About viviankirkfield

Writer for children - Reader forever - Mom of 3, educator, author of FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK (PomegranateKids, PIPPA'S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books); MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books); FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Jan 19, 2021); PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, First Woman to Bike Around the World (Calkins Creek/Astra, Feb 20, 2024) picture book junkie, lover of travel, hiking, fly-fishing, cooking, and playing Monopoly with my grandson.

The Day No One Played Together: A Story About Compromise Gets a 5-Star Review

Posted on October 30, 2011 by viviankirkfield

“Mommieeeeee……..Crystal won’t play with me!!!!!!”

If you have young children, I’m sure you have heard something like this before.

We are always working on interpersonal relationships, even as adults…and children need to learn how to get along with others, whether siblings or friends.

Do you wonder if your children will ever get along and do you pray for an answer?

Children’s book author, Donalisa Helsley, has obviously been listening!

Her newest book, The Day No One Played Together: A Lesson About Compromise, is a beautifully illustrated (by the talented Sarah Harkey) story of two sisters who want to play together. However, each wants the other to play HER game. When the sisters come to a stalemate, their mom steps in with a suggestion: COMPROMISE. The girls begin to brainstorm many ideas of how they can incorporate what each wants to do so that they can play together. They happily solve their problem and the book ends with the sisters spending the rest of the day playing with each other. Parents: grab a copy of this book…read it with your children…help them apply the concept of compromise next time there is an argument…and enjoy the peace and harmony.

On the last page of the book, Ms. Helsley provides a simple definition of some of the words in the story that young children might be hearing for the first time. I love this feature of the book…we should always encourage children to understand what they are reading or hearing…this helps build their vocabulary…one of the most important components of literacy.

You can find out more about this great children’s author by visiting her website: www.wildaboutreading.net

You can like her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wildaboutreading

You can contact her: wildaboutreading@ymail.com

The book is available for purchase on Amazon, B&N.com, Goodreads and the author’s website. I definitely recommend The Day No One Played Together: A Story About Compromise as a MUST-HAVE for every young child’s bookshelf and the library in every preschool and kindergarten classroom.

I’m grateful to Ms. Helsley for sending me a copy of her book. It was my pleasure to read it and my honor to review it. I plan to use the book in my Show-Me-How Story-time with Miss Vivian programs in local schools and libraries during the next few months. I know the children will love hearing about Jadyn and Genesis and will be able to relate what happened to the two sisters in the story to their own struggles with getting along with their playmates. For 100 other picture book recommendations and activities to go along with them, check out the BIG holiday online special of Show Me How!

Is the Tooth Fairy Leaving Money Under Your Pillow?

Posted on October 27, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Do you remember putting a baby tooth under your pillow at night and waking up in the morning with eager anticipation to see how much money the tooth fairy had left in place of that tooth?

Do your children carry on this tradition?

I remember those loose baby teeth, hanging on by a thread, my tongue pushing them this way and that.

I remember going to sleep wondering what the tooth fairy would leave for me.

I remember the joy when I discovered a quarter under my pillow.

But as adults, losing teeth is not an event that calls for celebration!

How can we keep our teeth in good health?

Dentists recommend that you:

Brush your teeth twice a day
Floss daily
See your dental care professional at least once a year
Limit snacks, especially sugary ones

Do you have a favorite brand of toothpaste or mouthwash? The shelves in the grocery and drug stores are loaded with many different brands of toothpaste, mouthwashes and other products used for oral hygiene. How do we know which are good for us and which can actually harm us?

Parents have an especially important job when it comes to helping their children make good oral hygiene a habit. Even before children have teeth, they can be brushing their gums with a very soft brush with a very small head. Keep toothpaste out of reach, as well as any other oral care products. If toothpaste is used, the parent should put it on the brush. Make up a brushing-our-teeth song and sing it while your child brushes. Before bedtime and also after breakfast are two important times for young children to brush their teeth. Pediatricians often recommend that parents use a clean soft damp cloth to wipe off a very young child’s gums and teeth. Check with your pediatrician or dental care professional for more tips that will keep your child’s mouth and teeth healthy.

