But it’s more than mirroring our world, it’s more so our innate longing for what once was. And so there are ten ways fantasy reflects what our hearts long for. Because of this, I also describe them as ten reasons why Christians should read fantasy.

I know, that can be controversial. But I’ll line out those reasons later. Meanwhile, I posted the question of how fantasy mirrors the real world.

Genres that Mirror the Real World

As I look at fantasy genres, there’s at least one that mirrors our longing for another world. C. S. Lewis and many others, including me, write Portal Fantasy.

Portal fantasy is where the characters go from our world into a fantasy world. But how does this mirror our longing? Listen as this facebook creator explains Aslan.

Did you hear what he said? Find me in your world. Portal fantasy is a longing for the world we were originally created for. A world that can be ours again at the end.

The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson not only is portal fantasy, but shows the ending of what could be–adventures with God, not sitting on clouds playing harps.

Characters that Mirror our Longing

The hero is a longing for something more as well. Think about it. We want someone to come in and rescue us!

I once heard a speaker describe it as “Bog Theology.” It’s the time in your life when you’re in the middle of a bog–think mile long and wide where you’re sinking into it. Kind of like the Fire Swamp in The Princess Bride. There are dangers and you’re sinking wanting out.

Bog Theology says that instead of God sending you a helicopter to get you out, he comes alongside you and walks with you through it.

How many fantasy heroes do that. We walk with them through their journey, but in so doing, they walk beside us, helping us through our real-life struggles.

If this sounds like something you want to know more about, follow the series. Next up will be a series of posts with two reasons each of why Christians should read fantasy. It’s the same idea. This longing for a place to call your own that resonates within us with fantasy.

The Wrinkle in Time sisters were prominently seated up front with Meg and Wallace Charles beside them. They’d been a help when our water had been turned off for over twelve hours this week. Whereas Brom and Dalmir had walked to the creek and hauled water to various houses.

Gandalf came around the corner. “We’re all set, Kandi. You’re sure I can’t light fireworks to celebrate our newest award member?”

“No!” I realized it came out too harsh when those in the back row turned to look at us. “No,” I repeated quieter.

“Very well, then.” He grimaced, but the twinkle in his eye told me he hadn’t completely set the idea aside.

I strode toward the windows, nodding to Alden and then gaping as a man with white hair and a long beard took a seat.

“Dumbledore?”

He nodded a greeting.

When had he arrived? Beside him sat a prim rabbit who was knitting. Mentally shaking my head, I continued to the front, making sure to not worry about where people would stay after the party. At least most of them were accustomed to camping out. I had a large yard they could use.

Once at the front, I cleared my throat. “Please, take your seats. We are about to begin.”

There was the rustling of people adjusting and the scraping of chairs along the wood floor. Trying not to be nervous, I glanced about. The room was filled with characters from books I’d read and some I’d not even heard of! I knew my to-be-read list was going to grow by leaps and bounds.

With only the noise of traffic to interrupt me, I opened the ceremony. “Welcome to the 2026 Silmaril Awards for Wisest Counselor.”

Meg squirmed in the front seat, and Mrs. Who (or was it Which) patted her on the knee.

I raised my hand to Gandalf and took my seat in the front row beside my husband. Gandalf seemed to glide to the front, his long beard ruffling to the side. At least his wizard’s hat didn’t hit the ceiling. With a gleam in his eye, he turned to the gathering.

“As our esteemed hostest has said, we are here to honor the Wisest Counselor in all of fantasy literature. This year, as always, the votes are close and by even being nominated, you have risen to the top of the best. But know, whether you are here as a guest or nominee, by virtue of your place in your story, you are important to those in your party. No hero ever made it to the end without the help of their counselor. Never forget that.”

He allowed the silence to drag on, and in that space, a motorcycle zoomed by, its engine reving. A chuckle rose to counter it. Gandalf pulled out a scroll.

“In fifth place…” He cleared his throat. “Athelas from The City Between.”

Polite applause filled the room. Although I hadn’t known Athelas for long, I was sorry he hadn’t won. But that might have been due to his love for my Langlois Fog tea.

When he had taken his seat, Gandalf squinted and read, “In fourth place is Dalmir from The Turrim Archive.”

My heart sank as I applauded and hooted. I’d so wanted Dalmir to win. After all he’d gone through with Grayden and the others, he deserved a silmaril.

