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.

Making Blood Draws Easier for Kids: Healthy Habit Thursday

Posted on May 5, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Do you like going for blood draws?

I don’t know about you, but it’s not my favorite activity.

In fact, I don’t think there are very many people who would look forward to that…unless you are a character in the Twilight series. 🙂

And if having blood drawn is unpleasant for most adults, imagine how little children feel about it!

In two weeks, I have an appointment to see my family doctor for my annual physical and he always wants me to have various lab tests done beforehand. So, the other day, I went to Healthlink, one of Memorial Hospital’s outpatient lab facilities in Colorado Springs, to get my blood drawn.

While sitting in the waiting room, I saw a notice hanging on the wall entitled, “Making Blood Draws Easier for Kids”.

After reading it, I spoke to the staff and asked if I could copy it and post it on my parenting blog because I knew that there must be many parents who would appreciate the information.

They were happy to have me pass along these simple tips that may help parents whose children need to have blood drawn.

1. Your attitude is contagious! If you are tense, your child will get tense as well.

Be positive!

Be honest with your child that it might hurt!

Talk about where or what you are going to be doing when you leave!

2. Your child could sit on your lap during the blood draw.

3. You could stand behind him or her and give a shoulder rub during the draw.

4. You could hold his or her other hand.

5. You could tell his or her favorite story.

6. You could leave the room…sometimes older kids would prefer this…it makes them feel grown up.

7. When it is all over, tell your child that you are proud of him or her…no matter how he or she acted during the draw.

8. Things NOT to say:

Don’t say it won’t hurt!
Don’t say just think of something else!
Don’t say just act like a big boy or girl!

As a parent, I appreciate how hard it is to see your child being stuck with a needle. I applaud the Healthlink staff for their foresight in posting this notice to encourage parents to be positive and honest with their children. If you have a child who needs to have blood drawn just once in a while for a particular test or on a regular basis because of some ongoing health problems, I hope these suggestions will be helpful.

Here’s another suggestion: Mother’s Day is only a few days away…and the long days of summer are just around the corner. We are offering a special Mother’s Day bonus for anyone who purchases a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Get a copy of this wonderful resource, brimming with fun-filled educational activities for young children, and receive a $10 Marshalls/TJMaxx Gift Card for mom as a bonus. Visit my website for the details. Offer ends on May 8.

Please stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian and find out about my visit at Queen Palmer School and my exciting plans for the Mother’s Day Weekend!

Mother’s Day Special: What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday

Posted on May 3, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Mrs. Ramsay and her children, Montreal, QC, 1891

Image by Musée McCord Museum via Flickr

“You may have tangible wealth untold,

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,

Richer than I you can never be,

I had a mother who read to me.”

This well-known verse by Strickland Gillihan points out so clearly how important it is to read to your child. I know that most of you do…for those of you who don’t…you are missing out on something really special. Reading picture books with young children is special for several reasons:

It engages the child in the story and events between the pages.
It develops pre-reading skills.
It opens up a window of opportunity for you and your child to discuss, not only the story, but how it relates to your child. Often, during story-time, children are able to talk more openly about issues that bother them.
The time you spend together creates a life-long parent-child bond and can be so much fun for everyone involved.

Here’s a great children’s book that celebrates Mother’s Day.

No Time For Mother’s Day by Laurie Halse Anderson is a story about a little girl who has two days to decide what to get for her mother. She goes shopping with her cousin whose mom had given her daughter a list of what she wanted and the money to buy everything. However, Charity does not see anything she wants to get for her mother. What she really wants to get is an extra pair of hands for her mother who is always so busy. On Mother’s Day, Charity’s present to her mom is revealed…a day of peace and quiet. Charity has turned off all of the phones and things that go beep.

