My Favorite Parenting Resource

Back when I was a part-time elementary secretary at the school I worked at in Minnesota, I got to know the teachers fairly well. Being a small school and being that first person people saw when they walked in, you quickly got to know everyone. The Kindergarten teacher at the time, Stephanie, became a friend of mine, and little did I know that our friendship would only grow since moving back to Michigan!

Well, when she mentioned to me she was going to start a blog, www.stephaniebrouwer.com, I couldn’t WAIT to dive into her content. And lo and behold, her blog has become my favorite parenting resource – and it will become yours too! Because truly, like her tagline says, it’s “where books are read and hearts are fed”

So what sets this blog apart?

Book Recommendations

I have this odd love of going to the library and thankfully, my daughter shares that same love. But anytime I look at books for her, I wonder WHAT TO GET. Well, Stephanie offers book recommendations that will not leave you empty handed or overwhelmed at the library. Not to mention, she also does book reviews, which sells me even more on a book. And I’ll admit, I’ve never not (yes, that’s a double negative) liked one of her recommendations and have even found myself buying some that she has recommended because I loved them that much!

Love for Life.

Another reason why this blog is one of my favorites is because Stephanie is incredibly real, candid, and proclaims the TRUTH. Believe it or not, it’s hard to find that honesty in social media. Life is often portrayed as picture perfect, and she is the first to admit it’s not. Through her blog posts, they are filled with life experience, the struggles and triumphs of life, and yet always brings you back to the truth. AMEN.

Activity Ideas for Kids

Not going to lie, I can get easily overwhelmed by Pinterest. But I can always count on Stephanie to share fantastic ideas on what to do with kiddos. She does this through blog posts and even videos, which is super helpful for this visual-learning girl! For instance, one of her latest ideas was to “Mail a Hug!” Can I just say CLEVER? So we’ve been busy making this idea come to life. I don’t want to give too much away – you HAVE to check it out for yourself!

Children’s Messages & Videos

And this is one of my FAVORITE reasons why this blogging resource is my fav – THE VIDEOS. Stephanie is a former Kindergarten teacher, though I struggle to say “former” because she is still an amazing teacher at heart. She is incredibly gifted at reaching into a kiddo’s heart. Anytime she has a new video posted on her blog, I grab Mazy, and she can’t WAIT for me to press play! She has taught my child life lessons in a way that I could never or would ever think of. For instance, she shared that her and her daughter were struggling with complaining. So she suggested to each wear a bracelet, and every time one of them complained, switch it over to the other wrist, while saying something you are thankful for. Um, this sole idea has completely changed my child’s view on complaining! Now I know, it may not last, but I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth!

And then children’s messages. Stephanie has a way of correlating life happenings and Bible stories in a way that makes the story stick in Mazy’s mind. Not only will she tie in an incredibly truth of the Bible, but she does it in a way that engages and has my child glued to the screen. She asks questions during and my child is right there, screaming back at her, the answer. If only Stephanie could hear her! But that just goes to show how much of Mazy’s attention she has – all of it.

If you are a parent, grandparent, soon-to-be parent, auntie or uncle, this is a resource that will be worth your time checking out! I do not say all of this just because Stephanie is my friend. I share all of this because this is TRULY my favorite resource as a parent. It’s the blog I frequent the most in the sense that I read every new post – it’s the only blog I’m actually currently subscribed to – because I love it that much.

So, if you are looking for some fresh and new ideas when it comes to parenting and not having to think of new ideas on your own, check out Stephanie’s blog! I can’t wait for a new post to come from Stephanie, and I hope you find yourself eager for the next one too!