“In third place…” Gandalf cocked his head and then nodded. “Ah, yes, The Magus from The Queen’s Thief.”

He’d been the one who’d suggested where we could find tea in my own backyard. I’d been grateful for his suggestions. I was sorry to see he hadn’t placed higher, but that left two favorites for the top contenders.

Gandalf glanced about the room, allowing silence to fall before he said, “In second place is Rendar from Moonscript.”

Loud cheering erupted, and I almost jumped to my feet.

My husband placed a hand on me. “Easy, Kandi. We can’t show favorites.”

But I couldn’t help it. After all, when the kids were younger, we’d had ferrets named Durza and Arya, and when my last series had come out, I’d sent Christopher Paolini a proof copy to ask for an endorsement. Instead, I received a nice letter saying he was working on a project–a project that ended up neck and neck in amazon ratings with my series as it released.

Gandalf raised his hands. “And as you have surmised, the winner of Wisest Counselor for 2026 is Brom from The Inheritance Cycle.”

This time, the cheering was so loud, I hid an ear in my shoulder. It didn’t really help.

Brom made his way to the front. As he arrived, a host of sparkles floated down on him. I looked to Gandalf and he winked at me. It wasn’t fireworks, but it worked for what we needed.

As Gandalf settled the Silmaril on Brom, I snapped a photo to send to my oldest son who still had a copy of The Inheritance Cycle sitting on his bookshelf.

“I am told, there is a feast prepared outside for all to enjoy,” Gandalf said. “And until next year’s Silmaril Awards, may you share wisdom wherever you go.”

Don’t miss the rest of the awards

Most Devoted Couple – T P Sarah at Light and Shadows
Most Epic Heroine – C. O. Bonham
Most Faithful Friend – Mackenzie K. Writes
Most Nefarious Villain – Janelle Leanne Schmidt
Strangest Character – E. E. Rawls
Most Magnificent Dragon – Rachel A. Greco
Most Epic Hero – DJ Edwards
Silver Tongue – S. L. Dooley
Most Rakish Rogue – Grace T

Which would you choose? Oh, wait! You don’t have to choose between the two, you can have both. But how? Read on.

Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a platform where readers can help authors create a project that both are proud of. My prettiest books came from Kickstarters that I backed.

How does it work? An author (or other creative/business person) sets up a project with different tiers or levels of involvement. Each tier has different products. Say ebooks, audiobooks, paperbacks, hardbacks, etc. You choose your budget (I wish I had more budget this month) or what you want.

The author sets a funding goal. Once the funding goal is met, then the project will come to you at whatever tier you selected. But that’s not it. The fun begins after meeting the goal. That’s when stretch goals come into play. It was stretch goals that allowed Well of Souls by Z. R. McCormick to have two more pieces of artwork, a vellum insert, city map, short story, endpages, and sprayed edges! It was stretch goals that allowed the boxed set of Dragon Courage to have colored chapter headers, 2 sets of art cards, a 3-D printed dragon, and more.

The Books

Things Passed Down

Set in the frozen dark north, Gamar City and Port Gamar lie upon a frozen sea. With dragon riders who control the city and dragons who keep the sea frozen, this area has created my most politically diverse land. Think Palestine in the first century with Roman overlords. A later book set in the same place ended up with my first ‘battle’ that wasn’t fought with swords or dragons but words!

Things Left Behind

At the oposite extreme we have Ostland. Wendel and his brother Winston enjoy their time gaming or building robots, but when they learn that a sliver of the moon Pikku is careeming toward their planet, they use their skills to help form their new world.

Special Editions

These are Bespoke editions with chapter headers hand-drawn by artist Hannah Muldrey. Gold and silver foil on the dust jackets and the case-laminate spines, as well as colored endpages.

How to get yours

You can nab your early ebooks, special edition paperbacks, or Bespoke special edition hardbacks at the Kickstarter.

The previous week

Last week this time, we arrived home late. We’d been in the hospital for my husband’s urgent (not emergent) gallbladder surgery. While there we’d managed to pick up Professor Kirke, and then somehow ended up with enough room in the Prius to bring him back as well as a Costco run (which included my husband’s pain killers.) When we arrived, a man who looked much like my husband greeted us, helping bring in supplies. As he set down a box, I saw a mark on his hand. He quickly hid it, but I cocked my head.

