Cheap and Easy

Well, it was a long fun weekend:) I'll hopefully post pictures and stories later in the week if I don't get distracted by newer, awesome(er) stuff.

FOR NOW

2 easy things that have made my life simpler and cheaper:

Castile soap!! Just fill your foaming soap dispenser 1/4 the way with castile soap, then fill the rest with water. VIOLA!!! Exciting foamy soap!! And castile soap costs about $6-7 a bottle!!! When you only use 3-4 tablespoons for each soap dispenser refill, this is a cheap and easy soap source that is natural and happy!! And foamy!!! The bad thing about this is that there aren't any pretty and affordable foamy soap dispensers out there. Sad:( My bathrooms are all brought to you by Wal-Mart or Meijer brand soap bottles.



Why is that a kid would rather play with household objects, kitchen utensils, and random unedible things THAN THEIR TOYS???? Here's what I do when C gets bored with me and life:

1. run around and grab anything that is not tiny,
   
2. throw it in a container,
   
3. and set in front of baby.
   

In this situation, my baby recently loves opening drawers. So that's where his special toys are "hidden" instead of being in a container. Containers are sooooo for 8 month olds. C is 9 WHOLE MONTHS NOW. He's TOTALLY beyond containers.

Other toys hidden in the open: our shoes (specifically the soles), onions, wine bottles in the now unused wine rack, the indoor compost trash can, the regular kitchen trash can, a giant seed we found in C's mouth that we have NOOOO idea where he got it, the remote control, drywall clumps (without trim covering it) (at floor level) that can be easily eaten. FUN!!!

Also, Our Art Art Hour and The Rural Juror are awesome things.

Link Love:)

I've got a few tabs open in Chrome that I thought I would share!


I want to make one of these! I've always thought an emergency container would be a good idea so I've started collecting water and food for it. I'll add a jump bag to my list too (or instead?).

A few different ways to have a nice lawn without using chemicals.

Until we save enough moola for granite countertops, I wonder if we could make these?

Whole wheat chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter and oatmeal? And they taste so yummmm too:)

Check out what these parents are doing. I understand the concept but ~wow~.....


That's all for now. Watching Panyo with the nephews, husband, and brother in law after working all day. Relaxing tomorrow!!

TED and Girls

Have you ever watched TED? They feature all sorts of people sharing all sorts of ideas worth spreading and some of the ideas are really neat and innovative! Also, they are hosting a TED Women conference in December about how women and girls reshaping the future. I like that:)

So hubby J hooked me on TED. I was a bit skeptical at first (boring stuff to listen to on the web? Blah!) but most of the talks are very clever and intriguing. Here's one of my favs: 

Speaking of TED Women, I was thinking on my walk w/ C and Sadie how glad I am to have a boy as my first child. For some reason I think it will be much easier to raise a son who knows women are capable, strong, and able to do and be anything. Is this because most men in my life think this way and it seems natural to me? Maybe?

I sure don't surround myself with anyone (by choice!) who thinks women are not in every aspect of life as capable and resourceful as men. In every aspect except perhaps strength; I know men physically have (what is it, 5%?) more muscle mass than women. But when you think about it, do men push a baby from inside their body, out their vagina? Could they do that???? I DON'T THINK SO. 

But I guess they could if they wanted to and they were physically made for it. Which brings me to the thought that modern medicine would know SOOOOOO much more about morning sickness, pregnancy, and childbirth if men were able to give birth. But this bring us to the topic of how men dominated society and used religion to control gender and cultural freedom for thousands of years and I don't need to get started on that. 

But a daughter. What if everyone gifts her pink clothes? I don't want a 'frilly, dipped in pink girl' just as I don't want a 'dressed only in blue, playing with tools and cars' boy. What if she notices how women are portrayed in pop music, politics, and the media? What if she notices how the girl is so often being saved in movies and books, not doing the saving?

Boys are so much easier. All I have to do is let him grow up around me and J as an example and teach him how life should be. For some reason I don't think that's enough for a girl:( I have to hide her from what culture thinks she should be.

