By: Martianne Stanger Although being safe is paramount in my parenting, I have never been one to limit my children’s opportunity to try “dangerous things”. This may seem paradoxical to some, but I truly believe that children need time to learn how to experiment and manipulate much of what our modern society eschews as dangerous … More When a Solar Oven Says You’re On the Right Track
By: Martianne Stanger Long ago, I heard about a 1000 Hours Outside challenge in one of the online groups I am in and laughed at it. Who needs a formal challenge to spend time outside? I thought. My children get 1000 hours outside a year and then some. As homeschoolers, we were blessed to spend … More 1000 Hours Outside
By: Martianne Stanger The other day, a meme popped up in my Facebook feed which said: Don’t wait for things to get better. Life will always be complicated. Learn to be happy right now, otherwise you’ll run out of time. The meme, of course, struck me. Not because it was a new thought. Not because … More One Question That Can Improve Your Day
By: Martianne Stanger One recent April day, life was not going so hot. In fact, it was downright challenging on so many fronts. And, to add insult to life’s injuries, the weather was gloomy as could be. Then, all of the sudden, I heard shouting–shouting from children who had been acting with less-than-best behavior earlier … More Chasing Rainbows
By: Martianne Stanger No one in this world is perfect. Certainly, I’m not. I make mistakes, and so do my children. Thus, learning how to own up to wrongs, apologize for them, and move on with life in positive ways is important. In our home, we’ve developed a three-step model for righting our wrongs. Admittedly, … More 3 Steps to Righting Wrongs
By: Martianne Stanger I was not a year into motherhood when I faced my first surgery as a mom, which, thankfully went smoothly for my child. Then, through the years, I have navigated several more surgeries for my children and one for my husband, too. So, you’d think I’d be an old pro at the … More 10 Ways to Bless a Friend Having Surgery
By: Martianne Stanger “Um, ma’am, your child has a knife!” A concerned middle-aged man stopped to tell me at the top of the Blue Hills years ago when my then four-year-old son was carefully slicing an apple. “Yes, I know.” I smiled. “He’s helping prepare our snack. He’s been using knives since he was two.” … More Knives, Axes, and Fire, Oh My!
By: Martianne Stanger About 10 years ago, I decided to get tested for “the breast cancer gene” and found out that I am BRCA2+. Then, in 2012, the decision of whether or not to have prophylactic surgery loomed largely in my mind and heart. By 2013, against the suggestions of some doctors and extended family … More My BRCA2+ Journey Continues
By: Martianne Stanger ‘Tis the season to be gifting Fa la la la la la la la la Off’ring service is uplifting Fa la la la la la la la la New traditions to discover Fa la la la la la la la la Make some time to help another Fa la la la la … More 5 Ideas for Starting a Tradition of Service
By: Martianne Stanger One of my children has the “gift of ADHD”, and, let me tell you: it does not always seem like a gift. Some days, ADHD wreaks havoc in our home. In fact, last month, we had a string of such days, which resulted in me considering medication. My husband was surprised, and, … More Our Current (Not-So-Conventional) Solution to ADHD
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