Tag Archives: reading

6 Skills Your Child Learns from Reading That Aren’t Literacy

6 Skills Your Child Learns from Reading That Aren't Literacy

I often write about how important reading is to me, and as a part of how I’m raising Harley. All the studies say that babies, toddlers and kids who are read to for at least 20 minutes a day perform better in school. But this goes beyond test scores and even beyond teaching a kid to read, because there are many things our kids learn – skills from reading that aren’t literacy.

This might seem a bit counterintuitive. I mean, the whole point of reading to kids is to teach them to read and get them literate, right? Well, not exactly. There’s a whole lot more that goes into it, like having a healthy bedtime routine. But there are also specific skills that kids use for the rest of their lives that can start with simply reading together. Continue Reading

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Unexpected sources of inspiration

Inspiration is a strange thing. Some people and things inspire us to be better humans, better parents, better workers… and while I typically know some things that can inspire me, I love being surprised at those things that bring out that magical spark in me. That is sort of the purpose of art, isn’t it? To reflect a part of ourselves or our society back at us, make us reassess who or what we are, and inspire us to become better versions of those things. Well, this most recent inspiration that I experienced came in a totally unlikely place.

You see, since starting this blog, I’ve started to be invited to events that aren’t just for gaming or tech. Not to downplay gaming or tech events – they are fun and often incredibly beautiful. But they feel extremely PR-oriented. They are built to make the journalists and blogggers in attendance take pictures of the pretty things and share on social media, to promote the brand. And while the people who work for those brands are often awesome and wonderful, the goal of their events is rarely to help connect people or make us feel special or important. But this mommy blogger event… it was very different. Continue Reading

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Activities for baby development – 6-9 months old

Harley at 6 months

I’ve written before about my desire to help Harley develop. It’s not just about making her a genius, which would obviously be great, but also about making her a well-rounded person with all the motor, cognitive, emotional and social skills she’ll need to thrive as she grows up. But it’s really weird with a baby. I mean, on the one hand, they are sort of like blobs who can’t really do that much, but on the other hand, their brains are developing faster than they ever will. They are learning so much all the time, even if it doesn’t feel like it, and there are all sort of things that we can do to help them.

I’m enjoying Harley a lot more now. She is so much more engaging – she smiles when we do things, she loves to see me and interact with me, and she is so much easier to read now. Plus, the activities that we can do together are much more fun now, too. Sure, the 3-6 month activities were pretty cool, and the stuff we did when she was 0-3 months helped so much with bonding, but now it feels like we do things together instead of me doing all the work. Continue Reading

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Activities for baby development – 3-6 months old

Development for 3-6 month olds

Baby development is such a strange thing. On the one hand, babies seem like blobs – they can’t do much and it can be so daunting to do activities and have no idea if anything is sinking in. On the other hand, the period from 0-24 months is when babies develop at the fastest rate. Their brains are growing so much every day, and this is when they’re the most like sponges, absorbing all the information. They won’t remember it when they’re older, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t help or apply. I already shared some ideas for 0-3 months, but of course, it’s a continual process.

I love watching Harley develop. Dean and I have had a few instances where we’re sure she wakes up smarter. Her eyes will focus more, her attention span will lengthen or she’ll have some new skill. Now that she’s smiling, I am even more confident about which activities she enjoys and how to engage with her. But with her expanded skills, there’s also room for a bunch for development. Thankfully, I have a ton of activities in my arsenal. Continue Reading

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The Geeky Mommy Files – Cassey Toi

The Geeky Mommy Files

I love being a geeky mommy and figuring out what that means for me with Harley. It’s a daily journey as I try to learn how to be a mommy, and a geeky mommy at that. However, there are some awesome ladies who are further along on the path and have some really cool ideas that I’m totally going to steal. Welcome to the Geeky Mommy Files, where every Friday, I will be introducing you to one.

Cassey was one of the first women to reach out to me when I joined the mommy blogging scene, and I am so grateful that she found me. She never fails to offer me encouragement and advice – she’s quite possibly the most contagiously positive people I’ve ever met. Of course she’s an awesome mommy to her little boy, and a cool geek as well. Continue Reading

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