Mythology hooked my kids in fourth grade. They dove into gods and goddesses, primarily in Greek culture, but learned about mythology from around the world. Here are some of our adventures and resources as they explored the magical world of mythology.

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Field Trip to the Getty Villa

Getty Villa

While in Los Angeles for a weekend we visited the Getty Villa. This is one of the two Getty Museums in LA. It has Greek and Roman antiquities housed in a re-created Roman country home.

The Getty Villa makes a huge effort to be family friendly. There are a lot of activities for families at the museum. The super cool thing for kids who love mythology is that you can take an immersive audio tour of the museum.

My kids absolutely loved having the characters in their ears as they explored the museum on their own personal quest. Access the audio tour here or ask for more info at the information desk.

Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, USA
Open 10a – 5p, Closed Tuesdays
FREE to visit, $20 to park.
Must reserve a time slot online beforehand.
Website

Percy Jackson

Percy Jackson was our way into Mythology and I expect we’re not alone. Once my kids had read THE LIGHTENING THIEF, especially my daughter, they were hooked. Suddenly they wanted to know all about all kinds of mythology.

Percy Jackson Inspired Activities

• Make sure you visit the Rick Riordan website. There is a wealth of information including these Teacher Guides.
• There is a Lightening Thief Unit Study on Proverbial Homemaker.
• Fabulous Classroom has a huge list of resources about Percy Jackson learning inspired by the release of Sea of Monsters on DVD but they would work for a general unit as well in most cases.
• Here are some fun ideas if you want to have a Percy Jackson bookclub meeting from Adventures in Mommydom.

Book Recommendations:

There are SO many Percy Jackson books and related books, but in case your voracious mythology fan needs some more ideas here are some more series we’ve enjoyed.

• Hopeless Heroes series by Stella Tarakson
• Zeus the Mighty series by Crispin Boyer
• Thunder Cluck! Chicken of Thor by Paul Tillery and Meg Wittwer
• Goddess Girls series by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
• Heroes in Training series by Tracey West
• Nico Bravo graphic novel series by Mike Cavallaro
• Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland

Mythology

Once my kids were exposed to mythology via Percy Jackson, they seemed to thirst to learn all they could.

Books to Read

• Usborne Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths
• Myth Atlas: Maps and Monsters, Heroes and Gods from Twelve Mythological Worlds by Thiago de Moraes
• National Geographic Kids: Everything Mythology by Blake Hoena
• Gods and Heroes: Mythology Around the World by Korwin Briggs

Activities

• Impressive and diverse twelve week mythology study that covers all the curriculum areas on Redhead Mom.

Mythical Creatures

Mythical Creatures are some of the most fascinating parts of mythology, especially for kids who are huge animal fans like mine. If you want to go down this rabbit hole, here are some books and activities to explore.

Books to Read

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling
• Mythopedia: What A Beast by Sophia Kelly
• Miss Turie’s Magic Creatures by Joy Keller – This is a cute picture book. If you’re diving into Mythology and Mythical Creatures with an early elementary schooler I definitely recommend this one.
• Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland is all about dragons that have to save their magical world. These are also good on audio.

Games to Play

• Createures Drawing Deck: This is game / art activity that is loads of fun if your kids enjoy drawing.
• Runes & Regulations: This is a strategy game that’s funny and also plays with mythical creatures.

Read About More Fourth Grade Units

Rocks, Sedimentary Rocks in particular, are one of the parts of the Fourth Grade Science Curriculum in California. As part of their study of Earth and Space Science, fourth graders are supposed to learn about landscapes, how the earth forms and changes, and use sedimentary rocks to interpret the history of changes in the physical landscape.

This is a not a stretch for us. My twins have been collecting rocks since they were tiny. My daughter in particular loves finding unique rocks. They were both eager to start learning more about the kinds of rocks and what sedimentary rocks can tell us.

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Before the Field Trip

For my kids the interest was already there. We have several excellent rock books (more about those below) and they have their already growing collections. Before our field trip to the “rocky beach” (their name for it) we pulled out our favorite rock books and looked at their collections a little more closely with magnifying glasses.

We also read the portion of Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman about how rocks are formed and how the different forms of rocks are interrelated. I’m kind of obsessed with this entire series of books. They are beautiful and have a great overview of a huge range of topics.

