Blog — Boston Mamas

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Civil Rights Movement Books for Kids

Today, Jennifer shares a roundup of books to help teach kids (and adults!) about the civil rights movement:

Last year, a school lesson on the civil rights movement really resonated with my children. They never willingly offer up information on their school day, yet in this case they were fighting to be the first to tell me all they had learned about Ruby Bridges. (“She was six years old like us and she helped to change the laws!”) To their shock, I was unfamiliar with the story (and yes, I was embarrassed to be getting schooled by two six-year-olds!).

EntertainmentChristine KohJanuary 16, 2014Comment

80 Books For Your Booklist

80 Books For Your Booklist

EntertainmentChristine KohDecember 19, 2013 Comments

Read A Book Day Inspiration

Books are a major source of entertainment in our household. Laurel and Violet both love cuddling and reading, and I know that it's a gift to have the time to read to them (my parents and I never were able to read together). Tomorrow is Read a Book Day -- yay for books (tomorrow or any day)! I wanted to share what we're reading around here and also some great curated lists if you need some reading inspiration. Head to your favorite library or bookstore and grab some titles. I'd love to hear what you're reading right now!

EntertainmentChristine KohSeptember 5, 2013 Comment

50+ Kid-Approved Books

A couple of weeks ago (as I watched Laurel devour the last of The Sisters Grimm series), I queried on Facebook and Twitter about books your kids were devouring. I've rounded them up below (using approximate age brackets via Amazon) and hope this provides fun literary inspiration for your kids. Also, here are some other roundups of great books for girls and boys, and don't forget to enjoy some reading on your own! Here are two collections of crowd-sourced recommendations, plus three wonderful books I recently read. HAPPY READING!

EntertainmentChristine KohAugust 6, 2013 Comments

Three Fantastic Books For Your Nightstand

First, man do I need a nightstand (I'm coveting the one pictured here but it's a little spendy); right now I have a big stack of books sitting in a pile on the floor next to my bed. Second, one of my favorite ways to unwind and get my brain off the work/household minutia track at the end of the day is to curl up with a book in bed. Today I wanted to share three recent reads that I think deserve a place on your nightstand (or in your summer beach tote!):

EntertainmentChristine KohMay 22, 2013 Comment

Great Books for Boys

Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares a roundup of great books for boys: My 10-year-old daughter was an enthusiastic and avid reader from the day she figured out how to sound out words. She reads everything: novels, biographies, Ranger Rick, the side of the cereal box. In contrast, my son was much harder to interest in books. He was so disinterested, in fact, that I went into his 1st grade teacher conference convinced he needed outside help with reading. Imagine my surprise, then, when we learned he was one of only two boys in the top reading group, and that his aptitude was galloping ahead.

EntertainmentChristine KohMay 21, 2013 Comments

Four Lovely Book Plates For Kids

Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares four lovely sources for book plates: I love gifting personalized book plates. Book plates may seem, I realize, old-fashioned, but I adore them. They celebrate reading and speak to a child's deep desire to mark things as their own. My children loved choosing which of their books deserved book plates, and to this day, when I happen upon their book plated copies of Goodnight Moon or Make Way for Ducklings, tears spring to my eyes when I remember their chubby toddler hands smoothing the stickers into the books. The crooked angle at which some of these plates are adhered reminds me of their fierce determination to "do it my own self!"

Home, Entertainment, FestivitiesChristine KohMay 8, 2013 Comment

Organic Housekeeping

Today, Miriam (also of Other Pieces of Me) shares a handy resource for organic cleaning: It's that time of year again! The birds are chirping. The snow is melting. The flowers are starting to poke out of the ground. And the sunshine can't get through the grime on my windows -- eep! Time for some spring cleaning. A few years ago, I decided to try to cut down on the chemicals we were using in our house. My husband is a bit of a cleaning supply addict and we had amassed a collection of sprays, powders, liquids, bleaches and wipes -- all with their very own cleanliness claims but none that I wanted gracing the surfaces of our home.

Home, EntertainmentChristine KohApril 3, 2013 Comment

The Captivating World of Catan

Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) recommends a captivating game for the whole family: My children love board games. I'm always looking for games that meet a few simple criteria: interesting enough that the parents don't want to poke their eyes out, simple enough that my 8 and 10 year old can follow and enjoy, and long enough that I don't have to play five times but short enough that it doesn't take all night to finish one round (ahem, Monopoly). A recent discovery hit it out of the park on all dimensions.

