What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: SWIMMY

Posted on March 2, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan in 1898. On the...

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“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” –Helen Keller

For me, faith in oneself is tied together with confidence in oneself…the belief that no matter what the challenge or task, we are up for it.

This is such an important lesson to teach our children and the picture book I’m recommending today from the 100 that appear in SHOW ME HOW, epitomizes this. Reading this story with your children can open up a discussion about many topics…death, overcoming obstacles and working together are only a few of them.

SWIMMY

Written and illustrated by Leo Lionni

One day, a big hungry tuna fish swallows an entire school of little red fish. Swimmy, the only little black fish in that school, escapes because he is the fastest swimmer. Although he is very sad to have lost his family, he enjoys discovering the many wonders of the underwater world as he swims along. When he discovers another school of little red fish hiding in the shadows of some corals, Swimmy invites them to join him on his journey, but they are afraid to venture out of their safe haven because they will become prey to the large fish. Swimmy decides to fool the other sea creatures by teaching the little red fish to swim together, creating the illusion of a large fish with himself as the eye. This enables them all to leave their hiding place and enjoy the wonders of the ocean.

Swimmy’s speed enabled him to escape the hungry tuna, his color helped him to be the eye of the fish formation, and his ingenuity created the idea that would save his newly found school of little red fish. Our children have special qualities also and we must encourage them to value their own strengths.

Just 15 minutes a day is enough time to read a picture book to your child and that may be the most important 15 minutes you spend each day. Reading picture books to your child build’s self-esteem, develops pre-literacy skills, creates a life-long parent-child bond…and it’s FUN!

Need some direction regarding which books to choose to read to your child? SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING provides summaries of the 100 picture books every young child needs to hear. Don’t let another day go by without getting a copy of this valuable resource for your home…on sale now for only $22.50 with FREE SHIPPING (continental U.S. only). Visit my website for details.

I invite you to return tomorrow for HEALTHY HABIT THURSDAY.

Quotable Timeless Tuesdays: FAITH

Posted on March 1, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by George Eastman House via Flickr

Young children are filled with faith.

“When I look at the galaxies on a clear night, when I look at the incredible brilliance of creation, and think that this is what God is like, then instead of feeling intimidated and diminished by it, I am enlarged…I rejoice that I am part of it.” –Madeleine L’Engle

They believe all kinds of outrageous stories…the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny and so on.

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

They trust that their needs will be met by their parents…food, shelter and love.

“The heart that is generous and kind most resembles God.” –Robert Burns

They hold out their small hands for us to guide them along the path we choose for them.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” –Helen Keller

If only we, as adults, could retain that childlike trust and faith.

“Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark.” –Rabindranath Tagore

They say that with faith, all things are possible.

I truly believe that and I know that it is especially important for parents of young children to have faith…as they raise their children in this difficult and often dangerous world.

Faith in themselves.

Faith in their children.

Faith in a Creator, Higher Power, Universal Being…call it what you will…it will give you strength and peace of mind.

“I would rather err on the side of faith than on the side of doubt.” –Robert Schuller

Please stop by tomorrow for WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S BOOKCASE WORDY WEDNESDAY for a review of another picture book every young child should hear from the 100 titles recommended in SHOW ME HOW! This is a book that will help you with the difficult job of parenting…providing you with gentle tips and awesome activities. If you click on the link above, it will bring you to my website where you can purchase a copy for half-price so you can begin reading, crafting and cooking with your preschooler…building self-esteem, developing pre-literacy skills and creating a life-long parent child bond…just 15 minutes a day can shape your child’s future Sale ends on March 9…World Read-Aloud Day. WE ALL NEED A CHEERING COMMITTEE AND PARENTS ARE A CHILD’S MOST IMPORTANT FANS!

Make-A-Meal Mondays: Faith As Small As A Mustard Seed

Posted on February 28, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by limaoscarjuliet via Flickr

One of the greatest things about blogging is the opportunity it provides you with to read the blogs of others.

There are some fantastic writers out there!

Of course, there are only 24 hours in each day, so there is a limit to how many other blogs one can read and still have time to write one’s own. 🙂

I follow several bloggers…and there is one that I read faithfully every day. Today’s post from Elizabeth of Mirth and Motivation is about faith in small things.

I began thinking about that and thought about a loving couple who join together and create life. That new life is definitely a VERY small thing and what a great deal of faith parents have in their unborn child!

The tiny collection of cells that becomes a living, breathing baby and then the tiny baby, helpless and vulnerable, unable to do anything for itself except breathe and cry who becomes a toddler, unsteady on his feet.

The toddler who learns to talk and walk and write his or her name…I know it takes a lot of faith to be a parent…a lot of faith in small things…a lot of faith to see the process of raising a child from infancy to adolescence and beyond.

As parents we need to have faith in ourselves and in our ability to be good parents and also faith in our children and in their potential to grow up to be successful and happy people…as the Bible says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain – MOVE – and it will move from here to there.”

Since this is Make-A-Meal Mondays, I searched through SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING for a recipe that would be appropriate for this post…one that called for mustard in the ingredient list.

CHILD-FRIENDLY FISH CASSEROLE FROM THE SEVEN SEAS

You will need: 10 oz creamy potato leek soup, 1¼ cups milk, 1¼ cups uncooked rice, 1 can tuna drained, 1 box frozen peas, ¼ lb sliced American cheese, ½ tsp mustard, 2 quart casserole dish with cover (or use aluminum foil) and a sauce pan.

1. Mix the soup and milk in the pan and bring to a boil and then remove from heat.

2. Put ½ of the soup mixture into a casserole dish and add the rice, tuna, peas and mustard.

3. Pour in the remaining soup mixture and top with cheese slices.

4. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

5. Serves 4. Add a salad and fresh whole-wheat rolls for a lovely dinner.

Does your preschooler enjoy helping you in the kitchen?

Letting your children help in meal preparation does so much to build their self-esteem. It’s also a great way to encourage fussy eaters to try new things. If you purchase a copy of my new parenting book, now on sale at half-price on my website, you’ll find 100 child-friendly healthful recipes that you and your child can prepare together…most take just 15 minutes to prepare.

Just 15 minutes can build your child’s self-esteem…is there a better way to spend that time?

Please stop by tomorrow for Quotable Timeless Tuesdays for some wonderful quotations about FAITH.