This portion of the post was inspired by Liberal Simplicity:)

Small Children Listen to Crazy Lady

Chris inspired this post about words:)

While tutoring today, I was trying to explain to a 10 year old the amazing versatility and specificity of words. Yep, to a 10 year old. We've practiced reading and understanding words like trudge, frolic, and dart. You know, your various run of the mill verbs describing how you are moving. She wondered why a person couldn't just say "skip and run happily" instead of "frolic". I told her that every word has a certain feeling and you have to fit the right word in a sentence, much like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Think of it, 10 year old! Think of making a marvelous sentence with specific words to describe the perfect emotion, action, and scene! Just by using a specific word, small child!! Her eyes started to glaze over and she nodded a lot. 

Reminds me of another tutoring session with a 9 year old girl. A character in a book we were reading didn't like tomatoes and I asked small girl if she liked tomatoes (no, she didn't). This led to a long rant from Crazy Lady on the growth practices of giant farms and grocery stores, chemicals to ripen fruit and veggies, and watery gross produce. She nodded a lot. While staring. Eventually I shut up. 

Poor child in my womb.

Poison Ivy and Such

So I've got poison ivy splattered on my arms, knee, finger, and eyelid. And while it is tickly, itchy, and awful, it looks pretty cool. I'm really tempted to take pics of it and post it for other people to look at. But I won't because I know that would drive away my 2.3 readers.....

I've got the nephew and niece over today and its so nice. I'd much rather have them at the house with me all day than me at the house by myself all day. And they let me sleep until 9:30. Which was really responsible of the sole caretaker in the house: sleep while the chillens are running wild. But they played quietly and didn't wake me! Oops. 

Today we cleaned and packed lots, organized toys, they chalked on the driveway while I sanded a dresser, cleaned and organzied more, went to the grocery/meat market/pick up CSA food, made dinner, made ice cream, and now they are running a lot. Running in the front door, out the back door, through the gate, around the back of the fence, and around and around. I'm sitting on the front porch relaxing! Pretty sure I could handle doing this parenting thing. To a 9 and 5 year old. I'll let you know how it goes with a newborn in 3 months. 

Baby boy is kicking and twisting and turning. Must be the ice cream:) And now the kids are sitting in the driveway, listening to the ice cream truck, hoping he turns down our road. A good mom lets her kids make ice cream and then gives them money to buy even more! I'll be such a good mom!!!!

Tents

I'd just like to let you know I made blanket tents last night with my sister's kids. Pretty awesome fun that I haven't participated in in years!!!!

Three Things

My kids notice my shoes, how bizarre! Here are what they've said to me this year so far:

• Where do you get all those flat shoes? ~ cause I wear mostly flats?
• MRS. JARVIS, YOUR SHOES ARE PURPLE!!! ~ apparently purple shoes are very rare?
• Are you going to take those boots off today? ~ adults can't wear cute boots to work?
• YOU ARE WEARING HIGH HEELED SHOES! ~ THIS is what they pay attention to...
  

And since you sat through the boring stuff, here's cute/cool movies!!!

So Childish

So today.

I'm teaching the kiddos about verbs the past few weeks. As with MANY subjects, this is incredibly complex in the 4th grade world so I try to simplify. I tell them if you can do it, it's a verb. If it's a thing or has a/an/the in front of it, it's noun.

This is how our conversation went today:

Me: Okay, let's all write the spelling word 'comb' in a sentence. I want you to use a helping and a main verb. Oh, and comb needs to be a verb.
Them: A VERB? HOW??????
Me: 'I will comb my hair.' See? A boring but correct sentence, right?
Them: Yeah, uh huh, right, makes PERFECT sense crazy lady.

They proceed to write sentences on their dry erase boards. I help them. Together we go over some sentences.
Shelven: Here's mine!
Me, reading aloud: 'She will walk over there and pick up the comb.' Great, you have a helping and main verb. But is comb a verb here? Can you do it? Can you do a comb? (in head: that doesn't sound right, I hope they don't notice)

That was when a couple of giggles erupted because I'd asked 4th graders, who DON'T KNOW WHAT A VERB IS, if they could do a comb. And they knew what it meant.

COME ON KIDS. Learn your verbs, not your dirty innuendos!!!!!

