Looking to embrace one of our favorite parts of Washington, we set out to see the peak cherry blossoms. At our tot’s request. Not really a success.
Set out to surprise the kiddies with an outing and treats to the movie theater for the new Beauty and the Beast. Most certainly not a success (more on why later).
Tried to do a little house hunting. Meh…not a success either.
One after another, it was one of those weekends where every attempt didn’t quite work out. On top of everything, both kids came down with something, more apparent as the weekend went on and that was likely the root cause. Sometimes, you just have to declare victory and stay home.
Lots on the work horizon so I’ll be off for a few days – in the meantime, I leave you with just a couple of shots of one of our favorite plants from around our Puerto Rico trip – the colors were just gorgeous, especially after it rained, reminding that there is always something beautiful about, even when skies are gray if you just take the time to look around.
I’m hoping yesterday’s post on the Mon Island Chalk Cliffs (Mons Klint) got you inspired to take a little day trip! If Mon itself is on your list, here are a few things that we’ve learned about visiting during our time in Denmark.
When you arrive at the cliffs area, you’ll find parking by the Geo Center and then have a couple of ways to play the time that you spend in that area. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’ll be visiting the cliffs at Mon, especially with little ones in tow.
Use the bathroom
Of all the situations to navigate, this is perhaps the most tricky and here’s why. It’s over 600 stairs down to the beach, through a series of zig zagged staircases, and then of course, you’re on an open stretch of beach that is actually quite narrow depending on the tide, and quite visible to other visitors; and then it’s another 600 stairs up. So bathrooms for toddlers and for changing little ones aren’t exactly plentiful or accessible. If you go in the summer on a nice day, crowds prevent some of the more nature-based options, leaving you a bit stuck if there is an unexpected situation. Make every effort to go before you head down or be prepared to get creative.
Ration your energy
Since we’ve gone a couple of times, we have done variations where we do the nature center first, and then cliffs, and then vice versa, and sometimes, just the cliffs. I haven’t found one way to be better than others. Instead, I have found that what to sequence first depends a bit on the mood and energy of my littles. When they fell asleep in the car once and needed time to wake up, we did the center first and then enjoyed the cliffs once the heat cooled off a bit. But we’ve also done it the other way around – short answer, it depends. The Nature Center isn’t open that late, but just see how things play out. Just keep in mind that the trek down and trek up can be tiring, and not just for the kids but also for you, especially if you are doing any extensive infant carrying or letting a smaller one hitch a ride on your back.
Visit the Nature Center/GeoCenter
While it’s not open year-round, if you are in season definitely make time for the Mons Klint GeoCenter and make more time that you think you need. It’s really an enjoyable visit and by the time you add in the activities like the erosion areas, or the little movie, or the panning for fossils, plus say a lunch of snack, it can really take up some time. It’s well done and the shop is also great for kids to pick out a little treat (like these dinosaur-themed binoculars!).
Pack the ergo
If you have little ones in tow, this wouldn’t really be a stroller friendly thing, with the stairs and all. That being said, little legs might not do all the stairs up and stairs down, so this is a good trip for the ergo. We always kept ours in the back of the car by default, but I was always glad I wore it down to the cliffs as one of the two littles inevitably needed to hitch a ride back up.
Pack a lunch
There are some lovely picnic areas in the woods before you head down to the cliffs. There is also a little cafe in the Geo Center/Nature Center but unlike most museum cafes, this one didn’t impress quite as much (though it’s fine for a snack and water – if you arrive on busy summer days, they might run out of lunch dishes as well). This is a good time to make like a Dane and bring your own madpakke suited to your own tastes. An ice cream at the cafe once you return up though is a welcome treat.
Bring water
Similar to above, if you visit during summer days, don’t forget a little extra water. Those stairs, especially if you are carrying kids, can really do a number on you. Plus, you’ll need any extra water to rinse off any chalk before getting it all over your car.
Be prepared for chalk!
Speaking of which, as you might suspect, chalk cliffs are full of chalk. The white, dusty, cling to you kind. It’s actually pretty cool – but it will get on your shoes, clothes, etc so don’t wear anything too precious or too dark-colored down there. Similarly, it’s natural chalk but behaves just like any other chalk so if you bring down a little bit of dark construction paper in your backpack, the kids can color a bit (although mine were happy just to draw on the huge rocks down there).
Have a few ziplock bags
If you’ve read here before, you know that I treat ziplock bags as a solution to nearly all my travel woes. But in this case, the bags make it easy to collect a few pieces of rock chalk to take back, or store any potentially found fossils (which you are allowed to scavenge for still down at the bottom of the cliffs).
Pack a windbreaker
You’ll be surprised at how windy it can get down at the bottom of the cliffs, especially if you are not visiting during summer time. Layers are key as the weather and temperature can change quickly, and if it is in any way off-season, a wind breaker or wind blocking coat (and a hat) will feel like lifesavers.
Be friendly on the trail
There are lots of feet headed up and down on those stairs. People pass each other by, stop for breaks, take a seat…We found that if we were friendly, we met all sorts of people, Danish and otherwise, who were traveling through to see the cliffs. Lots of children as well so don’t be shy about a bit of occasional small talk. It’s a welcome diversion from all the stairs and makes the climb go by quicker.
Drive around the island
Unless people are staying on Mon Island, many will come to see the cliffs and leave immediately afterwards. But the island itself is really quite calm and beautiful. As mentioned yesterday, with any luck, your kids will be exhausted after the walks and explorations, so I found that while they wound down or dozed off, I really enjoyed a little drive on the island. Mon is full of traditional houses and open fields – parts of it reminded me of the wide open spaces of North Dakota and I guess to some extent, it felt a bit like home. Don’t forget to take some of that in.
