Nerdy Kids Need Healthy Lunches (& Notes)

When my daughter started pre-k over four years ago, I wanted to make sure she had healthy, filling and cute lunches. Now some moms have way more patience (and creativity) when it comes to making lunches. Don't believe me? Do a google image search for "kids bento lunches" and you will be mesmerized at what some moms can do with a lunch box. As for me, I feel accomplished when I have most of the food groups accounted for and when I don't use plastic baggies.

I do make efforts to include "healthy foods to make healthy brains." That's what I'm always saying to the kiddos. So far, I'd say this broken record technique has served me well. ;) My kids eat much healthier food in their lunches than they would get from the cafeteria and that's all the motivation I need to pack lunches in the morning or if I'm not completely pooped, in the evenings.

When you look at the picture above the lunch on the right is the type of lunches I packed for my daughter when she was in pre-k and kindergarten. When she moved up to first grade she needed more food than one little box could contain, so I upgraded to the easy lunch boxes which are shown in the picture to the left. In the last few months, I have grabbed some ziplock containers that are very similar to the easy lunch boxes except they are a tad smaller, but the compartments are completely leak proof (when you close it properly).

I love using sandwich cutters, especially our Star Wars ones! I bought these online at William Sonoma, but I just realized they are no longer available on their website. Sorry! We really love them and because they are very durable, I think they will last until I'm 90ish. That way my kids can make me tie fighter grilled cheeses every day like I did when we first got them.

And now to the little part in parentheses. Notes. This year I started taping notes on the lid of my daughters lunch boxes. I had hopes of sweet hand written notes, but then I realized 1. I'm not a cheerful person in the morning and 2. I'm not so cheerful in the evenings when I make them occasionally. Besides, there are so many free printable lunch box notes on the internet that are super cute (and nerdy!) Like these (the pirate ones are my favorite!) And these. And these.

Seriously, just taping a little note to a lunch box is easy, loving and creates quite the talk at the lunch table. This summer when I have a bit more free time (this is really wishful thinking) I'd like to take a crack at making some nerdy kid lunch box notes. Until then, I gratefully use what others have generously shared with the world, which do sometimes have space to write your own message.

 
As always. Stay nerdy, my friends.  

Nerdy Kids Entertain Themselves in the Car

When I was pregnant with my daughter (over nine years ago), I began to read all the parenting materials that I could find. I was 21 and terrified that I was going to ruin this precious little peanut in my belly. The more I read, the more I realized her only hope to surviving the world was to be a book lover (aka nerd).

Even while I was pregnant, I read to her. After she was born, I read to her. And starting when she was about 18 months old I started bringing a bag of entertainment in the car almost every time we went anywhere. The bag would have a couple of small toys and books, lots of books. By the time she was about 2 1/2 she even began referring  her little red bag as her "enertainmnt bag" (that was my best attempt to type it the way she pronounced it in her cute little toddler voice).

Throughout the years we always brought books everywhere we went. It was my goal for her to associate relieving the "I'm bored and need something to do" feeling with books. When my son (who recently turned 5) was about 18 months I changed things up. I started to keep a stack of books in the car all the time. This was mostly because getting a 1 and 5 year old ready to go anywhere was challenging enough with having to worry about bringing a bag of books.

Now we have upgraded to a book box that sits between them in the car and I rotate books every month or so. Yes, this does mean that we have a ton of books. No, we are not rich. Most of the books I've purchased for my little nerds were bought at thrift stores, Goodwill, and in the clearance section of Half Priced Books (they are only a $1). I've also kept many books since my daughter was very young, because I mostly buy gender neutral books (Franklin, Clifford, Curious George.... that kind of stuff). So nine years of buys books for $.25 - $1 has built up quite a collection for us, even with occasional purging for donation. 

So, all that to say, I always have books in the car. Always. And because we have to usually drive 15-25 minutes to get to stores or places we need to go, having books in the car helps make the trips smoother, and most importantly encourages spending time reading or looking at (my son is working on reading still) books.

So consider having an entertainment bag or book box in the car at all times to promote a nerdy lifestyle for your kiddos. :)

Stay nerdy, my friends.

Raising Nerdy Kids with Book Standards

The other day I made an impulse buy at Half Priced Books (trust me this was definitely not the first time that has happened!) It's been a few years since I've purchased one so I went for it and got a young adult kids box.

I was hoping to score some good stuff for my third grader to read this summer. And while we did get some awesome additions to our home library, half the box was filled with Sweet Valley High books (BLAH). How disappointing!

