Here are a few things that I’ve done so far:

• I’m addicted to Teachers Pay Teachers. I know there are a lot of homeschool curriculums out there, but I really wanted to find something that aligned with what is being taught in school. I don’t plan to do this forever, so I want to make sure the kids can easily transition back to class without missing any materials. The other thing I love about TpT is that you can buy an entire year of lesson plans where they literally spell out what to do every day.
• I also really liked the idea of being able to customize the curriculum. For example, my son is in 3rd grade, but he is doing math at the 4th grade level. So I was able to find a great 4th grade math curriculum for him, but pair it with a 3rd grade level writing curriculum. I really like the ability to customize it to what my kids need.
• It has been really interesting to understand how the kids learn and what are gaps in their understanding. In the past I always just assumed the school would teach them everything and I could be hands off. After last year’s disappointing virtual instruction, I realized that no one is going to take my child’s education as seriously as I do. While I still plan on putting the kids back into school, I also will be much more involved in making sure they are being appropriately challenged.
• I also found a great Outschool class for writing. I really like the teacher and I think it is good to have interaction with a teacher other then myself and to have some other kids to talk to. Plus, the teacher definitely knows what she is doing and writing is not my strong suit. It’s a win/win!
• I set up our homeschooling space in our living room. I love that it is right next to the window looking out to the backyard. I basically sit in the middle between the kids so I can help each of them out.

What about my Etsy shop?

I plan to do some more Etsy stuff in the future, but is just on the backburner right now with the kids. The good news is that I am still getting about 1-2 sales a day for my Toddler Busy Book. I love passive income! I like that I can start and stop it at any time and there are no “obligations” to do anything. Of course, with that flexibility, this month has probably been one of my lowest income months since starting the shop. But it is worth it to keep my kids safe and see them thrive with one on one attention.

Our Virtual School Experience So Far

During this whole crazy COVID time, we decided to keep our kids in virtual public school instead of homeschooling them.  I’m grateful to say that my kids have adjusted very well to virtual school.  They are engaged and participate in class.  They show up on time, for the most part.

Surprisingly, Emily’s Kindergarten class has much more homework than Alex’s 2nd grade class.  I really like that Emily’s class allows parents to differentiate students based on the academic level.  There is more work on the parent’s part to make sure that all the work is completed, but her teacher offers plenty of optional and challenge homework that she can do.  They also require her to write at least 3 times a week.  I’ve seen tremendous improvement in her writing since the start of the school year.  For her, she is being challenged and stretched, which is what I would expect from school.

On the other hand, I’ve been more disappointed with Alex’s class.  I know Alex’s teacher is doing the best job she can, given the fact that she also has 3 kids of her own, so I don’t blame her for any of this.  She’s making the best of a bad situation and I suspect it would be the same situation even if it was a different teacher.  With that said, however, Alex’s class about 15 minutes max of homework due and there is no attempt to help more advanced students.  He has a small group meeting with the teacher once a week for about 15-20 minutes, but that is it.  I wish there were more optional or challenge activities offered so we could help him.

Why I’m Embracing My Inner Tiger Mom

I knew at some point I would become a tiger mom, but I think with the stress of running a real estate business and COVID, I was wishfully thinking that the public school would figure out a way to push Alex academically. One of the key themes of Raising The Best is the idea that you have to surround yourself with the best.  Thinking back, Alex has always been at the top of his class, giving me a false feeling that he is on track.  I’m sure according to average academic standards, he is doing more than fine.  But the real question is, is Alex being pushed to his best ability? Unfortunately, the answer was clearly “no” this year. So it was time to bring on the tiger mom…

So I began researching gifted and talented programs and came across the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY).  In order to even take some of their classes, your child needs to be two grade levels ahead in math and reading.  I had Alex take a practice SCAT exam to see where he was.  He got about 50% right in both the math and verbal sections.  Although it isn’t a great score, I just see it as a data point and evidence that he has room for improvement.

