Etsy Dorm Shopping Under $25!

It's that time of year again and I was thinking you might need a couple of cute things for the new dorm room.  Look no further than Etsy, your marketplace for the truly unique.  While I don't make things for cute dorm rooms, I have to plug my own Etsy store, Pretty Pretty Cindy for the cutest baby stuff!  Click on the titles below to see the Etsy listings. Ready for the best part?  All of these items are less than $25!!  You can also find them (and so much more) on my Pinterest board Dorm DIY or College 

Personalized State Laundry Bag

Bathroom Organization

LED Lights

Bed Caddy

Custom Dorm Door Sign

Shower Caddy

Dorm Sweet Dorm Pillow

Clothespin Push Pins

 

Cellphone Stand

Dry Erase Frame

Have a great school year!

cindy

Dorm Shopping 101

While it might be more practical to talk about what you need to buy for school supplies in college, the real hot topic for the new college student is the stuff that might be more exciting - dorm or apartment shopping.  Actually, this post is focussed on dorm life because that's what I know best.  Even though it's been many years since I was in college, I lived in a dorm all four years, including 2 as a resident advisor.

First of all, there are MANY websites and blogs that have lists of what you MUST have (or at least that's what they say).  I have a bunch of them compiled on my Pinterest board College.  (Even if you don't need help with the shopping list, you will want to check out my board because there are over 70 pins about all aspects of college life.  I also have a board Dorm DIY. 

BEFORE you go shopping, there are three things to know/remember:
1.  Have you talked to your prospective roommate about decorating or other layout decisions?
2.  Do you have the dimensions/layout of the room?  If you don't you should seriously consider waiting until after you see the room/closet before buying anything that takes up space.
3.  Space is at a premium and organization is the key.  Keep that in mind as you buy big items you might not need.
Regardless of the specific things you choose to buy for your dorm room, here are some areas you need to cover.

Bath Stuff 

• You need towels, but don't buy too many.  While you might be spoiled at home by using a different clean towel every time you take a shower, your mother is no longer doing your laundry and you don't have room for all of those towels.  Consider monogrammed or patterned towels - they don't get "lost" as easily. 
• If you are living with a communal bathroom, you will need a caddy for your toiletries. Consider a plastic bath caddy.  I personally like the plastic bath caddies you can carry because when they inevitably get grungy with soap and shampoo residue, you just take them in the shower and hose them down.  Mesh caddies are harder to clean than solid ones.  This is an example of something best purchased at a dollar store.
• Water shoes - if you are using a communal bathroom, you will thank me later.  If you insist upon using flip-flops, get the very flattest ones you can find and try to ones with some traction.  Otherwise, just use pool shoes.

Bedding

• In addition to a set of sheets, you need a good mattress topper - not just the mattress cover.  Also, don't go too cheap on the sheets.  You can find great deals, but low thread counts and a couple of washes will keep you up at night on scratchy sheets.  Go for the higher thread count, and don't forget a good pillow! 
• A sleep mask can be very useful if you and your roommate keep different study hours. 
• Bed risers, but only after you actually see the room and the bed. 
• You will need a comforter/bedspread/top blanket, but this is another one of those things you will want to wait and coordinate with your roommate (unless you're a guy because guys don't always care about coordinated bedding).

Desk

• Tech corner - charging station, headphones, extra long charging cord and wireless speaker
• Laptop with cover.  The cover is a must for all of the traveling your laptop will see.
• Power strip - look for a flexible one that can curve around furniture.  Power outlets are a premium in dorm rooms, so try to minimize the number of items you must plug in.  
• A desk calendar/bulletin board/organizer is really helpful.  You might also want to consider a small one for the wall so you and your roommate have some idea when one of you will be out, have a big test or wanting some private time in the room.

