Newtown Tragedy…How Do We Move Forward?

Posted on December 19, 2012 by viviankirkfield

For twenty-five years, we lived in Watertown, a small Connecticut town just down the road from Newtown.

One doesn’t have to be a parent to weep for those young lives lost. One doesn’t have to be a family member or friend to mourn the adults who were killed.

There have been many tributes to the lives so tragically lost in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

Here’s one video that conveys its Norman Rockwell-like atmosphere…which only makes it more difficult to accept the reality of what happened.

Perhaps this is the ‘straw’ that breaks the camel’s back…perhaps this tragic event will spur much-needed legislation in various areas..

What can be done to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future?

Begin a dialogue concerning mental illness and how it is treated/viewed.
Legislate to ban automatic weapons except for law enforcement and the military.
Ensure that home weapons are securely locked and not accessible to anyone except the registered owner.
Reduce violence in the movies, TV shows, video games.
Increase one-on-one interpersonal connections…we are living in a society where people are disconnecting from each other.

What do you think? Do you agree? What would you add to the list?

Prayers for Newtown, CT (africanicole.com)
To the Newtown Community (therantingpapizilla.wordpress.com)
Thoughts and prayers for the innocent lives lost in Newtown, CT (americanturban.com)
President Obama Challenges Us To Protect ALL Of Our Children In Remarks At Newtown, CT (praiserichmond.com)
Our heartfelt condolences and thoughts will forever go out to the Newtown victims and their families. (everythinggl.com)
Celebrities React to Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting (justjared.com)
The Newtown, CT shooting. What can I do? How do I talk to my kids? (nateprentice.wordpress.com)
Newtown: A special town shattered by tragedy (news.yahoo.com)
https://viviankirkfield.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/helping-children-cope-with-trauma/
http://clarbojahn.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/a-gun-for-a-toddler-a-national-rifle-association-event/

Sunday Post: Follow Your Dreams…Princess Shayna’s Invisible Visible Gift

Posted on December 16, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Every week, Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post theme…today the theme is FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.

www.viviankirkfield.wordpress.com,Princess Shayna,sheila glazov

Look at this illustration. A child, sitting under a tree, dreaming of……?

Many of us have dreams of what we would like to become…of what we would like to do.

My advice? Follow your dreams…set goals and pursue them.

Hold onto your hats my friends…you are in for a treat! Today’s post is a holiday gift to all of you.

I would like to introduce you to one of my author friends, Sheila Glazov, who is an internationally known and award winning author, passionate educator, personality type expert, and professional speaker. I have asked Sheila to be a Holiday Guest Blogger and tell you about her captivating beautifully illustrated children’s book, Princess Shayna’s Invisible Visible Gift.

self-esteem,positive parental participation, sheila glazov

“Have you ever wondered if there is a fairy tale about a princess who is not poisoned by a villain, abandoned by her parents, or rescued by Prince Charming’s kiss? You will wonder no longer, when you learn more about my chapter book. The heroine of this a timely and timeless story is a princess whose loving parents teach her to be a strong, independent, and self-confident young woman, who girls and boys alike, can emulate and respect.

There are many meaningful, messages throughout the story. The three most significant are: 1) Appreciating and accepting individual’s differences, 2) Dealing with bully behavior, and 3) Handling personal tragedies and triumphs. Teachers have used my book as part of their school’s anti-bullying and/or diversity programs with remarkable results.

The “Invisible Visible Gift” that is referenced in the book’s title is self-esteem, which is a gift that is invisible, but can clearly be seen and felt by others by an individual’s confident behavior. Princess Shayna earns and shares her gift with the villagers in the Kingdom of Kindness, while attempting to complete a daunting Vision Quest to unite the four villages that have been separated by an evil force – the same evil force that inflicted her life-threatening disease for which the princess must take a magic elixir every day in order to live.

During her Vision Quest, the princess lives and attends school in each of the four villages in the Kingdom of Kindness. She learns to appreciate the adults’ and children’s unique personal strengths and diverse lifestyles. Princess Shayna enjoys visiting with the Yellow Sunflower villagers who are organized, responsible, and respectful; the Blue Forget-Me-Not villagers who are creative, intuitive, and compassionate; the Green Healing Herb villagers who are logical, precise, and methodical; and the Orange Tiger Lily villagers who are fun-loving, courageous, and resourceful. Her accepting perspective of the Kingdom and her own special gifts allows the princess to harmoniously unite all the villagers.

