An apolitical guide to gun safety for families

Another mass shooting occurred. As expected, the news feeds filled with conversation about gun safety. It is a heated topic, one that is political and often gets brushed under the rug before anything really informative sees the light of day. I see rants on both sides but very little practical advice for parents who are concerned but don't know what to do.

Here is my attempt at starting a conversation about how to talk about gun safety with your children and their friends' parents.

1. Put on your apolitical hat.

Talking about firearms is about safety.
It isn't about the right to bear arms.
It isn't about past tragedies.
It is about keeping everyone safe.

2. Educate your child

Have an open and honest conversation about firearms.
Define what is a firearm. It is a tool for killing. They are used for sport or in self-defense.
Discuss what your child should do if they see a firearm:

• Stop
• Don't Touch
• Run Away
• Tell an Adult

3. Do not depend entirely on the child to keep himself or herself safe

Children are learning. They are sometimes impulsive and often ill-equipped to always make the right decision. In the case of gun safety, educating children is only a piece of the puzzle.
We also have to take on the responsibility ourselves as parents and caregivers.
But how?

4. Be the first-to-invite. 

When your child makes a friend and asks to have them over say, "Yes!" It gives you the opportunity to lead by example.
If your pint-sized guest will be dropped off then treat firearm safety as standard operating procedure. When you run through the logistics, include it:
"Thanks! My daughter/son is excited to play with your daughter/son. Where should we meet? We would be happy to have you to our home. We own ___ firearms. [They are all disassembled and locked in a safe in the garage.] We have ___ as pets. Does anyone in your family have allergies? I just made a batch of peanut butter cookies. Are there any food sensitivities I should know about?
...
If you would be more comfortable meeting at a playground then that would be great, too."

 5. When your child is invited to someone's house

"Thanks for inviting my kiddo over to play. Before I accept the invitation, can you tell me if you have firearms in the house?
...
How many? Where are they? Could you show them to me before I leave?
...
Awesome. Thanks! I'm glad we could talk about this openly and honestly."

If the answers make you uncomfortable, then you could politely decline the invitation to their home. But offer an alternative! Suggest meeting at a playground, the library, or some other neutral ground.

"Thank you for your honesty. I would feel more comfortable if we just met at a playground. Where does your child like to play?"

--

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children.

Making safe spaces for them to explore and play freely is as important in early childhood and adolescence as it is in infancy. It includes locking medicine cabinets, keeping the kitchen safe, and, yes, guns out of reach. It also includes having open conversations about hard topics....made even harder by political and personal convictions. But just because it is hard does not mean that we don't have to do it.

--

Note: My family does not own guns. I wrote this to the best of my ability with my apolitical hat on. If I linked to an article that offended you then please accept my apology. This is my best effort to help us all keep our children safe.

Invitation to Learn Pirates

A Learning Lifestyle

My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!) 

Books, Music, and Experiences

Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own  "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."

A Smaller, More Approachable List

The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.

Invitation to Learn

It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.

Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.

INVITATION TO LEARN PIRATES

It is "Talk Like a Pirate Day" so I've collected treasure from the far reaches of the high seas (the internet). If you accept this Invitation to Learn about Pirates then grab your 'scopes (paper towel rolls) and set off to learn about lenses, map-making, and adventures on the high seas.

I have found some of these at the library or for free online. For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links when available.

Books

I always love to start with a book (or two or three). 

Pirate Pete's Talk Like a Pirate by Kim Kennedy  (Author), Doug Kennedy (Illustrator)

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Lexile Measure: AD790L (What's this?)
• Hardcover: 40 pages

Popular Pete is Perfect for Talk Like a Pirate Day!  

Following the success of Pirate Pete and Pirate Pete’s Giant Adventure comes a new book by the celebrated brother-and-sister team of Doug and Kim Kennedy. In this new adventure, Pete has a wonderful new ship, but no crew. But not just any crew will do. As Pete explains:  

“Ye gots to be stubborn and mighty cranky, Ye gots to be dirty and awfully stanky!Ye gots to load a cannon and know how to fire it,But most of all, ye gots to talklike a pirate!”  