Closet/Storage Area

• Full length mirror on closet door - it may be the only one available outside of the bathroom and it might make your room look bigger.  Use Command hooks to hang it.
• Laundry bag - I like this better than plastic baskets because they can hang, take up less space and are easy to sling over your shoulder (or drag) when they are full
• Storage bins - It's important to get the right size for under your bed - whether it is raised or not. Again, this might be one of those things that might wait until you are actually at school to see the bed.
• Over the door hanger/basket/pouches for storage.  Hopefully you are able to put the full length mirror on one side of the closet door and the hanging storage on the other side
• Hangers - the kind of hangers may be dependent on how many clothes you have and the size of your closet.  You don't want the pretty expensive padded or wooden hangers if your can't fit enough of them in your closet.  A good inexpensive solution is to cover wire hangers with yarn or foam to pad them.

Other Important Stuff 

• Think carefully about a refrigerator.  Some places won't allow them and they do take up space and a power outlet.  I would also think twice about a microwave.  If you and your roommate can share and have the space, they can be great, but if you don't know you will use them, don't bother.
• Fan - Cooling, air circulation and white noise when you're trying to sleep
• Disinfecting wipes - I can't describe all the ways you might use these
• Command hooks - you can't put nails in the walls. 
• First aid kit/common medicines/prescription list - the first time you get a cold you will be happy you have this.  You will need a Band-aid at some point and a complete list of your prescriptions (with dosages, pharmacy information and doctor) is important to have readily available.

Finally, when I was in school, there was no technology.  Today, there are so many gadgets and apps you can get to make your life at school easier, more organized and successful.  Keep your music online or in digital format.  Use your phone to watch TV or movies.  Use of technology is not only more efficient, but solves one of the biggest problems of dorm living - lack of space.

Stop by tomorrow and we can start talking about the details of decorating!

cindy

Decorating the Dorm Room - A Few Hints

If you've read some of my other College Week posts, you know I was in college in the Stone Age.  While some things have changed, most dorm rooms have not.  For each person in the room, there is a bed, desk, chair and usually a wardrobe or closet.  My freshman year, I lived in a triple - yes, that is 3 women in a room.  No, the room wasn't much bigger.  Decorating a dorm room can be daunting, but there are two basic rules to remember:

1.  A dorm room is SMALL so don't cram too much into it.
2.  Decorating decisions need to include your roommate(s).

If you get these basic concepts, the rest flows from there.  Hopefully, you will wait to decide on decorating details until after you are at school, but most freshmen just can't help themselves.  Consulting with your new roommate over the summer is a great idea (fits criteria 2), but without seeing your new room, it might be hard to meet criteria 1.

You can find lots of examples of great dorm rooms online and I've collected a lot of pictures and tips on my board Dorm Decorating on Pinterest.  For now, I just want to make a couple of points about dorm room decorating:

1.  Maximize the use of space - including airspace.  Raising your bed it a great idea.  If you can get the bed high enough, you can put your desk underneath.  Make sure to check your school's policies on this and make sure you are being safe.

2.  A dorm room is not as big as your room at home - unless you live in a trailer.  Unless you share a room in a trailer with someone else, your room at home doesn't have two beds, two desks, two chairs and two closets. Don't try to copy pictures of rooms that are clearly bigger than your dorm room.  Wait until you get to school and take a careful look at what you have.

3.  Keep it functional.  Don't bring in extra furniture - really.  It might be cute, but not so much when you are tripping over it in the middle of the night.  You can have a beautiful and functional room without extra furniture - really.

4.  NO CLUTTER.  There are lots of cool products - shelving, storage bins, side tables, etc.  Clutter makes your room look messy, unorganized, and, if it's possible, smaller than it actually is.  Leave the knick-knacks at home.

5.  Talk to your roommate and coordinate.  You both might have great taste, but it isn't fun to have different decorating themes in one little room.  Compromise - you're just getting started.  Everyday you come in to see a schizophrenic room, it will remind you that you and your roommate can't compromise.

6.  If you or your roommate intend to study, relax or sleep in your dorm room, don't plaster the walls with thousands of high school pictures and then hang Christmas lights around it.  See above.  It's not only tacky, it is very distracting and certainly not condusive to concentration or relaxation. 

7.  Make your function pretty.  You can have some storage under your bed that looks good.  You can add some nice curtains that keep the excess light out while masking those ugly blinds.  If you would like extra seating, turn a storage bin into an ottoman. (But not two in the middle of the room!)