Springtime seems to be slow to arrive this year in Washington and yet, I’m getting the itch for some sunshine laden day trips. I almost have to think a bit what’s in the area, especially as this time last year, I was on a day trip frenzy. We were soaking up what we could of Denmark with the kids before our departure. And rising to the top of the list, even after all this time and multiple visits, were the chalky cliffs of Mon. (pronounce: Muuuuun).
Mon is such a good day trip from Copenhagen because it’s got a perfect mix of things : not too far, kid friendly, super cool scenery, great nature center…
Speaking of which, if you can time your visit with the Nature Center (or geo center), it’s absolutely worth the trip. It opens for the year right around this time in March (check the schedule for details). You can still absolutely visit in the winter time (we have! bundle up!) but then it really is just for the brisk walk along the cliffs. Once the weather turns a bit milder, the Geo Center (nature center) has tons of interactive exhibits for children to learn about the rocks and formations and the history behind that chalky precipice that keeps falling into the ocean. From what I recall, most of the exhibits and language are in Danish but that didn’t stop us from learning a ton and guides are happy to translate as needed.
Part of the whole fun of course is taking the stairs all the way (and I mean all the way, there are over 600 of them I think) down to the ocean to get a closer look at the cliffs and collect plenty of chalk rock (and look for fossils!). Take it from me, this keeps kids entertained for hours. The only things that will drive them off this beach are high winds and hunger, and you’re likely to witness both.
Equally as beautiful though are the forest walkways and the wooded path down, before you actually get to the beach. It’s amazing how twisted and craggy all the trees get from the sheer force of the wind – and if you visit in the wintertime, you won’t have any questions as to why.
In the summertime though, the wooded areas provide a bit of shade and a bit of cool breeze – particularly welcome once you start taking the over 600 stairs all the way up!
I’ll be back tomorrow with some specific tips on visiting the cliff areas with kids, based on what we learned over our few visits. But in the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few last pics of our drives around the island. If you play your cards right, the nature center plus hike down and up to the cliffs will leave your little ones completely exhausted. Which means that sometimes, the best part of a day trip is the quiet exploratory drive home!
As we’ve settled into our new life here in the US, as well as our new life in more traditional schooling, there have been a number of things that have caught me by surprise. Some good, some less so. But I have been perhaps more surprised in my conversations with other parents, and with teachers.
If the Danish forest school system taught me anything, it’s that things aren’t always what they seem on the surface, and that sometimes it takes time and understanding to truly realize the value of an educational principle or decision. So in that vein, I thought I’d start a new mini-series on the blog here, where I can throw out a bit of a discussion question that I’ve learned to think differently about. The observations of others always teach me so much. First up: homework !
I didn’t originally put homework on my list of things to be concerned about in moving back to the US, but it was always there in the back of my mind. I wasn’t sure if all of this talk of homework – specifically for kindergarteners – was a real thing or not. My gut reaction, was that this was terrible. Not because I’m against homework per se (and candidly, as a kid I loved homework!) but because this seemed like such a young age that I didn’t see what could possibly be valuable in it. All this “homework” seemed like busy work at best, and like a huge de-motivator for learning, at worst.
But when I started to ask other parents about it, mostly in expectations of building solidarity in my suspicion of it, I was surprised to hear from many parents that not only did they not mind it, but they supported it whole-heartedly. I was even more surprised by the reason why.
Many parents said that it helped them feel connected to what their child was learning, and it was often the only bridge into hearing about how their child spent his or her day. So the homework worksheets weren’t so much a task, as an opportunity to start a conversation with a common language. It was really about a chance to be part of their world for a bit.
I had never thought about homework in that way before at all. In our initial days here in the school year, I found the homework sometimes long…and tedious. As a working mom (and often as a solo parent through much of the year), I get home exhausted. We do a bit of playtime, then dinner time…and then inevitably, the homework. As a parent, I felt strongly that it ate into my very limited time with my own children, forcing me to be an enforcer, a task master, an impatient time-keeper… when I much preferred to outsource those tasks to someone else (um, say like a teacher ;)).
I also found some of the worksheets confusing. I struggled with the math principles that didn’t make much sense to me. I hadn’t learned math in that same way, and sometimes I couldn’t quite figure it out (I don’t think I’m the only parent in that camp); sometimes, I found flat-out errors in the worksheets.
I wrote notes to the teacher to voice concerns, trying to be constructive but likely not masking my frustration very well. This is a good opportunity for me to note that our kindergarten teacher is probably the best kindergarten teacher on this planet. She told me if a worksheet was confusing, to skip it, or if it wasn’t the night for it, to hold off on it for another time. When I found the occasional error, she took note of it and either corrected it in the worksheet, or pulled it all together. Just that simple act of being an ally in my child’s education, in what I could do as a parent, and not an adversary, helped me see homework in a new light as well.
Our teacher’s point of view is that homework at this age isn’t task for the sake of task, but rather an opportunity to reinforce critical skills when a young brain depends on repetition to cement in key foundational concepts like letters and sounds and numbers. Her take is that is how a young brain learns. Her homework is mostly fun, spanning poems and art and yes, the occasional math or writing worksheet.
We are two-thirds of the way through the school year, and I recently sat at the parent-teacher conference. I heard all about my daughters ability to read, not out of duty but out of enjoyment, and I realized our teacher was… right.
Homework nights aren’t always my favorite, and we are still prone to a flash of impatience on my part here and there. I’ve learned to trust my adult judgment about when I should stay the course, or allow an occasional night off, or simply ask for help from someone else, like my niece, to help cover an evening if I’m just too impatient. But I’ve learned to appreciate the value of doing homework together so much more, recognizing that building skills over time, and building connections through conversation, sharing, and good role-modeling do make a difference.
I’d love to hear from others: do you connect with your kids over homework?
