"What is Montessori" 3.0- Sense of Order

Order.

When we think of order, most often the image or idea that comes into mind is things in a row, things perfectly lined up, clean, neat, tidy, structured, etc.  There is a bit of a confusion when culturally (today) we refer to things having order.  In some ways, it's militant.  Children are supposed to be "orderly".  Things are supposed to be in order.  We must obey orders, so on and so forth.  However, when Dr. Montessori referred to a child having sensitive periods and one of the earliest and strongest being their "sense of order," she did not imply my previous descriptions. 

So, what is a child's sense of order?  To understand this sense of order, it is best to understand the sensitive periods or "windows of opportunity".
From birth to 6 during the absorbent mind the child goes through creative periods or windows of opportunity which are transitory blocks of time in which he is passionately absorbing with one aspect of his environment to the exclusion of others.
            These (passions) actions allow him to acquire a certain skill or capacity. The sensitive period has well defined activities guided by an unconscious inner drive towards the environment. The child looks fascinated with what he is doing. It makes the child repeat and repeat with enormous interest so he can establish the function.

Dr. Montessori talked about 4 main sensitive periods: language, order, refinement or movement, and refinement of senses.  They are characterized as transitory: they will only remain for a definite and limited time and disappear to never return. They will disappear if the skill has developed or not, and they all run parallel for those initial 6 years.  ALL children have and go through these periods.

Specifically then, a sense of order is by repetition; providing the proper steps for success and allowing a child to do it over and over.  Once perfected, a child knows how to do something with the appropriate steps needed to finish a task. It's allowing a child the opportunity to do it on his own. This gives him his own sense of order that is more valuable than emulating someone else. A sense of order is from within, and will manifest in various ways.  Each child will have their own unique sense of order that is different and varied than the one we originally presented them.

A child will know, to sweep up a mess the steps are: to get a broom, sweep all items to a pile carefully, place the boom back, get a dustpan and brush, take the brush out, sweep it many times catching the dirt in the pan, emptying the pan into the trash can (the trash can may need to be opened, then closed), then place the brush back on the dustpan, and then return it to it's place.

This is a sequence of steps, but mostly as an adult we just say "sweep up" or "clean up", but to a child this is a sense of order in which he must repeat his/her actions to accomplish something, and that something being a lengthy sequence of steps. Therefore, for a child, order contains within it a sequence, and  they are in need of repeating those sequences.  It is when we disturb this need to repeat these sequences and offer them a "short-cut" or see the repetition as unnecessary that children yell and scream and put up tantrums.  Allowing them the chance to finish this sequence as often as they need to, in as many ways as they need to, this will lead them to success in mastering a task and mastering themselves. Doing things for them is a disservice as we don't allow them to obtain the skills necessary for life.

Orderliness is NOT a sense of order. 

In my own two children I have seen their sense of order come and go, I have seen them stronger in one, then at times stronger in the other and both at different ages.  My older daughter had a very strong sense or order when she was really young, and at times still does.  We had to do the same routine.  My husband and I would joke that she would be upset if we did something differently, and we'd have to walk back and repeat the motion in the way in which she knew it should have been done.  Now, my second child who is two and a half is exhibiting very similar patterns now.  She had other things which she was captivated by in her younger months.

I wish I could take a photo of their 'sense of order' as I do with other things.  In fact, I was tempted to post a picture of how at a very young age the older one took all our shoes and lined them up.  And yes, in some ways, that is order, but that is the need to see things in order.  Order will manifest itself externally, but as mentioned before, it's the repetition and the innate desire for repetition that allows for that order within to develop.  Forced orderliness, is just obedience, and often when a child is forced into obedience at a young age (0-6) what manifests in the later years (12-18) is often disobedience.  We must allow a child to develop their sense of self early and rely upon their abilities in knowing and trusting who they are.  This way, the tools have been given early and we can trust that they know what to do with those tools later in life.

Since a photo can capture order, but a video can give you a sense of their movements (exhibited and inhibited), repetition, and order by which a sequence of actions lead to a task, I wanted to share a few which have captured their sensitive periods. 




https://vimeo.com/39742817

"What is Montessori?" 2.0 - Practical Living

If you have heard of Montessori, you probably know some terminology.  One of the more frequent terms is "practical life," referring to a set of materials and exercises in the primary and toddler classrooms.  It is one of the more difficult areas for a parent to grasp,  and one of the more important areas for a child to master.  So, why is it there?