8.  Get a nice rug, but consider throw rugs instead of bigger carpeting pieces.  Your carpet will likely never see a vacuum unless one is available for common use in the dorm.  However, a throw rug can be washed.

9.  Use light colors.  When winter comes and you get stir crazy in your little dorm room, you won't want to be surrounded by dark colors covering the walls and your bed.  Just like dark paint, dark decorations dominating the bed and walls will make your little dorm room smaller.

10.  Keep it clean!  At the risk of sounding like your mom, a clean room will keep you and your roommate happy.  Just like a happy wife, a happy roommate makes for a happy college life!

Don't forget to check out my Pinterest account for more college ideas!

cindy

College Week - What Do I Need?

It's been a long time since I was in college - a really long time.  However, I did spend 4 years in a dorm - 2 as a resident advisor - so I know more than most about living in a dorm room.  I'm focusing this week on things you need to know to live happily in a dorm room for one or more school years.  I know my college week is late - many have already left for college.  If you're smart, you realize that unless you have complete dimensions to your dorm room and know your room, it's really not possible to buy everything you need for your room.  So, whether you haven't left for school yet or are already there without the perfect dorm room, here's some things you need (and some you don't).

First, you need to read two great articles from Grown and Flown - "Dorm Shopping: What to Ask Before You Spend" and "Ten Commandments of Dorm Shopping." Here are some of my must haves:

Bath Stuff 

• Monogrammed or patterned towels - they don't get "lost" as easily 
• Plastic bath caddy.  I personally like the plastic bath caddies you can carry because when they inevitably get grungy with soap and shampoo residue, you just take them in the shower and hose them down.  Mesh caddies are harder to clean.

Bedding

• A good mattress topper - not just the mattress cover.  
• A sleep mask can be very useful if you and your roommate keep different study hours. 
• Bed risers, but only after you actually see the room and the bed. 

Desk

• Tech corner - charging station, headphones, extra long charging cord and wireless speaker
• Laptop with cover.  The cover is a must for all of the traveling your laptop will see.
• Power strip - look for a flexible one that can curve around furniture

Closet/Storage Area

• Full length mirror on closet door - use Command hooks
• Laundry bag - I like this better than plastic baskets because they can hang, take up less space and are easy to sling over your shoulder (or dragged) even when they are full
• Storage bins - It's important to get the right size for under your bed - whether it is raised or not. Again, this might be one of those things that might wait until you are actually at school to see the bed.
• Over the door hanger/basket/pouches for storage.  Hopefully you are able to put the full length mirror on one side of the closet door and the hanging storage on the other side

Other Important Stuff 

• Filtration bottle - while a Britta pitcher would be ideal, the space in your refrigerator is probably limited.  You can also take the bottle with you.
• Fan - Cooling, air circulation and white noise when you're trying to sleep
• Disinfecting wipes - I can't describe all the ways you might use these
• Command hooks - you can't put nails in the walls.  Tomorrow I will show you a special hack for hanging posters.
• First aid kit/common medicines/prescription list - the first time you get a cold you will be happy you have this.  You will need a Band-aid at some point and a complete list of your prescriptions (with dosages, pharmacy information and doctor) is important

Finally, when I was in school, there was no technology.  Today, there are so many gadgets and apps you can get to make your life at school easier, more organized and successful.  Keep your music online or in digital format.  Use your phone to watch TV or movies.  Use of technology is not only more efficient, but solves one of the biggest problems of dorm living - lack of space.  

cindy

Potty Training and Algebra

What, might you ask, does one have to do with the other?  Oh, I think, more than you know.  First, they both cause anxiety for kids and parents.  Another is that they involve practicing step-by-step operations.  Third, they both involve crap.

Let me say up front that I don't like algebra.  I didn't like it in the 8th grade when I was expected to teach it to myself.  I didn't like it much as a freshman with Mrs. Huber and I positively hated it in college.  So when my son struggled with 8th grade algebra, I called my husband the "Mathlete" and asked him to step in.  Funny thing for my husband - when you are good at something, it's not always easy to understand another person's inability to "get it."  I now have to relearn it myself.