“Brom?”

“At your service.” He turned to see my husband carrying the other box. “Let me get that for you.”

“I’ve got it,” my husband said as he set it on the island.

I shook my head this was going to be a long week.

At least my guests allowed us to sleep in, but by Sundy afternoon I came downstairs to find a man standing, looking slightly lost.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Is this where wisest counselors are gathering? I’m accustomed to inter-worlds travel, but this is a first for me.”

I chuckled. “You and me both. Welcome. I’m Kandi, your hostess. Care for a cup of…” I paused remembering I hadn’t ordered any more loose-leaf tea yet. “Coffee?”

“I… I’m not sure. I suppose I could try it.”

With something to do, I continued to make my newest guest feel at home.

Monday afternoon, three women escorted my husband in from the garage.

“I told you I could do it.” The woman adjusted her pink stole which was knotted around an overcoat; she was definitely overdressed for the warm September day.

“I never doubted you,” a plump woman with thick spectacles said.

The third ignored the other two and patted my husband’s arm. “I do believe he overdid it. We arrived just in time.”

“What were you doing now?” I asked my husband.

He shrugged, looking quite tired. “Only grinding shearing tool.”

I shook my head. “If you take him upstairs, he can show you to your rooms. And thank you, Mrs. Which. Or are you Mrs. Who?”

The three just smiled as my husband led them upstairs.

My home, although spacious, was starting to feel crowded. Gandalf, the two professors, and Brom had the third floor, and the three sisters now occupied the room across from mine. We couldn’t take many more guests.

Tuesday, went smoothly. As we walked the block to the photography studio, I was impressed with how well my husband could keep up. His healing was coming along. Before we made it the block to the studio, a man in a threadbare cloak approached us. Since we’d been known to wander the area in our own medieval garb, this didn’t surprise us. But it was his piercing blue eyes and long white beard that caught my attention.

“Is that a broadsword?” my husband asked the man, who glanced down.

“This?” He placed a hand on the hilt.

“Uh, yeah?”

The man shrugged and nodded. “Obviously, the world is not as I thought.”

I couldn’t hide a smirk.

“Yes, young lady?” The man glared at me with eyes full of knowledge and wisdom.

“Excuse me,” I said with a slight inclination of my head. “You may be another one of my guests. Are you purchance Dalmir of Turrim?”

A wary look crossed his aged face.

“It’s all right,” I soothed. “You’ve been called for the Silmaril Awards, and I’m your hostest. We’ll take you to our home.”

He muttered something into his beard, and I couldn’t help lean over and whisper, “Can I see the orb? It’s perfectly safe here.”

“Nothing is perfectly safe,” he grumbled, and I let it be.

By Friday, all was well. My guests were settling in, but I’d still not refreshed my tea stock. When Rendar refused coffee, but wished something hot to drink, I was at a loss.

There was a knock on the door.

“Good day, kind lady,” the gentleman said. “I hear you need tea. I may be of assistance. Let’s take a walk through your garden. There may be plants you need.”

“Why…” I don’t know why it threw me for a loop, but I finally found my voice. “Thank you. And you are?”

With a bow and a flourish, he said, “I am known as The Magus.”

Saturday’s happenings

Our walk wasn’t as successful as my tea-drinking guests would’ve wanted. There was a limited supply of spearmint and plantain leaves, but that was it. That evening, my final guest arrived. He’d have to share a room with The Magus, for I had no more beds available. But he, too, was a tea drinker.

As I stood in my kitchen wondering if I should leave my guests to their own devices while I went into town for the parade, my final guest, joined me, his hands wrapped around a mug. He hadn’t done anything but sip at what little tea I had, his eyes gazing into my soul as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Yet the more I watched him, the more I feared. Of all my guests, he seemed to be the one who would know a hundred ways to kill a person–and had discussed them at length with my husband over a mug of tea. Despite the fact that I believed he could kill me faster than a blink, I was still drawn to him like that cool uncle that everyone doesn’t understand but wants to be around.

It was at that moment that I realized what I needed to do.

“I’ll be right back!” I ran upstairs, grabbed my purse and returned. Athelas hadn’t moved, still holding his mug of tea. “I’ll go into town and bring back tea from Teas, Tinctures, and Tonics. Then you’ll have a good cup of tea.”