EntertainmentChristine KohMarch 28, 2013 Comments

How to Reduce Anxiety Around Doctor Visits

Today, Judy (also of Talking Thirty) shares 9 tips for reducing anxiety around doctor visits: Visits to the pediatrician have become a nightmare since our little one has entered toddlerhood, a stage in which he's old enough to remember past experiences (particularly painful ones like shots) yet still too young to comprehend everything and be reasoned with. From the moment we enter the waiting area until we leave the building, he is in hysterics, occasionally resulting in an incomplete exam. Anxiety over visiting the doctor is common for kids, but can become stressful and troublesome when it is so severe that it interferes with the doctor doing his/her job. Here are 9 ways we've been working with our toddler on reducing anxiety around these visits:

Entertainment, Style, FamilyChristine KohMarch 27, 2013 Comment

Exciting Announcement: Boston Launch Party!

Friends, I'm so excited to share some fun Minimalist Parenting news today. Thanks to the generosity of Isis Parenting, there is going to be a totally awesome (and fabulously do-gooding) Minimalist Parenting launch party here in Boston! Please join us on Thursday, March 28 at 6:30pm at Prudential Center to enjoy an evening out, meet other awesome parents, celebrate the launch of the book (I'll give a short presentation and will be available for high fives, questions, and to sign books), and support an amazing charity all at the same time!

Local, Entertainment, Work, Advocacy, FamilyChristine KohFebruary 15, 2013 Comment

Books for Strong and Smart Girls

Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares a wonderful roundup of books for strong and smart girls: My 10-year-old daughter Grace loves to read. I'm always looking for books with strong female protagonists, books that model bravery and smarts, books with characters who are worthy of admiration and emulation. It's been fun to watch Grace fall in love with some of my old favorites, and equally interesting to observe her discover new titles that I didn't know, from recommendations from friends, ideas suggested by teachers, or afternoons wandering in the library.

Entertainment, FamilyChristine KohFebruary 14, 2013 Comments

9 Sensory Processing Disorder Resources

Today, Miriam (also of Other Pieces of Me) shares nine sensory processing disorder resources: This past fall, our three-year-old son started at a local Montessori school. About a month ago, my husband and I nervously sat in a small chair in his classroom waiting for our very first parent-teacher meeting. It went very well, but his guide did have some concerns about his developmental progress and some of his behavior. It was a tough pill to swallow though not too surprising -- as you might recall, we were just down this road a little less than a year ago.

Local, Entertainment, FamilyChristine KohJanuary 23, 2013 Comment

Seven Winter Books for Kids

Today, Hillary of Mass Audubon shares seven favorite winter books for kids: Getting outside sometimes can seem more of a chore than a fun activity, especially when -- after the endless battle of zipping jackets, strapping boots, and finding mittens -- your child inevitably needs to go potty. But even if you feel like hibernating indoors for the winter, that doesn't mean you can't appreciate and revel in the wonders of nature. To help get you in the spirit, here are seven of my favorite illustrated winter children's stories. And you never know. They might just inspire you to brave the bundling and head outdoors.

EntertainmentChristine KohJanuary 22, 2013 Comment

This Is All Becoming Very Real

Ever since Asha and I finished writing Minimalist Parenting in July, we've been chipping away at a seemingly endless to-do list (actually, multiple to-do lists...thank you, Basecamp) related to the book. All the work has been good and productive (for example, check out our new website, which I redesigned during the winter break, and please join our totally non-spammy mailing list!) and it's incredibly exciting to finally be in the year 2013 and realize, OMG, we can now say the book comes out THIS YEAR and start sharing some of what we've been up to. Here are two exciting developments:

Entertainment, Work, FamilyChristine KohJanuary 8, 2013 Comments

Swipe

Today, Lindsey (also of A Design So Vast) shares a favorite game: My children are crazed for board games. We have teetering stacks of game boxes in our family room and I feel like every time I straighten couch cushions I find a stray die. There are definitely some favorites, some default choices that they like to play the best. One of these is Swipe. My son picked it out one afternoon with my mother and brought it home, and from the first time we played we were both hooked.

EntertainmentChristine KohOctober 16, 2012Comment

The Lonely Book

Today, Kate shares a favorite book: I've always shared my love of libraries with my daughter. When she was still a tiny bundle, I would push her stroller up the hill to our local branch library, both to give us an outing and to reorient me to the world of books I hoped to someday return to after we were past the newborn months (I did, and surprisingly quickly). Now that she is in 1st grade, we often stop at our neighborhood library on our way home in the evenings, and I am pleased to see that my daughter takes pride in her library card and her increasing ability to pick out and read her own books.

EntertainmentChristine KohOctober 4, 2012Comment

What To Do When Kids Play Doctor

Today, PPLM Parent Education Program Manager Amy Cody shares tips for what to do when you find your child "playing doctor" with another child: Now that school is back in session, your kids are making new friends, reuniting with old ones, and spending more time on play dates. Given the timing, I wanted to share some thoughts on a question that comes up a lot in my parent education workshops: what to do if you find your child "playing doctor" with another child.

Entertainment, FamilyChristine KohSeptember 27, 2012Comment