Category: Kids

Doll Sling

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

 

I loved carrying our babies in a sling, so when I saw this idea for a doll/stuffed animal sling, I was all in.  I’m sure you can make this into a more elaborate project if you’d like, but I’ve found this method to be super simple and it works well for our kiddos and their dolls. 

How?

Because of the way the fabric will rest, I highly suggest a fabric that looks nice on both sides or sewing two fabrics together to create this look.

The size of your fabric may depend on your kids’ height and how big a doll they may be carrying.  For me, it’s also depended on what fabric sizes I have available in my stash.  The average sling I’ve seen online is about 18 by  44 for this doll sling.  But I’ve made ones any number of sizes, so a 25 X60 or so on, wouldn’t be out of line.

–Cut your fabric to the size you’d like, leaving an extra bit for the seam. 

–Sew a small seam around the edges.  Some people like to get very precise with this and use irons and so on; I just fold and sew as I go.  A little less perfect, but I think it works just fine here.

–My favorite part of this is using the open and close binder-type rings, because it makes it so easy to take off the rings and wash the fabric when needed.   So, locate 2” or 3” binder rings.  Some people have these lying around.  I’ve also seen these at yard sales or sold individually at teacher shops, so keep your eyes open once you know you’d like to try this project.  I’m sure you could also use some other sort of ring, but you will then have to make sure these are in place before sewing down the fabric in the next step. 

–Do an accordion fold at the top of the long end of the fabric, fold over, and stitch down into place.  I like to slip the rings in before sewing this down to make sure it all works, and then you’re done. 

  

(The one shown as my example below, I sewed a little wide.)

I attached another example as well…

If you’ve never used a ring sling, just take the bottom end and thread it through the rings.  Pull the fabric through the bottom ring until you get the length and fit you’d like for your child.

  

More detailed instructions can be found if you search online—there’s a link to one example here. 

(This is a fun beginner’s sewing project, but I’m always surprised at how people are able to adapt things into no-sew projects as well, so use your imagination.)

 

Gifts

This is such a fun gift for kids!  I love giving it to young kiddos who have just welcomed a baby sibling, but it could be great for anytime.  When I’m making one of these, I try to make a couple extra if I have the fabric, because these are great to have on hand for a quick, but very thoughtful, gift if you need it.

(I hope I emphasized this enough, but just one more time, remember this project and the construction for this are only meant for a doll sling.  Please, please do not use any part of this idea for an actual baby sling.)

Thanks for being here!  I hope you enjoyed this idea for a simple gift.

video link

Audio Books Gift

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I strongly believe in the value of kids getting books, stories, poems, and songs in person whenever possible, rather than through a device.  The connection and the learning that take place when getting these stories read or told to them is invaluable.

That being said…I think there are times and places for media alternatives. And, right now, collectively, is definitely one of those times.  Audio books for the family are a lifesaver on long car trips or when there is an illness in the house.  And during this time, a project like this or gift like this can be a great way to connect with others, give parents a break from reading out loud, and eventually be something that can be treasured for years.

This is a simple idea and a completely free project, but it does take some effort in getting your loved ones motivated enough to participate. But, again, this just might be the perfect time to do it.  The idea is to ask family members or close friends to record themselves reading a children’s picture book, reciting a poem, singing a song, telling a family story, or really anything they’d feel comfortable contributing. When I put this idea out to our loved ones, I explained that this was a gift for our kids, but if everyone felt ok with it, I’d be happy to share with the extended family. I think as parents we have so many photos and videos and recordings of our kids, and I wanted to hear from the adults too.

I put this idea out there to all our extended family. Some were very quick to respond and participate and some said they really wanted to contribute but never quite did. And that’s totally fine.  Life is weird and busy, and I totally get it.  I sent a couple gentle reminders, but after awhile I just let it go and figured I can always reach out again in the future.

I was so impressed with the responses I did get though, and it’s been so much fun listening to these. The kids love them, but it’s also been so much fun for my husband and I to hear. These are great to listen to on car trips or for those crazy days when I just can’t read a book the moment our kids want to hear one. And because our extended family all live far away, I love that our kids are getting to know or remember the family by hearing them here. And although I really don’t like thinking this way, I can’t help but think how much I would have loved to have recordings like these of my husband’s parents before they passed so that our kids could hear Grandpa and Grandma reading them a story. So, I treasure the ones we do have.