No offense to anyone who read these books back in the day, or who might even enjoy them now, but my imaginative 9 year old doesn't need to be reading about gossipy girls who are boy crazy. We are postponing that as long as we can. Right now she is really into mysteries, adventure stories, graphic novels, and we are getting into a bit of fantasy as well. This might put me in the overbearing mom category in the eyes of some parents, but I like to think of it as redirecting, which is similar to guiding your three year outside to play swords instead of near grandma's china cabinet.

We've noticed that even in pre-k kids are beginning to bully and be bratty. Don't our kids deserve to escape that world when they read?  As Ellie would say in Up, "Adventure is out there!" And I believe that our kids will be more equipped to spot adventure, if they've already been lucky enough to read about it.

5 Great Graphic Novels for Toddlers and Preschoolers

My previous post focused on reading wordless graphic novels with your toddler or preschooler. This time we are diving into the rest of them. Be fairly warned, there are tons! I will warn you that there is probably a bit of bias in the list below, because these are books my kids love to read and hear, and so do I!

You, as a parent, teacher, or anyone who reads with kids, can really choose any graphic novel you think your little one will sit through. My hope is to introduce you to some great series or independent stories that I believe are ideal for toddlers and preschoolers.

So what's my criteria? I only have a few for this post where I am classifying toddler and preschooler behavior in a general way. (You could have a little one with an outstanding attention span, my daughter could sit and listen to books for an hour or so when she was three and four, so this list may not be what you are looking for. Stay tuned for more lists and book reviews and I bet you'll find some great graphic novels.)
1. Short dialogues in each panel.
2. Simple stories that can be followed at this age.
3. Characters that appeal to this age.

Elephant and Piggie
I started with a potential riot starter.... Some people (no names will be mentioned) do not like classifying Elephant and Piggie books as graphic novel/comics. The only reason I can see is that each page is a panel, as opposed to having various panels per page. But putting all that aside, these books (there are over a dozen) are completely delightful! Each book has it's own "dilemma" and you get to follow Elephant and Piggie as they problem solve. Seriously, these are awesome. These are books I don't mind reading over and over and over. 

Binky
 We have very recently discovered Binky at our library. We have checked out Binky the Space Cat and Binky to the Rescue. Both are hilarious and page turners. Essentially Binky is a house cat with higher ambitions than Garfield ever had. He dreams of leaving his space station (house) to explore outer space (outside). I have found myself asking our pre-k-er, "Hey, you wanna read Binky?" whenever we are just hanging around. I'm not afraid to admit it, because it is that fun.

Phonics Comics (Level 1 or 2)

There is quite a variety of stories in the Phonics Comics series. Each book typically has a couple of different stories that are fun, easy to understand, and are not too long either. Phonics Comics have three levels of reading difficulty, so to stick to my easy to understand rule I suggest levels 1 and 2, but if a story stands out that's a level 3 go for, and take a chance.

Toon Books
There are quite a few titles in the Toon Books collection including Benny and Penny, Benjamin Bear, Little Mouse, Lilly, and Nina, to name a few. While we haven't read most of them, we have read most. These books have great stories that have a great lesson to be learned by all. I am particularly fond of Benjamin Bear, and I can't really say why. The stories are just fun, silly, and great to snuggle up on the couch with.

Johnny Boo
Johnny Boo reminds me a bit of Owly, not that it is a wordless book, but because of how Johnny is always expressing his emotions in an easily identifiable way, even for kids. The illustrations are attractive for kids (and adults) and the this little guy is seriously cute. I'm not wanting to give away too much of the stories in the descriptions. I'm not a fan of spoilers.

So here are a few titles/series to get you started. There are plenty more out there that may become family favorites for your little ones. I'm just sticking to the basics. Feel free to share your families favorites in the comment section. I'm always ready for new adventures with new books.

As always... Stay nerdy, my friends.

Graphic Novels for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Wordless Graphic Novels

Our house is full of books.I mean full. And recently our books shelves have started to be filled with graphic novels. Especially since we have been finding so many at Half Priced Books lately!

But do you know what I think is the most exciting thing about all the awesome new kids graphic novels that have been coming out in the last couple of years? They are starting to include kids of all ages AND reading levels! Seriously.

So to start out with the youngest age (1-4 years old) I recommend two types of graphic novels, wordless and very short. Today, I'm focusing on the wordless graphic novels. So let me show you some of the very awesome ones we have come across in our searches at both our library (Faulk Central Library, Austin, TX) and our favorite comic book shop (Austin Books and Comics).