The elementary SCAT exam consists of a verbal analogies section and a math section that covers 4th and 5th grade math.  To tackle the analogies section, I researched and downloaded a huge analogies bundle from Teachers Pay Teachers. I’ve been relying on TpT a lot to supplement academic work for the kids.  I like the idea that other teachers are creating and using the materials.

To tackle the math section, I’m also using TpT to go through 3rd and 4th grade math.  I’m glad there are Math Common Core standards, so I know exactly what I need to cover with him.  In looking at the practice test, I’m going to focus on teaching him multiplication, division and fractions.

My Own Tiger Mom Experience

When I was growing up, my mom was a tiger mom.  While I probably didn’t understand or appreciate it at the time, I’m really grateful that my mom had such high standards for me.  Just like in Amy Chua’s book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom, I always felt my mom pushed me because she believed in me.  Somehow, I think that helped me develop a strong sense of internal motivation to always push myself.  Although my mom had high standards, I don’t remember ever feeling stressed about it.

I had a friend in high school that also had a tiger mom but her experience was completely different.  Her parents kept pushing her too hard and she was so stressed out at school.  Although subtle, there is a difference between pushing someone to do their best and pushing someone beyond their abilities.  It’s like if I were to keep yelling at one of my kids to play Beethoven’s 5th when they’ve only been playing the piano for a week.  It hurts more than it helps.

Finding My Own Tiger Mom Voice

It’s been about a week since I started working with Alex on his analogies and multiplication tables.  It’s definitely been a learning experience for both Alex and me.  I struggle with balancing how much to push Alex.  On one hand, Alex is learning there is a “new standard” at home now.  Since he’s been slacking off for a year, there has been a lot of whining, but he’s getting used to it.  On the other hand, I can tell his is very hard on himself when he gets answers wrong, so I don’t want to push him too hard to where he doesn’t enjoy learning or has low self-esteem.  I’ve been reinforcing a growth mindset with him and telling him that mistakes are proof that we are trying and it is perfectly fine to make mistakes! Is there such a thing as a growth mindset tiger mom?  I think that’s will be my new superhero mom power!

My husband started “training” with the kids in 2018 before we went to Disney World. While we still brought the stroller, they didn’t use it as much. We went back in 2019 for a day and didn’t even bring the stroller.

Since there no traveling for us 2020, we probably already walked over 200 miles with the kids, since we explored a lot of hiking trails and walking in our neighborhood a few times a week anyways. We figured setting a goal of 250 miles for 2020 was achievable and it would give them a start at setting annual goals. Here’s our plan to get there.

2021 Family Walking Plan

First, I talked to the kids about breaking down 250 miles into a weekly goal. I asked my second grader, “Let’s plan for walking 50 weeks out of the year. How many miles do we need to walk each week to get to 250 miles?” He did the math in his head and said “5 miles.”

Since we usually take a longer walk on the weekends, our plan is to walking 3 times a week for at least 1 mile and then do a longer walk (at least 2 miles) on the weekend. If we get behind during the week, we can take a longer walk on the weekend to make up for it. I’m sure it’ll happen at some point and that will give me an opportunity to talk with the kids about what to do if you get behind on something.

Keeping Kids Motivated

I’m using two things to keep them motivated. First, are toe tokens. Alex’s school (when it was in person) would give out these cute plastic feet for every 5 miles you logged at school and/or at home. Since school is virtual now, I bought a bag of these feet from the school directly to keep their motivation going. You can use this link to buy toe tokens and you’ll get 15% off your purchase!

I also found this cool 50- and 100-Mile Challenge tracker online and I’ll print out to use throughout the year. I love the idea of having them cross off the number of miles they walked and to visually see their progress.

Are you making any 2021 goals with your family? How about for yourself? Let me know in the comments!

North Carolina Zoo Tips for Parents

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.nczoo.org/

ADMISSION: We got in for free since we purchased an annual membership to our local zoo.  Since our zoo is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we were able to get in for free with their reciprocity program.  We do this also with our local children’s museum which is part of the Association of Technology and Science Centers reciprocity program as well.