Dr. Montessori observed that the daily activities- ones that we as adults see as a chore, are the most beneficial, crucial, and most interesting activities for a child.  The fundamentals of taking care of oneself, the immediate environment and the greater one, cooking, cleaning, moving, not moving, the basic "how to's" are what a child craved.  These activities not only mimicked adult movements but they also had a deep history that was part of the human culture as we evolved to becoming independent.  What was once in a home, became obsolete as people moved into cities.  Over the past century it has only become worse as more and more "conveniences" in the form of electronics and technology have become part of our everyday living.  It helps an adult become more efficient, but it denies the child the opportunity to learn the fundamentals.  Practical Life, therefore, is one of the most important areas and is one of the first areas introduced to a child in the classroom.

What about the home?  In a home, until recently, all that was available to a child was practical life exercises.  If we allow our children to participate in the daily tasks of maintaining and assisting in the home and family life, we give them the opportunity to master these skills.  From eating by themselves, changing their own clothes, helping with dishes or laundry, folding clothes, making the bed, etc, a child masters his own body and is able to function in a mini-society.

As these things are fully available to every child, and for the most part free, somehow, this is still denied, belittled, or seen as a hindrance to the adult's pace of living, or as a potential hazard.  Instead, cognitive activities, flash cards, electronics, and other such "task oriented" things are placed before the child believing it will aid the child's development far greater than simple home chores.  As challenging as it is to incorporate the pace of the child, if we see it as a benefit to them rather than a hindrance to us, we can approach this with a better view and attitude.  All research new and 100 years ago points to the benefits of working with the hand.  So, before we give them something for their minds, let's give it to their hands, as this is the only and most important way it will embed in their minds.


I had meant for this to be a post of images, but alas I got carried away with text.  So, instead of going on, here are some of our daily activities which are not given as lessons, but as part of everyday living.

For more check out kids in the kitchen, and Road to Independence. 
Also, check out The Full Montessori's post on how to LIVE Montessori.  She does an excellent job explaining the developmental planes a child is going through at the 0-6 stage. 

 gardening

 cooking

 saving seeds

 hanging up laundry- cleaning rags. 

 washing their muddy shoes

 washing dishes

 Lots and lots of gardening

 choosing, and packing their clothes and toys before a trip

  concentration

 helping put clothes in the washer

 loading the dishwasher

multi-tasking.  Cleaning and caring for friends.

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"What is Montessori?" 1.0

I thought I'd share a quick overview of Montessori.  My mom and I have been helping my sister with a project, and this is a summery of what my mom emailed her.  Since I've been writing similar things in my head and hoping to write up "What is Montessori" I figured I'd break it up into a series.  I'm considering having a few friends and colleagues contribute to this endeavor. Hopefully we can cover some questions out there in the next few months.

The Montessori  method of teaching was originally used with disadvantaged children. In a Montessori environment each person must be considered as a whole. All aspects of the individual are equally important and inseparable regarding his or her interests and needs. These aspects are:        

• Physical: needs are addressed in the environment by having furniture  of  an appropriate size. For example the chairs /tables shelves, bathroom fittings, sinks, etc are all at child level. In the case of disabled children their needs are accommodated.

• Emotional:  The material calls them to work. It is appealing, and self explanatory and brings about a sense of peace and harmony. Montessori referred to this as 'normalization'

• Cognitive: The concepts  have already been absorbed wholly in the young child. Materializing these concepts now make it more meaningful. E.g weight, textures, dimensions,sounds to name a few.

• Social: The children are of varied age groups resembling a family and a  home-a perfect social environment  Older children play the role of models to younger children who like to emulate them. In the 3 year period, every child gets to be a follower before being a leader. 

• Spiritual: Children are taught to respect the material. Every piece of material  has to be handled appropriately. Misuse is never allowed. They learn to treat people around them the same way.

• Aesthetic: The material is beautiful, clean, fragile and delicate, appealing to to the senses

Written by J.E and V.E

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A Mother's Gift

There is no greater gift we can give our children than life. Giving birth is one thing but teaching them how to live and live a full life requires dedication and patience.

As I look back at my life and how I've come to where I am as a person and now as a mother I am thankful for all that my mother did for me, mostly be being who she is and guiding me as she has done and continues to do.

