Author Archives: Nadia “Justice Jonesie”

About Nadia “Justice Jonesie”

Nadia, a.k.a., “Justice Jonesie”, is a savvy mom to three children, a lawyer, law professor, and blogger at JusticeJonesie.com. Jonesie writes about work-life balance, fitness, and her journey through motherhood. She is the founder of the Niche Mommy Network and Conference and co-founder of Blogalicious Weekend. When she is not working or chasing after her children, you may find Jonesie at the gym or enjoying a chic night out on the town with her hubby.

Composting With Kids

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COMPOSTING!

Composting as a family can be a fun and easy green project that’s environmentally responsible.  Not to mention economical- you’ll save on chemical fertilizers, garbage bags (you’ll be throwing away less waste) and soil! And those who compost swear by the nutrient rich soil that can be used in gardens or for planting flowers. Many say it’s the best soil they’ve ever used-producing the tastiest vegetables and fruits that they’ve ever had.

These things intrigued me, so I decided to give composting a try in our house.

However, before the organic materials could break down, I needed to break down what to do…

Learn what you can compost. Composting consists simply of organic materials that naturally decompose. There are green and brown materials. Some examples of green materials are: grass clippings and kitchen scraps like fruit, veggies and coffee grounds. Examples of brown materials include: brown, dried leaves and dried grass. The best composition is four parts brown to one part green.To increase the composting process, it’s best that the materials be small in size because they will break down faster.

Decide how you’d like to compost– indoor or outdoor, or both?There are many articles and books written on the topic of composting. Don’t become overwhelmed. Keep it convenient to what you’ll be composting most. If it’s mostly kitchen scraps -then start with a small to medium kitchen composter with a lid to reduce odors. Note: You will need some outdoor space for your outdoor composter and access to water. And in addition to your composter- you’ll need a pitch fork, shovel and cart.

Give everyone a job. Someone will need to dump the indoor composter into the larger outdoor composter. Everyone will need to take turns mixing your outdoor heap with a pitch fork. Mixing will help to keep the browns and greens in balance,distribute moisture, and add essential air (oxygen) to the mixture. Water will need to be added from time to time. While composting can be simple, it’s important to know what will need to be done to effectively compost, and what role each family member can play.

Read more: 

http://www.gardeningwithkids.org/composting.html

http://thegardenofoz.org/composting101.asp

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/kidscompost/cover.html

 

Playing & Learning: Education Play v. Just Playing

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Recently, I overheard two moms talking in a very serious tone about setting up an educational play date for their one-year-olds. It got me thinking. To me, the term “educational play date” for babies seems like overkill terminology. To some new or stressed out moms, it may sound intimidating, and to others it may sound silly. Usually any play for a young baby, toddler or preschooler is educational as children in that age group learn primarily through play. Think child development theorists like Erikson, Piaget and Vygotsky…

In my view, play is learning. It’s OK to play!

So, are we over thinking things by putting too many expectations and restrictions on play, and too much pressure on ourselves as parents? My children are no longer babies. I do try to keep fun AND learning the key components to any organized play date that I set up for them. However, even the most casual or unstructured play often turns out to be very educational or a valuable learning lesson for my children. As they get older, I let them pick things to do that they are interested in. That way, they want to learn, ask questions, investigate… on their own.

do kids learn by playing

For example, I recently attended a friend’s pre-Easter celebration. My friend’s daughter Katrina was coloring eggs with her mom- which might not seem overly educational or wildly creative for an eight year old. However, I was impressed at how interested Katrina was in this simple activity with her mom. First, they made a list of the people they needed to color eggs for (over 20), Katrina wrote out all the names as best as she could (her mom corrected any spelling errors), then she counted out the eggs and mixed the colors. Katrina drew something on each egg (her idea) that she felt best depicted the person she was coloring the egg for. For me, she drew a book because I love to read. This simple activity employed: math, language, sensory, creativity and social skills! A simple, inexpensive and educational activity that a child wholly enjoyed – what a great concept!  While I love the internet and Pinterest for information and inspiration – this concept can easily be forgotten in the world of elaborate Pinterest pins and information overload.