One by one Pete interviews his potential crew, and one by one they get the boot! Whoever will he find to help him sail the high seas? A hilarious and fun-to-read-aloud book that will have every child talking like a pirate. 

We're also HUGE fans of the VNHLP (Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates). You can get started today with the audiobook version of the first book in the series titled "Magic Marks the Spot"!

Magic Marks the Spot (Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates) by Caroline Carlson  (Author), Dave Phillips (Illustrator)

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Lexile Measure: 900 (What's this?)

Pirates! Magic! Treasure! A gargoyle? Caroline Carlson's hilarious tween novel The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Marks the Spot is a seafaring romp like no other. The paperback features an Extras section containing an interview with the gargoyle, Hilary's application to the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, and a sneak peek at the second book in the series, The Terror of the Southlands.

Then you might want to give yourself a pirate name. 

Go to the Quiz, which will give you your name and a horoscope-type description of your swash-buckling ways.  http://www.piratequiz.com/ Or just make one following these simple instructions:

Pirate Activity Books 

There is a big selection of pirate-themed books published by Usborne Books and More. I'm a HUGE fan of their activity books like Build Your Own Pirate Ships (building with stickers), Pirate Maze Book, and the Wipe-Clean Pirate Activity Book. 

Make a Telescope

You will likely need a 'scope of some sort before you head out on an adventure. So surf over to National Geographic for how to use these items to make a 'scope:

• Two paper towel tubes
• Scissors
• Masking tape
• Paint (any color you like)
• 2 convex lenses (you can get these from a pair of magnifying glasses or order them online)

(Of course, just a paper towel roll to peer through could be enough for preschoolers.)

And for a little extra check out this video by Mr. Wizard!

Mapmaking with Preschoolers

Go into the backyard and count your paces between objects (door to the sandbox, from one side to the other, etc.). Use blocks to model the couch and TV in the living room. Or color a picture of your child's bedroom. The possibilities for rich discussions that touch on STEAM are endless. And if you talk like a pirate then it is even more fun! 

For more ideas go to EcoBabySteps...

"Sobel shows in Mapmaking for Children that developmentally appropriate mapmaking for children progresses through scope (home > neighborhood > community > nation) as well as through methods of representation (models > pictures > panoramas > contour and aerial maps). The more open you make your request, the more naturally your child can move through the stages of thinking about and representing the world."

...or check out a picture book that can help it come alive.

Follow That Map!: A First Book of Mapping Skills by Scot Ritchie  (Author, Illustrator)

Maps are about far more than getting from a to b. Maps can help children understand and explore both their everyday environment and faraway places. With an appealing search-and-find technique, Follow That Map! is an interactive picture book that explains and demonstrates key mapping concepts. Kids will enjoy following Sally and her friends as they search for Max and Ollie, a mischievous dog and cat on the lam from the backyard. Sally and friends take an imaginative trip through the neighborhood, city and country, around the world and beyond. Kids can join in the search for Max and Ollie, who are hiding somewhere in every map. An activity at the end of the book shows children how to make a map of their bedroom.

Time to Burst Your Bubble

In an article from National Geographic, historians shed some light on the truth about pirates.

"Brace yourself for a barrage of "salty dogs," "scallywags," and "swabbies." Tuesday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a parody holiday and general nerdfest ginned up on an Oregon racquetball court in 1995 to honor buccaneer speech of the 17th and 18th centuries. 

But did pirates really "arr" and "avast" all the time? Probably not, experts say, though it's tough to say exactly how most so-called Golden Age pirates really talked. 

"There isn't much in the way of scientific evidence in regards to pirate speech," said historian Colin Woodard, author of The Republic of Pirates:Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/09/120919-talk-like-a-pirate-day-news-history/

Invitation to Learn Physics - Projectile Motion & Hooke's Law

A Learning Lifestyle

My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!) 

