6 items or less…in your child’s toy box!

Posted on July 25, 2010 by viviankirkfield

Yesterday I shared my thoughts on applying the “6 items or less” phenomenon to parenting rules. It hit me that life gets more complicated as we add more “stuff” so maybe if we get rid of some “stuff”, our lives will become easier and smoother.

So, why not take this minimalist idea and go through your child’s toy box and pare down the items to 6 or less. Have you ever been to (or had) a birthday party for a young child where there are so many presents, the child is overwhelmed and doesn’t even know half of what he has been given or who gave it to him? And that is just the point, having too much stuff, whether it is kitchen gadgets, clothing, toys or ANYTHING, is just overwhelming and stressful. Life can be overwhelming and stressful enough without adding to it by accumulating too much.

Just think about it…wouldn’t clean up time be quicker and easier if there were only 6 items for your child to pick up? What will you and your child choose to keep in the toy box? If your child is VERY young, put away all the toys except for 6 items that seem to be favorites and are age-appropriate. If you have doubles and triples of some items, maybe you can donate them to family shelters or local children’s hospitals. If your child is a little older, sit down with her and talk about what she most enjoys playing with. If you are also taking this 6 items or less to heart and are paring down your “STUFF”, she may be thrilled to be “doing what mommy is doing”. Point out how much easier it will be at clean up time…life uncluttered creates a sense of peace and well-being. Again, box up toys that you feel she will grow into…encourage her to donate usable items that are too immature for her. If something has great sentimental value, create a memory box and carefully store it in there.

You will notice I haven’t said anything about your child’s books. Now you’ve discovered MY weakness. However, in this area as well, there can also be too much…I think. What’s the sense in having dozens of books, haphazardly stuffed in toy boxes and under beds. Go through your child’s book collection, donate doubles and triples of any items you find, wean out those in really bad shape, and create a special place (little bookshelf in your child’s room, separate box, etc.) where these treasures can be kept and enjoyed every day. Could I apply the 6 items or less theory to my children’s books? I honestly don’t know. The best I can say is that I would try to keep 6 at hand to be used on a daily basis and rotate the rest.

Depending on your child’s age and maturity, what toys would you choose to keep in your child’s toy box, if you could only keep 6?

And, which 6 books would you choose to put on the bookshelf?

Mastering tasks and skills

Posted on July 17, 2010 by viviankirkfield

Building self-esteem is an ongoing life-long task. But the foundations of it are laid in the first five years of a person’s life. As parents, we need to start in the very beginning and try to ABP…always be positive…not easy to do, I know.

One of the most important components of developing high self-esteem is mastering tasks and skills. When children are able to DO something themselves (lace up shoes, brush his own teeth, write her name, get dressed by himself, help set the table, etc.), they gain a sense of confidence and competence that encourages them to tackle new challenges.

Here is an excerpt from my new book, SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING.

A great picture book to read to your young child:

LEO THE LATE BLOOMER: written by Robert Kraus and illustrated y Jose Aruego

Story summary: A little lion named Leo is unable to do the things his animal friends can do, such as write his name, draw a picture, eat neatly and talk. His father is very worried and questions Leo’s mother. She reassures him that Leo will learn to do everything in his own time. In the end, she is proved right and Leo masters all these skills with great finesse.

Positive Parental Participation Note: Parents are often tempted to compare one child in the family to another, or they read a book on child development and carefully note at what age their child should be walking or talking or mastering one skill or another. Of course, it is important to be aware of the various stages of a child’s physical, intellectual and emotional development because the earlier a problem is detected, the faster help can be obtained. However, it is also important to realize that each child matures at his or her own pace.

COOKING: CHILD-FRIENDLY LION’S CANDY

These healthful candies are out-of-this-world…and so easy to make. Your child’s self-esteem will bloom right before your eyes as he helps to prepare this delicious treat.

You will need: 1/2 cup peanut (or other nut) butter, 1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup instant dry milk, 1 Tb honey, 1/2 cup finely chopped raisins, dates or other dried fruit, 1/2 cup cocoa (optional) and a large bowl.

Blend together nut butter and ground sunflower seeds.
Stir in dry milk, honey and dried fruit. Mix well (with hands, if necessary).
If the mixture is too dry, add some liquid milk; if too wet, add more dry milk.
Form into teaspoon-sized balls. Roll in cocoa powder, if desired.
Makes about two-dozen balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to stay cool with kids

Posted on July 15, 2010 by viviankirkfield

Here in Colorado, and in most of the country, it is pretty hot.

How to stay cool, especially with young children, is the question.

Turn on the a/c (uses a lot of energy), or open windows for some cross ventilation if possible, or spend part of the day at a place like your local library or a play area at a local mall where the temperature is usually controlled for customer comfort.
Dress yourself and your children in appropriate clothing…loose, light, cotton is great. Add a sun hat for everyone when you go out and make sure you apply sunscreen.
Plan some water activities…a local pool if available, your own small kiddie pool, even a plastic bowl of water with some plastic cups and spoons can provide a refreshing hour of fun. Please use great caution with little ones and water.
Make sure everyone stays hydrated…in a previous post I suggested freezing cubes of juice to lightly flavor and add a little fun for the drinking water in your child’s cup.
Think cool with your kids…read them a children’s picture book about the wintertime…how about THE MITTEN by Alvin Tresselt or THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats.
Start your day with an organized plan of what you’d like to accomplish (make sure your goals are reachable…trying to do too much, especially with little ones, only increases your tension…and, as Scarlett O’Hara once said, “Tomorrow is another day”)…this makes the day less stressful, your nerves less frazzled and contributes to keeping tempers cool, even when the temperature is soaring.
Great tip for next winter: if you live in an area where it snows, collect some newly fallen snow and pack it into some plastic containers. Next summer, on a really hot day, take out the containers of snow…go outside and make snowballs or just have fun watching how quickly the snow will melt.