Play dates with your kids are an opportunity to spend valuable time together, learn things about your child’s interests and strengths and sneak in some learning.

Simple tips to keep play dates fun with young children:

  • Whenever possible, let them chose the topic or activity that they are interested in.
  • They love hands-on (sensory) learning!
  • Ask open-ended questions to inspire answers and creativity.
  • Keep it positive and pile on the praise.

Further reading:  Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn—And Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek Ph.D, Robert Michnick Golinkoff and Diane Eve

March is National Nutrition Month

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Trade in that Valentine’s chocolate for cantaloupe! You’re inundated with media messages about eating healthier, all the overindulgence holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day) are over… You may be feeling like me -it’s time to get the family back to healthier eating! But where do you start?

THROW IT AWAY

I made a deal with my kids- by a certain date any uneaten holiday candy goes in the trash. (The two pieces of “treats” a day rule still applies.) Out of sight, out of mind.

MAKE IT AT HOME Everyone can still enjoy kid favorites like pizza and cookies – just make it at home to control the amount of sugar, salt and chemicals. Try avoiding frozen foods (plain frozen veggies are OK though) that are often loaded with preservatives and salt. Also, avoid boxed sweets that are full of chemicals. Try making banana bread with real bananas, add less sugar and use whole wheat flour. A family favorite around here!

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU’RE EATING, IT’S WHAT YOU’RE NOT EATING Add chopped, fresh veggies to your homemade pizza. If your family loves chocolate– have dark chocolate covered fruit for dessert. Add sautéed zucchini and carrots to pasta. Make vegetables and fruit a staple at every meal. You and the kids will start to crave them!

MAKE IT EASY AND GIVE YOUR KIDS A SENSE OF CONTROL The lower pantry self is stocked with “healthier” ready-to-grab snacks like dried fruits and nuts. The side door of the refrigerator is filled with washed and cut carrots and celery in water. The crisper contains apples, pears and oranges, and a colander is usually filled with berries. They can take their pick!

DON’T GIVE UP Real lifestyle change doesn’t happen overnight. Keep trying new foods to keep you and the rest of the family interested (and satisfied). Good reads include:

  • Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld.
  • Healthy Kids, Smart Kids: The Principal-Created, Parent-Tested, Kid-Approved Nutrition Plan for Sound Bodies and Strong Minds by Dr. Yvonne Sanders-Butler. It’s the story of a school principal that banned sugar at her school and the remarkable results from better academic performance to less behavior problems.

Yoga Fun With Kids

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Often times as the new year rolls around, parents vow to become healthier by eating better and working out. And relax more. Some parents may try yoga, running, or boot camp.  But as parents make an effort to become healthier, they may overlook inviting the kids to join them  to incorporate healthy, active living.

Yoga is one activity that the whole family can easily get involved in.  Yoga is something parents can do at home or at a gym.  I discovered how great yoga with kids was by accident.  I couldn’t always get to a yoga class so I started pulling out my yoga mat at home. One day my daughter jumped on my mat and started doing it as well. Then my boys started and soon we were all having fun. Now yoga is another activity we do as a family. On a rainy day or any day, we can stretch and pose.

In addition to being healthy, yoga allows children to express their creativity. Yoga poses  incorporate nature and animals.  There’s the Tree pose, Snake, Downward Dog,  Mountain, and Laughing Baby. Those names alone are enough to get the kids excited about yoga.

Yoga is also great because it helps children with coordination, balance, self-confidence, sleeping better at night, and, helps provide children with an appreciation for health and fitness.