“Thank you,” he said with nod and turned back into the living room where Gandalf was discussing The Disaster of the Gladden Fields with the professors. “Why would you expend such a force of men when a single assassin would work?”

“You know nothing of orcs, sir,” Gandalf’s voice rose, and I second guessed myself.

Before I could chicken out, my husband joined me. I prayed our house would be left standing, and all our guests in one piece and unharmed when we returned.

Wisest Counselor 2026

Brom (Inheritance Cycle)
Athelas (The City Between)
Rendar (Moonscript)
The Magus (The Queen’s Thief)
Dalmir (The Turrim Archive)

Other Categories

Most Devoted Couple – T P Sarah at Light and Shadows
Most Epic Heroine – C. O. Bonham
Most Faithful Friend – Mackenzie K. Writes
Most Nefarious Villain – Janelle Leanne Schmidt
Strangest Character – E. E. Rawls
Most Magnificent Dragon – Rachel A. Greco
Most Epic Hero – DJ Edwards
Silver Tongue – S. L. Dooley
Most Rakish Rogue – Grace T

Where to Vote

A bird flew past–a big bird. Blinking I tried to see where it went, calling to my husband, but he was stuck in the bed with a limited view out the window. Even with my own mobility I couldn’t see where it’d gone or what it’d been. Maybe just my imagination. I was slightly stressed with everything going on.

As I turned back to my husband, there was a tapping on the window. A white owl stood on the roof outside the glass! It cocked its head at me as if to say, “Well, are you going to open it?”

The twist knobs on the old-style windows were missing, but maybe… I lifted the lock and pushed on the frame. To my surprise, it opened!

The owl fluttered up to the landing and dropped a rolled piece of paper. Knowing, that Remus Lupin could’ve shown up while I was gone, I took the paper and its strange messenger in stride. Sure enough, it was signed by Remus.

No! Just what I’d been afraid of. I found a pen and hastily scribbled.

As I was eating breakfast in the cafeteria so my husband wouldn’t get jealous since he can’t have food until after the operation, my phone vibrated. A text message. Who hadn’t I given the most recent updates to? Donna? Wanda? Mom?

I frowned. Just a number. Warily I clicked on the text.

Um… My brain tried to process this information.

Professor Hamilton? I vaguely remembered he was from Dragons in Our Midst; I quickly typed out:

Yes, sorry about that. I’m not at home at the moment. My husband is having his gallbladder removed. We should be back by Monday.

Soon my phone pinged again:

Sorry to hear that. That still leaves me here at the airport. There’s not much here.

I chuckled as I typed back.

No there isn’t. Do you think you could contact Gandalf? Maybe the eagles could help?

There were no further text messages, and I finished my hashbrowns and eggs in peace.

When I returned to the room, my husband was chatting with an agreeable gentleman who had a British accent.

“…closet,” the man said. “First time for everything.”

“Kandi, meet Professor Kirke.”

My eyes probably looked like they’d pop out of their sockets if Professor Kirke could see them behind my dark lenses.

“What are you doing here?”

The professor held up both hands with a shrug.

“We can clean out the back of the Prius and take him home,” my husband suggested.

I shook my head. “I suppose so, but I didn’t think it’d be this much trouble hosting the Silmaril Awards.”

“What is wrong?” The professor glanced about and then his mouth fell open in a dignified ‘Oh.’ “This is a hospital!”

I nodded. “And if all of the former winners are showing up at odd places, how will the new nominees make it where they belong?”

The professor tapped a finger to his chin. “Well, if we think of this logically…”

I groaned. “The Silmaril Awards aren’t logical professor. People around the world nominate their favorite fantasy book characters, by commenting on various blog sites. Then magically, those characters show up at my house! This isn’t my house; the North Bend Airport isn’t my house! How will the others find their right place?”

“What about social media?” My husband shifted in the hospital bed, laying down his phone. “You could post there all the rules, or at least calls to action. Have people go to the blogs and nominate their favorite fantasy book characters, like Aslan.”

“Yes.” I paused, and then realized. “Aslan can’t be nominated. He’s already a winner for wisest couns… el… or.” I let out a breath. “How is Aslan going to fit into my house?”

The professor placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Remember, he comes and goes as he pleases. If need be, he’ll make it work.”

“Thanks.”

A knock at the door interrupted us. “Excuse me. Are you Mr. Wyatt? I’m here to take you downstairs.”

