Blogger Awards and Some Random Thoughts About Me

Posted on June 27, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Wow! Three blogger awards from Elizabeth at Mirth and Motivation…thank you so much…she is an inspiration to all who read her posts and connect with her. If I were marooned on a desert island and could only read the posts of one blogger, hers would be the one!

According to Elizabeth, I’m supposed to list seven random things about myself, so here goes. 🙂

1. I’m really careful about what I eat during the day, but in the evening, I reward myself with a mini ice-cream sundae and then a BIG bowl of air-popped popcorn.

2. I love the sound of the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher all going at the same time…my husband HATES the noise, but for me it says, “Stuff is getting done!”

3. When my children were young and wanted to give me flowers as a gift but they had no money to spend, I would go to the store with them and have them point out the bunch of flowers they would choose. I would go over and smell them. Then I would hug and kiss the kids and tell them, “Thank you, I love them.”

4. I’m not good at going places I’ve never been…I have to print out the directions on MapQuest…both going there and coming back…otherwise I will probably get lost.

5. When I was a child, I would go to the library and take out so many books, you could hardly see me behind the stack of books as I walked home. I would read them one after another and then go back and get more. I guess I haven’t changed. 🙂

6. I was a very fussy eater when I was young…when my family would go to the Chinese restaurant, it cost my parents 25 cents for my empty plate on which I piled white rice and crispy noodles.

7. I’d rather make several right turns and go out of my way a bit to avoid making a left where there is lots of on-coming traffic and no light.

So, there are seven random things about myself…hope you enjoyed them. Did you laugh at some…or roll your eyes…or perhaps nod your head in agreement or recognition. Do let me know. 🙂

Is It Too Early To Begin Planning For The New School Year?

Posted on June 25, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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I know that summer has just begun. Many of us are thinking of poolside parties and frozen pops and Fourth of July parades.

But if your child is starting school in August, or if there were problems adjusting to the classroom routine last year, it’s not too early to think about how you can insure a smooth transition from home to school. This holds true for older children as well as for those of preschool age.

What can parents do during the summer to prepare for the new school year?

1. Have an upbeat, matter-of-fact, positive attitude about school.

2. If your child has not been there yet, arrange for a visit before school starts.

3. Connect with parents of other children in the class and have play dates with your child’s classmates…children feel more at ease when they see friendly faces in the classroom.

4. If you don’t have a routine in place for bedtime and getting-ready-for-the-day-in-the-morning time, put them in place now. Make it a habit to discuss plans for the next day in the evening and lay out clothes and anything else needed the night before. When school starts, your child will be used to getting things ready and you won’t have that last minute rush in the morning to find the missing shoe or backpack. Regarding bedtime, please make sure you are allowing plenty of time for your child to get ready (brush teeth, wash, lay out clothes and necessary items, story-time, etc.) and still be getting to bed at a reasonable hour. I know that it is tempting to let young children stay up later, especially in the summer, but when school starts, it will be a difficult habit to break…and young children need more than 10 hours of sleep at night.

5. Make sure your child is eating a good breakfast in the morning…when school starts, this will be even more important. And what is a good breakfast? My younger son loved pizza for breakfast. Some children might prefer eggs and toast, cereal with fruit and milk, French toast and bacon or pancakes with fruit toppings. How about peanut butter and banana on whole wheat bread for a highly nutritious breakfast?

Do you have some super breakfast menus that your children love? Please share! We all need fresh ideas.

Many times, children who are fussy eaters become better eaters when you let them help out in the kitchen. If you are looking for some easy child-friendly recipes, Show Me How! has one hundred of them and teams each cooking activity with a picture book suggestion and an easy eco-friendly arts and crafts project. Head on over to my website to take advantage of the Jump Into Summer Special…50% off the cover price. The book makes a great gift for any parent, grandparent, expectant parent, babysitter, nanny, daycare provider, preschool teacher…and there is an additional discount if you buy two copies…only $20 per copy! You will be getting two copies for less than the cover price of one! And, if you order by June 30^th, we are including a bonus sheet of self-stick gold stars that can be used on goal charts and more!