Here are some guidelines and tips I picked up from doing this and from hearing the family’s contributions:

—Ask participants to introduce themselves at the beginning of their recording with their first and last names. Have them avoid using a title when they say their name, such as “Aunt Suzy,” because even if you’re the one who has asked for this project for your kids, there’s a good chance you’ll be sharing it with other parts of the family who are not related to Suzy in the same way.

—Ask people to start by saying the title and author of the book, poem, story, or song. If it’s a family story, they can give it a title or just a brief description to introduce it. For example, “This is the story about when my cousin Leo got lost at the zoo.”

—One thing some of my family members did that I really liked was after saying their names and before starting their book or poem, they would give a short background about it. So, they might talk about how their mom used to tell them this poem before bed or how their kids loved reading this book when they were growing up. I felt like this was such a great added touch, and I highly recommend it.

—It’s okay if it isn’t long. Some of my family members were very comfortable on audio and some weren’t. For those who are shy but want to contribute, you can suggest telling a short joke, doing an impersonation, saying a short message about who they are and where they grew up, giving a book recommendation without actually reading it, etc. I just think it’s so nice to hear from everyone.

—Strongly encourage the adults’ participation in this, but don’t forget about the kids. I mainly wanted to hear from the adults on this since I feel like we are always so good about sharing things our kids do. But, I was also so pleased to hear my niece and nephews doing their own audio recordings on here!

—If you’re okay with it, encourage multiple contributions. I loved hearing from everyone on this, and my only “complaint,” if you can call it that, is that I wish I had more! Remember it doesn’t just have to be reading a book out loud, it can be playing an instrument, reciting a poem or nursery rhyme, telling a joke, and my favorite, telling a family story.

—Triple check that everyone is okay with you sharing this with other related members of the family. Even if families don’t have kids or don’t have kids yet, I think it’s such a precious gift. I think we’re never too old to be read to, sung to, or have stories read to us.

—Don’t forget to include yourself and your immediate family! Even though, like I said, kids will always get so much more from you or your spouse reading to them in person, I think it’s so important and so special to have a recording of you reading some of their favorite books or telling a favorite story.

 

All the contributions family members sent me were so awesome. Some were silly, some were sweet. Some people had super animated voices, and some people had soothing voices. Some family members read a book together, some did their own. Some selections were 30 seconds or a minute and some were 5 minutes or longer. They all varied so much, but that was what’s made them all so special. So despite all the guidelines above, I think it’s also good to leave some of it a bit open-ended and see where people go with it.

 

Other Tips:

—I asked people to just record their selections on Voice Memo and text them to me. If you have a better idea or a more advanced audio recording device that you can bring to a family gathering to do this, that’s awesome!

—Test where the microphone is on the phone (if you’re doing it that way) and make sure you’re not too close or too far away.

—I downloaded the recordings to DropBox and organized them into folders by family. Then I was able to make the selections available offline so we could listen to them. And I was able to share the DropBox files with the other parts of the family. There’s probably a way to get these onto iTunes as well; I just haven’t done it yet.

–The recording doesn’t have to be perfect. We’re not audio book professionals here. I think it’s good to remember that, because some people will never actually get these sent if they’re aiming for perfection.

 

I started this around the holiday time, which was probably why I didn’t get to hear from some of the family right away. This would be a great gift to share with the family any time, but I was thinking of some times it might be especially appropriate:

—Someone in the extended family is having a new baby. Have people share a favorite poem or nursery rhyme or children’s book.

—Someone in the family is having a milestone birthday. Have people share family stories that involve the birthday person.

—There’s an upcoming holiday. Have people share a story, book, song, poem about that holiday.

 

This gift requires no packaging, no wrap, no big box stores, and it is one of my favorite gifts ever. I highly recommend giving this a try!

And, again, during this time, this project can be a great way to connect with loved ones, whether family or friends.  It can be a great homeschool assignment to have your kids record themselves reading a book or telling a story or singing a song.  But, again, I think hearing from adults on this too is so important. 

Hope this idea can spark some thoughts for you, and you can make it your own.

 

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Video Gifts

Play Dough-Homemade

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Homemade play dough is a fun, easy way to cut down on all those plastic containers the store-bought ones come in, and it’s also really great for gifts.

Play Dough is so much fun and such a part of childhood. Unfortunately, the widely known “Play-Doh” brand, upon further research, wasn’t exactly something I felt great about for our kids or the environment. While the exact ingredient formula is a secret, ingredients do include things like petroleum and surfactants, both of which can be harmful to the environment and to one’s health. I’m also extremely wary of manufactured dyes. The original use for Play-Doh was actually as a wallpaper cleaner, which didn’t exactly thrill me to read. So, with all that information in hand, and considering all those plastic Play-Doh containers entering our environment, I decided to opt for the homemade route.

I always love trying the homemade/do-it-yourself route, but I’m never quite sure what I’m getting into when I start a new project. Fortunately, in this case, homemade play dough is easy and fun. I love that the kids can be involved in making it, and there is little else more wonderful than kneading warm, fresh play dough. 

Normally, I can be pretty particular about where our ingredients like flour and oil come from, but with play dough, I am more relaxed. I keep a stash of the cheap, generic ingredients in bulk in a high cupboard just for crafts like these. (The cream of tar tar ingredient can seem a bit much, but I’ve sometimes found it in bulk sections at natural food stores for cheaper, and once, I stumbled across a mega sale of these and stocked up.)

I know there are tons of recipes out there, which are probably all pretty great, but the first one I tried was this one, and I LOVE it!  (I think it’s always nice to have someone narrow down recipes to ones that are tested and good, so you don’t have to.) We usually make a single or double batch, but you can easily make a half batch or times it by four or five even. Occasionally, I’ll use natural dyes, if we have some in the freezer. And once in awhile I’ll make scented dough too. I keep the play dough in glass jars or Pyrex containers in the fridge when the kids are done playing, and it lasts quite a long time for us.  You can also just reuse Play-Doh containers you might have on hand.

Play dough is fun to play with all on its own, but if you’d like accessories for it, don’t worry about buying a big kit. You can collect cookie cutters, garlic presses, rolling pins, and the like from garage sales, thrift shops, or your kitchen cupboard. Play dough “stamps” can be really anything you have lying around–corks, Legos, spools, and so on.  I’ve also come to love having a small plastic “kid” knife in our collection and a pair of very kid-friendly introductory scissors. Play dough is a great opportunity for little ones who are ready to practice cutting!

If you’re looking for a simple gift for a kiddo in your life, a jar of homemade play dough with a couple of cookie cutters attached with a ribbon is a perfect idea. The cookie cutters can be added to any collection the kiddo might already have. The play dough will be enjoyed until its time is done, and the jar can be cleaned and reused for more play dough or something else. For families who seem to have more than enough toys already, this is a great “consumable” gift.  You might also consider attaching a printed copy of the recipe and even a stash of the ingredients as the gift or part of it, so the family can make their own batches.

And, I have to say, even if you don’t have kids around and you aren’t planning on this as a present anytime soon, I do highly recommend everyone give this recipe a try at least once. There’s something very relaxing and grounding about holding and rolling this dough.  I recommend closing your eyes at least once while kneading the warm dough.   

Thank you for being here, as always!  Wishing you peace and calm at this time.

Stuffed Animal Solution

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Our kids have more dolls and stuffed animals than I’d care to admit.  But, as much as I’ve been tempted to downsize the collection in the past, they truly do love each and every one of these dolls very dearly.  The problem isn’t so much the darling dolls, it was the constant mess of them ALL OVER the floor.  I’m more ok than most are with untidiness, but there are breaking points.  I tried every solution I could think of.  And every solution I could find on the Internet.  I tried stackable bins and big baskets.  Shelves, drawers.  I knew the hammock thing would never work, but I thought it looked cute.  These animals are a part of daily life around here, and when our daughter wants one, she will dig to get it, with no second thought whatsoever to the other ones she’s thrown every which way in the process.  (I know you non-parents or those with “neat” children are thinking, “Just make your kid clean up the mess.”  Spend a day with our creative whirlwinds, and then we’ll talk.)

But, finally, one day a couple months ago, I woke up with a solution.  Huzzah!!  We have a ton of moving boxes in our garage.  I know we’ll need them again soon, but hopefully, hopefully, we won’t need as many when the time comes.  So, I grabbed six (was it six?) medium-size U-Haul boxes and set to work.  It was important to have the dolls be at a level the kids could reach and see easily, so I knew I wanted them off the ground.  The bonus benefit to this design is the storage for all those miscellaneous trucks and doll houses underneath.  I was so excited about this solution finally being “the one” that I didn’t take many photos along the way, but hopefully these give an idea of it, if you, too, have been looking for a stuffed animal storage solution.

  

I folded the side flaps inward on the three base boxes for support.  The top flaps went up to form the barrier for the animals.  The bottom flaps were cut and taped to the far side barrier walls, if that makes sense…

We were lucky to have a free corner in the room where this could go, but it could definitely work as a straight line too.  I think I used extra boxes laid flat across the top for more support.  Then I covered the doll area with fabric.  And, for good measure, I laid down some old baby blankets as well.  I am NOT a “Pinterest-perfect” type person, so the basic idea was more than enough to make me happy, but I suppose this idea could be taken to the next level by those up for the task.  Since these photos, I’ve taped some scrapbook-type paper on some of the bottom sections for less of a cardboard look, but that’s sort of an afterthought.

Dolls and stuffed animals are blissfully simple to put away now, and when the kids want a specific one, it’s fairly easy for them to look through without dragging all the others out.  I love LOVE this solution.  I get to REUSE cardboard, it’s simple and portable when we move, and best of all, it works!  So SO glad I figured out what works for us.

Home Learning

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I know we’ve got a world full of brand-new, “forced” homeschoolers right now.  And, I know that everyone’s experience and approach during this time will be so different.  There are some parents trying very hard to suddenly balance working from home while figuring out how to educate their kids and trying to stay calm amidst a wide range of uncertain emotions.  Some parents might not be working from home right now but are scrambling to figure out how to keep their family afloat.  Some parents might be excited at the opportunity to be home with their kids, but don’t know what to do all day.

There are students from preschool through college who are suddenly home-bound and families with very different ideas of what this time of schooling at home should look like.  I really don’t want to make any assumptions about anyone else’s experiences right now or philosophies or abilities with this “homeschool” experience.  So, this is not a “how to,” because I don’t know you or your family.

But, I would love to share some of my ideas and philosophies, which may or may not resonate for you.

When my husband and I made the decision to homeschool years ago, I thought I would totally rock it.  I’ve taught many different ages in different settings, I have a master’s degree in teaching, for Pete’s sake.  Teaching my own kids at home?  No problem.  Right?….Well, it has been a MUCH tougher journey than I anticipated.  And, we are only two grades in!

But I like to think I’ve picked up a few things in my short journey so far, and I’d love to share with anyone who is willing to read them.  I know that things may shift and change for our family as we go (in fact, that’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned– that things are constantly changing), but here’s what I’ve got so far:

–Home school is NOT school at home.  I always believed this, but it’s taken me awhile to really KNOW it.  The term “homeschooling” is misleading and strange.  It is a completely different approach to learning than school and should not be treated the same.  I like to say “home learning,” but perhaps somewhere there is a perfect term for it.

–There doesn’t have to be a strict schedule.  Unless we absolutely have to be somewhere, there’s no reason I have to wake my kiddo up before she’s ready.  Learning can begin when she is rested and, hopefully, happy.

–Learning doesn’t have to take place at a table and with a pencil in hand, and, in fact, it usually doesn’t.  Learning happens when we’re snuggled on the couch together in a discussion, when we’re outside exploring, when she’s taken a flashlight to bed at night so she can read or write in her journal, when we spend the whole day reading together, when we’re at dinner asking big questions.  It is always happening, but it’s not happening with worksheets and quizzes and essays.  Teachers in schools need those because of the number of students they have and the time constraints they have.  At home, we get to watch first-hand what our kid is learning.

–Rhythm and routine are good, but they aren’t everything.  I’ve struggled for years to develop a daily rhythm, thinking that it would help provide a stability and grounding to our lives that would help us all.  Turns out we have a kid who thrives on newness and mixing things up.  She can stand a new routine for about a week, before she wants something new.  I think there’s something comforting in a routine for most people, but I’ve decided to stop struggling to make it happen.

–I often feel like what I’m doing is “sneaky homeschooling.”  I do a lot of reading and research and planning about what I’d like to cover for a school year.  It’s constantly on my mind.  And then, I am just present.  When a question is presented or a project is happening where there is a learning opportunity, I slip it in.  This is not to say that I make play or hanging out all into “lessons.”  Fortunately, we have a kid who asks questions, loves stories and explanations, and has a great ability to connect and remember.  If she senses I’m trying to squeeze in a lesson, I can tell, because she shuts down.  It’s a fine balance, but it’s the best homeschooling tool I know right now.

–Planning is fun, but our days rarely end up the way I planned.  I would say a very good portion of the time, our daughter takes whatever idea I’ve had for us and makes it her own.  And, in truth, it’s usually better.  Homeschool is not about a power struggle or showing who’s in charge (I’m trying my best to remember on many a frustrating morning), it’s about learning together.

–Any topic can be a starting point for almost any subject.  I like to start with what our daughter is currently enamored with and use it to my advantage.  She LOVES horses right now and is a big fan of a horse YouTube vlogger named Esme.  So, we wrote short little bits about Esme’s animals, thinking of an adjective and verb that started with the first letter of each name.  “Troublesome Toby trots.”  And so on.  It was fun and she was completely engaged.  She made a book with illustrations, and it just felt like we were playing.  And horses can be a gateway to science, history, geography, music, art, math, and so on.  Any topic can be.  Just takes a little brainstorming and possibly Googling.

–Surrender.  Surrender.  Surrender.  When little brother is knocking books out of our hands or one or all of us is crabby, it’s just time to let go.  To go for a drive, run outside, watch a movie, take a nap (Yeah right, I wish!), have a snack, and just take a break.  I’m trying my very best to learn that our interactions and moods and sanity are more important than any math lesson or activity.

–PJs are fun, but too many days of PJs can really drag us down.  I always hear about public school families enjoying a PJ day at home on a snow day or school holiday, and I kind of miss the fun feeling of that, because pajamas during the day are fun until that’s the norm.  I like to get dressed in “real” clothes every morning and wear a pair of “inside” sneakers before we jump in to the day.  I always feel better when I do.

–If our kid is resisting learning something, I (try to!) let go and then start exploring it myself.  I’m not going to sit down with a journal right in front of her and narrate out loud how much I just LOVE writing.  Kids are way too smart for that.  But, if a kid doesn’t want to read, make sure they see YOU enjoying reading.  Not just reading to them but reading for your own enjoyment.  If a kid doesn’t want to learn to read, why don’t you start learning a new language?  Let your kid see you struggle to figure out how to read and write a new language, because-HINT-that’s exactly what they are trying to do!  If your kid doesn’t want to write, think about how often she sees you writing.  Does your kid hear you saying how much you disliked math when you were in school, or does she see you scribbling down and calculating fractions as you try to double a yummy recipe?  We all know the best way to get someone to learn is through example, but it’s easy to forget.

–Connection with others can be tough in the homeschool world.  Socialization is the cliche complaint or concern about homeschool, and every single homeschool book I’ve read has very big claims about how false this is.  True, kids in public school are usually only with kids of the same age group and often have to sit quietly in school.  And, yes, homeschoolers often have more opportunity to play with other kids during the day, interact with different ages, and so on.  But, it just feels a lot tougher to connect as a homeschooler.  At least for us it has.  The philosophies and approaches and reasons homeschoolers have for doing what they’re doing are often quite strong.  They can be exclusive in their groups or anti-social themselves.  It’s interesting that just as I was feeling like a bit of an outsider in the outsider world of homeschooling, the whole world suddenly became homeschoolers too…

 

So, the best we can all do is our best.  Focus on our families and what works for us, while trying to support each other and share inspiration.  I got a bit uneasy last week when, after years of being in our isolated homeschool world, suddenly photos of happy, enthusiastic new homeschoolers were flooding the Internet.  What did they figure out in a day that I still feel like I’m struggling with?  And then, I remembered.  Those are just photos.  That’s their journey.  My job is to focus on ours.  And so, we continue on.  Doing the best we can and figuring it out as we go.