As they moved my husband’s IV around, I motioned to the Professor to join me on the couch out of the way. At least, I’d have someone with me during the surgery.

“Don’t turn around,” the professor whispered. “I think the instructions were just broadcast across the sky.”

Ignoring his instructions, I turned and saw:

Silmaril Awards Dates

September 7-11: Nominations for Silmaril Awards
September 13-17: Vote for Silmaril Awards
September 20-Oct 2: Silmaril Awards Presentations

Silmaril Awards Hosts

Most Devoted Couple – T P Sarah at Light and Shadows
Most Epic Heroine – C. O. Bonham
Most Faithful Friend – Mackenzie K. Writes
Most Nefarious Villain – Janelle Leanne Schmidt
Wisest Counselor – Kandi J Wyatt
Strangest Character – E. E. Rawls
Most Magnificent Dragon – Rachel A. Greco
Most Epic Hero – DJ Edwards
Silver Tongue – S. L. Dooley
Most Rakish Rogue – Grace T

Let the nominations begin!

What are the Silmarils:

The Silmaril Awards are all about celebrating fantasy fiction. But whereas most awards go to authors or books, these awards go to the characters themselves!

Started in 2016, these awards are a four week online celebration of all that’s best in fantasy literature. There are several awards in various categories given every year. The characters who receive them have to be from books generally considered to be in the fantasy genre. And a given character cannot receive an award more than once. These are lifetime awards.

Also, as Tolkien is, for us, the gold standard of fantasy, his characters are not eligible to be nominated. That’s because they’ll be the ones presenting the awards in this cross-dimensional online ceremony. 

Nominations are submitted on the websites of each of the presenters for that year. Anyone can submit a nomination and you can second (and third and fourth, etc.) any number of nominations besides your own.

After the nomination period (lasting one week), the five characters receiving the most nominations will make it onto the ballot and you’ll have one week to vote. After the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced, one per day, over the final two weeks of the awards.

Who to look for

Since each year, the different bloggers host different categories, you’ll find last year’s Most Faithful Friend on my blog.

This year, I get to hang out with none other than all the wisest counselors! That means that Gandalf and who knows who else will be hanging out in my 1880’s old stagecoach home. Maybe we can pretend it’s a castle?

But how does it work? I’m glad you asked. Starting September 7, you’ll be leaving comments on my blogs as well as others to nominate your favorite characters.

Rules for nominations:

Characters must be fantasy characters from books. This means no sci-fi, no contemporary, AND no webcomics, graphic novels, movies, and so on. If the story was a book first, but then got its own webcomic, graphic novel, characters from said story are eligible, but otherwise, sadly, they are not permitted. If there’s a book which might be seen as sci-fi, contemporary, or something else non-fantasy but you think has enough fantasy elements to count (for instance, The Lunar Chronicles, for the sake of the Silmaril Awards, count as fantasy, though they are rather sci-fi-y), make your case in the comments, and we will certainly consider it. 

Tolkien’s and Lewis’s characters are not allowed. Given that, in the awards ceremony at the end of the month, one of Tolkien’s characters (and potentially a few of Lewis’s) will be presenting this award, you really don’t want the conflict of interest that might result from the presenting characters being nominated for the award. Especially if they don’t win the final vote. It can get ugly, y’all. 

An author may not nominate (or second) his or her own characters. It’s just undignified and unprofessional, guys. Don’t do it. However, you of course may send your hyped-up readers to nominate and/or second your characters. (Winning a Silmaril would be really good publicity, just saying.)

Rule-breakers are sent immediately over to Rachel A. Greco, who’s hosting the dragons this year, to be eaten. Look, I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them. If you don’t want to follow these rules, prepare to be a dragon’s lunch. And vice versa–if you don’t want to be a dragon’s lunch, prepare to follow the rules. 

Former Wise Counselor Winners

Silmarils are a one-time thing, so a character may only win a category once. Here are the characters who have already won this award:

-Helmer (The Green Ember)
-Queen Irene (Princess and the Goblin)
-Nia (The Wingfeather Saga)
-Merlin (Arthurian Legends)
-Puddleglum (The Chronicles of Narnia)
-Halt (Ranger’s Apprentice)
-Remus Lupin (Harry Potter)
-Professor Kirke (The Chronicles of Narnia)
-Professor Hamilton (Dragons in Our Midst)
-Aslan (The Chronicles of Narnia)

Well, I’d best get to cleaning. We have enough room in this place, but my guest will expect some cleanliness. Let’s see how well this year’s Silmaril Awards go. Who knows, I may meet a new friend, or get to spend time with an old one. Who do you want to see win?