Ella, Ella

So I just finished reading this uber cool book to my kids on Friday. Each day during reading lesson, I'd crank up Ella on the speakers, we'd sit down, and the kids would listen to the biography of singer they'd only heard of from their grandparents. We talked about how funny records look. HUGE to the kids;)

20 years in the future, when my 31 students hear the following words, they will think of me:

1. Scat Cat
   
2. Bebop
3. Ella Fitzgerald
4. Dizzy Gillespie
5. Chick Webb
6. Swing music
7. The Savoy

And they'll remember that RIDICULOUS teacher who hounded them into thinking about facts and opinions about Ella and her music, the author's flowery figurative language, and the illustrator's idea of what music looks like.

It'll be just one more thing they get to discuss with their therapists. MRS. J SCARRED ME FOR LIFE. ELLA FITZGERALD HAUNTS MY NIGHTMARES!!!!

Sadie

Whilst Sadie and I were walking this afternoon (minding our own business, mind you), we were chased. Fiercely and feverishly followed. Nipped at the heels. Terrorized you might say.
BY A CHIHUAHUA.
Yep, once again, the little bugger was free to roam and didn't want us to go anywhere near its abode. Always this thing hates us and SCARES ME TO DEATH. Let me say it again, he/she hates us. Not a sweet dog. Come to think of it, I've never met a nice chihuahua.

Until today I didn't know how to spell chihuahua. Today one of my kids told me how to spell it. I'm happy to give them those moments when they may teach the teacher. Although really, this happens very often.

I also found out today that Sadie is about 30 years old in dog years. She seems to be dragging for a 30 year old. I guess in 2 years, if given the chance, I might nap a lot too.
I CANNOT WAIT TO BE 30!!!

My Minor Complaints in This Life

So in the adult restrooms at work: there are limits on how much toilet paper you are allowed to use.

That's right. Those in change restrict our toilet paper usage by STOPPING THE TOILET PAPER ROLL FROM TURNING. Yes, they do. They do!! I'm not pulling your leg!! Toilet paper rolls at my workplace do not turn. Is this normal? I've always been annoyed by this but this morning, I got a little bit ~ahem add word here~ about it. It's not been the best of lives for me lately and the toilet paper, damn it, why won't it turn?????

Because there is nothing else in the world to rant about;)

Except that I think those who are obese, smokers, or non-exercisers should pay more for their insurance. Safeway supports me in this view.

And, that I'm sad my farmer's market ended Tuesday. I will miss chatting with my fav farmers.

Also, I'm sad I can't do much for the redwoods that are so tall they blow my mind.

I wish I didn't have 31 kids in my class so I could focus on each kid as an individual and give them the education they so need and deserve.

I wish I could have a normal holiday just once more in my life. Sad that life changes and I don't quite know how to deal yet...

The Stink

This was so awful that I had to post about it. Naturally.

Today a kid in my class, I'll call him GEORGE, found a big stink in his desk. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most stinky, GEORGE'S stink was at least a 9. This stink was of unknown origin. At least that's what he insisted to me. This stink left the classroom it was so large. It went down the hallway. It ate all our clean, fresh, natural air. This stink made us all groan and want to puke. It was a mixture of: dead animal, stinky feet, rotting horror.

THIS STINK WAS HORIFICAWFULHORRIBLETERRIBLEWRETCHEDNAUSEATINGGODAWFUL.

It was.

I had two papers on my desk GEORGE just turned in and those made my desk stink. FOR REAl. I made the kid clean out his ENTIRE desk contents to bring home over the weekend. I wasn't letting that stay in my classroom! It had permeated them so completely!!!

Odd thing is, there wasn't any mess. At all. On anything. After repeated questioning, GEORGE didn't know what the stink source was. I gave up and wanted to gag all afternoon. It gave me a headache. I feel like I need to shower now. And I HATE showering.

GROSSAWFULYUCKGAGGAGGAGGAGGAGGAGGAGGGAGGAG.

Kids. Remind me to never have one.

Amazing!!!

You know what I love? Seeing people grow. Not physically, but more mentally and academically. I was trying to express this to my kiddos today and they stared at me blankly.

I was working with a small group on summarizing an ENTIRE book. Incredibly hard for a 9 year old. Trust me;)

Me: "This is hard, isn't it?"
Them: "Yes!"
Me: "You know the amazing thing though? In 6 months, I won't need to help you this much at all! You'll be able to do this well all on your own! Wow isn't it?"
Them: Stare. So?
Me: "You will have grown and learned SO much that you will be able to summarize a WHOLE book without my help! It will be so amazing!!"
Them: Stare, nod for loony teacher's sake.