WORDLESS GRAPHIC NOVELS

Wordless graphic novels are exactly what they sound like they are...wordless. They tell stories through pictures instead of words, but they are in the panel format that comic enthusiasts love.

Parents get to set a pace tailored to their little ones, because you are choosing how much to tell about each scene and there is room for the stories to evolve as you read them over and over and over with your kids. Wordless graphic novels also offer a great opportunity for kids to use the pictures to become storytellers themselves! 

Some of our favorites include:

Owly by Andy Runton
Just one look at this cute little guy and you are in love! Seriously, could he be any cuter! Click here to check out the authors website and you can even download some free PDFs of the comics. But I warn you, it will be love at first sight. Every page is a window into the world of this sweet little owls encounters in the wilderness.

Korgi by Christian Slade
This is a gorgeously illustrated woodland fantasy about a young girl Ivy, her dog Sprout, and their amazing adventures in Korgi Hollow. Another benefit of wordless graphic novels is you really get to focus in on the amazing illistrations, and introduce kids to various types of artistry. (Okay, maybe that's a stretch, but I am always amazed with the detail of each panel in the Korgi series.They are absolutely stunning.)

The Adventures of Polo
This series of books is filled with delightfully colored pages. And to be honest I haven't had a chance to grab one at the library yet (they are always checked out!), but just looking at reviews online and at some of the illustrations that are on the web, this is bound to be an attention getter for any age.

Sara Varon Books
Robot Dreams was the first wordless graphic novel I picked up at the library a few years ago and I was surprised when I opened it up and there were no words. (Okay, I admit it. I choose a graphic novel by its cover art sometimes....most of the time.) My son was three at the time so he didn't seem to notice my bewilderment, and this is when I learned how awesome wordless books can be. Seriously all of her books are superb! 

In my next post I will help you dive into the world of short graphic novels, there are so many of them your heads are going to explode from awesome overload. But don't worry, I will ease you into it.

Stay nerdy, my friends.

Tips for Reading Graphic Novels/Comics With Kids

No matter how old you are or how old your children are, you can enjoy comics and graphic novels with your kids. Really!

So for any one out there who might be hesitant about reading comics/graphic novels with kids here are a few tips I thought of to enhance the reading experience for everyone. You should know that this isn't law, it's more like pirate code (guidelines). Use what is helpful for your family and forget the rest.

1. Cover art can be misleading, so thumb through the book before reading it to your kiddo. Many adult graphic novels have awesome illustrations that could appeal to adults and kids, but the content inside isn't intended for children. Luckily, most children's graphic novels have found ways to make it abundantly clear that they are for children.

2. To help your child follow the story, point to each panel as you are reading it or describing it in the case of a wordless graphic novel.

3. When multiple characters are talking in a panel you can point to each one to help them follow the dialogue. For my son, I point to each character for the first few pages and then I just say "So and So said" for the rest.

4. Don't let anyone convince you that comics/graphic novels are mediocre reading materials. They earn awards just like children's literature. Seriously, to any nay-sayers, I say it's your lose. If your child is engaged in reading or being read to then that's a win-win in my book any day.

5.  Know your kids limits for reading or being read to. Many kids graphic novels are starting to add reading levels on the front or back of the book. Smaller kids being read to may not be able to sit through lots of heavy dialogue in each panel so again, thumbing through the book is helpful before bringing it home.

6. Have fun, of course! The number of kids graphic novels grows everyday and I can honestly say that some are completely enjoyable to read as an adult with out my kids.

So there you go. Some easy tips to get you started. Now head over to your local library, comic book shop or book store and prepare for your world to be rocked.

Stay nerdy, my friends.
      

The World Needs Nerds

Let's face it the world really does need more nerds. Why, you ask. Nerds are passionate, enthusiastic, observant, and they bond quickly with those who are willing to enter their world.

So I bet you you're wondering what I mean by nerdy kids. Do I mean nerdy as in kids who make straight A's, join the math club and are known for having a book handy or future comic-con attendees? Well, BOTH of course!

My ambition is to use this space to share our families nerdy world with the rest of the world. I have a third grader and a pre-k-er. (that's a word right?) We like to read, and we do it often. My kids can quote Doctor Who and Star Wars. We also take trips to the comic book shop and book store regularly, seriously they know us when we walk in.

I'm also hoping to learn from those who stumble upon this blog and share their nerdy ways with us.

So, my fellow readers...