. Experimenting with materials, they can build towers with blocks, construct objects with miscellaneous loose parts, play in the sand, and draw sidewalk murals with chalk. Children learn basic knowledge about stacking, building, constructing, and drawing, discovering which combinations work and which don’t. Constructive play focuses the minds of children through their fingertips to invent and discover new possibilities. It is a form of hands-on inquiry where children seek to learn something they don’t already know by physically manipulating materials. They have a natural desire to find out things for themselves, and children build knowledge through active questioning and information gathered as they engage in constructive play. what is constructive play? By the age of two, children are able to play for longer periods of time at one activity. They move from functional play, where the child uses materials in simple, repetitive, and exploratory ways, to constructive play with purposeful activities that result in creation. Children’s desire to create is satisfied with open-ended materials, such as blocks, paints, scissors, paste, paper, carpentry tools, wood, sand, and water.3 On the playground or in classrooms, sand boxes offer a great opportunity for constructive play. Using shovels, buckets, and other containers and toys, children have an endless number of opportunities for exploration. The benefits of constructive play Playing with sand encourages the imagination and creativity of children. Constructive play develops imagination, problem-solving skills, fine motor skills, and self-esteem. Research has shown that block building can help children learn important spatial relationships needed for mathematics.Children who are comfortable in manipulating objects become good at manipulating words, ideas, and concepts. Creating gives children a sense of accomplishment. Controlling their environment empowers them, especially since there is no right or wrong in their creation. Constructive play helps children develop character virtues, such as tenacity, flexibility, creativity, courage, enthusiasm, persistence, and adaptability. Social interaction and shared imaginations are often involved in constructive play, which leads to children learning to cooperate, stay on task, self-regulate, and be more responsible. 3 Games with rules Games with rules is a level of play that imposes rules that must be followed by the players. It requires self-regulation by the children who play, so they can successfully follow the rules and curb their own personal ego needs. Games with rules are often characterized by logic and order, and as children grow older they can begin to develop strategy and planning in their game playing. what is games with rules? School-age children are often found on the playground playing games with rules at recess. They could be enjoying a game of marbles or jacks, playing hopscotch or foursquare, or chasing each other playing tag. Team sports require very specific rules that must be followed that promote cooperative play and teamwork. Whether children play a game of softball on the playground or a soccer game in uniform, they must follow the rules to play effectively. Board games help children develop reasoning strategies and skills when playing games, such as chess, checkers, and Chinese checkers. In strategy games they must consider both offensive and defensive moves at the same time to succeed. Many board games have been adapted to be played on electronic media. New electronic games are being developed all the time for children of all ages including toddlers. The games require practice to master the challenges and often allow children to imagine they are in a fantasy world as they play through the game. While electronic gaming was usually a solitary activity in its earliest days, there are a lot more opportunities for group play in today’s gaming world The benefits of games with rules When children initiate their own games with rules, they realize the need to determine rules for playing the game as well as the rules for social interaction as they play their game. They may modify an existing game to their own rules or the game might be a game of competition in a motor skill, such as jumping, with rules to determine a winner.4 As children develop the concept of their game, they need to negotiate with each other to make the game enjoyable for all players with various skill levels. Adapting the rules to make the play fair for everyone makes the game more fun.School-age children develop understanding of social concepts, such as cooperation and competition, and are able to think more objectively. They are able to grasp the concept of the game having a clear beginning and end where they are required to take turns and follow certain procedures to complete the game. 4 pretend play Pretend play is a form of symbolic play where children use objects, actions or ideas to represent other objects, actions, or ideas using their imaginations to assign roles to inanimate objects or people. Toddlers begin to develop their imaginations, with sticks becoming boats and brooms becoming horses. Their play is mostly solitary, assigning roles to inanimate objects like their dolls and teddy bears.Preschoolers, from ages 3 to 5 years, are more capable of imagining roles behind their pretend play. Their play becomes more social, and they enjoy make-believe play. They assign roles to themselves and others involving several sequenced steps often with a predetermined plan, like pretending to be at the doctor’s office or having a tea party. Pretend play, is also called imaginative play, is a form of unstructured play that involves role playing, non-literal behaviour and object substitution. If you see your child pretending to cook,pretending a sticks a sword and their a knight ,or perhaps pretending to be a "mom" taking care of her dolls, that's them immersed in imaginative pretend play! Experts believe that pretend play is a vital contributor to a child's normal development and here's why: It