Books, Music, and Experiences

Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own  "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."

A Smaller, More Approachable List

The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.

Invitation to Learn

It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.

Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.

INVITATION TO LEARN PHYSICS - Projectile Motion & Hooke's Law

I have found some of these at the library or for free online. For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links to Amazon when available.

For the full list click here: Amazon Wishlist "Invitation to Learn Physics - Projectile Motion & Hooke's Law."

This whole lesson grew out of reading "Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears." It is a delightful and surprising book that I highly recommend.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Pick the Pearsby Cynthia Rylant  (Author), Arthur Howard (Illustrator)

• Age Range: 6 - 9 years

• Grade Level: 1 - 4

• Lexile Measure: 500L (What's this?)

• Series: Mr. Putter & Tabby

• Paperback: 44 pages

It is fall and juicy things are growing in Mr. Putter’s backyard--apples, tomatoes, and pears. Mr. Putter dreams of all the juicy things he loves to eat, but most of all, he dreams of pear jelly. There’s only one problem--cranky legs keep him from climbing up to pick the pears. His ingenious solution will have young readers cheering him on.

It brought to mind Angry Birds and we were delighted to find this book about the Physics of Angry Birds!

National Geographic Angry Birds Furious Forces: The Physics at Play in the World's Most Popular Game 
by Rhett Allain  (Author)

Another Angry Birds National Geographic mash-up! This fun, engaging paperback uses Angry Birds to explain the physics at work in the world--and behind the popular game. 
National Geographic's trademark science blends with Angry Birds' beloved entertainment to take readers into the world of physics. Rhett Allain, physics professor and Wired blogger explains basic scientific principles in fun, accessible ways; the Angry Birds come along for the ride to illustrate concepts we see in the real world--as well as in the Angry Birds games. Packed with science and a sense of humor, this book will improve readers' understanding of the world and how it works--and it may just improve their Angry Birds scores as well. 
Rovio Learning is known for collaborating with several scientific and educational institutions, such as the National Geographic Society and NASA. The recent collaboration with CERN brings quantum physics to the reach of children. There is no subject that young children can not learn - when the medium is age-appropriate, fun and engaging!

Rubber Band Engineer: Build Slingshot Powered Rockets, Rubber Band Rifles, Unconventional Catapults, and More Guerrilla Gadgets from Household Hardware 
by Lance Akiyama  (Author)

"Whoa, that shot a lot farther than I thought it would!"

Shooting far, flying high, and delivering way more exciting results than expected are the goals of the gadgets in this book.

Discover unexpected ways to turn common materials into crafty contraptions that range from surprisingly simple to curiously complex. In vivid color photos, you'll be guided to create slingshot rockets, unique catapults, and even hydraulic-powered machines. Whether you build one or all 19 of these designs, you'll feel like an ingenious engineer when you're through.

Best of all, you don't need to be an experienced tinkerer to make any of the projects within. All you need are household tools and materials, such as paper clips, pencils, paint stirrers, and ice pop sticks.

Oh, and rubber bands. Lots of rubber bands.

So grab your glue gun, pull out your pliers, track down your tape, and get started on the challenging, fun, and rewarding journey toward becoming a rubber band engineer.

PhET Simulation Games

From https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/projectile-motion

Description

Blast a car out of a cannon, and challenge yourself to hit a target! Learn about projectile motion by firing various objects. Set parameters such as angle, initial speed, and mass. Explore vector representations, and add air resistance to investigate the factors that influence drag.

Sample Learning Goals

• Determine how each parameter (initial height, initial angle, initial speed, mass, diameter, and altitude) affects the trajectory of an object, with and without air resistance.
• Predict how varying the initial conditions will affect a projectile’s path, and provide an explanation for the prediction.
• Estimate where an object will land, given its initial conditions.
• Determine that the x and y motion of a projectile are independent.
• Investigate the variables that affect the drag force.
• Describe the the effect that the drag force has on the velocity and acceleration.
• Discuss projectile motion using common vocabulary (such as: launch angle, initial speed, initial height, range, time).