PARKING: There are 2 main parking lots at the top (North America Lot) and the bottom (Africa Lot).  There was a shuttle between the 2 lots, so we parked at the North America lot first and then immediately took the shuttle to the Africa lot.  Our plan was to basically walk back through the zoo and then end up at our car.  The last time we went we didn’t do that and we had whiny kids that were ready to leave but we still had to wait for the shuttle.  Lesson learned!

ROUTE: Personally, I think starting at the Africa side and then ending at the North America side is a much better route if you have kids.  First, the kids are much more fascinated by seeing the giraffes, elephants, and rhinos first and it gets them engaged quickly while they have energy.  We spent the morning on the Africa side, at lunch at the Junction Plaza, and then continued on to the North America side afterwards.  The North America side also has a great playground near the entrance so its a great place to let the kids get out all of their energy before heading home.

Pro Tip: Make sure you save time for the playground and bring an extra set of clothes with you!  There is a cool “stream” that the kids can play in at the playground.  If you park in the North America lot, you can just leave a change of clothes in the car.  

BIRDS OF FLIGHT SHOW: We also did the Birds of Flight show, which was an extra $3 per person.  Since we got in for free, we went ahead and paid for the show.  It was really good!  The kids also got to have some of the birds eat out of their hands, so that was pretty cool!  I’d recommend it.

STROLLER TIP: The Zoo is VERY large, so definitely consider bringing as stroller if you need it.  I’m happy to report that we were able to make it through the entire zoo without a stroller!  My 5 year old walked the entire time and my 3 year old did pretty well too.  I also used it as an opportunity to “train” them into walking more.  Since we didn’t have the stroller they were forced to keep walking.  We also took a lot of breaks anyways to watch the animals, so it wasn’t too bad.

Overall, everyone had a great time and we will definitely go back!  The kids were completely exhausted, so I consider that a success!

Although Alex is only 5 and Emily is 3, I really wanted to get them more into robotics and programming.  It’s an essential skill for problem solving and imaginative play.  Plus, it had an iPad component to it, so I knew they’d be excited about it anyways!

The kit comes with a lot of pieces since you can built 5 different robots.  We put them all into a plastic tub so they could keep everything in one place.  Keep in mind there aren’t any instructions in the box; you have to download the iPad app in order to get the instructions.  I really like that idea since I don’t have to worry about where the little booklet of instructions and the kids don’t get distracted by step 33 when they are only on step 2!

The app was really easy to use and we created a simple robot together.  Alex was able to put most of it together by himself and we get Emily the easier parts to put together also.  Surprisingly, both kept focused on making the robot all the way to the end.

One the basic robot was put together, we used the iPad to control it.  The app was really easy to use with buttons for forward, backwards, and turning.  You just need to use your finger to put them in order and push play.  Both kids took turns making the robot do whatever they wanted!  We ended up moving to the kitchen since the robot didn’t work that well on the carpet.

Overall, if your kids like LEGOs but you aren’t quite ready for Mindstorms, this is a great product for beginning programmers.  The iPad app was easy to use and the kids understood the basics of controlling the robot.  We’ll definitely be putting this into the toy rotation!

Check out the current pricing for the LEGO Boost on Amazon.

I experienced the same with my kids, especially my daughter.  She is just full of energy and “spirited” as they say.  She’s always the one that wakes up at 6am, full of energy, no matter what time she went to sleep the night before.  She’s does EVERYTHING at Level 10.  When I ask her to say goodbye to her teacher at school, it isn’t a regular goodbye.  It’s always a “GOODBYE!” that the entire daycare can hear.  She is so full of energy, which can be completely draining as a parent.

And I’m sure we’ve all experienced it.  When you are so exhausted that a little Netflix as their “babysitter” suddenly turns into 2 hours of watching PJ Mask (especially since Netflix auto-plays the next episode immediately!), just because we are too tired or we need to finish up something for work.  While it is OK to take a break once and awhile, or let them watch TV as a conscious decision, how often do we distract the kids as a default?  I quickly realized that this was becoming more of a habit, than a once in a while thing.  Even worse, my kids started becoming addicted to watching TV and asking to watch TV all the time.

