Ted Talk

Inspire Kids: Shape-shifting dinosaurs

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I found this informative Ted Talk, and I thought my six-year-old would enjoy it because like many children, he’s very interested in dinosaurs. He did like it.

I watched it with him, and I explained to him what the word “ego” means, and I also pointed to the charts as the paleontologist was talking since my son can’t read yet.  I also told him that’s it’s a great example of something very important to remember:

We have to keep asking questions. Keep researching. We can’t assume that we have all the answers.

(If you subscribe to my blog by e-mail, you may have to view this post on the Internet to see the video.)

pink columbines

 This is a new series I’ve started under the tag “Inspire Kids.”  If my six-year-old loves it, then maybe your children will too!

Inspire Kids: Evolution of a Puppet Horse

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This Ted Talk was shared with me by The Cultivated Mother (whose blog about homeschooling and living in Japan is great, by the way!)  She knows that we love puppets in this house, so she thought the six-year-old might like this.  It’s long, and it may not interest younger children.  I had to prep my six-year-old for it by telling him it was a little slow in the middle, and I sat and explained it to him while we were watching. He enjoyed it (he has no problem telling me when he’s not interested in something), and he thought the life-sized puppet horse was really cool.

pink columbinesThis is a new series I’ve started under the tag “Inspire Kids.”  If my six-year-old loves it, then maybe your children will too!

Susan Cain on the Power of Introverts

~ shelli ~ 6 Comments

pink columbinesI have already written about my thoughts on introverts in my post, “Introverts and Coffeeshops.”  In that post, I reviewed Introvert Power by Laurie Helgoe, PhD, which is a great book on this subject. I am introverted, my husband is introverted, and I know that at least my eldest son is probably introverted.  But it’s sometimes hard to be introverted in our culture. I think those who worry too much about a homeschooler’s so-called socialization is not considering the different needs that children can have.

As Helgoe wrote:

As a psychologist, I have yet to see a child brought in for therapy because he is too social and his parents are concerned that he seems to have little access to his inner life.  Yet, child after child is brought in for not talking enough, only having a few friends, and enjoying time alone—for being introverted.”

After I read Helgoe’s book, I noticed that Susan’s Cain book, Quiet, was making its way through the media.  I have not read her book, although I’m sure I’d enjoy it.  But I finally watched her TED talk the other night, and I loved it.  If you have any interest in this subject, I suggest you watch it. You won’t be sorry!