Brushing teeth should become an established part of your child’s bedtime routines. Another important part of that routine is the bedtime story. There are so many books available…which ones should you choose? For summaries of 100 picture books every young child should hear, you can pick up a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking, now at more than 50% off for a limited time only on my website or on Amazon. Give yourself and your child a gift this holiday season that will build self-esteem, develop literacy skills and strengthen the parent-child connection long after the wrapping and ribbon are thrown away.

Want to read what the Dallas Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has to say about Show Me How? Click here.

Every page you turn will provide a great picture book summary, a simple craft project and a healthful child-friendly cooking activity…IT’S QUICK AND EASY & ONLY $19.95! This is an ONLINE SPECIAL ONLY…safely purchase on my website through PayPal or on Amazon.

A Parenting Lesson from Buck, the Horse Whisperer

Posted on October 23, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Last night we watched “Buck”, a documentary about a horse whisperer that is an absolute must-see for every parent and teacher.

“Horse whisperer?” you say. “I raise (or teach) children, not horses.”

Please let me explain.

Buck Brannaman was raised by a bullying abusive father. As young boys in the 1960’s, he and his brother performed as trick rope artists. On the surface, the life of these children looked glamorous…fancy cowboy outfits, cereal commercials on TV, traveling across the country. But behind closed doors, Buck’s father beat them mercilessly. When a school coach discovered the situation, he intervened and Buck and his brother were sent to a foster home.

Fortunately for Buck, the Shirley’s were loving nurturing foster parents who understood that he needed to learn to believe in himself before he could trust and believe in others.

Parenting is a very difficult task, probably the hardest job in the world. And we often model our parenting on the way our own parents behaved towards us when we were children. Problems arise when our parents were not good role models…and that’s what is so amazing about this documentary. It reveals that Buck was able to turn his back on the bad parenting he had experienced as a young child and instead, mirror the skills of his foster parents, not only with his own child, but also with horses.

Buck travels around the country forty weeks out of the year giving four-day horse clinics. People come with their horses to learn how to improve the connection between horse and rider.

Can we take some of Buck’s horse whisperer advice and apply it to our own situations, raising our children and improving the parent-child connection?

We definitely can and should!

1. Take Buck’s advice, “live in the moment…you don’t have to live in the past”. If your parents lacked good parenting skills, find other role models and do a better job with your own children. There are many resources in your area that you can turn to for help and support.

2. “Horses (and children) are a mirror of your soul”, as Buck so aptly put it…observe the behavior (or misbehavior) and then see what you are doing (or not doing) that might account for that behavior. If your child is exhibiting a behavior that is inappropriate, you need to act…be consistent, enforce consequences, and always show compassion. Again, local agencies are available to offer help and support.

3. Buck says, “discipline and encourage…don’t discipline and discourage”. If you feel that you and/or any other adult in the home have anger management issues or you have a concern for the safety of your children or yourself, contact Childhelp immediately or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD.

You’ll find similar suggestions in my book for parents and teachers, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking.

HAPPY HOLIDAY SPECIAL

GET A HEAD START ON YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING

For a LIMITED TIME (October 23 – November 23), we are offering a brand-new signed and inscribed copy of Show Me How! for $19.95. This is the lowest priceit has even been…over 50% off the cover price! You won’t find a new copy cheaper ANYWHERE. This is a ONE MONTH on-line special only on my website where you can purchase the book securely through PayPal and or on Amazon, if you prefer.

What a great gift this book makes for parents, grandparents, preschool and nursery teachers, nannies, daycare providers, babysitters and early childhood education students! Are any of those people on your holiday gift list?

“The book is both a tool and a workbook that helps loving adults encourage children to identify and safely communicate their feelings, to develop skills to problem solve and to make healthy choices.” – Ellen Levy, MSW, LCSW, Executive Director, Adoption Choice Center, Colorado Springs, CO

Story suggestions help you choose the right book to read with your child.
Arts and crafts projects are QUICK AND EASY.
Recipes are CHILD-FRIENDLY AND HEALTHY.
Empowers parents
Engages children

Click here for another great review of Show Me How! And please don’t put off buying a copy at this great price…for under $20 you will be giving a unique personalized gift to a friend, teacher or family member and the gift of self-esteem to a child.