Parents of school-age children often hit the same wall: the usual after-school activities fill time, but they don’t always spark creativity or fit a child’s changing interests. Between busy schedules, limited local options, and the pressure to “pick the right thing,” the parenting challenge becomes finding something that feels meaningful instead of just convenient. Many families want creative enrichment options that support children’s personal growth, build real confidence, and keep curiosity alive. The goal is simple, expanding children’s horizons.

Why Nontraditional Learning Builds Confidence

Nontraditional learning opportunities are activities that teach through doing, creating, and experimenting instead of following a set script. The heart of it is creative learning as an engaging and imaginative process, where kids get more say in how they learn and show what they know. That freedom often sparks new interests and strengthens real-world skills.

This matters because confidence grows when kids see themselves improve through practice, not just performance. It also widens their perspective by showing there is more than one “right” way to solve a problem. The fact that 48% of parents prefer a hybrid learning model reflects how many families value flexible paths.

Think of a child who hates worksheets but lights up in a stop-motion animation club. They plan, revise, ask questions, and share a final project they can proudly show. The same child often starts taking healthy risks in other areas, too. That mindset makes it easier to protect quality time with simple, shared routines that still feel meaningful.

Build a 15‑Minute After‑School Routine You Can Do Together

When kids get chances to explore and create, they grow, but they also need to feel your steady presence behind the scenes. One of the simplest ways to protect that connection during busy seasons is to pick an after-school activity you can do with your child, even if it’s just 15 minutes. The goal isn’t a big production; it’s consistency. When you have a small plan of attack, your child reliably gets quality time with you, and you don’t carry the same pressure to “make it up” later. That together-time can look a few different ways:

• Join their activity in a small, doable way, sit down and participate alongside them rather than supervising from across the room.
• Be available for bedtime every night when you can, so the day ends with connection.
• Invite them into simple chores while you’re working in the kitchen, so being together doesn’t depend on having extra hours.
• Plan a new experience together (something to look forward to), which builds closeness even before it happens.

If you need help thinking through busy-season priorities without adding more guilt to your plate, it can be reassuring to map out what matters most. Once you’ve protected that small daily “us” moment, it’s easier to choose from a wider menu of outside-the-box activities that fit your child’s age and interests.

Pick Outside-the-Box Activities (With Age-Friendly Examples)

A good after-school activity doesn’t have to be a big weekly commitment. If you already have a simple 15‑minute together routine, these options plug right in, try one in “tiny mode” first, then build only if your child asks for more.

1. Run a “craft skill ladder,” not random crafts: Pick one craft learning goal for 2–3 weeks (cutting, stitching, weaving, origami folds) and repeat it with small upgrades. For younger kids, that might be cutting straight lines → zigzags → simple shapes; for older kids, sewing a button → repairing a tear → making a mini pouch. Keeping a “before/after” page in a notebook helps kids see progress, which boosts confidence.
2. Make arts education feel like a mini studio, not a worksheet: Choose one artist “move” per week, shading, collage layering, perspective, or color mixing, and do a 15‑minute warm-up side by side. Then let your child make one “final piece” on the weekend using the same move. A helpful north star is that 63% of young people who engage in creative activities report increased confidence and reduced stress/anxiety.
3. Try instrument lessons in a “micro-lesson” format at home: Instead of “practice for 30 minutes,” set a timer for 8–12 minutes and focus on one bite-size win: one riff, one chord change, or four clean measures. For ages 5–8, rhythm instruments or simple keyboard patterns work well; ages 9–12 can track a short practice streak and choose a “showcase song” every month. End by recording a 20‑second clip so they can hear improvement over time.
4. Build language acquisition into daily life with a theme week: Pick one theme, snacks, sports, pets, feelings, and learn 8–12 useful words plus 2 short phrases. Use them during your existing 15‑minute routine (label items, act out verbs, play “I spy” in the target language). Older kids can add a weekly voice note or short comic strip using the theme words.
5. Do a “kitchen STEM” experiment series with one variable at a time: Choose experiments you can repeat with small changes: paper airplanes (wing shape), slime (ratio), plants (light), or ice melt (salt/sugar/sand). Keep it simple: write a guess, change one thing, and note what happened. For teens, STEM programs can be especially worthwhile, one review found STEM education showed stronger cognitive outcomes in high school.
6. Start kid-friendly entrepreneurship with a tiny, low-stakes project: Pick a one-week “mini business” that fits your family schedule: a bookmark-making table, a dog-walk flyer for neighbors you know, or a donation drive. Ideas like selling homemade crafts help kids practice pricing, presentation, and polite communication without needing big startup costs. Keep the goal small, earn enough for one shared treat or donate proceeds to a cause they choose.
7. Create a rotating “choice board” so quitting turns into tweaking: Post 10 options (mix crafts, art, music, language, STEM, and entrepreneurship) and let your child pick 2 per week: one easy comfort choice, one stretch choice. If motivation dips, swap the format before you ditch the whole activity, shorter sessions, a different theme, or doing it together during your 15‑minute routine. These small experiments make it easier to balance costs, time, and follow-through without turning after school into a battle.