When we left the house (early in the morning to ensure a mostly empty beach since we’re still trying to stay as physically distant as possible) I encouraged them to look around the beach and see how many different, unique rocks they could find.

The Field Trip – Torrey Pines State Beach

Torrey Pines is one of my favorite beaches near San Diego. It is beautiful and usually not super crowded. The nearby hiking trails also offer a beautiful view of the coast. You can read about hiking in Torrey Pines with Kids in this post.

For today’s purposes though we love Torrey Pines because of the rocks.

My kids eagerly explored the rocks along the shore. Running over to show me new cool ones that they had found. We took pictures of their favorites and kept just a couple.

Then, of course, they had to play in the water for a while before we came home.

After the Field Trip

That afternoon, we settled down on a blanket in the backyard to look more closely at all of our rocks. We pulled out these two books:

Rocks, Minerals, and Gems by Sean Callery and Miranda Smith
which has GORGEOUS photos and a huge layout. It is a great visual catalog of the different kinds of rocks.

Rocks and Minerals from Usborne
which is more of a pocket sized guide to rocks and minerals. It has a great deal of information about each rocks in it’s compact format.

Then we tried to sort our rock collections into the three main kinds of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. This was super challenging (even for me) but my kids loved trying to figure out where each one would fit. Although I’m sure some ended up in the wrong groups, I loved hearing them apply everything we had read about the rocks to their problem solving.

What’s Next?

Obviously that isn’t all we’re going to cover while learning about rocks. We are planning to learn more through videos, some experiments, and a more in depth look at the sedimentary rocks in particular.

We are particularly excited to dive into our Crystals, Rocks, and Minerals Kit from Thames and Kosmos. It has 16 experiments from making different colored crystals to learning about minerals by testing for properties such as iron and sulfur. There are two activities about rocks and understanding how they are formed which is where we will begin.

Stay tuned!

Check Out More: Learning Ideas and Units for 3-5th Graders

Quarantine Schooling was thrust upon us on Friday afternoon, March 20. I don’t think anyone felt prepared. The teachers. The kids. The parents. The next week was kind of a mess. Big emotions for all of us. An assortment of random assignments and computer sites and messages from teachers. Me trying to calmly sort through it all and make some kind of plan that made sense…and largely failing.

But I’m starting to feel like I’ve found a rhythm that works for us most days so I thought I would share the things that are working, in case they’ll work for you too.

First, we made a list of WANT TO DOs. We used this printable from Elisa Blaha and wrote down as many things as we could think of that we COULD do from home.

Second, I created a new schedule for us. This is NOT to say that you need a schedule. My kids, in particular, seem to thrive best when they know what to expect. Going into a day with no idea what’s coming next seems to stress them out. We use these visual schedule cards year round at our house to create a loose schedule every day. I’ve laminated these cards and attached magnets (I use this so I can cut it to whatever size I want) so that it’s easy for me to move things around. Every night before bed I quickly put the next day’s schedule up on the fridge.

So, what does that schedule look like right now?

Our general routine is below. You’ll notice there are no times. This is intentional. Things take longer or get cut short depending on our moods and interests and that’s good – that’s one of the perks of homeschooling and I’m embracing all the perks I can see.

QUARANTINE LIFE RHYTHMS

GET UP whenever they get up. I love that I don’t have to pull them out of bed anymore to hurry up to school.

BREAKFAST and Skype with someone. We’ve been chatting for about 30 minutes with a grandparents or aunt or friend most mornings. It doesn’t take the place of seeing friends every morning on the way to school but it’s nice to check in with people we love.

MOVEMENT Most days this is a walk, but we’ve also done yoga and four square and other movement as well.

SCHOOL
For about two hours each morning we do “schoolwork”. This is the part I’ve struggled with getting to work the most. I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments that most kids don’t need to do much during this quarantine period and they’ll be fine. They’re all in the same boat. They will all keep learning by reading and just engaging with you anyways.

However, my daughter’s dyslexia requires more rote instruction. She doesn’t pick things up through osmosis the way most kids do and she’s already behind in most things. I don’t feel comfortable letting go of school completely. I don’t even do that in the summer.

On top of that we’ve gotten a confusing onslaught of “optional” work from their teachers and an every changing list of things to do. I know it’s a transition period but the scheduler in me is struggling.

