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Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from the Carmichael Family!

We are so blessed to have family and friends nearby that support us.

We are grateful that our boys have two sets of grandparents that love in bunches.

They have had so much fun over the weekend.

I hope you all have had a great Holiday Season.

See you in the new year!!!

Pop Tart Bandits

I don't know what it is about these toaster pastries but boys seem to be drawn to playing with them while they are eating.  I just gave my 2 1/2-year-old a PopTart and in the short period of time that it takes to consume the treat it has been several things.  First, it was an airplane and it was zooming through the air and into his mouth.  Then it was a car.  I also watched as it became a sock.

Why is this a post worth writing?
Well, I can recall a news story about a little boy who was eating a PopTart and made the treat into the shape of a gun.  His school has a zero tolerance policy and so because it was a gun he was suspended from school.  I believe that it is important that we actually understand the development of children before we take policies and make them one size fits all.  I am arguing that we consider the development of our students especially our young males of minority populations.  We have to really get inside of their hands and ask ourselves why?  Why are they doing this?  It could be that it is something in the nature of the children.  It could be environmental.  It could be anything but we will not know until we start to question ourselves.

Reason Why I Won't Teach Kindergarten or 1st Grade

I love working with the younger children but I do not want to teach kindergarten or first grade.  I was talking with my sister-in-law who is currently a kindergarten teacher.  She loves it.  I would too but I cannot see myself in that grade or in first.

Well Why Is That???

1. We're doing too many things way too soon for these children.  They should be engaged in play.  Here's an article from the Washington Post that goes into a little more detail about doing too much too soon.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/01/11/why-forcing-kids-to-do-things-sooner-and-faster-doesnt-get-them-further-in-school/
2. We're not giving children a chance to be children.  To play, to explore, to create.  Here are articles that goes more into how we are not helping the development of our early learners.
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/11/24/how-twisted-early-childhood-education-has-become-from-a-child-development-expert/?postshare=5061453573673514&tid=ss_tw
• http://deyproject.org/
• http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/01/08/462279629/why-kindergarten-is-the-new-first-grade
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/01/19/kindergarten-the-new-first-grade-its-actually-worse-than-that/
3. I currently love prekindergarten.  I'm not tired of it and I keep wanting to try new things.  Every day there is something new.  Each child is so unique.  These children are keeping me on my toes.
4. I feel like if I stay in prekindergarten longer, I will better be able to understand children and then will know how to help kindergarteners or first graders.

I'm not saying that I will never switch grade levels.  Who knows, you may catch me in 2nd grade.  But as for right now.  I'm not going to change anything.  First let me advocate on behalf of prekindergarten and get people to understand the importance of play and then maybe I can move.  But right now I'm needed the most with the "babies".

Positive Images of Our Reflection

Just about everyone has heard about the comments that Stacey Dash has made on Fox.  If not simply Google her name and you will learn all about it.  I don't want to take up too much of your time with the background information.  Additionally, my thoughts on this topic are not dependent on Stacey Dash's statement.  On Facebook, I wrote a response that I want to share with everyone.  I think that it has a valuable message that all can benefit from.


We all fail to realize that we all need to see positive images of our reflection.  This applies to race, ethnicity, gender, age, size, sexual orientation.

I have two boys, CJ who is currently 2 and MAC who is 1.  In my own personal experience, I am currently on a mission to find books that have males (in general as well as African American) as the main character.  I want my boys to see images of African American men who are in college, law enforcement, medicine, education, and science.  I want them to see African American athletes, singers, artists, musicians, and actors.  I am not going to exclude them from images that do not reflect black and male but I need for CJ and MAC to realize that they have a potential, a destiny.  I want them to be comfortable with their identity.

There are people all around who want their children to see themselves represented in the world. For example, there was recently a story about a family who adopted a Haitian child who had to have surgeries and she had crutches.  This family was excited to see that Target had used a girl with crutches in their advertisement.  This is a population of people who are largely underrepresented.
http://www.upworthy.com/a-moms-post-about-a-halloween-costume-is-going-viral-on-facebook-thank-you-target

Just imagine how it feels to not see someone like you in a positive way on TV, movies, books, magazines, etc.  There are many people out here who are different from mainstream beauty who suffer often times in silence because they feel different.  Everyone is not a size 2.  Everyone does not go to the same church.  Everyone does not eat pizza.  Everyone is not tall.  Everyone does not hair fair skin.  And at the end of the day being tall, skinny, Christian, white is no better than being tall, fat, Muslim, and brown-skinned.  What makes us a good person is not the things on the outside but our character.  At the end of the day, what kind of person are you?

