Toys For The Holidays

In my Tum e Time series I talk a lot about using things from around the house to play with.  Although the stores are brimming with choices, so are the rooms in your house and the paths in the local parks.

I had to laugh when I stumbled upon this article from GeekDad on the Wired website.  It speaks to exactly this….enjoy, laugh, and make this holiday a joyful one with just the basics.

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/all/1

Many blessings for the holidays and new year.  May you have many parenting adventures.

Please come out and play in 2013!

Volunteering in your future?

BirthWays needs you.

“BirthWays is seeking volunteers! We are in need of a Newsletter Coordinator, Technical Writer/Webmaster, Database Manager, and volunteers for short-term projects. Learn more about the positions here: http://birthways.org/volunteer.

Please post this widely and contact me (volunteer@birthways.org) if you are willing and able to be of service to our community by donating your time to BirthWays.

About BirthWays: [You know this, but it may be helpful when sharing.]
BirthWays is a comprehensive pregnancy, birth and parenting education and resource center that has been in existence since 1978. As a volunteer-run nonprofit organization, our operations depend entirely on a small, dedicated team of volunteers.

We come together mobilized to empower and support families to have safe and satisfying births during a time of increased interventions and all-time high rates of cesarean births. We aim to educate women and families in the East Bay about choices and decisions they will face during pregnancy, birth, postpartum and parenting to help them have a safer and more satisfying birth and parenting experience. We strive to create a supportive environment that empowers women and families to make informed decisions that best reflect their own values.

Our educational philosophy is based on the belief that parents should have the opportunity to feel confident, informed and empowered as they prepare to welcome a new child into their family. At BirthWays, we strive to help parents achieve this goal by providing up-to-date and relevant information in a respectful, open and inclusive environment. Our classes emphasize the importance of informed choice and actively engage families to discuss the range of options available. The classes help families explore their individual values and to develop skills and strategies to facilitate their transition into parenthood.

Our services include classes, a newsletter, an online resource database, a volunteer doula program, a birth and parenting resource center with a lending library of books and DVDs, a referral line and community events.”

Sent from BirthWays 12.12.12

Class Dismissed: A film about learning outside the classroom

People often ask, “What comes after Tum e Time?” “Are there other classes you recommend?”  This film answers these types of questions. How do we continue exploring, learning and being with our children?

Please consider donating to this documentary and supporting the process of learning that begins at conception and continues for a lifetime. Here is what the filmmakers have to say and please watch their trailer.

“For the past two years, the Class Dismissed team have been criss-crossing the country talking to families, experts and advocates from all walks of life. We’ve captured some great stories and gathered a lot of valuable information about ways children are learning outside the classroom. And since January, we’ve been documenting a family who pulled their two girls out of one of the highest-rated public schools in the Los Angeles area to embark upon the journey of taking their education into their own hands. Their story has been unfolding beautifully and we can’t wait to share it with you.

With over two years of the filmmaking process behind us, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. With 75% of the filming complete, we are really pleased with how the film is turning out and can’t wait to begin post-production, then get this movie into film festivals and into the hands of families across America.

But to do so, we need your help. We’ve nearly exhausted our personal resources and still have work to do. That’s why we’ve launched a campaign on Kickstarter; to give us that last push to the finish line.

From the beginning, we always wanted Class Dismissed to be a people-powered film, meaning we wanted to get the homeschooling community involved in whatever way they could. The outpouring of support has been tremendous and we could not have accomplished what we have without you. From all corners of the country, you have reached out to us offering skills, personal time, advice, moral support, and financial contributions.

So please visit our Kickstarter page and contribute what you can.

The money raised in this campaign will pay for our final shoots, and post-production equipment and services.
Please share this with friends, family and mere strangers! Thanks so much for your continued support.

Jeremy Stuart, Dustin Woodard and the Class Dismissedteam.