Sarah Spundah the Silver Spider, Sigmund the Royal Wizard, and White Falcon are enchanting characters who love and help Princess Shayna. But, the frightening sorceress, Meevillian, plots with her treacherous trolls, Mennis and Meene, to prevent the princess from completing her Vision Quest and schemes to gain control of the Kingdom of Kindness.

The story also teaches children they do not have to be perfect to be loved. No one is perfect, not even Princess Shayna! The princess has diabetes. My use of bibliotherapy helps children feel their problems are less threatening. They learn how to solve problems and handle difficulties when they encounter similar problems that are challenges for the story’s characters

Children generally establish their self-image and feel validation by what is said about them or how others behave toward them. Reading Princess Shayna offers children the opportunity to immediately discover their personality type and their “Praiseworthy Gifts”. The Gift Givers Guide at the back of the book is designed to help adults start a conversation with children at home or in the classroom to share their feelings and thoughts about their exciting journey with Princess Shayna.

Princess Shayna is the fairy tale version of my, What Color Is Your Brain?® book.The Brain Color personality types described in that book correspond to the attributes and abilities of the four villages in Princess Shayna’s Kingdom of Kindness. Children immediately pick up the concepts and naturally begin speaking “Brain Color”.

With this easy-to-understand, fun and non-judgmental language of color the children feel comfortable expressing their feelings and thoughts, which positively enrich their relationships with friends, family and teachers.

If you believe, as Vivian and I do, that every child deserves to feel loved, safe, and confident within a trustworthy home, school, and community environment, you will enjoy sharing Princess Shayna’s Invisible Visible Gift with the children in your life as Holiday, Birthday or Love Gift!
Please, note that 10% of the royalties from the sale of my books is allocated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) http://www.jdrf.org . Our eldest son has had Type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 27 years. My most fervent wish is to find a cure for Joshua and the other 3 million people in the United States who have Type 1 diabetes (T1D)!

I am most grateful to Vivian for giving me this generous opportunity to tell you about my books and programs. Thank you, Vivian!

Best wishes to everyone for a Joyful Holiday Season!”

The following links will help you:

Contact Sheila: sheila@sheilaglazov.com

Learn more about Princess Shayna’s Invisible Visible Gift www.PrincessShayna.com

Learn more about What Color Is Your Brain?® http://www.sheilaglazov.com/booksdvd/what-color-is-your-brain/

Take a fun Brain Quiz http://www.sheilaglazov.com/brain-quizzes

Learn more about Sheila’s Programs http://www.sheilaglazov.com/programs

Subscribe to Sheila’s Blog http://www.sheilaglazov.com/blog/

“Like” the What Color Is Your Brain? book Facebook Page for weekly updates http://www.facebook.com/What.Color.Is.Your.Brain

Follow Sheila on Twitter https://twitter.com/sheilaglazov

Follow Sheila on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/snglazov

Did you hold onto your hats? If you didn’t, I hope you will find them before Christmas.

I also hope all of you click on Sheila’s links to find out more about this amazing woman who generously shared her expertise and knowledge with me before my book was published. To purchase a copy of the wonderful chapter book that helps children learn about self-esteem and believe in themselves, click on this link: Princess Shayna’s Invisible Visible Gift. What a great companion book it would make to Show Me How!

Have fun with Sheila’s Brain Quiz…children love to discover the ‘color’ of their brain…and adults will find that it enhances your work and personal relationships because you can understand why you get along so well with some people and not with others.

I join with Sheila in wishing all of you a Happy Holiday and successful and healthy New Year.

Don’t forget to check out Susanna Leonard Hill’s 2^nd Annual Holiday Contest…there will be amazing children’s stories to read! Winners will be announced on her blog on Wednesday, December 26^th and there will be LOTS of fabulous prizes.

For more information about the Sunday Posts:

Connecticut School Tragedy…Helping Young Children Cope With Trauma

Posted on December 15, 2012 by viviankirkfield

1993…The Year of the Graduations (Junior High, High School and College)

We raised our three children in a small Connecticut town less than thirty minutes from yesterday’s tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. When I heard about it, my first thought was to call my kids (who are now 30-somethings with families of their own) and gather them close.

