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Hi, I’m Sharlene!

A mother of 5 boys, grandmother of 12, and author of Good Music Brighter Children. I started the blog, “good parenting brighter children” to share my 40+ years of experience swimming in the delightful (and sometimes shark infested) waters of parenthood. It’s been quite the experience and one I want to share.

Hopefully, you find this blog helpful and inspiring as you travel your own unique parenthood journey.

the latest from the Blog

Warning: The Most Fun Snow Activities for Grandkids

The Most Fun Snowflake Activities for Grandkids & Kids

The Most Fun Christmas Activities About Woodland Animals

The Most Exciting Christmas Celebrations for Grandkids & Kids!

12 of the Most Amazing Christmas Grandparent Activities

Here are the Best Christmas Tree Traditions to do with Grandparents

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FUN SNOWFLAKE ACTIVITIES FOR GRANDKIDS & KIDS: L

FUN SNOWFLAKE ACTIVITIES FOR GRANDKIDS & KIDS: LET’S MAKE A SNOWFLAKE QUILT! This past week, we’ve been knee-deep in making snowflakes with the grandkids. After all—it’s snowflake season (or at least it’s supposed to be in the U.S.). I got the inspiration to do our theme on snowflakes from a book I purchased in 1998— “Snowflake Bentley.” It’s a true story about the first man in the 1800s that photographed snowflakes After reading the book—we did lots of activities with snowflakes. First--a snowflake quilt. Have you ever made something using tape-resistant art? It’s an art method that involves steps and teaches kids patience & problem-solving skills. To make a snowflake quilt, try this: *Using painter’s tape, make a snowflake design on a rectangle piece of watercolor paper
*Paint over the entire snowflake with watercolors
*When dry, tear off the tape—and you have a beautiful snowflake But don’t stop there—make a quilt from your blocks of snowflakes. Use poster board as a background and design a colorful quilt Our inspiration for the quilt? My sister-in-law is a nationally recognized quilter and she sent me this amazing Christmas quilt a few years ago—looking at it gave me the inspiration to make a snowflake paper quilt with our grandkids. Details: link in bio

Happy New Year from Good Parenting Brighter Childr

Happy New Year from Good Parenting Brighter Children!🎊

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope your day was filled with f

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope your day was filled with fun, laughter, family togetherness and love!

IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE! TIME TO READ THE BEST CHRIST

IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE! TIME TO READ THE BEST CHRISTMAS BOOKS ABOUT WOODLAND ANIMALS! Don’t you love Christmas Eve? Anticipation and excitement are at an all-time high amongst children everywhere. So, bring out all those Christmas books and get reading! These are books are all about woodland animals and Christmas—to go with our theme this week of Christmas and woodland animals based on the book, “The Berenstain Bears’ Christmas Tree.” Enjoy! Details: link in bio

CHRISTMAS NATIVITIES—CELEBRATING THE REASON FOR

CHRISTMAS NATIVITIES—CELEBRATING THE REASON FOR THE SEASON Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. But regardless of your religious or non-religious beliefs, Christmas can and is universally celebrated. Did you know that many people don’t associate Christ and His birth through scripture, sermons or movies but rather through Nativity displays? In fact, these 3-D displays of the birth of Christ have brought the first Christmas to life as nothing else has. The first Nativity was created by St. Francis Assisi who in 1223, made a nativity scene outside his church in Italy. Today, Nativities include the 3-D variety as well as plays, drama, and church services acting out the Nativity. If you are really interested in “peace on earth,” try this activity: celebrate as a family the holidays found in other religions—Christian and non-Christian alike. It will give you and your children greater understanding, respect and love of other people’s beliefs and traditions. In other words--you'll be practicing the Golden Rule. Start with Christmas—make it a tradition to display a Nativity in your home and explain to your children/grandchildren the “reason for the season.” Since our theme is woodland animals—we included the animals associated with the Nativity—sheep, cow, donkey, goats, doves, etc., but most of all we talked about Baby Jesus. Details: link in bio

KITCHEN ACTIVITY: MAKING GINGERBREAD COOKIES OF WO

KITCHEN ACTIVITY: MAKING GINGERBREAD COOKIES OF WOODLAND ANIMALS Our theme this week is woodland animals and Christmas—so I bought these cute woodland animal cookie cutters at Amazon (where else?) and we made gingerbread cookies Grab your kids/grandkids and make a batch of gingerbread dough—and use the cookie cutters to create woodland animals—squirrel, snowy owl, raccoon, wolf and coyote—all animals in the Berenstain bear book. Then let the kids/grandkids decorate them. Ours mainly used red & green frosting, but we encouraged them to draw faces and outlines on the animals in white. A good start for developing fine motor skills as they hold and squeeze frosting from a bag. Details: link in bio