Studies show that the quality time you spend with your young children now has a positive impact on their school performance in later years. This is a great opportunity to get a wonderful resource you can use on a daily basis, year after year. Show Me Howis an award-winning book endorsed by parents, teachers and national organizations such as the JDRF. To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today. This is a book that makes it easy and fun to be in your children’s lives today! It is the ONLY book you will need to buy to plan educational, self-esteem building activities for your preschoolers. Don’t put it off until tomorrow!

Reading with Mom Can Boost Kindergarten Readiness (nlm.nih.gov)
Computers in Preschool: Hurting or Helping? (education.com)
Reconciling our 3c’s with the German education system (americanauslander.wordpress.com)
Bullying in Preschool: What Parents Need to Know (education.com)

A Father’s Day Tribute to the Fathers I Have Known

Posted on June 19, 2011 by viviankirkfield

To my own father: We both loved Saturday mornings when we watched TV together…Tarzan and Ramar of the Jungle. Walking to the little grocery store on Sunday to buy Thomas’ English muffins to have with breakfast…you always bought me a Charlotte Russe…if I close my eyes now, I can see the mound of whipped cream topped with a cherry. Going to the park across the street with you and my best friend, Jane, and her father…eagerly running ahead to grab swings next to each other so both proud papas could push us so high, we were almost parallel with the top bar. And bowling together as a father/daughter team when I was in college…winning the little trophy that was awarded to the highest scorers…we were both so proud!

To my husband: You were always there for all three of our children, especially when they were troubled…or in trouble. You never scolded at those times…you supported them 100% and let them know that you loved them. You encouraged them to follow their dreams and worked hard to provide for them. When our oldest son was a toddler, you took a second job to supplement your teacher’s income…after working all day; you had a hurried dinner and then worked at a convenience store till midnight. When you had your first heart attack at age 36, our three children were all under 10 years old and I know you thought you would never live to see them grow up. But you persevered and, even though you had your third heart attack a month before our daughter’s wedding, you flew half-way across the country so you could walk her down the aisle and give her away. I know how proud you were then…that was in 2002…and last week you gave her son his first fishing lesson.

To my oldest son: As a SAHD, you constantly impress me with your loving yet firm approach to parenting. Your twins are almost six years old already and you’ve supported them in their varied interests in every stage of their development. They are bright, loving, caring and funny and a joy to be with and I am proud of the father that you are to them.

To my son-in-law: There is a lot of talk about being a “hands-on” parent…we expect it of moms…but often dads are busy with work and they don’t care to spend their spare time with their little ones. You have been there as an equal partner raising your son…what a team you and our daughter make! Jeremy has a wonderful role model in you…you are a wonderful father and the bond you are establishing now will last a life-time!

The past two Saturdays, I’ve met quite a few fathers…last week at the PBS Kids Fun Fest in Acacia Park and yesterday at Monument’s Summer Soul-Stice. I’ve been really impressed with how many dads accompany their families…after all, they could be home watching a ball game or taking a nap. 🙂

Seriously though, to be in your child’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today. Dads and moms strengthen the parent-child connection when they spend “quality” time with their little ones.

I hope you’ll visit my website and check out Show Me How! It’s really a great book for families who are looking for things to do with their kids.

It’s an activity book…100 simple craft projects, 100 easy recipes, 100 picture book suggestions and summaries.
It’s a memory book…every other page has a lined area where parents can record important highlights or how a book or activity helped solve a problem the child was having.
It’s a parenting guide…100 tips on building a positive self-image along with an hour-by-hour sample plan for your day.

You can’t get much of real value these days for $22.50…that’s a saving of 50% off the cover price. Start your summer off with a plan of activities…the school bells will be ringing before you know it.