Potty training this particular child was also difficult.  Why doesn't he get it??  We would go through each step from sensing he had to pee to washing his hands.  It was just too many steps and a lot of bad aim.

So after failing algebra, we knew we had to do something, because as everyone knows, all math classes build from algebra.  We signed Christian up for an online summer school and braced ourselves.  My first shock was to discover that his professor was Mr. Huber.  What?! That was the name of my freshman algebra teacher!  This was going to be scary.

Now into our third week, we are progressing.  Our biggest struggle is getting him to write out the steps to solve equations.  He is good at deciphering in his head, but with multiple computations in algebraic equations, it doesn't work.  He seems determined to do it his way, and I see that obstinate little boy who can't consistently make it to the bathroom.  At least then he didn't give me the backtalk with the stubbornness.  Tonight after our nightly lesson, I asked him why he had to be so stubborn about not doing it the "right way."  He responded that he was just like me.  Ouch.

Maybe that's why I never really "got" algebra.  Maybe this time will be different for me and him.  Hey, we always used to say he would not go to college in diapers and we were right about that.

cindy

Everybody is Back

They're baaaaacck.

Everybody.

Who is Everybody?  Or should I say who are Everybody?  I think they are related to Everyone.

I'm not sure who they are, but I do know my kids go to school with them.  They are on every child's sports team, school club or just hanging out at friends' houses.  I bet your kid knows them too.  But who are they?

You've heard your kid talk about them:  "Everybody has a backpack like that."  "I am the only kid without a cell phone!  Everybody has one!"  "Everybody gets to go hang out at the park, why can't I?"

School has seemed to flush Everybody out.

I just want to know who Everybody is.  They definitely aren't my kids and it's doubtful they are yours.  Who are the parents of Everybody?  Someone might need to report them to the child welfare services because they are doing some questionable things.

When I figure out who Everybody is, I intend to get to the bottom of who Everyone and Nobody are.  Clearly children know who they are, but they won't tell you their names.  However, Everyone knows the names of Everybody and Nobody because Everyone knows that!  I think there might be a need to call child welfare services to investigate the parents of Nobody, because they seem to be the kids lacking safety equipment, warm clothes and sensible shoes.

Just remember - now that school is back in session, drive carefully.  You need to watch out for Everybody.  And if your kids want to bring them home, get their names.

And let me know who they are.

cindy

Last Minute Crafty Valentines

This was a project I wrote about previously, but thought it might save a few people who need a few ideas before Friday.

These are actually Danish hearts that are traditionally made at Christmas.  In this example, they are made with felt, but in blog page describing this craft, there is also descriptions of the hearts being made from paper. Voila!  Perfect valentines!  Did I mention that these hearts open up to little baskets that can be used for candy, notes, etc?

Here's how I made mine:

I used pink and red (prints and solids) from my enormous stash of scrapbook paper (that almost never gets used).  I didn't use a card stock weight, but instead the thinner weight (something between copy paper and card stock).  I cut an oval about 4" wide and 10" long from heavier card stock for a template.  You can make it whatever size you want, but the way I created mine was to use a circle 4" in diameter and cut it in half to make the ends.  Then, make it the length you want.  The shorter the length, the smaller the heart and resulting interior "basket".

Using the template, you will need two ovals for each valentine.  I made a bunch because I have to make 30 for my daughter's class.

Take your two ovals and fold them in half together, print side out.  Then cut three cuts through both ovals, beginning at the fold and up to about 1" from the curve of the oval.  The spaces between the cuts will be the sections that are weaved together.  I tried being very exact about the width between each cut and making sure they were perfectly matched.  Don't bother.  If you fold the two ovals together and cut both from the fold, they will be fine.

Now you're ready to weave.  Hold the folded ovals at the top curves in either hand.  If you understand the idea of weaving in and out, you're halfway there.  The only difference here is that the papers must cross in the folds to create the in-out weave.