And then I thought — Instead of “tapping out” because our kids are high energy, why don’t we just get more energy as parents?  Now, I’m not saying parents should never get a break.  But consider asking yourself how often you “tap out” because YOU don’t have enough energy to keep up with your kids?  Or your life to too disorganized that you can’t focus and be present with them?

I realized that I needed to have more energy (and be more organized) to keep up with my daughter and be fully present in a way that she deserves.  Here are a few ways that I’ve found to get more energy:

• Eat better – I was eating out all the time and eating really unhealthy food.  I hired a nutritionist to help me with my eating habits and definitely feel like I have more energy when I eat the right foods.
• Exercise more – I found that on days I exercise, I’m more productive and have more energy with the kids
• Sleep better – This one I’m definitely still working on, but on the days I got to sleep earlier, I wake up better with the kids
• Wake up before the kids – On the days I wake up before the kids and have “me” time, I start the day focused and with more energy.
• Know when your kids have the most energy and prepare for it – For me, there was a time I was in denial that 6am was, in fact, the time that my daughter had the most energy.  So, I started reading and having mother-daughter time in the morning, when she would be the most receptive to it, even though that wouldn’t be my preferred time!

Do you tap out more than you’d like with your kids?  What are strategies that you use to have more energy to keep up with your kids?

 You’ll want to visit the museum website before you go to plan out which exhibits are the high priority ones.  As you know, we are all about 5 minutes away from a meltdown, so make sure you prioritize which exhibits you want to see first.  In general, there may be one or two featured attractions and then a lot of smaller exhibits on different topics.  I also like to see what is unique at the museum and do those exhibits first.

Tip #2: Plan around nap times

If your kids still nap like mine, we definitely plan around nap times so we don’t have a major breakdown at the museum.  I can always tell towards the end of the visit when they are about to go crazy, so we will usually finish up quickly after that.

What’s worked really well for our family is to wake up and have breakfast, then go to the first museum in the morning, then we usually have a late lunch and we’ll drive to the next city or museum while they nap in the car.   They usually wake up in the car and we are off to the next museum in the afternoon!

Tip #3: Do the Exhibits with Water, Bubbles (or Anything Messy) Last

The first time we went to a children’s museum that had a water exhibit, we were so excited that we immediately tried it out.  It’s MESSY and even if your kids wear the waterproof smocks they give, they will get wet.  I didn’t bring a change of clothes with me inside the museum (it was in our diaper bag in the parking lot), so the kids had wet clothes the rest of the time.  This applies to water exhibits, bubble exhibits, and painting!

Tip #4: Bring Snacks

Make sure to pack snacks and water!  The kids will get tired and snacks and water are always a good idea to get them re-charged.  We have our to-go bag that has small water bottles for each kid and a whole bunch of snacks.  Our current favorite snacks are Annie’s Fruit Snacks and Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies.

Tip #5: Visit Right When It Opens

Most children’s museums will open between 9-10am, so we always go right when it opens.  There are less people there and the kids can enjoy the exhibits more.  Since our kids always got up really early, if we were done with breakfast before the museum opens, we would just go to a local playground near the museum before it opens.  As a bonus, they get to burn of some more energy too!

Do you have any other tips to add to this list?  Let me know!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.

The Basics

Address: 0 Children’s Way, Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Website: https://pittsburghkids.org/

My Kid’s Favorite Things at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

Art Room

Alex and Emily love the art room, which is directly on the left after the admissions desk.  Their permanent activity there is screen printing, which we do every time.  I would do that first since you can leave your artwork to dry and come back at the end to pick it up.  They usually have other art activities there as well.

Other

Alex also loves their huge climbing wall, which winds up to the second floor.

Ball Drop

One of Emily’s favorite exhibits is the ball drop!

What Love Notes Do I Write For My Kids?

If you aren’t sure what notes to write, here are a few ideas.  Just remember to keep it simple and from the heart.  Mine are almost always one sentence and it takes less than 2 minutes to write them.  Even when I’m super tired, I know those extra 2 minutes mean a lot to the kids when they wake up.