I’ve been trying to balance it all – I want her to keep progressing and in some ways this is a great opportunity for some more 1-on-1 tutoring. I want them to get done whatever they NEED to do, but I also don’t want to stress myself or either of them out.

SO for about two hours a day we do some combination of these things below:

• Games (My Little Poppies is my go-to resource here)
• Lots of reading aloud (need booklists?)
• Writing together and learning to use email.
• Spelling and Reading work (I love this practical handbook for parents of children with dyslexia)
• Math – games, fun activities based on general theme school was supposed to cover (that’s fractions right now), prodigy
• Movement breaks
• Science activities

LUNCH TIME and DOODLES we’ve been doodling with Mo and with JJK every day.

QUIET INDEPENDENT SCREEN TIME and nebbing for me.

SNACK with Lego Challenge (here’s the 30 day challenge we’re doing) and a craft (we’re working our way through this book of crafts from around the world right now)

PLAY TIME with facetiming friends and games via skype or just open play time.

OUTSIDE TIME

DINNER, BATH, STORIES, BED same as always.

This may seem like a lot to some. Some might think we’re totally slacking. It’s working for us though. My kids are mostly happy and I’m not too stressed – until I start scrolling through my phone again.

What’s working for you?

more ideas
for early elementary schoolers

A California Coast road trip has been on our list since we moved to San Diego. We made it happen this March over Spring Break.

We flew from San Diego to Portland, rented a car, and then started South. All of our favorite, don’t miss stops along the way are below.

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West Coast Road Trip

Beforehand: Getting the Kids Excited about California’s Coast

Before we go on a trip I like to give our kids a little context and get them excited about where we’re going. Below were their favorite books about California.

Booklist:

Our California
by Pam Munoz Ryan

This is a good place to start. It goes from San Diego, up the coast, and then inland hitting the major stops in California. It serves as a pleasant introduction to the state and what it has to offer. Bonus – it’s well written and vibrantly illustrated. FIND ONLINE

How to Draw California’s Sights and Symbols
by Jennifer Quasha

This won’t be for everyone, but my kids love step-by-step drawing direction videos right now so this was a hit in our house. Our favorites were learning to draw poppies (the state flower) and the Golden Gate Bridge. FIND ONLINE

California’s Redwood Forest
by Christy Mihaly

This is part of the Natural Wonders of the World series. It has beautiful photos and good information. I like this as an overview and it’s one that elementary school kids can read on their own. FIND ONLINE

Starting Location: Portland, Oregon

We started our trip by flying from San Diego to Portland. I’m a fan of road trips but the way back often bums me out. Plus, there is so much to see along the coast of California that we didn’t have enough time to do it all if we had to go up and back.

So we flew to Portland and spent two nights and full day exploring.

1. Portland, Oregon

There are plenty of things to do in Portland OR with kids. We really only scratched the surface. You can read more about our experience in Portland in this post: 24 Hours in Portland OR with Kids

But here are the highlights. In our brief stay we had time to:

• Visit Powell Bookstore (My favorite part of the trip)
• Eat Donuts from Voodoo Donut
• Wander and Eat at Portland’s Saturday Market
• Visit Washington Park and Hike
• Explore the Forestry Discovery Center

Also Read: 24 Hours in Portland with Kids

Then we headed south.

Activities for Car:

• New books from Powell’s Bookstore – Zita the Spacegirl for her, Plants Vs. Zombies for him.
• Harry Potter on Audiobook
• Games on their Kindles Kids Fire HD Edition
• The Big Sticker Book of the Blue activity book

2. Redwood National Forest

The Redwoods are incredible. I really wasn’t convinced they’d live up to the hype but for me they exceeded expectations. Go hike. Take photos. Be amazed.

For kids, I highly recommend stopping the ranger stations and getting the Junior Ranger guides and advice on the best hikes for your time frame.

Read More: A Visit to the Redwoods with Kids

Activities for Car:

We did a fair amount of driving between the various parts of the forest and then down the Avenue of Giants while we were at the Redwoods National & State Parks. I didn’t want my kids to miss everything with their noses pointed at a screen so we listened to Harry Potter on audio book and stared out the windows.