Some other good Mother’s Day titles:

1. My Mother is Mine by Marion Dane Bauer

2. Berenstain Bears & the Mama’s Day Surprise by Jan and Stan Berenstain

3. Happy Mother’s Day by Steven Kroll

4. A Present for Mom by Vivian French

5. I Love You, Mama by Isabel Gaines

Reading, crafting and cooking with young children are wonderful activities that build self-esteem, develop pre-reading skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. If you’d like some more activities to fill the summer days ahead, you can purchase a copy of my book. It provides hundreds of great picture book suggestions, simple craft projects and easy cooking activities…enough to keep everyone happy and busy all summer long and beyond!

If you go to my website, you’ll be able to buy a copy at 20% off the cover price AND receive a bonus $10 Marshalls/TJMaxx gift card that will be mailed to you with the book. This is a special Mother’s Day offer, good only until May 8. The book is a great Mother’s Day gift for any mom who is time-short. There are 256 pages that are chock-full of easy eco-friendly activities that will keep your young children busy every day.

Buy a copy between May 1 and May 8 and receive a $10 Marshalls/TJMaxx Gift Card (aren’t these two of the best stores for moms?) with your order.

Please stop by tomorrow…for Healthy Habit Thursday…I’ll have some great tips about how to make blood draws easier for kids.

On Friday, I’m flying to Chicago to spend Mother’s Day weekend with my son and daughter-in-law. I will be meeting with the owner of Lollie’s, a children’s boutique, to discuss placing Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking in her shop…she’s read the book and loves it and would like to have it available for her customers. 🙂 So, Miss Vivian will be in Chicago for the next few days!

And I’m really excited because next week, we’ll be featuring a guest post from a local Colorado Springs author, Rebecca Dunning. She’s a really special lady and I’m thrilled to welcome her to next week’s What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday.

Make-A-Meal Mondays: Mother’s Day Special

Posted on May 2, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday.

What does every mother really need?

Perhaps some of you might say a day at the salon or a new dress.

Others might dream about a romantic get-away or dinner at a fancy restaurant.

But budgets are tight for most of us and young children really don’t have money to spend.

So what can your young children give you?

Here’s a beautiful solution that involves your young children in the planning and preparation (children love to help in the kitchen and it builds self-esteem, develops pre-reading skills and creates a life-long parent-child bond.

It’s also fun for the entire family and costs nothing more than a regular lunch or dinner at home.

Have a Mother’s Day Picnic…outside if the weather is mild (at a local park if you have one nearby) or indoors if it is cold or rainy. Spread out the blanket on the living room floor and you are all set!

Use paper plates for no-hassle cleanup…not having to prepare or clean up the meal is a wonderful gift for any mom.

MOTHER’S DAY KABOBS

You will need: An assortment of fruit such as grapes, strawberries and apples, a small block of American, Cheddar or Swiss cheese, several slices of cooked turkey or chicken and bamboo skewers.

1. Wash the fruit, cut stems off the strawberries, cut the apples in chunks.

2. Cut the cheese into small cubes.

3. Cut the meat slices into strips. Roll each strip before you push it onto the skewer.

4. Push pieces of fruit, cheese and meat onto each skewer in a colorful arrangement…let your child decide.

5. Wrap each completed skewer in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready for the picnic.

To round off the meal, choose whole wheat rolls or crackers and a juice box for each member of the family. Bring a ball to toss back and forth if you go to a park. If your picnic is indoors, why not turn on some music and have a family dance-off. I guarantee that your young children will treasure this Mother’s Day memory for years to come and, hopefully, you will as well.

Spending fun positive time together (that doesn’t cost a fortune and cause financial stress) builds family bonds. If you want some more Mother’s Day activities, including a craft project that will make beautiful note cards your child can give to a beloved grandmother or preschool teacher, please head over and click the activities tab on my website at http://www.positiveparentalparticipation.com

Summer is just around the corner. I know that many parents are wondering what they will do with their children. Great activities abound in my new book.

For this week only, in honor of Mother’s Day, we are offering a $10 MARSHALLS/TJMAXX GIFT CARD (two of the favorite stores of every mom) that will be included when your book ships out to you…a treasure-trove of fun-filled simple activities for your child and a lovely gift for you! Happy Mother’s Day from MoneyPenny Press, Ltd.