Common Questions Parents Ask About After-School Ideas

Q: What if I can’t tell which activity my child will actually like?
A: Start with a short “taste test” week and watch for energy, not perfection. The five core dimensions can guide you: do they enjoy it, want it often, prefer doing it alone or together, and like the setting? Let them choose the next tiny step.

Q: How do I balance activities with homework and downtime?
A: Pick a hard stop time and protect decompression first, even if that means only 10 minutes of an activity. It also helps to consider how they will affect the entire family so your schedule stays calm and predictable.

Q: Can I support my child’s interests without pushing too hard?
A: Aim for encouragement, not outcomes: notice effort, curiosity, and problem-solving. Offer two options and let them pick, then end on a “we’ll pause here” note before frustration spikes.

Q: How do we build consistency when motivation is all over the place?
A: Keep the same small time slot on most days so it becomes automatic. Track streaks with something simple like a calendar dot or one sentence about what they tried.

Q: What should I do when an activity melts down or they want to quit?
A: Treat it as feedback, not failure: reduce the difficulty, shorten the session, or switch materials. Ask one question, “What part felt too hard?” then help them make one change for next time.

Build Confidence Through One New After-School Choice This Week

It’s easy to feel stuck between wanting kids to try more and worrying about over-scheduling or choosing the “wrong” activity. A steadier path is a positive parenting outlook that treats after-school time as low-pressure experimentation, guided by empowering parental choices and honest check-ins. When that mindset leads, confidence in activity selection grows, and so does a child’s curiosity, independence, and other developmental benefits as their horizons expand. One new experience at a time is how confidence is built. Choose one small next step this week, sign up for a trial, visit a club, or simply ask which idea feels worth testing. Those small yeses build resilience and connection that carry well beyond the school year.

Katherine Williams knows that one of the most difficult things about parenting is taking good care of yourself so you can take the best care of your children. She created When the Baby Sleeps to help parents prioritize self-care so they can be there for their kids. She knows that finding time for self-care as a parent never gets easier, but she hopes the advice and resources shared on her site will help her visitors be their best parenting selves.

Founders

Two stories. 
Two books. 
Two families. 
Without courage neither will have a legacy to leave to the next generation. What heritage will you leave for your family?

Two stories:
What happens if you have dragons and an ice sea? What if a young man is out for revenge–against dragons?
What happens when a sliver of your moon comes careening toward the planet? What will it take for a family to survive?

Two books:
Things Passed Down
Things Left Behind

Two families:
Giorgi Ioseb’s son is the last of clan Kori. He’s determined to fulfill his papa’s dying wish.
Wendel Vogt’s dad handed him the family ring as the sliver of the moon had entered their planet’s atmosphere. With it comes a responsibility to the family and to stand for what Dad stood for.

Courage:
Giorgi will need courage to go against his very nature to achieve the revenge he longs for.
Wendel will need courage to face a world tilted off its axis.

The Special Editions

Since both stories take place at oposite ends of the planet, I’ve used that to influence the color choice. Things Passed Down will be blue to represent the cold north, while Things Left Behind is orange for the sun. Things Passed Down has snowflakes in silver foil. Things Left Behind has the watch Wendel’s dad gives him in gold foil. The silver and gold will continue with faux metalic sprayed edges.