The greatest gift my mother gave me was BELIEF. Not in the eternal sense but belief in myself. To know ones own strengths and weaknesses, to know your capabilities , to believe when you doubt, to trust your instincts, and to trust that being who you are and true to yourself will be your best guide in life, is not an easy thing to teach a child. I see this as my mother's greatest capacity as she not only instilled these values in me, but as a teacher I see her guiding the children in her care year after year and passing on her wisdom to those children and parents. I suppose being in a Montessori classroom for over 30 years now she has benefited from having the same children for 3 years to work her magic. And often she has siblings and relatives that also pass by. At home we joke that she is our "Strega Nonna".

This really struck me while I was preparing for my home birth with my second child. After she was born and my mother flew here to be with me, my midwife pointed out that I'm so lucky to have a supporting mother who carries with her the wisdom of the past, the wisdom of how to truly care for another person, and who understands the fragility of new life. She knew to be there to care for me so that I could care for my child, she knew to think for me and anticipate my needs before I even knew what they were. She knew to tell me to slow down and enjoy the peace and love of this new life in my arms, she taught me to respect my time with my child giving them undivided attention when nursing so that a stronger bond could be developed.

She was there for me with both my children, guiding and passing on what she had learned from her mother, a mother of 7. In her hands lay the wisdom of two generations and I hope that it goes from me to my children. My mother has only known the true and innocent love of children. In her lifetime she has only had 1 job, being an educator. My sisters and I joke, but it really is a beautiful truth that my mother carries with her the innocence of a child since her life is spent with us, the children in her class, and now her grandchildren. Her dedication to the child rivals that of Dr. Montessori in my eyes. As much as I can credit Dr. Montessori on her work, to me, the wisdom of my mother is far greater as it carries both the Montessori philosophy and also a cultural philosophy that is unique to my family.

The gravitas of being a mother is not in how we parent, but in what we pass on to our children.  Who we are and how we are with our children are sentiments that are absorbed by the child, and that is what will be life-long.  To preoccupy ourselves with the mundane rituals will only be a distant memory to them, as it is to us from our childhood.

 The relationship a mother has with a daughter is one thing, but to raise a boy who will one day be a man is also worth acknowledging.  I am fully aware that my husband didn't raise himself.  So, for him to be an understanding, gentle, and kind human being is also the influence of his mother.

My mother recently said something that really struck with me: as a parent you spend the best times worrying about if you're doing it right and about the small things.  As a grandparent you get to enjoy the grandchildren for who they are and and embrace the things you missed out in your children, as a parent.  It's sad that you miss out on just enjoying your own children.

Well, this hit home.  I don't want to miss out and not enjoy my children at this stage.  Worrying about something I will ultimately have no control over is truly a waste of time and energy.  I am thankful and lucky to have an amazing mother in my life.  I know this, and I don't expect my children to feel the same about me, but I hope that if I treat my mother with respect and I honor who she is and what she has to teach me, then my children can bare witness to respecting me as their mother.




Like it or not, know them or not, only a mother brings us into this world, and simply taking a moment to respect and honor that another human being did this for us is worth a day.

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SHARE - the forced politeness

Share.  This is a word an infant hears repeatedly probably before they are even crawling.  A word that is said, over and over, and over and over again.  Share.  Share your toys, share your space, share your food, share your love, share your mommy, share, share, share.

Today, while I was in the playground I heard a grandmother (I am assuming this) tell the child, "SHARE!"  2 second pause.  "SHARE!"  "I said SHARE!".

I write it in caps and punctuate it as I heard.  So, if this is what I hear as an adult, can you imagine what the child hears?

I know I'm totally out of the box, down the road, across the hills, and deep in the woods, when it comes to this idea that we have to tell, yell, and force our children to share.  I don't think it's natural.  It's not.

Dr. Montessori talks about how the ages of 0-3 are when the child is developing his sense of self, also called Ego formation.  In this very fragile state he is building his sense of self unknowingly. It is an unconscious process in which the child absorbs the environment which includes behavior and social etiquette.  She also says that at this stage the child cannot "obey you" because he is listening to his inner teacher or his Will as she calls it.  The child's will is to develop himself, his strengths, his motor coordination, his ability recognize and categorize, and so much more.  At this stage, while all these high functioning processes are going on in the brain, he is unable to put himself outside of his body and consider how his actions are impacting the child next to him (who for the most part is a stranger in the playground).

It is essential and very important that we integrate and socialize our children to the culture in which we live, however, there is time.  The time comes just after 3, closer to 4 when the child starts to realize how his actions are impacting another.  After 3, the child has a conscious mind, a mind that seeks to learn from you, become a concrete thinking relating to his/her environment.