From https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/hookes-law

Description

Stretch and compress springs to explore the relationships between force, spring constant, displacement, and potential energy! Investigate what happens when two springs are connected in series and parallel.

Sample Learning Goals

• Explain the relationships between applied force, spring force, spring constant, displacement, and potential energy.
• Describe how connecting two springs in series or parallel affects the effective spring constant and the spring forces.
• Predict how the potential energy stored in the spring changes as the spring constant and displacement change.

Invitation to Learn Eclipses

A Learning Lifestyle

My preschoolers are officially not preschoolers any more. As we step into Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and as a family new to "officially" homeschooling, I recently bought writing curriculum from BraveWriter and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The guidance offered essentially advocates for 1) focusing on creating an environment filled with books, music, and experiences; and, 2) a language-rich lifestyle - one where you listen to your child, respond thoughtfully, and pursue ideas together. (This builds on what we know about how preschoolers learn, too. ) She, of course, weaves writing lessons into the day and provides structure so parents don't have to come up with everything on their own. (Whew!) 

Books, Music, and Experiences

Despite being regulars at the library, I often find myself scouring the catalog and shelves for books that might work to answer my child's question or delve deeper into the subject du jour. It is no wonder why lists are some of the most popular blogs in the world. You know the ones: "101 Books to Read Before Kindergarten," "10+ Children's Books to Inspire Kindness," and my own  "24 Books for Preschool Engineers."

A Smaller, More Approachable List

The problem is that sometimes we want a smaller, more approachable list. One with fewer books that includes other things. I just want a few good books, a CD, and a video, perhaps a toy. Something like a thoughtful little themed basket.

Invitation to Learn

It is in the spirit of having a small sampling of one topic that I am writing Invitations to Learn. Each invitation grows from our homeschool life and is a pint-sized unit of study for the DIY crowd. With this list, I am inviting you to learn alongside your child and giving you a small amount of guidance for creating a rich learning environment in your home or school.

Read a book one day; listen to an audiobook another day; watch a movie a different day; go on a field trip a different day. By offering one great thing at a time, you are inviting your child to learn with you and enjoy learning with you! Over time you and your child will consider the topic in several different ways, using different materials, have different but related conversations about it, and you will grow your knowledge in wonderfully robust ways.

INVITATION TO LEARN ABOUT ECLIPSES

I have found some of these at the library or for free online. For your convenience, I will also include affiliate links to Amazon when available.

Eclipses by Nick Hunter

This book looks at solar and lunar eclipses, providing background information about the Sun, the Moon and our planet. The book covers what an eclipse is, what eclipses can look like, how they happen, the effects on wildlife, what people thought of eclipses in the past, how they are studied today, and about eclipses on other planets. A fun activity is provided along with advice on viewing eclipses. Beautiful photographs and simple text help to engage readers and aid their understanding.

Sunpainters: Eclipse of the Navajo Sun by 

"Kii Leonard sits in his favorite juniper tree. While listening to the radio, Kii Leonard's grandfather, Pipi, announces that the sun has died. Kii Leonard saw a strange gloom all around him. Everywhere he looked, the deep purple and red darkness was there. Join Kii as he learns about the Naa'ach'aahii, or painters, who visit during this astronomical event."

When the Sun Goes Dark by Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz 

The book tells how two curious children and their grandparents re-create eclipses in their living room using a lamp, a tennis ball, two Hula Hoops, and Ping-Pong balls. Later, in the backyard and around the house, the family explores safe ways to view a solar eclipse and ponders phenomena from sunspots to phases of the Moon. Written by the authors of NSTA’s award-winning book Solar Science, When the Sun Goes Dark gives children and adults hands-on techniques for learning the science behind eclipses of the Sun and Moon.