Inside will have special art for chapter headers. I’m still finalizing who and what that will look like.

How to Pre-order

Normally, to pre-order books, you go to retailers, pay them, wait until release day and then the ebook miraculously ends up on your device. I’ve started to change that up. Instead of the impersonal route of ebook only pre-order, I’ve started to use Kickstarter. This enables those who pre-order to receive the ebooks months before the book is available in stores and usually there’s something special about even the ebooks that don’t end up on regular stores.

Besides early special ebooks, this also enables special art to be commissioned. For Paskal’s Hope in Four Stars over Ardatz: Journeys duology, we have two character sketches added to the chapter art already in the paperback and hardback that won’t be available in retail stores.

Kickstarter enables the author and reader to connect through reader polls of what they want in the book, stretch goals, and direct messaging.

To sum up, Kickstarter is great because:

• you receive ebooks ahead of others
• you receive special edition ebooks
• you receive special edition paperbacks or hardbacks (yes, both physical and ebook)
• you get to vote in what makes the special edition ‘special’
• you have direct access to the author
• you get swag (either digital or physical)
• you get both books of the duology at once if you wish instead of waiting (for this and future Kickstarters for me)

If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, then follow the Kickstarter to get an email notification when it launches (early September is the plan.)

One of the tough topics that’s discussed in Four Stars over Ardatz: Journeys is sexual assault. This unfortunately is too often left undiscussed, especially among those who claim Christ. I think by taking a verse that says: “it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of [evildoers] in secret.” (Eph 5:12) We’ve given power to abusers and assailants. 

I know when I finally allowed my brain to unlock a sliver of a memory, I felt shame and guilt–not because it’d happened, but because I’d lied my whole life! Yet, by bringing it out into the open, by sitting with my mom and working through a secondary outcome, and by lots of prayer and Bible study, I was able to be freed of the shame and fear that assault had left in its wake.  

By having characters go through these horrific events (off the page) and walking through the healing process, I hope to bring about conversations, to provide a voice for those who feel as if they have no voice, and provide hope that there is a better outcome than what they’ve faced so far. 

How do you help those who’ve faced this? Remember last week’s post about how to talk about tough topics? The same applies here. The main thing you can do is provide a loving, nonjudgmental ear for them to share when they feel ready. If you’re a partner to a survivor of abuse, realize that things that had been fine earlier may now not be alright. Be patient with them and show love without touch.

A book, and even movies, make the process seem easy and/or quick. But that is as far from the truth as possible. Even if the healing comes relatively quickly (over the course of a year or so), years later triggers can arise that give fear a hold again. 

By speaking about this tough topic, we can free survivors of the shame that accompanies sexual assault and abuse. We provide them freedom and lift a burden that is too heavy for them to carry alone. 

If you’re a survivor and have no one to talk to, feel free to reach out. If you know a survivor, feel free to share either Kristjan’s Rise or Paskal’s Hope with them as books that may help them see that there is hope. Good resources for healing are The Wounded Heart by Dan Allender and Lord, Heal My Hurts by Kay Arthur. If you have troubles finding any of these resources, reach out to me, I can help you find them.

Speaking about hard topics can leave us feeling heavy and weighed down, but remember the goal is to shine light in the midst of darkness. To turn our scars into weapons of light.

What’s the Hype?

The book is a hardback with a velvet cover embossed in gold with a hole for the circle image to show through. The pages have gold foil printed and there’s a ribbon bookmark. Besides tat there’s a bunch of other fun Hobbit items that comes with it!

Who Else is Hosting it?

Raymond Keith, Epic Fantasy Author of The Fires of Wynchell series.

Katherine Briggs, Epic Fantasy Author of The Threshold Duology

I highly recommend both The Eternity Gate and The Immortal Abyss. I kicked myself for waiting to read them, and then ended up with the hardcovers after reading the e-books. Well worth reading!

Tirzah Rae, Fantasy Author

Her debut novel will be live on Kickstarter hopefully this week.

Kickstarter for Land of Guiding Lies

Hope Ann, Dystopian Author of Unbanded

This book is on my shelf waiting to be read. I don’t know if I’ll get to it before Realm Makers or if it’ll be my on the plane read.

How to Enter

Use the button and follow the instructions. You can get extra entries by following all the different authors as well.