So, how do we get from the formation of the ego to a well adjusted and considerate child?  By modeling that behavior ourselves.  If we are polite and courteous to others, if we smile and open a door to another adult or child, if we offer assistance to another person, if we use words like "please," "may I," "thank you," and truly embody the sentiments of compassion and consideration to a fellow human being, then just then will our children become aware and understand what "share" truly means.

It saddens me to see what rude adults we become, sheltered in our own world, self-reliant, self-absorbed, self-centered, and all the while believing we are better for it.  Believing that being this way is being independent.  To me, independence is also knowing when you need help, knowing the difference between solitude and solace, empathy and sympathy, reaching out to others, and being true to oneself.

If we are to demand our not crawling, not walking, not talking children to SHARE!  Then maybe we should start by demanding the same of ourselves.

If the notion of sharing is that of; walking a mile in another man's shoes, then we should start by taking small steps in our children's shoes.  Understanding the complexity of an adult world through their eyes would be far better than forcing them to SHARE!

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The Road to Independence

Independence is a word many parents adopt into their vocabulary early on.  From the start we all want to help our children become "more independent".   Independence, however, is not given or earned, it is a quest of the human condition.  Dr. Montessori stated that Independence is psychological and biological.  Therefore, as parents and caregivers to these human beings that are newly entering the world, we must respect that need for independence and allow the child to come to his/her full potential.

We do what we can with what we have (financially and with physical space). We didn't have everything we wanted for our first, we accumulated items along the way, and have a wish list that we ask our family to consider for birthdays and holidays.


Here are some ideas on helping your child become more independent based on things that have worked for us:

* Have all items they will need in a low shelf so that they can help set the table, get their bowls, plates, spoons, cups, on their own.

* Use real plates, glasses, cups with handles, forks, etc that are child size so they can feel a part of the family and learn good manners along they way rather than struggling it with it later.

*Keep a routine (vs. a schedule).  A routine will help a child know what comes next.  Keeping to the same order of things at each meal, cleanup, getting ready for bed, making the bed, getting dressed, etc, will allow them to repeat the same actions over and over thus perfecting that skill.

* Start with small and basic steps.  When helping a newly walking child clean up, give them the spoon or fork to take to the kitchen.  When they have mastered that, they can then take the cup, and once that is mastered, they can add on carrying the plate, and disposing of the remnants in the trash.  (This is a larger topic which I will expand upon in part 2)

* Set up the child's room so that they know where their things are.  Keep all clothes in low shelves so they can pick out their clothes and dress themselves.  Both my children (very strong willed), loved to pick out their clothes and get dressed by  18 months.  It tries my patience frequently at their choices of attire, but in allowing them the freedom to choose and become independent, I must let them make those choices which are also times they can learn a lesson from- like wearing not enough clothing on a cold day.

 I had hoped to make picture labels for each cubby, but within 2 weeks both children by 18 months knew which drawer had what clothes.  At first the entire thing was for my older daughter, now the top is hers and the bottom is for the little on.

*Washing hands and blowing noses.  Early on, as soon as they start eating, carry your child to the sink and wash their hands.  The routine and consistency of washing their hands in water will help them to have control and independence to do it on their own when they start to walk and are able to get to a sink on their own. Think of it as saving the environment from all those wipes.

 I realized my mistake when I took this picture.  For months we've had a small bar of soap, but recently, we put this giant one and the little one had such a difficult time holding this.  The hotel bars are perfect for them. We also prefer bars of soap over liquid.  Less waste.

*Have appropriate size stools or step stools so children can reach up to wash hands, brush teeth, and help out at the counter.  Do not put their dishes up high and have them climb up, instead move the dishes lower so they can hold them while having two feet firmly on the ground.  

These chairs are great for them to be able to get up and down on their own when sitting at the dining table.

*Give children the opportunity to help in the kitchen to prepare food, set the table, and cleanup all areas of the house.  Having child-size brooms, dustpans and such will enable them to be successful.

*One ability must be mastered before being challenged with a new one. Challenges not obstacles was a constant reminder to us when taking the course.  When challenged there is a new skill to be learned.  When an something becomes an obstacle, we tend to give up or feel inadequate. Mastery of a skill will help the child feel confident so that they can readily acquire new skills.  

* We cannot expect children to know what to do just by telling them.  We must demonstrate, even if it means letting go of control, and slowing down to a pace that is comprehensible to them.