Every Soul Has a Star by Wendy Mass

And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now.

At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. Three lives are about to be changed forever:

[Note: We are listening to this as an audiobook. It is not really a good fit for my son but my daughter is enjoying it.]

YouTube Short Videos with Bill Nye

The Planetary Society and the NPS also worked together on a web series called "Bill Nye & the Totally Awesome Solar Eclipse," which explores eclipse science and the connection between eclipses and national parks. 

For the first time ever, The Planetary Society has partnered with the U.S. National Park Service to create an amazing eclipse experience. The partnership includes a Junior Ranger Eclipse Explorer activity book.

Join Bill Nye and Junior Ranger CaLisa on their ecliptic path through this fun and educational book! Great for kids, teachers, parents, and everyone else, it’s designed to get people out of the house to learn about and safely view eclipses. Call or go to your nearest U.S. National Park and ask if they have the Eclipse Explorer book or click here to download a printable version.

http://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/pdfs/Junior-Ranger-Eclipse-Explorer.pdf

Eclipse Viewers

The following telescope and solar-filter companies manufacture and/or sell eclipse glasses (sometimes called eclipse shades) and/or handheld solar viewers that have been verified by an accredited testing laboratory to meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for such products. They are listed in alphabetical order; those with an asterisk (*) are based outside the United States.

Build a Solar Viewing Projector

There are many ways to view a solar eclipse. The safest (and most fun!) is to make your own solar viewing projector. This technique of using a small hole to focus light goes back to the 5th century BC.

For the rest go to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/solar-viewing-projector.

Instead of Chasing

The Nets

Butterfly nets begin popping up everywhere in spring and well-meaning grown-ups buy them for the young children in their lives. (Including me.) It seems to bring idyllic images of our youngsters running gleefully after butterflies as the insects flit and flutter in the summer breeze.

It was summer and time for our annual roadtrip. The first stop was at Mahoney State Campground.  We were welcomed to a site with plenty of shade, an open grassy hill, and views of a small pond across the way. The trees, the pond, and the humidity made it the perfect place to net and study insects.

Oops, We Forgot the Nets!

As dusk arrived, so too did the fireflies. We immediately realized that we had forgotten the nets. How would we catch the fireflies? They were novel creatures - not native to our home state of Colorado - and so appealing to capture and examine.

Chasing

The chasing began. My children ran around following fleeting flickers. I smiled and laughed and exclaimed, “Ooh! I just saw one over there! Now its over there!” At first it was fun to chase without catching anything. (I had the most success but the “release” part of catch and release was frustrating for my young children.)

As their frustration grew, I watched them get increasingly angry.

So I offered a different way of enjoying the magic of fireflies.

Instead of Chasing...

“Instead of chasing the fireflies,” I said, “ why don’t we fly with them?”

As soon as I said it, smiles reemerged. My children flapped the wings, used their flashlights as firefly anatomy, and became fireflies. They flew around the campground; happy to share the space with these seemingly magical creatures.

...Dancing with Fireflies

Such nuance. We were still watching carefully for the flickering lights. We ran after those flickers. But after we slightly re-framed of our purpose, we all took a step toward kindness. Our expectations changed, as did our experience of what it meant to enjoy nature.

Instead of chasing fireflies, we should dance with them.

Among the Fireflies, A Life Lesson

That night after the kids nodded off in the tent, I lay pondering. The idea of dancing with fireflies instead of chasing them felt like a metaphor for some personal growth I was working on. “Instead of chasing…” felt bigger to me than just a mother’s cry to leave the animals alone and stop trying something that was too frustrating. It felt like a shining nugget of wisdom that I could apply to my life.

Instead of chasing my children to catch them at the playground, I would run with them.

Instead of following my children (and the mess they leave behind), I would clean with them.

Instead of chasing their dreams, maybe they will dance toward their dreams...enjoying the journey as much as the destination.