3. San Francisco

San Francisco was one of the highlights of our trip. We spent three nights and two full days in San Francisco. It was enough to get a good taste of the city but we’d love to go back and do more.

Here were our favorite things to do:

• See the Golden Gate Bridge
• Ride a Cable Car
• Visit the Exploratorium
• Drink Green Tea in the Japanese Tea Garden
• Enjoy the pretty parks

Also Read: 48 Hours in San Francisco with Kids

Activities for Car:

• Kids Travel Guide: San Francisco – great way to learn more about the city before or during your visit.
• Continued listening to Harry Potter on Audio

4. Monterey

In a word “stunning.” Monterey sits on a gorgeous piece of ocean front. The bluest of blues.

The highlight for kids however will probably be the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Make sure you check the schedule of feedings when you arrive and get there early for tank front views.

Other things for families to do in Monterey:

• 17 mile drive
• Lunch at Sticks
• Carmel beach

5. Big Sur

The Big Sur is stunning. Kind of like my reaction to the Redwoods – I don’t have words. All I can really say is that it truly is as incredible as everyone says. I can’t wait to get back.

Activities for Car:

• One note about driving in the Big Sur – it is windy! My daughter and I get pretty car sick so I would encourage you to take some Dramamine. My daughter likes the chewable kids version. On the bright side, if you do have to pull over and take a tummy twisting break there is no more lovely of a place to stop and rest for a bit.

6. Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara was a treat. Pretty beach. Darling streets with shops. Lots of restaurants. Don’t miss ice cream at McConnell’s Ice Cream shop. They even have incredible dairy free ice cream! So good.

and Oxnard

We spent the remainder of our weekend at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Mandalay Beach Resort. It was relaxing and fun and a wonderful way to end our vacation.

Final Destination!

from there we drove home. If home isn’t San Diego for you, then I’d recommend adding a couple of days to spend some time in Los Angeles and San Diego. Here are our favorites for both:

• Los Angeles CA
• San Diego CA

Find more top family road trip tips Here!

I remember walking through the aisles of the baby store completely overwhelmed by the towering shelves of baby equipment. I was wondering what on earth I actually need for the twins growing in my belly.

There are things that all babies need – a place to sleep, some clothes, some burp cloths, feeding source, a few board books, etc. There are also a few things that parents of multiples need to consider when registering and shopping for their unique situation.

For twin parents the daily logistics of getting out of the house with two and feeding two are so much easier if you have a few essential baby products.

Here the five things that are essential for all twin parents – plus one I’d advise you skip!

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5 Essentials Baby Products for New Twin Parents

1. Awesome Double Stroller

This is hands down the most important thing for a mommy of twins.

Although I spent a fairly ridiculous amount of time carting two carseats (you get really strong arms!), carrying two babies for any length of time is impractical.

This is the stroller that we used from newborn through age 3. We loved that it grew with them (you can start with your babies in their car seats with these adaptors and our children still fit at 3. We wanted a front and back so it would fit through doorways, which this does without any problems. My one and only criticism is that although it folds down fairly flat, you have remove one of the seats and when folded the stroller does not stand on its own well.

Here and here are a couple more that I’ve had recommended to me by other twin mommies.

2. Large Diaper Bag

With two babies, obviously you are going to have to carry more stuff. There are a lot of adorable diaper bags out there, but make sure that you have one that is big enough to pack full of diapers, wipes, extra clothing, toys, and feeding supplies for two babies.

3. Serious Pump and a Portable Pump

If your twins are going to drink breast milk this is a serious job. You need a serious pump for home.

This is the one that I used and loved. I would also highly recommend a small portable pump, like this one to throw in your diaper bag.

We used this a lot when we were traveling or out of the house. It is often difficult to find somewhere to nurse two babies. I often pumped for one baby and then someone could feed that infant, while I nursed the other one.

4. Double Breastfeeding Pillow

Speaking of nursing, if you are attempting this super woman feat – you will need one of these. There are other ways to do it, but this is the easiest, quickest way to get comfortable and support two babies.

5. 2 Boppy Pillows

A boppy pillow would go on my list of must-haves for one baby too, but I think I used it more because we had two.

These are wonderful for propping up babies while you feed two at one or for babies with reflux after they eat. When they got a little older, I could prop them up facing each other and they could bobble a little, without me worrying about them falling onto the floor. I also used them to hold the babies while I got situated before nursing.