• Something good that they did that day (e.g., “Great job climbing to the top of the playground by yourself!”)
• “I’m proud of you because…”
• Affirmations (e.g., “You’re the BEST, Alex!”)
• A simple “I love you! Love, Mom”

How Writing Love Notes to My Kids Has Changed Our Lives

Before starting this challenge, I was already in the habit of writing down my gratitudes in a journal, so it wasn’t too hard to add in writing the notes to my kids.  But about a month into this project, my 5 year old son started writing notes back to me!  And my 3 year old daughter asked me to write “Mom” everywhere on a post it note and she stuck it into my envelope for me!

SUPER PROUD MOMMY MOMENT!

I’m also so glad that I put up the envelopes to keep all of the notes.  My daughter especially loves to take all of her notes out of her envelope and have me re-read them to her.  It is like she re-lives her proudest moments from each day.  I love seeing the smile on her face when we re-read the notes together in the morning.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do after the challenge is over, but I know I’ll continue to write notes to my kids in some capacity.  It’s been a great experience and has definitely brought our whole family closer.  I also write a love note to my husband every night as well and he occasionally will write one back to me too.

Ready to write love notes to your kids, but aren’t sure what to write?  Download my 50 Love Notes to Write Your Kids for a  list of ideas and inspiration!

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At first, I was totally against it because I thought it was WAY too expensive.  I’m more of a Target and second hand store kind of shopper, so StitchFix seemed like way overpriced clothes.  I figured I could probably find a cheaper knockoff somewhere else.

But, our family is on T-Mobile and they had a T-Mobile Tuesdays special for a $20 voucher towards StitchFix.  So even if you hate everything in the box and send it back, you aren’t out any money.  So, I decided to try it out.

How does StitchFix work?

If you aren’t familiar with StitchFix, it is basically a personal shopper that sends you 5 pieces of clothes every month.  You can either choose to buy some or all of the pieces or send everything back.  If you send everything back, there is still a $20 styling fee that you have to pay.  If you buy all 5 pieces, there is a 20% discount on all the pieces.  I’ve found that if you like 4 out of the 5 pieces, you’ll probably want to get all 5 pieces since you essentially get the 5th piece for free with the discount.

My Experience

When I first got the box, I literally said to my husband, “Look, my overpriced clothes came today!”  But when I opened the box and tried on the pair of black work pants I requested, I immediately fell in love with the whole company.  It fit perfectly and most importantly, I didn’t have to go to the tailor to get it hemmed like I usually do. The stylist literally nailed every piece in the box.  She also picked out clothes that I would have never tried on if I had seen them in the store.  Now, those pieces are some of my favorites!

The time savings alone from not having to go shopping AND not having to go to the tailor is the best part of StitchFix.  Even now, shopping is more just a relaxing experience because I’m not stressed about needing to find more business clothes.  And did I mention not having to go to the tailor?!!  AMAZING!

How to Make StitchFix Successful for You

There’s a couple key things to know before ordering your first box.

• Be brutally honest about what style you like and what you don’t.  For me, I like the classics and I’m not that fashionable.  When you sign up, they’ll give you several different styles that you can select how much you love or hate them.  Be honest about what you like AND about what looks good on you.
• Maximize your StitchFix wardrobe by telling the stylist that you want a capsule-style wardrobe.  I told my stylist not to send me anything unless I can create 2 or 3 outfits with it.  She gave me some really great pieces that I could dress up for work or dress down when I’m hanging out with friends.  When I got my second StitchFix box, she also picked items that could be worn with clothes from the first box.  It was amazing!
• Putting my financial freedom hat on, buying everything in the box is around $250-300/box.  It’s not cheap, but it is worth it.  They have a monthly subscription, but I only get the box when I feel like I need an update to my wardrobe.  My recommendation is to order it for different seasons, so you have a collection year round.  I’ve ordered 2 boxes so far, and I’m kinda waiting to see if I need more clothes in the summer to determine whether I’ll order another box.

So I would try StitchFix out and see if it works for you!  Let me know how it goes and if you like what they send you!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.