We decided to give our daughter a phone when she started middle school. She began having more independent/drop-off school and extracurricular activities, so it was helpful for her to be able to reach us. Of course, we also set limits on usage outside of those activities, and she really hasn’t become too into her phone. She usually doesn’t even know where it is!

We take it down about a week into January. We like having it up for a couple weeks after Christmas, but I agree that the pine needles start to dry up!

I enjoy swimming. Outdoor pools in the summer are great, and the YMCA or park district pools have pretty flexible hours year round.

When they’re young, I think letting kids play a little bit or walk around before the food arrives helps them sit more calmly in the high chair when it’s time to eat. Of course, feeling comfortable letting them play is a challenge! So even though we don’t typically eat early meals, sometimes going to a restaurant earlier in the evening or lunch time avoids the rush. I think just having a little extra space with fewer people can make the entire experience calmer and totally worth the off hours!

We don’t really use workbooks, but we try to foster greater creativity in our children’s preferred interests. For example, we allow extra time for our daughter to write stories, or our son can create his own music or math games. We also are developing family board games together. Basically, we try educational activities outside the expectations of school. Hopefully, it will foster a greater love of those areas!