Hehe. Kids. Don't appreciate their growing brains:)

Today was violin lesson. I LOVELOVELOVE that I have bow strength now, that my tone is rich. I love that Mary Had a Little Lamb is now child's play. I love that I can play a 3 note slur. Amazing! Vibrato, here I come!!!

A Little Irritation

As a teacher, I think it is very important to expose my students to different and new ways of thinking that they might not be familiar with. I ask their opinions on how things are going in class or with how I'm teaching, we talk about culture, racism, the morals of lying (white lie, big lie, lie?), and everything else on the planet.

I endeavor to show my kiddos every day that we are all different and that is fine! Some kids get knocked for a loop when they realize they struggle a great deal in reading or math. "I must be stupid, I'm getting extra help from the teacher!!" they think. I want them to know that is perfectly fine and normal not to be good at everything. It is wonderful when they accept who they are and learn on a level appropriate for them. We all have talented areas and areas where we have great difficulty. We all need to accept that in ourselves and in others.

All this "Accept One Another!" talk sounds like mumbo jumbo, I know! But it works in my classroom. We generally live a peaceful, bully free existence.

AND THEN COMES THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH. And parents make it clear to their kids this man should not be accepted.

I've read the speech. I admire it. A bit weighty for 4th graders but beneficial nonetheless. The entire speech is about staying in school and studying hard in order to achieve great things and make something of yourself. A speech that any speaker at a convocation at my school would give and we would applaud.

But I've got a few kids who will be leaving when we play the recorded speech on Friday morning. They'll be going to the library to read because their parents deem it WRONG for their kid to watch THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES tell their kid to stay in school.

I don't know why I am SO ridiculously pissed about this. Must be PMS. I've tried hard to think around my opinions and this is what I've come to:

1. If President Bush gave this speech, I'd say KUDOS! I may not have entirely liked the guy but heck, I'm not forbidding my child to listen to him.
   
2. Talk radio and news shows have really hyped this up. Maybe parents don't really know the speech's content, just what the media says about it. But if I continue down this avenue, I get disgusted with people for not forming their own opinions and simply absorbing what other people say.
3. If Hitler gave this speech, I don't know if I'd want my kid to listen to him. I'm assuming some people must hate Obama as much as others hated Hitler? Best I can do.
   

I must say, I'm a bit saddened by this. ACCEPTANCE PEOPLE, ACCEPTANCE. Change what you can, don't hate others for differing views. Hey, but aren't I not accepting them? Yes, that's true. I AM A HYPOCRITE. I see this now:(

I just confused why the speaker is unacceptable though the message is sound.

Alas, I Ate Your Beloved Dessert

I must think happy thoughts right now because J is a bit miffed at me for having eaten his last-Friday-dessert. I seriously somehow thought he didn't want it. I don't know how I came to that conclusion because I realized this evening HE VERY MUCH WANTED IT!! My best guess as to why I consumed it is: it was TIRAMISU (coffee!!). AND yesterday, while attempting not to fall asleep while tutoring, it was the only coffee available to me in 5 minutes between kids. Plus, it being almost a week old, I didn't even stop to think about it....

Enough airing of The Jarvis Marital Problems. We seem to fight over desserts a lot. Hehehe:)

Here are a few things that make me happy this week:

1. Lizzy and I eat a piece of zucchini carrot bread each evening.
2. I played my violin very well today while practicing and only slightly less well at my lesson.
3. My fingertips are getting calloused!!!
4. I have exercised 5 times in the past 7 days.
5. My house is clean!!!
6. Coming home tonight are: my mom. my sister. my brother. I get to see them all tomorrow afternoon, after work! Sadly, leaving on Saturday are: my sister. my sister. my brother-in-law. my nephew. my nephew. my delightful niece. Alas, I will not be able to borrow any children for 2 weeks:(
7. Lizzy goes home tonight! We will have the house to ourselves. Oh. My. Gosh. I am just about jumping with excitement!!!! J and I have remarked "This is how it will be when we have kids? We'll only be able to have face to face conversation after 10:00? We'll be exhausted and only want to clean the house and then sleep? AND SHE'S A GROWN KID. AND ONLY ONE KID." I'm a little disappointed in us already.
8. I went to the library on Monday. I got a ton of new books, 2 of which I've already read 4 days later. It had been 3 weeks since my last book and all the magazines I've been catching up on aren't as good as a book. What made me sad was my $5 fine for late books. Sigh.
9. J is wonderful:)
10. Spock hasn't gone to the bathroom on our carpet in weeks! J's idea of aluminum foil on places Spock especially loves seems to be working. Also, my efforts at cleaning carpet helped too. I have to think this because if they didn't, what was all that effort for?!?! 20 pounds of baking soda and a gallon of vinegar!!!!