Tips for Doing Yoga With Kids

  1. Set the right mood first. Play soft and relaxing music during yoga.
  2. Keep yoga poses simple and fun. Have kids do the modified versions of harder poses.
  3. Do poses in themes: animal/nature poses (tree, snake, bird, fish), letter poses, etc. so that the kids stay interested.
  4. You can act out or tell a story while doing your poses.
  5. Incorporate a few minutes of mediation or “quiet thinking” both at the start of your session and at the end. Keep this short (less than five minutes) otherwise, you’ll lose their interest.
  6. Model the pose first, then have your children try.
  7. Don’t forget to have fun with it! Do not expect your kids to do the poses correctly; remember, they are just kids!
  8. You can do yoga indoors or outdoors, especially on a nice day.

A healthy family makes for a happy – give yoga with your kids a try!

A “Sweet” Science Project – Making Ice Cream With Children

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I’m not exactly sure why all the neighborhood kids end up at our house. Maybe it’s because I have three kids? The dog? I don’t mind. However, on cold weather days or upcoming days off from school like President’s Day – I like to be prepared with inexpensive, simple activities that entertain and educate children that may be indoors all day.

An ice cream social in the winter?  Absolutely!

This is a simple recipe (that serves about three children) that’s appropriate for preschoolers and school-aged children. They never seem to get bored of it, and they all love the end result! Everyone gets a job from measuring to shaking. Depending on the age group or if it’s a mixed group of children – adjust your explanation of how liquid (the milk mixture) becomes a solid (ice cream) by adding the salt to the ice and water mixture with friction.

What you will need: 

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • about 2 pounds of ice
  • 1 cup coarse salt
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 quart-sized baggie that seals
  • 1 gallon-sized baggie that seals
  • a mixing bowl and large spoon
  • duct tape
  • bath towel (for floor) and a hand towel (to protect hands)
  • sprinkles, chocolate syrup and flavorings are optional

What you will do:
 In a bowl, mix the milk, half and half, vanilla, and sugar. Then pour the mixture into the quart-sized baggie. Squeeze out the excess air and seal the baggie with duct tape so it doesn’t leak.
Put the quart-sized baggie into the gallon-sized baggie and fill it in with ice, water and salt. Adding salt to the ice helps make the ice cream get colder faster.

Squeeze the air out of the big baggie and seal it closed with duct tape so that the baggie won’t leak. Now, shake the baggie up and down for about 10 minutes. The children can take turns. The hand towel can be used so that their hands don’t freeze.

Cut a corner off of the quart-sized baggie and squeeze the ice cream out into a bowl. Bon Appétit! Science never tasted so good!

 What kinds of cold weather activities do you like to do with your children? 

Teaching Young Children About Dr. King

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January 21, 2013 marks Martin Luther King, Jr. day.  As the holiday approaches, now is a good time for all parents to consider ways to share the legacy of Dr. King with their children and the impact that he had in shaping not just African-American history but American history.

We do something each year to celebrate and learn about Dr. King.  One of the most effective lessons has been by reading a children’s book about Dr. King and then following up with doing some additional research on-line.  There is a wealth of educational information available on YouTube. Below I share one of our favorite lessons.

Teaching Children About Dr. Martin Luther King With Children 

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is an excellent book to teach young children about Dr. King. The book does an excellent job in portraying the philosophy and teachings of Dr. King in a way suitable for young children. Before you go into the book, consider the following:

  • First, get an idea about what your children already know about Dr. King. Since my children range from 5th to 1st grade, this was important. Also, I knew they learned about him in school, so this was a good way for me to emphasize or expand upon what they may have already learned.
  • Next, ask some specific questions.  I asked everyone to share what they thought Dr. King did for Americans and what he taught us. My six-year-old shared that, “Dr. King, taught us to love people!” My seven-year-old remarked that “he taught us to do unto others as you want done unto you.” And my oldest responded with a text book answer, “ Dr. King died for rights of African-Americans.”
  • Read Martin’s Big Words, or any children’s book about Dr. King, with the kids. As you read the book and review the pictures, discuss what your children think life was like for African-American’s during the 60s.
  • Discuss what happened when schools and churches were segregated and the role that Rosa Parks had in the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. King. Explain things that are easy and simple enough for your kids to understand and give examples of what segregation is, such as not letting boys play with girls.
  • Following the book, show a short video about Dr. King’s life.  There is a seven minute video from The Corporation for the National Day of Service about Dr. King. The video discusses the life of Dr. King and how MLK day is a day of service to recognize how Dr. King served our country.
  • Listen to Dr. King’s speech in his own words.  You can easily find audio clips of Dr. King on the internet.  The entire speech may not be easily understood by young kids but the idea is to put a voice to the historical speech that many children read and learn about.  During the speech, you may notice that the light bulbs start to really turn on for the children as they begin to really understand what Dr. King did for our country.
  • You can wrap with everyone saying why they are thankful for Dr. King.  Why is life in America better for everyone?  Share your idea first and allow the children to follow.

How do you celebrate Dr. King with your children?

Image credit: DoreenRappaport.com

Building a Robot Out Of Recycled Household Items With Young Kids

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Building a robot out of recycled household items with my kindergartner and her friends turned out to be a great lesson on different topics.

A fun, green and low-cost educational activity to do with your kindergartner is to build a robot out of every day recycled items. The process of planning, recycling and repurposing and building is a perfect activity to entertain (and educate) a group of school-aged children.
Boy with Bubble 'Bot
PLANNING

First discuss what a what a robot is, show them pictures and explain that you are making a robot made out of recycled household items that they no longer need.  Then discuss what items that can be used (the sky is the limit but some items may need thorough cleaning.) To get the children’s imaginations flowing,  we brain stormed by using a dry erase board (not wasteful!) to jot down possible items (letter and word recognition) that the children might want to collect.  Next, we discussed how the items could be used to create a robot (i.e. a rinsed out gallon jug of milk can be used to make the robot’s head).  The children were encouraged to salvage many items, and whatever wasn’t used for the project could still be recycled.

RECYCLING AND REPURPOSING

The recycled items were collected, cleaned and brought to my house for a discussion as to what would be used and how. We sorted all the recycled items in like groups. There were lots of cereal boxes, egg cartons…and some unique items like a mop head, coffee beans, a small bathroom sink pipe and old toothbrushes. The sky was the limit!

BEING CREATIVE!

For me the best part of the project was watching the children’s imaginations go to town to create our special robot.  As much as possible, I let the children decide and do the work of building our robot who’s gender and name were also voted on (a lesson on democracy.) Our robot was a female named Rosita. They used scissors, glue, tape and paint to create Rosita. Plastic bread bags were filled with newspaper to create arms, empty Capri Sun pouches were used to make a purse for our well-accessorized robot, old dish gloves were the hands and dry, painted (red) pasta from a falling apart pre-school project served as Rosita’s lips. An old mop was perfect for her hair, coffee beans glued on to bottle caps served as expressive eyes and black bag twisties were added as eyelashes. Styrofoam cups flipped over were great feet, and the small bathroom sink pipe was used as Rosita’s neck. The old toothbrushes were hair clips.

After admiring our work for a few weeks, we broke down our robot and it was time to recycle her (again!)

What household items would you use for your recycled robot? Share the comments below.

Image source:  Flickr/Fairfaxcounty

Writing Letters to Santa

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Christmas trees, Christmas songs, and of course Santa Clause– these are all staples for the Christmas holiday.  My kids still believe in Santa.  Each year when we get the Christmas  toy ads from the newspaper, we save the ads so that the kids can get inspiration for writing out their wish lists to Santa. Writing letters to Santa has become a tradition in our family and a fun way to kick off the start of the holiday season.  When the kids were younger and not yet early writers, I had them draw out the toys they wanted.    Now, however, they are able to look through the ads and not only write out their wishlists but also include prices or stores, just in case Santa needs a little help finding that special gift! Over the years, I have kept their wishlists in a special place as a special souvenir to cherish.