                   

It's a little hard to do at first, but what I learned is that you shouldn't be afraid to bend the strips to get them weaved together.  They won't tear.  Also, do one strip at a time and keep pushing the weaved strips toward the curves.

When you get them all weaved, pull a little outward on all sides.  This will keep it from looking like you have strips sticking out the sides of your heart.  If done correctly, you should be able to open the top and see the basket weave.

Whatever kind of valentines your kids take to school, make it a fun and special day for them.

cindy

School Daze

I guess I'm feeling a little preoccupied with school this year because this is my second post about it.  Today I'm thinking about all the things my kids are doing that we never had to do.  It seems a little different from the conversations my generations had with their parents about school:

"When I was a kid, I walked 3 miles to school in the snow, all uphill."

Even though I spent 12 years in Catholic school, the stories I could tell my kids pale in comparison to the things I see them do in connection with school:

They carry too many books.  My 98 pound kid is carrying 30 pounds of books.  All the time.  To every class.  Everyday.  My daughter has a rolling backpack that has a broken zipper because it's stuffed with books (and she still carries a 3" binder separate from the backpack).  Our solution?  We just bought an extra set of books for my son ($60).  It's absolutely worth every penny.  We have found some of my daughter's books online so she doesn't always have to carry her binder.

Homework.  Where do I begin?  I know I've said here that I've done too many salt dough maps and book reports.  I know my parents didn't do that, probably because I was kid #4 and they refused to go there again.  I understand that kids have homework, but I just didn't realize we they would spend so much time each night doing homework.  2-3 hours is not unusual.  And is it really necessary to do 30 math problems every night?

With all the books that are coming home and the amount of homework we are doing, I'm wondering what they do at school?

cindy

Public vs. Charter vs. Private Schools

My son has always been a challenge to educate.  He's a really good boy and very smart, but it's been hard to find a school that is the right fit for him.  We started in our "neighborhood" public school; that is, the default public school.  Kindergarten was fine, but First Grade was a nightmare - a classroom with a loose structure (i.e. group working in "centers") that wasn't suited to a kid with auditory and speech issues.  About this time we also figured out our son had ADHD.

Next step - a "traditional" public school.  A traditional school is a regular public school except the kids wear uniforms and are taught in a more traditional way - desks that face a teacher who centrally presents the lesson from a textbook.  In our case, the "traditional" public school used Saxon math and Spaulding reading methods which were very beneficial for our son.  A kid who could not memorize 15 simple spelling words without a lot of frustration and tears became a great speller because he understood the phonics of the words.  Also, the teaching method was better because it cut out distractions by having only one source of instruction - the teacher.

Fast forward to 5th Grade.  In about 4th grade in our traditional public school, students were learning how to keep a "planner" - an organizer so they can track their assignments.  By the time 5th Grade rolled around, missing assignments counted as a "0" and students had approximately 5 subjects to track.  Executive skills were a must - the ability to prioritize, manage time, synthesize important points and stay organized.  Flat out - he lacked executive skills.  In a classroom with 30 kids even with his 504 accommodation, there was no way the teacher was able to work on these skills.  At the end of 5th Grade, he was failing most classes and convinced he was stupid.  Time for a change.

We made the radical decision to go to a charter school, but not just any charter.  We turned to an online charter school.  It's very close to home schooling, but with a structure of a school (curriculum, grades, lesson plans, etc).  My husband did the day-to-day teaching with the assistance of online lessons.  It was very successful - Christian had good grades and proved to himself that he could be successful in school.  Unfortunately, it was very difficult for my husband who was also trying to work full time, so we just couldn't continue.

This year we are turning to the next school choice option - private school.  Christian is attending a very small Catholic school that uses a "classical" teaching method.  So far we are very impressed with both the quality of the curriculum and the values and sense of community we definitely did not find in public school.  The small class size and the knowledge that he can do the work is motivating him to step up in both his study but also in those organizational skills.  After our experience with online school, we also recognize the importance of understanding exactly what he is learning and how to help him.

I'm so thankful we have so many choices for educating our children.  Not every kid learns the same way, but the only way to get the right education for a child is to keep pursuing what works for him or her.  I sometimes feel like a whiner for complaining about school, but I'm not sorry about advocating for what is best for my son, whether that is public, charter or private school.