That's all the happiness I can give you this week!!

It's All About ME

So there's a pic of me now, with short hair. And there's one of me 3 years ago, with long hair. I'm growing it out now because for some really odd reason I think I should have long hair when I have my first kid. I don't really know why....

I really liked that jacket I was wearing in the second pic. I borrowed it from Summer and very much wanted to 'long term borrow' it. It was the perfect jacket.... Sigh....

J and I went to Buca de Beppo's tonight for dinner because we had a coupon. We both agreed it was a bit yucky and decided we would stick to our nice locally owned restaurants from now on, even if we don't have coupons. What a horrible salad!!! And it is hard to mess up salad!!!

I gave blood today. Anyone want to see the bloody gauze I just pulled off my arm? Anyone? I think I will go throw it in J's face. And yes, sometimes I am that immature. But as with the hair, things will change next year. When children arrive, I will cease to be this self-centered and silly. I will be wise and have a firm grasp on reality. I solemnly swear I will. 

Kids

So in preparation for the grand "Let's Have a Baby Next Year" event, I'm reading up on it. I like researching stuff. A LOT. Even though there is not a hint of baby in the picture yet, I want to know everything about the little creatures. EVERYTHING.

Funny rambling: so most of my friends have kids and they love to talk about them. I like to listen and learn. And then talk to my childless friends about our dogs. Yes, about our pets, you read right. Boy, we sure can go on about them, just like the 'real' moms can. When I get together with said group of friends we eventually morph into 2 groups: one discussing children, the other discussing dogs. Hehe. Happens every time. 

So here's my current read (well, I'm actually in the middle of about 4 books but this one is the focus of the day):  Bright From the Start. Preeetty interesting and lots of data to back up what the author is saying. Here's a little something: Children under 2 do not have the ability to focus long on anything (as well evidenced by those crazy kindergarteners wandering through the halls at my school. Shudder.). When babies watch TV, their brains are actually being trained to work better with shorter time frames (think commercials). The constant interruptions inhibit the growth of their developing attention spans. Thus, I get 30 ten year olds whose brains are not able to focus on me for long! ADHD symptom central, here we come!!! 

So many things in a child's life are beyond their control. We shape our children based on our interactions with them and our guidance of their lives. Poor kiddos, I wonder how it must feel to have so little control? Hey, I was a kid once, I can tell you how it felt!! I remember feeling inconsequential at times, not listened to, and, of course, looked down on. Why do I have to go to bed by 10:15? Why don't you understand how important this is to me? Why does Mom love my brothers and sisters more than me? Poor miserable little me. Funny how things make so much more sense now. Now boys are the only thing I still haven't figured out. 

School's out in 2.5 weeks! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crying Over my Awesomeness

How do I cry? Let me count the ways...

1. The Sound of Music clip I posted the other day made me cry.  
2. When my students cry. 
3. Baptism Sunday at church, whenever they dunk a person. 
4. When people shout they are debt free on Dave Ramsey's podcast.
5. Watching people finish races. 

I think this crying has become more developed as the years go by. In addition to crazy crying urges, I now foster a healthy fear of heights, especially when kids are around. Send me up to a high place with a child 15 years ago and I'd be hanging over the edge, looking down with them. Today, I'd grab them and slink with my back along the wall, averting my eyes from the DEADLY precipice that is enticing us to FALL FALL FALL. I try very hard to not be to crazy about this. Also, blood makes my heart skip a beat. But I've always felt that way. When a bloody, hurt child comes up to me this happens: 

1. I look at their injury.
2. Heart skips beat.
3. I smile and make it seem like no big deal (even if I thinking HOLY CRAPPOLA!!!!!).
4. I hold their injured limb together and walk them to the nurse, or send a kid with them if it isn't severe.
5. Turn back to my other kids who are gaping, and smile and continue with whatever we were doing. 
6. Calm my shaking, calm my innards.
7. Confront it and discuss it with the kiddos when I am calm.
8. I mount 12 TONS of praise on myself for staying calm and not puking.

