Mom?

Yeah?

Do you know who Gandhi is?

Yes.

He taught people about peace.

Yes, he did.

When did he die?

Hmmm, I’m not sure.  Maybe the 60’s?

How old was he?

I don’t really know, maybe in his 80’s?

How did he die?

I don’t know. We’ll have to look it up.

Mom?

Yes?

Why are the days shorter in the winter when the earth is turning the same every day?

Ummm, I don’t know.  I think it’s because of the way the earth is tilted.

But why? The day is always 24 hours. But in the winter there is less daytime than in the summer.
You’re right. We’ll have to look it up.

Every night, after the lights are out, is when my children dig up the best questions. Not just the, “how many hours are in a day”-type questions, but the, “WHY are there 24 hours in a day”-type questions.  

I realize we’ve come to a point, particularly with my 5 year old, that she’s asking questions to which many times I just don’t know the answers.

It’s amazing.  Amazing how much she knows, how much she’s curious about, and the depth of thinking she’s doing to come up with these questions.  And yet, at the same time, I can’t help but feel a sense of disappointment in myself when I don’t know the answer to their questions.  I’m MOM; I should know, right?  So, I’ve fallen back on the, “we’ll have to look it up” response.  And many times, we DO look it up, but I often forget.

I want to remember – for her – for them both – and to actively go to the internet and search with them the next day for answers to their questions.  Their sense of curiosity and wonder is so keen right now, as is their ability to process & save information; I want to take advantage of that, and not squelch it just because I didn’t know the answer. 

I’m thinking of keeping a notepad right outside the bedroom door, and jotting down the questions I didn’t have answers for after they fall asleep, so that the next day we actually CAN look up the information.

How do YOU answer the difficult questions?

We love the Montessori method, and while we don’t use Montessori materials in our home, I have strived, since they’ve been enrolled in school, to structure our house in a more Montessori-friendly fashion.  Both to ease the transition between home & school – AND because I believe that good organization of your environment leads to good organization of your mind!

Below, I’ve taken several before & after photos of the last few months of rearrangement/organization in our livingspace to help my children do their work (play) in an organized way.  The most important things for me were that they know where things belong (so they know where to get whatever toy or craft or game they want and where put them away) AND that they’re able to get their materials & complete the tasks they want to complete as independently as possible.

Enjoy! Note: these photos were taken over a few month time span, so you may see similar items in different locations – i.e. the globe! We’re always working towards the BEST arrangement! :)

First, our entry way before (left) and after (right):

Their coats were previously hung on adult-height hooks, so they couldn’t hang them themselves. Shoes were just in a line, and helmets, mittens, etc. were in a basket – so it wasn’t obvious where to put things, and stacks of shoes/gloves, etc. often developed.  I installed a rack w/hooks & baskets at their height. Baskets are used for mittens & hats.  And the shoe shelf was built for shoes & helmets.

Next, our toy/game area before (top left & right) and after (below):

Previous to the renovation, games were stacked and piled in bins and on the shelf – things that were under other things weren’t often played with – and how to get items back on the shelf, or to which shelf things belonged was not easy to figure out. I ended up putting things away/straightening a lot in the evening. Afterwards, I strived for a more Montessori-esque one item per shelf (NO STACKING!) and clear & accessible places to put items.  In one photo below, you’ll see the rolled up “work mats” – and then at the bottom, the children using them while doing their work!

I’m also including a few spaces where I didn’t take before photos – just wanted to share with you!  I picked a few of our house plants to arrange in a child-accessible plant area with spray bottle & watering can (which can be filled at the fridge by them).  The reading area has a child-sized couch & natural light by the window.  And finally, the craft area with a distinct drawer or container for each material gives the children the opportunity to be more creative when they can find just what they’re looking for!

 UPDATE!  Congratulations to our lucky winner April @MagicDandelions! Thank you everyone for your interest & please visit again in the future for more giveaways!

I thought I’d start off the weekend right by giving away a brand-new, right off the shelf copy of one of our kids’ favorite puzzles; the Geometric Shapes Maze By Melissa & Doug. You can check out the puzzle maze, right here on our SeriousPuzzles.com site:

A great educational wooden puzzle; it reinforces basic color & shape recognition (shape names are printed on the puzzle), as well as developing fine motor, patience, independent work, sequence, and matching skills.  Our daughter’s favorite way to use this is to challenge me to mix it up the “most” and see how fast she can “unmix” it. A great time, all around! 

Melissa & Doug puzzles are crafted by hand using non-toxic paints, and meet or exceed all U.S. toy testing standards.

Would you like a copy of this fantastic puzzle maze?

Here’s how to get one:

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TO ENTER:

Please visit SeriousPuzzles.com.  Leave a comment on this blog; tell me one thing you learned about us or which puzzle you really loved on our site!

EXTRA ENTRIES: (Don’t forget to leave a comment for every extra entry you complete!)

1.  Sign Up For the Serious Shops Newsletter  (please send us a separate email to info@seriousshops.com letting us know you signed up)

2.  Tell me a product from one of our Serious Shops that you would like to see as a giveaway in the future.

3.  Follow Serious Shops on Twitter

4.  Follow me on Twitter & Tweet this giveaway (you can do this once a day!)

Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Contest will end on August 31st at 12am EST. Winner will be chosen at random and will be announced here on http://www.seriousshops.com/blogs/ & emailed directly. Winner has 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.