Writing out letters to Santa is a great way to help your child practice writing and early literacy. You can purchase decorative paper at the craft store, or, there are letters available for purchase designed just for Santa.  You can have your child jazz it up with ribbon, glitter, or more. And of course, don’t forget to mail the letter to the North Pole when the letter is all done.

To further enhance the learning opportunity, you can incorporate a little geography lesson into the activity. Using a globe, show your child where the North Pole lies and teach them about the different poles and how to find north, south, east, or west.  Here is a fun fact to tell your children– the North Pole is actually in the middle of the Arctic Ocean and not on a land mass.  Only when the that part of the ocean is frozen can someone access the North Pole by foot. Kids usually get a kick out of those facts since it further creates the mystery of Santa, his elves and Santa’s Workshop!

This year, while writing our letters to Santa, my daughter decided to make him a gift since as she said, he is always giving us so much stuff.  How sweet was that?

 

Do your kids write letters to Santa? If so, tell us how you go about doing so!

A Night At the Theatre With Your Children

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My love for theatre began around the fifth grade when my parents started taking me to see shows like the Nutcracker Ballet and Les Miserables.  Later as a teen, my father took me to see a few shows on and off Broadway in New York City. I loved attending the theatre and especially loved the accompanying classical music that was often performed.

As an adult, my appreciation for the fine arts and live performances grew. We have a historical theatre in our home town and I try to attend a show at least once or twice a year. One of my favorite visits was last year. I was invited to attend a teen pageant hosted each year by the local alumni chapter of the sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. The pageant is a community event for teen girls in which personal growth, development, talent and academics are key components in judging a winner. After I received the invitation, I decided to bring my daughter and niece as my honored guests.  I wanted to give them a chance to learn about the theatre, get inspired by the young teens on stage, and of course, get all dressed up in their Sunday best for a big girl’s night out.

We started the evening with sushi and ended the evening listening to beautiful monologues by the pageant contestants. The girls listened as the contestants acted out poems by poetic giants like Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes. There was dancing and musical performances as well. After the show, I explained to the girls who the poets were and we discussed their favorite part about the attending the theatre. Dancing and the ball gowns seemed to be a clear winner.

Overall, the girls and I had a wonderful time. This was a great experience for them and hopefully gave them an appreciation for the theatre. During the winter holidays, many theatres will feature the Nutcracker Ballet.  I plan to take the girls and my sons to the performance so that our love for theatre can continue to grow as a family.

Have you been to the theatre with your children yet? If so, how did they enjoy it?

How Many Ways Math Game

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There are many ways to make a dollar, in fact so many that you can create a fun math game for your child or children that are learning how to count money and add double or single digit numbers.  I discovered this game just the other day when my daughter and I were sitting at the kitchen table.  I saw her playing with her coins and I asked her to show me just how many ways she could make a dollar.  It turned out to be a fun “game” that gave her the opportunity to practice her math skills. Math games are a great tool to motivate your child to learn and master some core skills. And besides, who says that learning can’t be fun?  Show your child just how much math can be with this easy game.

Here is how you play:

1) Gather coins, preferably plastic coins that look just like the real thing. Using realistic coins that have fronts and backs to them helps your child translate the  look and feel of the fake coins to real life.

2)  Ask your child to show you variations of a specific dollar amount.  You may want to start small (like 35 cents) and then work your way up to larger amounts.

3) Ask your child to show his or her work by either drawing the coins and adding the numbers, or doing at least one of these two options.  For example, 25+25+25+25 = 100.

4) Give your child a specific time frame to come up with the variations. If you have friends over, you can declare a winner to the child that comes up with the most variations.

5) You can vary the difficulty by adding basic multiplication skills to the equation but remember, you do not want to make the problem too hard or else you will frustrate your child more than create a fun learning experience.

And just in case you were wondering, there are 242 ways to make a dollar! Your child will get a kick out of learning this particular fact!