I should change this blog to How Awesome I Am. And then fall daily on my face. 

Yesterday I walked 15,000 steps. That is how minorly awesome I am. 

J is getting a pizza right now from Eh, Formaggio! and then we will watch Rachel Getting Married and have a slovenly, lovely evening! Tomorrow I'll decorate Easter eggs w/ the sisters, nephews, niece, and whoever else is around. Then I'll grocery shop at night (I'm excited about that part!!!). Sunday we'll go to J's parents' church and to their house for lunch. We will then proceed to my parents' house for dinnerish, then return home to Sadie and Spock!!

TODAY IS FRIDAY!!!!!!! SCORE!!!!!!!!!

I will endeavor to begin talking like an adult tomorrow. No more score and freaking. 

Green Lights

Jeremy and I will be in Chicago this weekend on a little vacation. I am excited!!!! I must say, I REALLY need it after just 3 days at work this week. Needless to say, kids are a challenge to keep focused on lessons in the spring. My little darlings have been especially challenging this week. I love my job but when you are in charge of guiding 29 nine and ten year olds to the garden of knowledge (while many of them have attention/learning issues) you tend to ache for the end of the day to come. Today was one of those days. I will love 3:45 tomorrow. I will bask in it and smile all the way home. I sure need a break from the kiddos this year. Some years I am fine to keep teaching for months on end and other years breaks cannot come quickly enough. Depends on the class. 

I digress on a tangent (something my students remind me not to do). While J. and I are in Chicago, luxuriating in our expensive-but-we-got-a-great-deal hotel, we will sit in the dark Saturday night 8:30-9:30. If we are actually in the hotel. Hmm, I assumed we would be in the hotel but really, it will be a Saturday night; perchance we will be out and about? Okay, if we aren't in the hotel, I'll insist the lights go off no matter where we are. Because: IT IS EARTH HOUR!!! The time when leaving your lights on means you vote for killing the earth over loving the earth. I missed this wonderful occasion last year and was very sad (ask J.)

Here's Earth Hour's official explanation: 

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming. For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

That's right, this is when and where you can finally make a difference. Don't worry about recycling, using green cleaning products, buying organic, or driving less. Just vote for the Earth by turning off the light. Apparently world leaders will finally listen:)

Being Honest With Kids

So I was reading MyTwoDollars.com today and saw a post about a topic J. and I have discussed many times. In fact, I also had a long and interesting conversation about this with my little sis a couple months ago. The article discusses the wisdom of talking honestly and openly to your kids about hard things that are happening in the world, your family, or your personal lives. 

So J. and I don't have kids yet (next year we'll start trying!), but as a teacher I see the impact adults' lives have on little kids. Kids live with adults mistakes every day. They live in an adult run world. They don't understand exactly how this world work yet and or even understand that our mistakes are just part of being human. During our Friday community circle time at school, kids have brought up the fact that they want (really, need) to know what is happening in life. They've told stories of listening in on parent fights, watching the news, or hearing financial problems discussed in hushed tones. And they don't know how to feel about that! Most kids need to know more and want to have the event explained to them. They (and I relate to this!) worry more about what they don't clearly know than about what is explained to them in a way they can understand. 

When J. and I have kids, we plan on taking to them about family problems. We plan on letting them know that even though Mom and Dad might not get along every day, we still love each other! We want to help them understand things that are happening in the news, even though those events might be unsettling. We want them to know life isn't always a bed of roses but you can trust Mom and Dad to tell you the truth and help you understand it. We'll talk on their level, in a calm way, to help them understand the situation. We'll let them know they have an open and safe world at home!

This is what I do with my students (to a certain degree!! I leave iffy topics for parents to discuss!). I think my kids realize I trust them to understand and now have higher expectations of them. I think it helps them see they are a part of life, not just something to be protected and sheltered.