Returning to the Heart of Discipline

November 05, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Reflections on Parenting

This month is bringing the harder days of parenting--days when the children wake too early, when fatigue coils around us a bit more tightly each hour, when tantrums have the power to bring a wave of anger or a rim of tears to my eyes. But the struggles are teaching me to reflect on my responses, particularly those that proved unhelpful. On occasion, when I put my children to bed, I have to apologize for my meanness and for reacting too harshly. I pray aloud that we can be more patient with one another.

Raising a Toddler Boy: On Patience, Expectations, and Joy

October 29, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Reflections on Parenting

My son is two-and-a-half. At this age he is a challenge and a joy. (I expect he always will be, only in different ways). When I'm seated, he delights in hugging my neck from behind, nearly choking me. He insists on pouring his own rice milk, opening the garage himself, and starting each day with a formidable pile of books to be read to him. He plunges underwater fearlessly during swim lessons but refuses to kick or follow instructions.

Beginning French Lesson Plan 2: Greetings, Geography, & Alphabet

October 24, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Teaching French, French Resources

Last month I began teaching a beginning French class to a small group of upper elementary students. If you'd like to follow along on their language journey (or borrow lesson ideas!), here's the basic outline of what we did during our second and third classes. Keep in mind that this is only a once-per-week, 50 minute class, so we spend about twenty minutes or so reviewing and practicing what we've previously learned. (You can find lesson 1 here.)

Suzuki Violin Lessons at Age Four? One Year Later

October 21, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Education, Learning Resources, Reflections on Parenting

If you've read my blog for a while, you might remember that my daughter started taking Suzuki violin lessons last fall at age four and a half. She had expressed an interest in learning violin after listening repeatedly to a fictional story featuring Vivaldi's music. I was concerned that formal music lessons might require too much rigor for her age, but we took the leap after talking with friends who had started Suzuki lessons at a young age. Now, a year later, I'm thrilled that we started lessons when we did, and my daughter has loved playing! Here's my quick summary of the Suzuki method and what I've learned about music lessons as a parent:

An Encouraging Podcast and Sweet Reading

October 18, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Cultural Reflections, French Language Learning, Reflections on Parenting, Education

Bonjour les amis! It's been quiet on the blog this week, but today I'm glad to share with you two linguistic resources that may delight you:

First is a children's picture book called Little Treasures: Endearments from Around the World. Published in 2011, each page features several terms of endearment that parents use with their children in their own language. From mon petit chou (my little cabbage) in French to docinho de coco (little coconut candy) in Portuguese, it features sweet nicknames along with their translations and pronunciation in each of fourteen languages--German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, etc. We discovered this book at the library, and my daughter has loved choosing the nickname that she would prefer from each language.

Beginning French: First Lesson Plan for Ages 8-12

October 11, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Language Learning, French Resources, Teaching French

Last month I started teaching a beginning French class to a small group of upper elementary students in our homeschool co-op. (Most of my current students are around age 10.) Over the next two months I'll post my weekly lesson outlines here for teachers, parents, and those of you who'd like to learn or brush up on basic French skills. I lean heavily towards immersion and emphasize speech over writing, at least in beginning classes. Each class is 55 minutes and meets once per week for six weeks.

These lessons are designed for a small group of students with limited materials--we have no textbooks, workbooks, computer access, or video player in the classroom. We do use a CD player and mini-whiteboards. (You can learn how to make your own set of mini-whiteboards here.)

5 Truths I Learned About French Parenting from Bringing Up Bebe

October 08, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Culture, Cultural Reflections, Parenting Books, Reflections on Parenting

Though I lived in France for a year and a half in my twenties, it wasn't until I read Pamela Druckerman's Bringing Up Bébé in 2012 that I started to gain a full picture of French parenting. Here are five general truths about French parenting that I learned from reading Bringing Up Bébé:

1. French women don't breastfeed their babies all that long, even by American standards. A few months seems to be typical, partially because the vast majority of French women return to work after several months of maternity leave. I expect I'll be nursing our seven-month-old infant when we stay in France next summer, so I'm curious if my French friends will see this as an unusually long time to breastfeed a child.

October Nature Events for Families in Oregon (& Elsewhere)

October 02, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Education, Home Management, Learning Resources, Travel

Bonjour, les amis! Because of September's heat here in Oregon, October often feels like the true beginning of autumn. Have you enjoyed any pumpkin treats or cider yet? We're having homemade pumpkin ravioli tonight. (We haven't tried it before, but my children like stuffing wonton wrappers.) And if you're craving a seasonal drink, this past week I blended a few spoonfuls of pumpkin puree with a cup of rice milk and a dash of nutmeg, and it was surprisingly refreshing! For more ways to enjoy the season, here are some family-friendly nature events around Portland, Oregon, this month: