Posts by Jen Lumanlan
When a crying child is a sign of good parenting
My daughter was having a meltdown this afternoon when I picked her up from preschool. A friend had ‘taken’ a creation she had made – a plastic bottle and a tube of cardboard, and it had broken. The friend fixed the toy and gave it back to us, but the crying didn’t abate. I leaned…
Read Full PostThe ultimate holiday gift giving guide
It’s that time of year again: Black Friday (the day when we spend more than $6 billion (and $2 billion of that on smartphones) is past, and the end-of-year holidays are on the way. Everywhere you turn there are suggestions and promotions for the best gift you can buy for your loved ones: a simple…
Read Full PostThe respectful parent’s guide to surviving the holidays
Holidays are a time of family, friends, and passing on traditions to children. The songs, the sparkly celebration lights, families coming together – everything says that this is the most wonderful time of the year. And most of the time, it is. Although at other times it can be extremely stressful! If you have young…
Read Full Post4 Ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with children – Respectfully
Do you have memories of dressing up like Pilgrims and Indians for the annual Thanksgiving school play? Many Americans grew up hearing the tale of the First Thanksgiving repeated by books, teachers, and parents and came to accept this as fact although many of us are now realizing that this story has little basis in…
Read Full Post6 #OwnVoices Native American books to read with children this Thanksgiving
Learning the truth about Thanksgiving As I’ve mentioned before, teaching children about Thanksgiving – and even celebrating it – can be extremely problematic once you look beyond the myths that have been perpetuated about it for generations. The traditional narrative of the Pilgrims with tall black hats and “Indians” wearing headdresses (what is it about…
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