In addition to the all-important atmosphere of inquiry which parents can establish during day-to-day life ( see Part 1), there are some ways parents can help implement STEM-related skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) into their children’s lives via play and practical activities. Far from “boring paperwork,” these experiences can help ignite a passion and interest in careers that many of today’s young people are shunning, due in part to misconceptions and lack of early preparati …
read more

Have you ever wondered why a child who can’t seem to remember anything about the Spanish Inquisition can repeat every word of a TV show theme song or tell you all the details of last night’s soccer game — or the upcoming tournament schedule? In addition to some of the general memory training information we discussed in Part 1, these tricks are sure to help you prepare your child for the next quiz, test, or trivia game — and have more time for fun and games instead of extra hours of ineffective …
read more

As an extension of the concepts we discussed in Part 2, we’re going to look at a few practical ways to incorporate movement and pleasure into the study process. Hopefully your child’s teacher already does this with the initial learning process, but either way, you can help your child learn for the long term by thinking outside the books with these study methods. Flash Card Games I know flash cards can get a bad rap, but bear with me, here. We’re not just talking about a boring flip through a d …
read more

The only problem with investing in quality furniture for a young child’s room is that your child will quickly outgrow that furniture. A bed that fits a three-year-old won’t fit a six-year-old so well. Eventually, you may have another child and need to make room for another bed. To solve these concerns, the Bedroom Source’s Maxtrix® system allows your child’s furniture to change as he or she grows. Constructed from prime grade hardwood, the Maxtrix® system starts with a simple bed that …
read more

I can hear the groans that usually emanate from children everywhere when they finally get released from school, only to come home and have to do homework. While some parents are lobbying for less homework (see this YouTube video) and you’re certainly welcome to address your child’s teacher, the school board, or other powers that be, your child will likely still have some homework, projects, and review to complete after hours. These responsibilities can help your child improve in areas needed b …
read more

As you’re shopping for a mattress and providing the most healthy products for your child’s sleeping arrangements, concern over dust mites is likely to come up. But according to the NY Times, you may not have to worry about dust mites. Basically, you only need to worry about them if you or a family member is allergic to them. But there’s a catch: It can be difficult to determine a dust mite allergy. Much smaller than bed bugs, these microscopic creatures grow to be only 0.4 mm long. They feast …
read more

A princess sits up in her house and draws open the curtains to start a new day. Within the purple fabric surrounding her home, stuffed animals sit ready to await her commands. It’s almost time to start on breakfast, with plastic teacups, plates, and silverware ready for palace cooks to do her bidding. Meanwhile, in the woods surrounding the princess’s home, wolves howl as a solitary boy lies in his tent for the night. He rolls down a window cover to conceal the opening and hide away in his …
read more

Think of spending a night in a mountain lodge, and sooner or later, rustic wood furniture will come to mind. Next to a bearskin rug and a roaring fire in a stone fireplace, a simple but cozy wooden bed frame offers a place to find warmth for the night. When looking for furniture for your child’s bedroom, the Bedroom Source's Mountain Collection helps to provide the same feel. Within the Mountain Collection, you’ll find sturdy hardwood construction built to hold together for years. Elegant grain …
read more

While it certainly falls under the tongue-in-cheek #firstworldproblems, it can still get our adrenaline pumping and cause anxiety to rise. While it won’t take our lives by force, clutter has the battle strategy of siphoning out the extra moments of our days one by one. Of the many lessons we need to teach our kids, a core lesson is to savor moments. To do so, we need to help them learn how to stop needlessly wasting time. One way to do that is to learn to tame the clutter in their own little c …
read more

While a look at history reveals that closets are a twentieth-century luxury, most of us don’t feel like we have enough storage space, even with those recessed spaces! Adding to the confusion over wardrobes and armoires, a third furniture category comes to muddy the waters. Designed to hold both folded and hanging clothing behind two doors, the French-inspired Chiffonier was designed to gather both folded and hanging clothing. With drawers on one side and shelves on the other, some pieces now l …
read more