July | 2012 | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD – Writer for Children

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is SILENCE.

I’ve only “heard” true silence twice in my life…twenty-five years ago while parasailing and last year while skydiving. Silence…the absence of sound or communication…is sometimes helpful when one needs to collect one’s thoughts or ponder an important decision.

But should we apply this to our parenting approach…following the old proverb that says…children should be seen and not heard?

I don’t recommend it.

Why not?

Children need opportunities to tell us what they think and feel.

Children need time to interact with their peers.

Children need to form strong friendships in those early years in order to develop healthy relationships later in life.

These activities don’t call for silence…they call for open and honest communication.

What activities do you have planned for your kids this summer? Summer is a perfect time to read picture books to young children! Children who are read to at an early age are more successful in school. I’ll be posting an A-Z list of some of the best in my next post.

For great story suggestions and quick and easy activities for kids, you might want a copy of Show Me How!

Are you wondering if the book really works? Check out these recent reviews: http://nrhatch.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/show-me-how/

http://creatingcuriouskids.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/summer-fun-shortcut-show-me-how/

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post:

http://p0nky.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/sunday-post-silence/

http://piecesofstarlight.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/what-does-a-mixed-garden-of-prompts-grow/

http://northernnarratives.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/sunday-post-silence-2/

http://jullianeford.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/sunday-post-silence/

http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/sunday-post-silence/

http://tostir.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/sunday-post-silence/

http://jmeyersforeman.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/3307/

Sunday Post – Silence (northernnarratives.wordpress.com)
SUNDAY POST : Silence (jakesprinters.wordpress.com)

We all need a break now and then. I just got back from an amazing week in Chicago…total rest and relaxation provided by my son and daughter-in-law.

Many bloggers I know are stepping back a little from their posting schedule…renewing and refreshing themselves with family time and/or vacations near and far.

I, too, have been less active with the business of blogging…but today I wanted to catch up on several awards that have been passed along to me over the last few months. I also want to announce the winner of the Lap-Time Song and Play Book by Jane Yolen that I am giving away in honor of my 300^th blog post.

Let me first thank:

1. Future Flying Saucers for the Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award

The “Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award” has to do with a woman of the same name, known for being very elegant and having high expectations, and who is committed to maintaining integrity, good manners and behavior, as well as a rich sense of humor.

Future Flying Saucers is a homeschooling SAHM now…but she had a career in education before…her story is inspiring…I hope you will pay her a visit. I’m honored with this award…not sure about the elegant part…but I do have high expectations and I am definitely committed to maintaining integrity, good manners and behavior…and I can laugh at myself and try to see the lighter, humorous side of life, especially when things aren’t going well.

2. Dawn at Tales of the Motherhood for the Good Apple Award.

Dawn has an amazing blog…her home is a veritable United Nations…take a look-see…I know you will enjoy it. As with most blogging awards, there are all kinds of rules…answer a bunch of questions and then nominate others and provide them with questions they need to answer…but it’s summer…and I don’t want to give anyone more work and stress.

3. Milka at Perfecting Motherhood for the ABC Award.

If you love reading and think it is an important activity for children, please stop over at Perfecting Motherhood! Milka is an amazing mother who encourages reading by reading to her children every day, by having books available all the time (her children probably think the library is just an extension of their home because they are there so often) and by being seen reading (she is always recommending books that she has read). The requirement of the ABC Award (Awesome Blog Content) is to describe yourself using every letter of the alphabet…I seriously doubt anyone wants to know that much about me, but in my post on Sunday, I will recommend twenty-six picture books (from A to Z) for great summer reading.

4. Marcy at Orples for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

Marcy is a talented children’s picture book author and illustrator. Her Orples picture book series is charming and each book presents a lesson to be learned. Please pay a call to her website and check out her lovely books. I hope I can live up to this award…perhaps my passion for reading picture books with children will inspire other parents…and my love of writing picture books will encourage others who dream of publishing their work.

One of the rules of all of these awards is to nominate others to receive them. There are dozens and dozens of bloggers whose posts I love reading who deserve all of these awards. Many of them probably have some of them already. Because it is summer…and I don’t want to put pressure on anyone…I’m going to list a baker’s dozen (13) of blogs that I encourage everyone to visit…and pass along the honor of all four awards to them…but I hope none of the thirteen will feel compelled to post about it now. This list of bloggers is an international one…enjoy!