Sharing Books With Children

Written by Sherry Frewerd


One of my first memories of childhood is that of my mother reading Dr. Seuss books to me in a big brown recliner in our living room. That memory brings with it sounds and smells and a general feeling of safety and comfort that never fades, even after all these years. Naturally, one ofrepparttar first memories I have of my own first born child is sitting in a big chair and reading Little Golden Books to him.

Sharing books and reading with my children is as natural as giving them baths and making their breakfast. It’s just something I do everyday, and it’s one ofrepparttar 140304 most pleasurable moments of my day. I love to hold my two year old in my lap while we snuggle up and look through his ever growing library of books. His favorite books change weekly as his interests broaden. Books open uprepparttar 140305 world to him and his imagination is bubbling over with new ideas every day.

More than just telling a story, books help children better understand their own ideas and feelings and often calm an upset toddler when nothing else will work. They see and hear about other kids like them and others from aroundrepparttar 140306 world who are different. We’ve all seen little kids acting outrepparttar 140307 stories they hear. As a child I spent many afternoons pretending to berepparttar 140308 characters from my favorite books. Just recently my son was playing ‘Dr.Dan. The Bandage Man’, a current favorite Little Golden Book.

Although reading with children is so very rewarding for both adult and child, little kids need time to look at books alone. This allows themrepparttar 140309 opportunity to look atrepparttar 140310 pictures and developrepparttar 140311 habit of ‘reading’ even though they can’t yet read. In my Family Child Care, I have different ‘libraries’ available in different rooms in my home. The kids have labeled these areas ‘libraries’ themselves, and will often rotaterepparttar 140312 books from room to room and act out ‘going torepparttar 140313 library’ daily. Imagine my surprise when I first witnessed a three year old takingrepparttar 140314 younger kids ‘torepparttar 140315 library.’

What's So Great About Slow Cooking Anyway?

Written by Sherry Frewerd


As I walked throughrepparttar grocery store aisles a few weeks ago, I noticedrepparttar 140303 increase in prepackaged slow cooker meals. I’ve been using my slow cooker and reapingrepparttar 140304 rewards for years, so it was no real surprise to me when others started proclaimingrepparttar 140305 benefits of cooking with a crock pot. Why did it takerepparttar 140306 rest ofrepparttar 140307 country so long to catch up? With this increase in popularity, I’ve recently been asked by a few ‘newbies’ ‘What’s so great about slow cooking anyway?’

That’s an easy question to answer even if all you’ve ever done is make chicken stew with your slow cooker. It’s just so dang simple andrepparttar 140308 food tastes better when cooked slowly and evenly in a crock pot.

I’m a work at home mom. I operate a Family Child Care and also have a busy online business, both of which keep me going all day long. That on top of my daughter’s activities andrepparttar 140309 in and out nature of my husband’s business, we’re usually searching for time to sit down and eat, especially eating together as a family. There’s whererepparttar 140310 slow cooker comes in handy. I have tons of slow cooker recipes, and can find just about anything to cook that my kids and picky husband will like to eat.

Since I work at home, havingrepparttar 140311 kitchen stay a comfortable temperature is a must, as I spend quite a bit of time there preparing meals and snacks for my day care kids. I use my crock pot year round, and love its usefulness duringrepparttar 140312 warm weather months when I can fixrepparttar 140313 beginnings ofrepparttar 140314 meal inrepparttar 140315 morning when I’ve got other ‘stuff’ out onrepparttar 140316 counter anyway, put it all inrepparttar 140317 pot, and then clean uprepparttar 140318 whole mess when I’m done. The crock pot requires very little clean up itself, so there you have yet another major reason for why slow cooking is so great.

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