In general, they are handy to have with little ones, plus they come with all kinds of adorable covers.

What can you skip?

The rocking chair. We had one and I did love it, however it is completely impractical for feeding or rocking two infants.

You will end up propping yourself up on the couch, your bed, or a huge arm chair and wondering why you spent the money on that comfy rocker that’s taunting you in the corner of the nursery.

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on Getting Out of the House with One (or More!)

Grand Central Depot opened in 1871. The original 1871 building was Grand Central Depot. It became Grand Central Station after renovation and expansion in 1901.

Then in 1913 a new building was unveiled, the current building, as the Grand Central Terminal.

This might explain why you find it called all three of these titles in different places. In case you were curious, technically it is currently Grand Central Terminal.

Getting There

Grand Central Terminal is accessible by subway, bus, train, and airport shuttle. We took the subway in and then caught a train out to the New York Botanical Gardens.

Things to Do

*Climb the steps in the main terminal to get a better view.

*Head downstairs to some of the shops. This train store was our favorite.

*Grab a bit to eat at one of the many dining spots.

More Tips

*Grand Central is open from 5:30a-2:00a.

*There are elevators and ramps making a stroller possible, but I recommend carrying your infant or toddler in a baby carrier if at all possible. As with all public transportation, strollers will definitely slow you down.

“I DON’T WANT TO GO!” my usually happy child is rolling around on the floor screaming and kicking the wall while I try to stuff my gym shoes into my bag, braid my daughter’s hair and drink my now lukewarm tea.

Clearly this is not a good morning.

I am not a morning person, but for most of the time we did homeschool preschool they were one of my favorite parts of our routine. Our mornings were calm and creative.

Sure my son shoots out of a bed like a rocket and my children have a different understanding of “quiet morning” than I did in my pre-child life but we had adjusted.

Morning invitations were saving the wee hours.

Morning jobs were taught and re-negotiated.

Muffins were regularly baked and eaten.

Enter Kindergarten.

After a couple days of wahoo! we’re in kindergarten excitement my son’s mornings had dissolved into a puddle of tears and clothes on the floor.

Fixing Our Morning Routine for School

When we have a big problem – and him rolling around on the floor every morning when I suggested it was time to start getting ready was a BIG problem – my teacher mode kicks in.

Behaviors are usually able to be fixed by considering 3 things; The environment. The teaching. The child. In that order.

It would be easy to say that he is just difficult and strong willed and resistant to change. That wouldn’t fix the problem though.

It would be easy to say he hates school. I contemplated this, but for him, at this stage, this isn’t the issue.

So how do you fix this?

Issue 1: Added Routines

Getting dressed. Making lunches. Eating breakfast. Brushing teeth. Mornings have a lot of steps.

My kiddo does well with routines and visual schedules.

We hadn’t added much when we started Kindergarten, but remembering to get everything in his backpack was stressful for him.

A visual schedule (which we had and I had updated before school started) wasn’t enough.

Fix 1: What’s In Your Backpack Shrinky Dink Zipper Charms

My genius friend Dayna has this one in the Rockin’ Morning Routines to Start Your Day in an Awesome Mood chapter of her new book.

These cute, colorful charms are fun to make and have helped immensely.

Issue 2: Time Management + Rushing

Rushing is not my son’s thing and nagging does not help. I know this.

Every single time I urged him along with something intended to be helpful like “10 more minutes and you need to bus your dishes and go brush your teeth” his stress level would increase.

Clearly, my method (or teaching strategy) of getting him ready was not helping.

Fix 2: Timer

My son is fascinated with clocks and numbers right now, so setting a timer on the oven in sight of our table worked well for him.

There are a number of visual timers, like the awesome DIY one in the SuperKids Activity Guide that are super fun, but for my kid this one worked well.

Every morning when I got up, the first thing I did was set the oven timer to go off 15 minutes before we needed to leave. I knew it took him about 15 minutes to pack his backpack, brush his teeth and don a coat and shoes.

He understood the numbers and he found it interesting to watch them count down. He also moved with more urgency as it got closer to when we needed to leave.

Having the timer allowed him to independently get dressed, do his morning invitation, and eat breakfast. When the timer went off he knew it would be time to do his other 3 jobs.