improves creativity and imagination A recent research found that early pretend play helps encourage a child's creativity and cognitive flexibility. By playing an imaginative game, no matter what it is, children are training themselves to think creatively, to exercise their thinking and imaginative skills and more importantly, independence. It's like Albert Einstein's famous saying - "Logic will get you from A to Z, but imagination will get you everywhere." It encourages emotional and social development Children are dabbling into the emotional and social roles of life when they play different roles or control things in their own environment during pretend play. Engaging in imaginative play improves a child's sense of self, how the world works, how they fit in the environment around them and how it feels like to be in someone else's shoes. When they play with other kids, they learn even further - they discover responsibility and how to share it with others, cooperation, empathy and boundaries. It helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills It all seems simple to us adults, but the mere act of pretend play presents plenty of problem-solving opportunities to little ones. They have to decide what game to play, what toys or materials are needed to play, what role to take on, who else will be involved, what rules will apply to the game and more. Further along, they will encounter "problems" they will need to solve or scenarios they will have to think about carefully. Their little brain will constantly be at work recreating what they observed from real life. "For example, your little one is pretending to be a mom cooking a meal for her children. She engages in abstract thinking, trying to play out scenarios based off - her memory. If she remembers you frying eggs or pouring out juice in glasses, she's likely to act those out." If your child is collecting sticks and twining grass around to form a ninja sword that's pretend play Additional Research on the Benefits of Pretend Play Studies show that the importance of pretend play in child development extends beyond simply language development. Smith and Simon (1984) found that play can enhance children’s creativity and problem solving skills. Bagley and Klass (1997) and Stone and Christie (1996) found that when books and other literacy-related materials were added to dramatic play, children used more varied language and showed an increase in reading and writing activities. According to Pellegrini and Galda (1980), children who re-enacted stories with a beginning, middle and end demonstrated improved story comprehension as well as an understanding that others can have different thoughts, views, feelings and beliefs. contains amazon affiliates Here are great books about childs play and the benefits, you can purchase these from amazon by clicking on the links Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children Lisa Murphy on Being Child Centred book The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally A Child's Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play If you liked this posts about the benefits of child's play, please share

An article by Angela Kidd Post contains amazon affiliate links What parents want most for their child Parents want to provide their children everything - food, shelter, education... But most of all, what parents wish for is that their child has a happy and memorable childhood, and that they grow up finding love, success and happiness on their own. As a parent, you can only do so much - but a few parenting methods might work while you're raising them. Follow these 3 secrets to raising a happy child: 1 A connected child is a happy child If your child feels connected (to you, to the people around him and to his environment), it's a big factor that contributes to his lifelong emotional well-being. This is because he feels that he belongs and not left out - he feels loved, needed, understood, acknowledged and wanted. This connectedness is hand in hand with happiness and experts have proven through studies that this was the biggest protector against risky behaviour, emotional distress and even suicidal thoughts later in life. To achieve connectedness, never miss the chance to show your child that he is loved. Also give him plenty of opportunities to form loving connections with others as well like relatives, friends and even pets. 2 Happiness isn't short-term If you raise your child giving in to their every demand and desire, you're not setting them up for long-term happiness. If you try too hard to keep them happy in the short-term, they'll grow up thinking that's how life works when in fact, that's not how. Many parents think that they are responsible for their child's happiness and they have difficulty allowing them to feel negative emotions such as anger, sadness and frustration. Kids who grow up this way never truly learn how to deal with negative emotions and are in more in danger of being emotionally crushed when they grow up. Be there for your child in times of distress - but don't try to "fix" everything. Allow him to develop resilience and coping skills on his own. 3 Nurture your own happiness Happy kids are more likely to have come from a happy home with happy parents. While you can't control your child's happiness, you are the captain of your own. If you're always grumpy, angry, tired and in a bad mood, that's what your child will absorb. On the other hand, if they see that you are always in a good mood, they will most likely be in one, too. so try these 3 secrets to raising a happy child! Angela Kidd is an author and illustrator, a wife and a mother to 2 beautiful kids. In her spare time, she would personally create storybooks and colouring books for her children for fun and they loved it.. And so did she. Angela quit her job and created her own line of educational activity books for children of various ages, with the main goal of making learning fun! You can check out some of Angela's amazing books here. We just love her African Fauna Colouring Book