*Practice a task yourself putting yourself in  your child's shoes.  This will help you to know how to present the activity to your child.  When carrying a glass, use two hands holding it carefully and walking slowly.  Children will imitate this behavior and you can encourage them to walk slowly so they can be successful by not dropping it.

Most of all, be patient and slow down.  Life is difficult for us as adults, having children adapt to a grownup world is challenging for them, so it's up to us to sometimes change our world to adapt to their needs.

Also check out cooking with kids for ideas in the kitchen and with food prep, and freedom and discipline on the importance of responsibilities which ultimately lead to independence.


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Living Montessori Now

Kids on the GO!

I often wonder how other mother's do it.  They seem to have time to be dressed beautifully, have all their stuff in toe, and be happy (or appear to be).  Now, I'm fully aware that that's my perception and it's hard on us all.  I wonder what it's like at home for other mothers.  I often hear, "oh it's too hard, so we're always out," or "yes, that's why we try to keep busy and stay out of the house."  Hmmm....  This has had me thinking, and re-thinking over the years.  This was something that came up with the first and now again with the second.  I tried for a short time to pack up and get out of the house as often with my oldest.  Now with the second, it's less likely since we have to go pick up the other one from school mid-day.  So, this is my schedule but I kept thinking there's more to this.  Why am I so hesitant to do this? Why does this NOT fit my life-style?  What is it that's preventing me from being a "park/playground mom"?

Over the past few weeks I've been taking myself out of being "me" and being tied down the the "drudgery" that I've felt in our daily activities.   I've tried to look at it in another perspective and in the last two days it hit me, or rather I reminded myself why I'm doing what I'm doing.  Yes, there was a reason I didn't think I was going to send my kids to the Toddler class.  I was home, so I was going to do these things myself.  I was going to show them how to eat at a table, sit down when eating, clean up, put their shoes on, help them become toilet-trained, help them get dressed, help them learn how a home functions, and how to function in society.  Aha! Eureka.

So, why do I stay at home and not roam all over town to a new park each day.  Well, we try to get out, to go to a museum, to go on a hike, to play at the beach, or visit the library, and lots of trips to various grocery stores.  However, there is a very crucial stage in which children need to be at home or a home-like environment which provides the necessary activities to become independent.  They need to be comfortable and know where things are.  If their environments are to be changing daily there is no structure and therefore no routine.  Children like to have order and they actually crave it.  They like to know where their things are and where things belong.  They like to know what is expected of them, to have a routine, to have some discipline (see freedom and discipline ), and to become confident in that environment.  Many changes and constant change sometimes leave children lacking confidence in their environment and therefore their abilities.   It is the age before 2-2 1/2 that we must provide structure so that as they grow older they can become accustomed to changes since they become confident in who they are and what they are capable of. 

I'm not saying that we must be locked up in our homes and stay here all the time.  Not at all.  Children should become part of our daily lives and activities. They should go to the grocery store and see the things we buy for our meals, they should become part of that process and allowed to help.  They should go to the library and pick out their books and hand the library card and put the return books in the bin.  All these things I hope to discuss in another post I've been working on.  We need to help children become part of a daily routine which is meaningful to them.

However, instead of constantly taking children to the playground, park, children's museums, jump houses, aka child-oriented activities solely, we deny them of the opportunity to learn and grow.  All of a sudden as they age, we expect them to know how to put their clothes on and to be toilet-trained but never giving them the opportunities along the way to develop these skills slowly.  Toilet training should not happen in a week or so, it is a gradual process and one that requires clean up, knowing how to change out of wet clothes, put them into something, and to find new clothes to change into.  All these things must also be ready and in a place where they have access to.  Now, as I write this, we have been having lots of misses and also lots of successes. I'm still in the process of setting up the little one's environment. 

