Exploring A Parents' Work: Childhood Enlarged

May 27, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Education, Learning Resources, Reflections on Parenting

My husband finished up his track & field coaching season this past weekend, culminating with the state competition in Eugene, Oregon. I've always been impressed with the caliber of my husband's coaching--he's been able to consistently coach amateur athletes to impressive levels of performance for roughly fifteen years now.

Now that this track season is officially over, my children will be thrilled that my husband is arriving home earlier, and I'm relieved to know a whole summer of family time is around the corner. But even though track season is a challenging time for my family, I'm truly grateful for the experiences it gives my children. Children learn so much from exploring their parents' work. Through visits and hands-on experiences, they gain far more than knowledge about a single career niche.

Multilingual Family Profile № 1: Nicole & Ihab

May 22, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Learning Resources

A few months ago I shared that I would be launching a series of posts featuring interviews with bilingual (or multilingual) families, and today I am delighted to share the first one! The "S" family lives here in Oregon and speaks native French and German with their two young daughters. But their linguistic background is broader than that: Nicole grew up in Mexico, and Ihab grew up in Egypt. Here's their story, shared by Nicole:

Family-Friendly French (& Spanish) Music for Children: Recent Finds

May 21, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, French Resources, Teaching French

We normally listen to French children's music in the car, but a few months ago my five-year-old daughter started pleading for English music. I temporary complied, trading Petit Ours Brun for Raffi, but pondered why the French music no longer appealed to her. I theorized that it wasn't the language that mattered, but the music itself. The English music she likes had more complicated lyrics and melodies than the French comptines we'd heard over and over.

My theory was right: Since then, I've found more age-appropriate French children's music, and she hasn't asked for English music since. I'm thrilled to return to French music immersion!

Here's what we're listening to:

Adventure Playgrounds Outdoors: What and Why?

May 20, 2014 by Michele Cherie in American Culture, Cultural Reflections, Education, Learning Resources, Reflections on Parenting

Have you heard about adventure playgrounds? They're old news, actually. Adults started establishing such spaces in Europe in the forties because they felt children needed to opportunities to develop courage in the face of a world at war. (There are over 1,000 adventure parks for children in Europe, and more than 400 in Germany alone.) These parks are growing in popularity in the U.S. now as American parents realize that children aren't getting enough playtime outdoors and have few opportunities for play in non-landscaped settings.

Breastfeeding Five Years Straight: What I've Learned

May 15, 2014 by Michele Cherie in American Culture, Learning Resources, Reflections on Parenting

I've breastfed my children since I became a mama more than five years ago. Honestly, I can hardly believe I've been nursing one or both children for five years straight, but my firstborn daughter continued to nurse through my pregnancy with her little brother, and now he's two years old and still breastfeeding a few times per day. How much I've learned about breastfeeding in these five years! Here's what I think you should know too:

French School Visits in Oregon: A Follow-Up

May 13, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Education

If you read my post last month reviewing French immersion schools in Portland, Oregon, I'm sure you've wondered how my school visits went and what choice we've made for the coming school year. Here's what I observed and, further down, what we've decided:

Birth, Two Worlds Apart: Part 3 - Julie and Regina's Story

May 10, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Cultural Reflections, Reflections on Parenting

What a joy it is to know Julie Engeman (a former classmate) and follow her journey as an American midwife living in Zambia! Julie's stories have opened my eyes to the realities of birth and maternal care in less developed countries. She has seen the injustice of Zambian hospitals where the care that people receive is entirely based on their income level or tribal group. She has seen the corruption and life-threatening "treatments" that are common there--and yet she chooses to persist in her work, bringing life and encouragement to mothers and babies. Just last week, Julie shared Regina's story:

Birth, Two Worlds Apart: Part 2 of 3 - My Son's Birth

May 09, 2014 by Michele Cherie in Reflections on Parenting

I've brought two children into the world, births where pain inextricably led to an overwhelming awe in meeting each child face to face. Their births were beautiful, a testament to God's grace, textbook examples of modern hospital birth in America without interventions. Yesterday I shared the story of my daughter's birth; today I share about the second time I became a mother.

My son's birth mimicked the hurtling of a bobsled, all rush and speed and intensity, yet still echoing the beauty of his sister's birth.