HERE IT IS—LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES FOR

HERE IT IS—LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS & GRANDKIDS! THIS WEEK IT’S ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS AND WOODLAND ANIMALS Have you ever read the book, “The Berenstain Bears’ Christmas Tree,” to your kids or grandkids? This book was published in 1980 and has been a favorite of kids for 40 years. I love taking children’s books and creating activities to complement the book. This week—we’re making Christmas trees from toilet paper rolls—and putting woodland animal stickers on the branches—just like the book. All you need is a Styrofoam cone, some toilet paper rolls, a glue gun, woodland animal stickers, and paint. This will keep your kids & grandkids busy for some time! Get all the fun details here: https://goodparentingbrighterchildren.com/fun-christmas-activities/

BOOKS ABOUT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS FOR GRANDKIDS &

BOOKS ABOUT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS FOR GRANDKIDS & KIDS Reading Christmas books to your kids/grandkids each day during the month of December is one of the most magical parts of Christmas Christmas books bring happiness and joy into each little child’s life. Most are filled with making the impossible possible—something like fairy tales. Here is a list of fun and fanciful Christmas books—they are the “best!” Link: https://goodparentingbrighterchildren.com/Christmas-celebrations/

FUN TIPS & TRICKS TO USE WHEN GRANDKIDS DECORATE T

FUN TIPS & TRICKS TO USE WHEN GRANDKIDS DECORATE THE CHRISTMAS TREE When you were young, did you love to help decorate your family’s Christmas tree? For most kids, it’s a fun tradition they look forward to each year. Here are some tips and tricks when having your kids/grandkids help to decorate the tree: *Start with large ornaments first, then medium, then small
*Include ornaments your kids/grandkids have made
*All ornaments should be safe & touchable
*Provide little step ladders for grandkids/kids to reach the higher branches In the end, if your tree doesn’t look like something from a Martha Stewart magazine or Fixer Upper—no worries. You’re building memories with your grandkids/kids—not a perfectly decorated Christmas tree. More details here:

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS: MAKING A LIFE-SIZE PAPER “HUG” TO GIVE TO PARENTS AT CHRISTMAS Ever read the book, “A Paper Hug?” It’s a charming story about a little boy who makes a paper hug for his dad in the military. I read the book to my grandkids and we decided it would be fun to make BIG paper hugs for their parents for Christmas. Just draw each grandchild on a big piece of white or brown utility paper from the waist up—arms & hands outstretched. Paint, color, scribble and draw on your paper hug and then paint the envelope the hug is going into. The grandkids dipped Christmas trees and pinecones in paint and stamped and swirled them on their envelopes. There you go—a meaningful Christmas present for the parents! Details: link in bio

GINGERBREAD HOUSES MADE FROM POPSICLE STICKS & FOA

GINGERBREAD HOUSES MADE FROM POPSICLE STICKS & FOAM PAPER Gingerbread houses are synonymous with Christmas—so if the ones made from cookies, frosting, etc., are too much to tackle—here’s another alternative… Gingerbread houses made from popsicle sticks, foam paper and Christmas stickers—easy-peasy! Your grandkids/kids will have a fun time making them—just glue everything together and then slap those stickers all over the gingerbread house. Even Hansel & Gretel would approve! Inspiration: @thechildhoodglen Details: link in bio

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS: MAKING GINGERBREAD HOUSES

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS: MAKING GINGERBREAD HOUSES AT GRANDMA’S Did you know that bakers in Nuremberg, Germany were making gingerbread houses as early as 1395? Today, Nuremberg is known as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World.” Bring this fun tradition into your home with your grandkids/kids and set aside a day to make gingerbread houses. You can make your own gingerbread houses—or buy a kit or buy a preassembled gingerbread house from Costco for $12/each! (that’s what we did) They come with frosting, candies—the works and the grandkids had a blast making them and it kept them occupied for 1.5 hours—a record! Plus, it’s not easy squirting all that frosting out—it takes muscle & hand-power so it’s a great activity to build fine muscle coordination! Get the sweet details here: link in bio

SUPER FUN ACTIVITY FOR KIDS AT CHRISTMASTIME Here

SUPER FUN ACTIVITY FOR KIDS AT CHRISTMASTIME Here is the how-to video on how to make Christmas Candy Trains. It's actually 2--minutes so if you want to see the whole thing--go to the blog or see it on IGTV! Follow the link in my bio. https://goodparentingbrighterchildren.com/christmas-celebrations/

ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS: MAKING CHRISTMAS

ALL ABOUT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS: MAKING CHRISTMAS CANDY TRAINS WITH GRANDKIDS & KIDS Want to make something with your grandkids/kids they’ll never forget? Try these candy trains! Mark learned how to make these in 1980 in a cake decorating class he took. Yup—40 years ago—and he’s still making them! This holiday season, he taught our grandkids how to make them. Included on the blog are the step-by-step directions and a list of all the candy you’ll need. And oh—there’s a 2-minute video to watch so your grandkids/kids can become “pro’s” at doing this. This is a no-brainer and your grandkids/kids will LOVE the memory of making these fun Christmas Candy Trains! Not to mention the fun of eating them afterward! Get the juicy details here: link in bio

SCRAP PAPER CHRISTMAS TREES—A FUN GLUING & DESIG

SCRAP PAPER CHRISTMAS TREES—A FUN GLUING & DESIGNING PROJECT! Ever made a tree from scraps of paper? Don’t throw away those scraps of paper! Take them and make a Scrap Paper Christmas Tree! Give your kids/grandkids a bunch of strips of cardstock paper—in all different colors, widths, lengths and even Christmas ones. Have them build a Christmas tree from the scraps—starting with the longest ones at the bottom. However, the little grandkids did not want to follow protocol—they wanted to glue their strips where they wanted them…period! The result? Amazingly creative Scrap-paper Christmas Trees! Details: link in bio

BEST BOOKS ABOUT CHRISTMAS TREES FOR KIDS & GRANDK

BEST BOOKS ABOUT CHRISTMAS TREES FOR KIDS & GRANDKIDS What is your family’s favorite Christmas book? I think kids, grandkids, parents, & grandparents universally LOVE Christmas books! These Christmas books are all about the wonder of Christmas trees! Our favorite? “The Carpenter’s Gift: A Christmas Tale About the Rockefeller Center Tree.” Each one is delightful in its own special way. Save some money—head to the library and check these out or if you’re building your Christmas collection—Amazon is always a great place to buy books!
Get the list here:

MAKING CINNAMON ROLL CHRISTMAS TREES! Ever worked

MAKING CINNAMON ROLL CHRISTMAS TREES! Ever worked with your kids/grandkids with recipes requiring yeast? Here’s a great recipe to get started… Cinnamon rolls are yummy for any occasion, but you can also make them into a Christmas tree with your kids/grandkids. The more time you spend in the kitchen with your kids/grandkids—the more confident they will be with baking & cooking. Our grandkids insisted on doing all their own rolling of the dough; putting all the butter, sugar, cinnamon, etc., on and even rolling them up jelly-roll fashion. These require a bit more time and preparation but the results are delicious! We goofed! I had stars for the top and I had cut trunks for the bottoms—and in the chaos we forgot to put them on! Oops! Yummy nonetheless! Get the recipe (one I’ve had for 45 years), directions and more here: link in bio

WASHI TAPE CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS—SUPER BRIG

WASHI TAPE CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS—SUPER BRIGHT & COLORFUL! Our grandkids loved this Christmas tree activity! It’s considered “process art” because there are a few steps to completion (and builds patience). Plus, it increases scissor skills and fine motor skills. Grab some wood Christmas trees at the Dollar Store Paint them first with white acrylic paint Paint them next with green tempera paint. Let dry Give them a bunch of rolls of Christmas washi tape. Have the kids/grandkids use their scissor skills and tape their “decorations’ all over their tree. Finish with a star on top! Details: link in bio

CHRISTMAS TREE STACKING CUPS GAME: A FUN STEM CHAL

CHRISTMAS TREE STACKING CUPS GAME: A FUN STEM CHALLENGE Make a Christmas tree by stacking cups! Plus, it’s a great STEM activity. This super fun game requires little to no preparation time. Give each child 15 plastic cups—14 green, 1 red Make a sturdy strip of cardboard for each child to stack their cups. Stack the cups—starting with 5 at the bottom and going to 1 red one at the top. The perfect Christmas Tree! Then our grandkids joined together as a team to create one HUGE Christmas tree—great activity to teach teamwork skills, too! This is considered a STEM activity because it requires your child/grandchild to stack them evenly so they don’t all collapse Inspiration: @raisingdragons4 Details & dimensions here: link in bio

MAKE POPSICLE STICK CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS WITH

MAKE POPSICLE STICK CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS WITH KIDS & GRANDKIDS! Oh—the versatility of the little popsicle stick! This is a super fun and super simple Christmas tree project for your kids and grandkids. Just hot glue 3 popsicle sticks to form a triangle and glue a trunk at the base made from corrugated cardboard. Provide your kids/grandkids with lots and lots of things to decorate their tree ornaments with--alphabet beads (a favorite), pom-poms, Christmas balls, beads, and more. Give them a little Christmas tree in their bedroom so they can use these as ornaments on the tree. Details: link in bio

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