 

Changing underwear

The stable home environment (or daycare/preschool) allows children to be active and productive if it is set up in such a way.  They can explore and discover many new things, and they can exercise their skills consistently.  Knowing that they must sit down to eat a meal, clean up, wipe up, sweep, carry dishes to the sink, or dishwasher; these are all things you can do in a stable environment and not in a park.  Often when we are out, foods are finger foods, hands are not washed, utensils are not used, and dishes are plastic bowls or sippy cups. This will happen, this happens when you have a picnic, and that's great, it's healthy to get out and to do something different, but for this to be a daily routine is not helping children develop proper habits.  Prior to the age of 2, food plays a central role in their lives.  It provides for many sensory experiences.  I loved Michael Pollen's statement when he said that what distinguishes humans from animals is that we eat food, and not feed.  There is a social aspect to food beyond the need to fill our stomachs.  Children go home for lunch, or mostly eat at home.  Eating in public spaces is not a very common thing in most cultures either.  The idea of fast food, and eating on the go is predominant an American thing, but now we've just adapted it to eating "healthy" food on the go; juice boxes, milk boxes, goldfish, carrot sticks, string cheese, etc,

Cleaning up and taking care of an environment, knowing to put away and to put things where they belong, knowing to care for yourself, your appearance, your hygiene; these are all things that are best done at home.  A 5 year old who is put on a changing table in a public restroom is not something you will see in the rest of the world.  We have been staying home mostly these days as the little one (20 months) has been wanting to use the toilet.  Mostly we have misses, but on a day like today, there's been a lot of positive results as well.  It's never consistent, and as difficult as it is for me, I have to do it.  The loads mounds of laundry are unbelievable.  The cloth diapers she once used are now used to clean up the floor.  We're going through underwear sometimes 3 in an hour.  We also decided to stop using a diaper on the older one (4) 2 months ago.  So, we are also dealing with night time bed wetting with sheets, down comforters, and pillows being washed daily.  My mornings are spent running out to the garage and in the back yard to hang up the loads and loads so that it will be dry by evening.  Yes, to add to the stress, we do hang the laundry out to dry.  We use the dryer about 4 months out of the year in the winter months when there is little to no sun in the backyard.

By no means is this madness for all, but there is a reason why we do what we do.  Again, I will address sustainable living in another post.  However, as a society, all we are teaching our children is to become individuals on the go.  When we do that, we are also teaching them to use more resources than necessary.  Even a young child uses more resources than they should.  When everything in our lives become disposable we prevent children from seeing the value in things. 

It is hard, it is beyond hard to sit patiently while they take 5-7 minutes to put on their shoes, but by no means does this mean I sit an watch or "police" them in how to do it.  We do it together.  I have little to no time for myself because each activity provides for an opportunity to learn.  Not always, as is the case now, she is happily playing with her doll and feeding it and swaddling it.  She has kept herself entertained opening and closing some boxes and bottles, cleaned it up and put it away, to then move on to another activity of putting her doll to sleep.

The entire day cannot be spent taking forever for children to do things on their own time. Of course not, we'd never get anywhere.  But, when we do have the time, it's best to show them how to do things even if it's one or two things a day.  Even if you're a working parent who has to be out the door early, we can still take our time for one thing and help them to learn that one thing for a week or two and then change it.  They don't have to learn it perfectly, after all what does that mean?  perfect only means for them to be able to do it on their own, it means giving them the opportunity to repeat, repeat, repeat.  If we constantly dress them, eventually they will learn to believe that they do not know how to do it and so will just stand and wait for you to do it.

Steps and Stages:  Help children in small steps. As young as 15-18 months, let children do 1 or two things and then gradually help them build up.  Show them how to do something and then allow them to do it as they can, but be mindful in how many steps it takes.  The fewer the better. 

When my older daughter was about 2 she insisted on picking out all her clothes.  OH MY!  I'm so glad we took lots of photos, but how adorable to see her in a skirt, pants, unmatching shirt and something else random.  When she started school the teachers asked us if she dressed herself as it was quite obvious.  Now almost 2 years later, she picks out her clothes at night and sets them out to dress in the morning.  It's not always smooth and there are arguments, and whines not wanting to get ready quickly, etc etc.

As I said, I will write a separate post soon about what we do at home and how our home is set up.  I hope this explains a little bit about why we don't spend our days out all the time.

When my first child was born, one of the first things my mom said was how her mother said, 'Children love to be at home'.  I thought she was crazy.  Over the years I see how my children love to stay home and play, they love to play with all the tupperware, my shoes, put random stuff in a push cart and go in circles, take all the plates and cups and have a "tea party" in the middle of the floor.  When we come back from a trip, no matter what time even late at night, they perk up and go running around looking at all their things. 

So, in my experience, and for my kids, they love being at home at certain times, and then there are times we like to go out.  This is our family, of course yours is different, so we look forward to hearing what you do and how you spend your days.  I love to get ideas from other moms and especially from other blogs. It's an ever evolving philosophy and way of living.

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