A Blog By Maria Dismondy
From the Road Back to the Page
For the past eight weeks, my life has been measured in school bells, packed suitcases, and the hum of projectors warming up before a presentation. As a children’s book author, I’ve had the privilege of stepping into classrooms across Michigan, traveling out of state,...
Fun and Budget-friendly Date Nights for Parents
For some of us parents, having date nights is quite impossible especially when you’re in a “busy parenting” mode. We sometimes feel like making time for your relationship feels like another bummer to your everyday to-do-list or additional expenses. But if you think...
Balance Isn’t About Perfection, It’s Personal
We often hear the word “balance" all the time but finding it out can feel like a different story. Between raising kids, managing your work, keeping up with relationships and maybe allotting time for yourself, the idea of balance sometimes feels impossible. Growing up,...
Letter Writing: A Heartfelt Way to Say Hello
In the age of technology, where messaging is instant, the letter seems to be overlooked as a method of communication. After all, texting someone takes a few seconds, and you don’t have to worry about mail truck times or purchasing stamps. While it may seem silly,...
Fall Bucket List: Seasonal Fun for the Whole Family
For some, summer coming to an end signals the start of school, textbooks, backpacks, and the dreaded homework assignments. But the fun doesn't stop when Fall starts. The season of Fall has so many exciting activities to provide fun for the entire family, and a good...
5 Fun Card Games Everyone Will Love
In today’s busy world, it’s easy to get caught up in school, work, and screens. That’s why it’s more important than ever to make time to connect with your kid. One of the best ways to build that bond is by playing games together. Game nights give families a...
3 Books Every Tween/Teen Babysitter Should Read
When thinking about how to earn some extra cash for the summer, babysitting seems like the perfect answer for any tween or teen. Babysitting is often a young person’s introduction to the working world. It’s flexible, convenient, and doesn’t require a resume, but still...
A MUST Follow Parenting Influencer: Dr. Becky
I remember when our children were babies, toddlers and preschoolers, I didn’t have the energy to read anything other than our beloved bedtime stories. I knew that reading was a part of who I am and that I needed it to feel like I was learning and growing as a parent....
Top Ten Picks for Family Game Night
Game nights in families can be one of life's greatest pleasures. They are a way to spend time together as a family and encourage more open communication, teach teamwork, patience, problem-solving, and help strengthen emotional bonds. Many families wish to incorporate...
5 Easy Ways to Make Reading Part of Your Family’s Daily Routine
Developing a reading routine that fits in your schedule can become really tiring; believe us, we understand the struggle. We also know how important it is to you to instill those good reading habits into your children to help them better their comprehension and...
5 Incredible New Takes on Classic Picture Books
We all grow up reading incredible picture books. From stories about joy and friendship to personifications of planets to investigations of imaginative worlds these early stories tackle a spectrum of topics to ensure that kids develop social-emotional learning skills...
Kids Don’t Need You to Buy Them Stuff, Spend Quality Time with Them!
Parents tend to worry about not giving their children enough, mostly referring to materialistic items, often having these thoughts are due to not having enough as a child and wanting to provide a better future for their children. So, to obtain more materially, parents...
Balancing Screen Time with Story Time
With the advancement in modern technology, screen time has become a prominent way our society functions. From cellphones to social media advertisements there is always a screen present that eventually reaches children. Children have started to spend more time on their...
Top 10 Hidden Gems in Children’s Literature
The world of children’s literature is incredibly vast and expansive, making it easy to lose or overlook some of the best works in the shuffle. From big publishers to small presses, there’s always something new on the way, and it can be easy to miss the needle...
Helping Children Develop Strong Character Traits
As teachers, parents, and caregivers, we must educate children on the values of good character. We want them to be able to grow up and navigate the world as responsible adults. Integrity, respect, and responsibility are all important traits for children to understand,...
Top Five Child Therapists to Follow
It’s no secret that raising and caring for children is a challenge. As their brains are developing and they learn more about the world, it can be difficult to help them navigate life and become the eBay version of themselves. Luckily, there are those out there who...
The Importance of Creating Safe Spaces at Home
We hear about creating community safe spaces, but it’s just as important to create a safe space for your children at home. Safe spaces are a place where children can feel protected from harm, discrimination, and overwhelming outside stimulation. They provide a...
How to choose the best books to read-aloud
Sometimes, stepping into a bookstore or a library to find a book for your child can be overwhelming. There are shelves upon shelves and rows upon rows, and it can seem like every surface is proclaiming, “This is the book you should read!” Navigating the literature...
Creating a Reading Rainbow: How to Diversify Your Library
We are so lucky to be in a world with people of all different cultures, while also having the level of technology for which we can share and learn about our lives and cultural backgrounds! In our modern age, we are gifted with the ability to interact with people from...
Traveling the World in Six Children’s Books
Aside from reading, traveling is one of the best and most effective ways to diversify one’s perspective of the world and expand one’s horizons… so why not combine the two? Books about other cultures, and about traveling in general, can encourage kids to widen their...
Books and Social Media: How Worlds Collide for a Spark of Reading Inspiration
As we enter a world dominated by social media and devices, it is important to stay connected to the values of literature and education. However, there have been moments of overlap, as the rise of “Booktube” and “Booktok” have begun, where influencers recommend and...
Lila Lou’s Little Library, or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Books
When I was a kid, my favorite thing in the entire world to do was to read. It didn’t matter what: kids books, cereal boxes, billboards, receipts, books off my mom’s bookshelf. To me, it didn’t even really matter if I understood what was going on, I would just let the...