For twenty-five years we lived happily and…for the most part…peacefully. Our children went from elementary schools to middle schools to high schools and finally to college. We held onto their bike handles as they learned to ride a two-wheeler and we held onto our hearts as they learned to drive a car. They kept us up at night when they were babies…and we stayed up late when they got older, waiting for them to come home from a date or event. We shared their joys and sorrows…helped them with their homework and tried to guide them along the difficult path of growing up.

They didn’t always agree with our rules…and we didn’t always agree with their behavior. But I would do it all over again in the blink of an eye.

There are twenty sets of parents in Sandy Hook tonight who have been robbed of this. There are twenty sets of parents in Sandy Hook tonight who will never help their children ride two-wheelers, or watch them perform in school plays or walk them down the aisle when they get married.

My heart goes out to everyone involved…the residents of Sandy Hook/Newtown, the school staff, the family and friends of the shooter and those directly impacted…parents, friends and families of the children and adults who were murdered.

I know that every parent who heard about this is praying for the families. If you have young children, you may be wondering how to handle this situation. Those directly impacted will be receiving professional counseling…but what should you do if your family was not part of this horrific event?

If your children have heard about the tragedy, encourage them to talk about it.
Be honest with them…but age-appropriately…if your children see you are upset, tell them you are sad about what happened because these are real people, not video game or movie characters.
Reassure them that this was a bad thing that happened, but that you will keep them safe and that there will always be someone to take care of them.
Tell them you are happy that they are fine and that you love them.
Young children may not verbalize what they are feeling, so watch your child’s behavior.
If you see a sudden change in your child’s behavior, consult your pediatrician.
With all the news on the media, even children who have not been directly involved may experience trauma and need counseling.
Speak calmly about the situation and try to carry on with planned events and regular routines.

The holiday season should continue…because keeping to routines is one of the best ways to reassure children that all is well. So I will continue with my post as planned.

There is a holiday writing contest over at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog.

dashing through the snow

The Contest: Write a children’s holiday story beginning with any version of “Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh.” You may use that actual opening, or you may change it to any similar version “[Verb of your choice]ing through the [any substance you choose] in a [conveyance of any kind].” For example, “Dashing through the sand in a two-wheeled donkey cart” or “Sloshing through the swamp in a green and white canoe” or “Flying through the air in a striped hot air balloon…” You get the idea, I’m sure 🙂 But “Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh” is completely acceptable too – whatever works for you 🙂 Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 350 words (because I have to read them all in the week before Christmas! :))

I love Susanna’s contests…they encourage me to think ‘outside the box’ when it comes to writing children’s stories.

Because I’ve been so busy, I had left the writing of the story until the last-minute. With the tragedy in the news, I was tempted to write a somber tribute…but decided instead to submit something light and silly…something that might bring a smile to the faces of the children who were in the school, but survived. Based on the nursery rhymes that all children know and love, I give you, “Mother Goose, Apple Juice, Chocolate Mousse and More!”

Mother Goose, Apple Juice, Chocolate Mousse and More

by Vivian Kirkfield (228 words)

Hiking through the snow

In brand-new Christmas boots.

Tripping as we go

On gnarly old tree roots.

Humpty-Dumpty rolls,

Then Jack and Jill fall down.

Muffet drops her bowls

As we pass through the town.

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

We can’t find the sheep

Bo Peep has lost them all.

Wee Willie wants to sleep

He leans against the wall.

We’ll have lots to eat

Jack Horner brought his pie

Hot Cross Buns are sweet

And Jack Sprat made stir-fry.

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

Everyone is dressed

In special party clothes

Peter Piper’s vest

Has pickle juice and bows.

Mother Hubbard’s kids

Each wears a new chemise.

Bobby Shaftoe skids

On silver buckled knees

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

Here we are at last

Sweet music fills the air

Horn gives out a blast

Boy Blue blows with great flair.

Mary and her lambs

Hip-hop the whole night long.

Lucy Locket jams

With King Cole’s fiddlers’ song.

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

I hope you all enjoy this silly little children’s holiday rhyming story. In the next few days, many others will be linking up on Susanna’s contest page. Go and check them out…you won’t be disappointed!

And please come back on Sunday…I have a wonderful guest poster, author and amazing personality speaker, Sheila Glazov…you definitely won’t want to miss it!!!