Issue #3: Busy Mama

If I had to pick one issue to fix it would have been this one.

When kindergarten started our morning time from wake up to leave got cut in half. We practiced this a little beforehand, but adjusting myself to have less time was hard (see note about me NOT being a morning person).

While my kids were eating and rushing around brushing their teeth and packing their backpacks, I was also rushing around getting ready.

Me being distracted made me far less patient and helpful when they both really needed me to be present.

Fix 3: Making Myself Present

This is not where I tell you about how I now wake up at 5 am to sip my tea in quiet and center myself for the morning. I am truly jealous of people who can do this because it sounds awesome, but it is not me.

Instead, I get as much ready the night before as I can.

My kids already pack their lunches and lay out their clothes on the kitchen table before bed. This way they are able to just get dressed first thing in the morning and put their lunches in their bags.

I’m not sure why this wasn’t obvious to me before, but I now do the same.

I lay out my clothes the night before and pack up my bag for the next day.

In the morning all I have to do is do my neb (while they do their morning invitation), get dressed, and then I follow along with them while they eat and brush teeth.

Our Mornings Now

I wish I could share a story about our now perfect mornings. The ones where our faces all light up with smiles as we calmly greet the new day.

That doesn’t really happen.

What does happen is a somewhat chaotic, but mostly happy flurry of activity.

There aren’t muffins, except for on Saturdays.

I’m still a little grumpy until after I get in my gym time and shower post drop off.

But, the screaming and kicking the wall? That part is gone.

Our mornings now are a slightly busier, still creative, conversation filled work in progress with a shoe tying, zipper zipping, key and phone juggling, lukewarm tea sipping hurry as we head out the door.

I’ll take it.

My friend, Dayna, has written this incredible book that will not only help you fix your mornings, but also your night time and every other time in between.

I shared some of the awesome wisdom I gained for helping one of my kids have a super morning, but every kid is different and that is what this book understands so well. 

My daughter doesn’t need zipper charms and timers and visual schedules, but the Hello Mr. Sunshine Morning Stretches (also in the book, on page 27) and those Wizardly Worry Stones (yes please? Turn to pg 33) are 100% her morning speed.

Find what will work for you kid, whatever their super power, in this book!

Click to Learn More about the Super Kids Book and Movement

The summer is drawing to an all-too-soon close and soon I’ll be handing my twins, my Super Kids, my babies, over to two of you.

I’m thrilled for them to learn and make friends, but like every parent my kids are a piece of my heart that will be in your hands for the rest of the year and it can be a little scary some times to put that much trust in someone we have never met.

Whichever twin you have, there are some things I want you to know.

I know you have plans for the year. Many of them are probably time tested effective plans. Some of them are probably new ideas you’re excited to try. My kids are excited to see what you have in store for them.

I know you also have hopes for the year. For your new first grade class.

I have hopes too.

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I hope whichever twin you get, you will encourage curiosity. 

I hope you will answer questions – and oh boy do I promise they have a ton.

I hope you encourage exploration, not just worksheets.

I hope you encourage understanding, not just correct answers.

I hope you encourage collaboration and conversation, not just compliance.

We need our newest generation to be thinkers and questioners and inventors. We need them to be inquisitive problem solvers and helpful collaborators. We need a generation of minds that can think and work with others.

I hope you’ll encourage them to practice these skills.

I hope whichever twin you get, you will teach them that they can do anything. 

I heard a lot of stereotypes being repeated to me at home during kindergarten. Thoughts on girls and math skills. Thoughts on boys and nail polish. Thoughts on girl and boy “colors.” Thoughts on girl and boy “jobs.”

In our house, although we understand there are gender differences, we believe that boys and girls can BOTH do anything as long as it isn’t hurting anyone.

The colors they choose to wear.

The jobs they choose to have.

The areas where they soar.

None of these are related to their gender.

Please squash any ignorant or hateful comments that are shared to the contrary. I hope you won’t let my child, or any child, be limited or defined by their gender.

I hope whichever twin you get, you will foster their inner bookworm.

One of my kids is reading well above grade level and the other one only some words, but they both love books. I hope you will meet them where they are and not worry or stress.

We have read aloud to them every single day of their lives and filled our home with books of all shapes and sizes. They love books, but sometimes I worry that the stress and seriousness of reading achievement and sight word quizzes will suck this fondness away.