We all have a destiny and we have so many obstacles in our way but seeing positive images of ourselves helps us to realize our potential and makes it easier for us to keep going.  We have so many people who are depressed or have eating disorders.  There is so much self-hatred in these individuals.  They have lost their way.  They're looking in a distorted mirror, a mirror that reflects the image of someone else.  Something that they cannot become.  Think about the images that you surround yourself or your children with.  Think about the standards you are setting for them.

There really is no need to ignore our differences.  We really should talk about them and embrace them.  Long story short, we do need to be inclusive but being inclusive means that we represent everyone and celebrate our differences.  This does not mean putting someone down for being different but instead understanding the beauty in our differences.  No, I am not a blonde woman but it is beautiful that blonde hair is like having a glimpse of the sun.  My hair is still beautiful.  It is a deep dark brown, brown like fertile soil.  Life grows from the soil.  We all have something uniquely and inherently special and beautiful that we can identify.  We must learn to love ourselves and love our neighbors.

Potty Training My First Son

Well, first I would like to start by saying that there is no right way to potty train.  I have a two year old son and we are in this process currently so I wanted to share a few tips and tricks that I have found helpful.

1. Go at their pace.  We do not remember being potty trained and therefore we misunderstand how hard it is to get the ball rolling.  We cannot just say, "Hey son/daughter here's the toilet now use it."  I know how much I would love to do so but you have to wait.  Before potty training hopefully you have taken them to the restroom with you and other adults and older children so that they can see how the process works.  Also it helps if you introduce the words that you will use with them.  If your child can bring you a diaper or let you know when they have used the bathroom then they are ready to potty train.

2. Dont add too much pressure.  We do not become experts overnight.  Any accidents they have are not on purpose.  It is part of learning.  When there is an accident then calmly tell them where it needs to go.  Overly celebrate when they do use the bathroom.

3.  Completely ditch the diapers.  I do not use diapers and I do not put him on the changing table any more.  I am using pull-ups though.  Going bare bottom is the best way because you do not have to struggle with pulling clothes down but we had a different situation.

4. Rethinking your strategy.  Remember my suggestion at the beginning? (There is no right way)  Well it is true.  You may have to try something different.  Here is our experience:  Things were going well accidents on the floor were decreasing but then he did not want to poop.  He would hold it until it would just fall out.  After maybe three incidents like this he did not want to poop at all.  That also meant that he did not want to pee.  He would hold it and hold it and hold it.  He even stopped drinking so that he would not have to go.  So I had to rethink my strategy.  I had to get him confident in pooping in the toilet.  So one day.  I put him on the toilet, then I gave him markers.  I let him draw on the back of the toilet seat.  He sat there.  He stayed there.  He was focused on something different and then he had pooped, in the toilet.  Now my strategy is to encourage him to poop.  When we get the pooping part down then I will go back to having him pee in the toilet.  The pooping scarred him a little.  So I want to gain his confidence with having to poop.

 5. Make it fun.  Run to the bathroom, blow bubbles, dance.  We run and cheer in the bathroom.  Now we draw (I saw a tip about dry erase markers.  We are currently using washable markers, they do not come completely off).  Just FYI: he stopped wanting to use the potty chair so we just put him on backwards on the toilet.  As a boy it is a little easier for him when he needs to change to standing.

6. Don't scold When there is an accident be supportive. We have to build their confidence to tell us when they need to use the bathroom.  They are learning.  Scolding may hinder their process.  Instead have them help clean up the mess, tell and/or show them where it goes, and make a MAJOR DEAL out of using the toilet.

7. Generate a shared language.  Whatever words you call it.  Make sure that all adults who will assist or who will have your child for a while after you have started potty training knows the terminology that you will use.  Later you can add other words but it is helpful in the beginning if there is consistency.

8. Don't think you have to follow my tips.  Each child is different and different things will work.  Talk to other people or look up other tips and tweak them for your child.

Welcome!

Good morning,
Welcome to my blog. I'm a wife, a teacher, and a mother to two boys CJ (23 months) and MAC (6 months).

As a teacher I spend countless hours on Pinterest researching ideas for the classroom. This leads me to blogs from mothers and teachers all over.

As a mother I spend hours researching activities to do with infants and toddlers. I also look into recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lately, the slow cooker is becoming my new friend.

My goal with this blog is to share my ideas and inspirations on all things related to children.

I hope you enjoy!
Michele