It’s been a moment since we’ve done one of these. March is always a tricky time for us. For Mary, it’s planning and prepping for two family birthdays. For me, it’s work travel and ramping up activities now that the Georgia weather isn’t miserable. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we are very much looking forward to a little Spring Break.
Here are some things that we are loving this month.
Continue reading
It’s kinda serendipitous that I picked this book this month. The Georgia PreK Lottery opens today!
In Fulton County, Georgia, incoming 4-year-olds looking for free, public PreK enter a lottery on March 1st. You apply for the public elementary school that you are zoned in, and each school has a limited number of PreK slots. If you don’t get selected, you can be waitlisted for other schools if space allows.
I have absolutely no frame of reference for the odds of getting selected. When we moved last year, I was satisfied with the elementary school we were zoned for, looking at the GreatSchools scores and stats. From reading The Family Firm, Troy and I were able to weigh our options for how we were going to tackle this very big school year. But still, some of our decisions would be null and void depending the outcome of a lottery that is in no way in our control.
Continue reading
Encanto was released on Disney+ on December 24th.
My girls watched it for the first time in mid-January.
By February, it had reached Threat Level Frozen.
They request the soundtrack every day in the car, and ask to watch it as soon as they get back from school. And according to Instagram, my house isn’t the only one deep in the Encanto phase.
Since all the songs were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Troy may or may not be in deep as well. So, we’re leaning into it.
Remember The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross? Even if you didn’t watch an entire episode, his light brush strokes and calming voice as he talked about “happy accidents” would help many unwind from a busy day. Little did we (or maybe even Bob Ross himself) know that what he was doing would later be known as ASMR.
ASM What Now?
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (aka ASMR) is a physical sensation, characterized by “tingles” starting at the scalp and traveling down the spine, when given soft methodical auditory, visual, or tactile (touch) stimuli. Think of caresses on the cheek, whispering or soft singing, or watching gentle hand motions. The feeling is said to provide a calming effect on an individual, helping to reduce anxiety, boost mood, and ease into sleep. Although this trend is crazy popular with adults via YouTube and relaxation apps, ASMR may be beneficial for kids, too; similar to a sound or white-noise machine.
Continue reading
Fidgets are designed to allow us to self-regulate during times of stress or boredom, but no one fidget is created equal. Because our sensory needs are unique to us, what may work for you may not work for a friend, co-worker, or kid. So how do you know what works for your child? Rather than strolling down the toy section or browsing the endless lists of fidgets online, we broke it down to help you and your kiddo find that “just-right” fidget.
Continue reading
Child(ish) Advice 