I hope you will find books that will push them and also deepen their fondness for reading. I hope you will read aloud awesome books and help them find new ones to love.

I hope they walk away from first grade as in love with books as they are now and more prepared to tackle them on their own.

I hope whichever twin you get, you will love their differences. 

My kids, like all kids, have quirks. They have good days and bad days. They have areas where they excel and areas where they falter. They have annoying qualities and delightful ones.

We all do.

I promise you that you if you love them, if you see their good, if you embrace and encourage their strengths they will rise to any occasion.

Like all young kids, my twins love their teachers. Their swimming coaches and their soccer coaches. Their Sunday School teacher and yes, their Kindergarten teacher. All they really want is for you to love them and teach them.

I hope you can see that love and good and respond with kindness.

I hope whichever twin you get, you know we all learn differently. 

I was a kid that absolutely excelled in the follow the rules, sit still, be quiet, learn what we ask environment.

I also know, like you, that these kids are rare. Most kids learn in other ways.

They need to talk or move or touch to learn. I have these kids.

I hope you can find ways to accommodate the different learning styles in your class not try to crush them into one ideal mold.

I hope you’ll approach all concepts from different ways.

I hope you will trust them to move and talk and touch without feeling like you have lost control.

I hope you know that they will all learn better if you support these differences in your teaching.

I hope whichever twin you get, you know that no kid is bad.

I was a teacher for many years and I’ve been parenting my twins for over 6 years now, so believe me when I say I know how challenging kids can be. I even know how incredibly exhausting a group of them can be, especially when you have a long list of things you are expected to teach them.

I also know, that they aren’t bad if they aren’t behaving perfectly.

They aren’t a bad kid just because they need to discuss something to understand it.

They aren’t a bad kid if they need to move around instead of sit criss-cross apple sauce for hours.

They aren’t a bad kid because they like to feel something to understand it.

They aren’t a bad kid even when they are bothering other kids or throwing things or being sassy.

Young kids need you to see difficult behavior and help them by changing their environment or changing your teaching or addressing deeper concerns, not just punishing them again and again.

How you see my kid, all children, matters. It affects who they become.

On their bad days and with any challenging behaviors, I hope that you will work to understand them and help.

I hope whichever twin you get, you will assign them meaningful work. 

I hope when you give them an assignment you take care and thought to make it meaningful. I hope it does more than ask them to regurgitate information.

I hope no matter what their skill level is, you will find work to challenge and encourage them.

I hope you think about why the information is important and ask how you can have them practice it in a way that means something to them.

And, dare I say, I hope you can even make it fun.

And while we’re discussing work, there is a great homework debate raging across the country right now.

While I firmly believe that at least for my children it is a waste of precious time, I accept that there are other opinions. I do ask, however, if you must assign them homework that it be worthwhile. Repetitive worksheets to fill a mandatory homework requirement will not help my child learn.

I hope whatever work you assign will only deepen their curiosity and love of learning, as well as their understanding of whatever topic they are tackling.

I hope whichever twin you get, you know I will have your back. 

I know teaching can seem like a lonely profession. I know parents can sometimes feel like the bane of your existence. And I know, I really know, how hard you work.

I hope you know that despite whatever differing opinions we might have, that I have your back.

I want to work with you to make their experience the best it can be. More than anything I want them to learn and I know teachers are the experts at making this happen.

My husband and I have great respect for teachers. We were both raised by one and witnessed first hand how hard they work and how much they care.

We will never bad mouth you to our children no matter how much we disagree.

We will always speak to you first when we have concerns.

We will always listen to and consider your opinions.

We also believe that parents are an important factor in a child’s education. We believe we know our twins well. We want to be involved in meaningful and helpful ways. I hope you will take us up on that offer.

I hope whichever twin you get, you have the best year yet. 

I know I’m biased, but my kids are pretty awesome. They are friendly. They are curious. They are creative. They are energetic. They are sweet. They are funny.

They are SUPER KIDS.

They are so excited to be big and six and in first grade this year. And they are SO excited to meet you!

I hope you’re excited to meet them.

Warmly,

Twin Mama

PS. If anyone wants to join the Super Kids movement to help every child be more appreciated and understood visit here.

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