Let's see what this year brings.

cindy

My Old School

Last weekend I visited my Alma Mater where I met my wonderful husband:

The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana is a large sprawling campus that is gorgeous at any time of year (yes, even in the winter).  We were so blest last weekend to have a perfect autumn day to walk the campus.

We walked around campus with my Arizona family, including our kids.  It felt strange to be there with the kids, but they enjoyed it.

On a campus this old, time seems to stand still.  The same stately buildings where we (mostly) studied look exactly the same.

There are so many memories floating around that place, and I felt wistful thinking about the time I was there and the friends I met (especially my husband).  I realized I am living the life I could only dream about when I was there.

Then I remembered trudging across the frozen tundra in -25 degree wind chill on the January night I met my husband and reminded myself why we live in Arizona :)

cindy

Back in the (School) Day

At the risk of looking really old, I've been thinking back on my high school days in the '80s.  It's September now, and I'm reminded of all those Friday nights when we went to the football games.  I went to a Catholic high school in southern Illinois and we didn't have our own football field, so we used the stadium of the big public school about 5 miles away.  (For those of you still in Belleville, that's my best guess.)  I specifically remember those games as a freshman, because we didn't have cars or rides from anyone but our parents.  God forbid our parents would drop us off at the stadium - NOOOOO.  We would have them drop us off about a mile or two away and then we would walk down West Main Street.  Now that I think about that, we were kind of stupid because that was a long walk and sometimes it was cold.

Back in the day, we wore big hair and clogs.  I was never too much into the big hair thing, but I did have clogs.  You know, backless shoes with wedge heels.  Our heels were never that high, but they were wooden and made a lot of noise when you walked.  I can also remember how much my feet hurt at the end of the day - my heels from walking on a wooden block and my toes from scrunching them to keep the clogs on.  But as my mother would say "Beauty knows no pain."  (Although I definitely don't remember her saying that about those clogs.)

Yeah, we went through some weird clothing trends during my high school years.  I started high school at the very beginning of the 80s and went off to college toward the end.  We started with the "preppy look."  For most of you who were born after my high school years, that consisted of plaid skirts (preferably pleated), long knee socks and loafers.  You could wear a button down blouse with a ribbon tie at the collar, with a muted sweater over the blouse.  You could always wear clogs instead of loafers.  By the end of high school, we were teasing our hair and getting "punked out" with the big shirts/sweaters, bright colors, leg warmers and leggings.  Yep, we wore some crazy stuff.

I remember my freshman year at Homecoming.  We had a parade down West Main Street and every class (freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors) also had their own floats on flatbed.  Everyone used wood forms, chicken wire and tissue paper flowers to make figures for the float.  I made so many of those tissue paper flowers, my fingers were cut up by the floral wire we used to keep them together.  (See, even then I was crafty!)  The freshman float always looked pretty sad.  I remember that year the seniors made a giant Pac Man eating a player from the other team - impressive.  That year at football games, we saw the appearance of a new mascot - the Crusader.  Here was a guy dressed in armor (yep, the real thing), riding a big white horse and carrying a banner.  It was very cool.  We never knew who the Crusader was until the last pep rally of the football season when it was revealed to be one of our school priests.  Oh man, was he awesome!

Yep, the 80s were a very strange decade.  We saw the birth of MTV and music videos, very crude video games (remember Pong?), crazy fashions and awesome music.  I was there and I wouldn't change that for all the world.

Go Althoff Crusaders!

cindy


I'm participating in the SITS Girls "Fall Back into Blogging" this week.  

Wordle

Do you sometimes feel like everyone knows about something you don't?  I had that feeling tonight when I found my daughter playing on a website called Wordle.  Once I looked at it, I realized how many of you are doing your word art.  Shame on you for not sharing!  I'm still not great at this, but I'm having fun trying.  (Please excuse my screen shots, I haven't figured out how to get these images in anything larger than a thumbnail)

Just so no one can accuse me of failing to share . . . Wordle is a website where you type words or paste text and it creates a word "picture".  The more you use a word, the larger it appears.  The picture above represents some of my labels from Straddling the Gap.  

You can use the "Randomize" button to create different font, colors, backgrounds without trying.  Here are words A to Z in two different settings:

Our school has started to use this as a way for kids to practice spelling words - isn't that clever?  It makes it fun to practice their spelling words (and it's great for mom because Wordle has spell-check.)  Here are Mackenzie's spelling words this week:

You can also design your word art the way you want.  You can pick from a bunch of fonts, align horizontal, vertical or any which way, choose colors and backgrounds.  I'll warn you now - it's pretty addictive - not Pinterest, but great for a half hour or so.  However long you like to do it, your elementary kids will LOVE it.

cindy

Back to School

You would think when you live in one of the hottest places in the United States that schools wouldn't get started until after Labor Day.  Nope.  School started yesterday - it was 114 degrees.

Ahhh, well, summer in Phoenix.  Here are my lovelies on the first day of school:

Can you tell which one is going to a brick and mortar school and which one is going to an online charter school at home?

A year ago I wrote about my son's ADHD and his difficulties in school due to deficits in executive skills.  In January I wrote about how we were trying to address his issues through a 504 plan.  Those two posts basically summarized our difficult experience last year and our attempts at the beginning of the school year and the middle of the school year to find a way to deal with the problems.  It didn't work.  By the end of the year he was failing nearly every subject.  Funny thing is, based on his test scores in class, he was a B or C student.  He was failing because he couldn't turn in the homework we worked on for hours the night before.  He couldn't remember where papers were, or what he was supposed to do on assignments.  He had no organization, sense of deadlines, executive skills.  I'm sure it sounds like most boys, but for our guy it's making him think he's a failure.  If you want to understand more about what a lack of executive skills can do to a child, check out this article from WebMD.

This year we're trying a different approach.  He is starting 6th grade and we knew there was no way he would be able to handle different subjects with different teachers with different expectations and teaching styles.  By the end of the last school year, we made the difficult choice to take him out of a traditional school, opting instead for an online charter school.  It's a lot like home schooling, but with a very structured curriculum.  My husband is taking on the big task of being my son's learning coach, sitting with him every day while he goes to school.  It's a bold experiment, with the goal of getting his executive skills up to par in time to return to traditional high school.  This timeframe is not random - research shows that children with ADHD who have deficits in executive skills (also known as executive function) are usually about 3 years behind their peers in this important aspect of learning.  It poses a direct risk and obstacle to learning in a classroom environment.  In addition to the curriculum through the online charter school, we will be working on exercises and practice on learning executive skills - how to prioritize, organize, focus on a task, use notes, planners and a calendar to know what is coming and summarize what you have learned.

I hope this isn't going to be a post I have to repeat this time next year.  I do hope that by January I will be able to report some progress and a more motivated and positive kid.

cindy

Another Day in History

The Battle of Cowpens - I know more than I ever wanted to know.  Yes, it's another one of Christian's school projects.  We have done some book reports and a salt dough version of the State of Arizona (another project I will look forward to next year when Mackenzie is in 4th grade).  This time we did a model of a Revolutionary War battle.  We chose the Battle of Cowpens because it was the battle we could find on the internet with a schematic.  I have to admit it was interesting, but that's because I like history.  I'm also proud of this model.

It's not easy to see, but the red and blue sticks represent British and Colonial armies.  The trees are made of cotton balls dyed green on brown sticks and the movements of the armies are shown in arrows.  Yeah, I did  some a lot most of the work.  Christian helped paint the sticks, made the cotton ball trees and mixed a bit of salt dough.  I don't remember having to do so many of these projects when I was in elementary school.  Maybe I do them because I love crafty things and I'm challenged.  Now that it's done, I wish I could have spent the weekend doing something else.  Actually, I'm just happy it's done.

Bring on Arizona in salt dough!

cindy

DIY - Easy Colonial Costume

This post can now be found (with the Alexander Hamilton update below) at my new blog, Pretty Home Threads.  Check it out!