Sunday Post: Simplicity…Children Need Less Stuff

Posted on January 19, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…the week’s theme is SIMPLICITY.

The media would have us believe that our children NEED more stuff…electronic gadgets and expensive toys for example…to make them smarter and happier people.

I disagree!

Our children need more of our time, love and positive participation.

Do you want to help your young children succeed in school?

Read with them.

Do you want to develop their literacy skills?

Talk with them.

Do you want to build their self-esteem?

Cooking with kids builds self-esteem, develops literacy skills and is just plain fun!

Spend time with them doing SIMPLE activities like crafting or cooking.

Do you remember the ‘6 items or less’ craze that was popular about two years ago? The theory of ‘less is more’ is not a new one. It can be a wonderful way to start this New Year. Applying an attitude of simplicity to one’s life does help because it:

Cuts down on stress
Saves money
Encourages an appreciation for what one has
Strengthens the bond between parent and child
Alleviates the disconnect that often takes place in families today

Do you want to have a great time with your young child?

Grab some construction paper (plain white copy paper works just fine) and a couple of markers or crayons.

Sit down with your child at the kitchen table or on the floor.

Each of you can draw a picture or a design.

If you want to turn it into a simple arts and crafts project, add a pair of scissors (safety ones with blunted tips if you want a young child to be doing some of the cutting) and a glue stick.

Cut shapes out of one paper and glue them onto another paper.

Talk with your child about what you are both creating.

Hang up the completed art work.

WOW! Less than 15 minutes of your time equals a happy young child.

If you’d like a great resource book chock-filled with simple craft activities AND lots of picture book suggestions, please check out my book, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Most of the activities (picture book reading, easy craft project, child-friendly recipe) take less than 15 minutes to do. There are several wonderful new reviews on Amazon…I hope you will check them out.

Bring simplicity into your life for the New Year…the reward will be priceless.

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

Will The View and The Chew Be Replaced in 2012?

Posted on January 1, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Suicide rates in this country are alarming.

Domestic violence and child abuse stories are reported by the media every day.

People are angry and frustrated about foreign policy, the economy and lack of decent health care.

Tempers flare on roadways and in department stores and post offices.

A disconnect is taking place in every level of our society. Husbands and wives don’t communicate with each other. Parents don’t communicate with their children. Children don’t communicate with parents, siblings and classmates.

Perhaps we are descending into an electronic black hole where people will no longer know how to talk to each other face-to-face. Everywhere you look fingers are flying on computers and electronic devices.

Television shows like The View and The Chew attempt to enable viewers to simulate sitting down with friends or family members and chatting about what is happening or how they are feeling.

The simulation is not working and people need to rediscover how to communicate with one another.

Perhaps The View should be replaced by The Clue, a show with a panel of parenting experts who address the problem of communication between family members, friends and co-workers. Learning how to communicate includes knowing how to listen as well as knowing when to talk and what to say.

The Chew is a fairly new show that adds cooking activities to the celebrity chatter. How about replacing it with The Do, a show where the hosts and a small group of children read a picture book story, do a quick and easy craft project and prepare a healthful child-friendly recipe together. Children watching the show at home would enjoy hearing the story and observing the kids on TV interacting with each other. Parents at home would see how valuable such simple activities can be in building self-esteem, developing reading readiness skills and providing their children with a fun-filled day. These are the same activities parents and teachers will find in my award-winning book, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. To ring in the New Year, we are offering FREE SHIPPING on our website if you order a copy of the book in the next thirty days.

Do you want to start off the year building your child’s self-esteem and developing your child’s literacy skills? The book is endorsed by parents, educators, self-esteem experts and national organizations such as the JDRF and will give you great story suggestions and quick and easy activities. Grab a copy now and make 2012 a fun-filled self-esteem building year for your family.

Will The View be replaced by The Clue? Will TV sponsors opt for The Do instead of The Chew? That probably won’t happen. But parents can take some simple steps in 2012:

Sit down together as a family for dinner every night (or as often as possible).
Plan a family talk and listen time…some families have a talking stick…whoever is holding the stick is the one who has the floor.
Work on family projects together…everyone should be responsible for certain chores…even young children.
Arrange special events that the whole family can enjoy that don’t cost a lot of money…a nature hike to a local park where everyone helps pick up litter; a summer picnic of sandwiches and lemonade on a blanket in the living room in the middle of the winter.

How do you promote good communication in your family? I’d love to hear.

Building Your Child’s Self Esteem (shareitforward.ca)

5 Simple Steps to a Happier, Healthier 2011

Posted on December 20, 2010 by viviankirkfield

5 Simple Steps to a Happier, Healthier 2011

The great thing about the New Year is that it gives us the opportunity to make a fresh start…in just about anything! I know that at the end of every December, I sit down, look back over my progress (or lack of it) and make a list of resolutions that I hope will help me do better. Many people don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions…but they work for me. We can make broad, sweeping resolutions like EAT HEALTHIER…and we can make more specific resolutions such as I WILL STOP EATING BEFORE I FEEL FULL.

“To insure good health, eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness and maintain an interest in life.” William Londen

So here are my 5 simple steps to a happier, healthier 2011.

Eat Lightly: many of us eat too much of the wrong things…nutritionists recommend eating 6 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones. In addition, make every meal count by using more fresh foods instead of highly processed ones. Should you buy organic? Yes, if you can. The most important foods to buy organic are meat (including beef, pork and poultry), milk (and other dairy products), eggs, peaches, nectarines,, apples, bell peppers, celery, strawberries, cherries, imported grapes, pears, potatoes, coffee, and baby foods and juices. If you are a parent, you are probably the one who decides what to buy and what to serve. For 2011, I am going to resolve to buy organic when I purchase the above items.
Breathe Deeply: I know it’s hard to find the time to exercise, especially when you work, take care of a home and family and have lots of other things that take your time and energy. However, moving at least 30 minutes a day will provide great health benefits…and make you feel more positive. Resolve to be more healthy and more positive for your children and for yourself. Dance while you clean the house or take a walk while listening to great music. Get together with a friend and exercise together with a new tape in your living room if you don’t have the time or money to go to a gym. In addition, take time every day to meditate…even if it is just for 5 minutes. It will refresh and renew your spirit. For 2011, I am going to resolve to walk a mile twice a week, do my 30 minute low impact aerobic exercises four times a week and meditate 5 minutes EVERY day.
Live Moderately: This rule applies to all aspects of our lives…eating, drinking, sleeping, surfing the Internet. J I think if people would get enough rest…and eat, drink, exercise and pursue all other activities in moderation, the soaring medical costs in this country would decline. The cells in our bodies repair themselves during restful sleep…and people tend to gain weight if they are sleep deprived. For 2011, I am going to resolve to do less computer work so that I can get to bed at a reasonable hour so that I can sleep the required 7-8 hours.
Cultivate Cheerfulness: Doesn’t it lift your spirits when someone greets you cheerfully, in a store, on the street or on the phone? Thinking and acting cheerfully does have a positive effect…on EVERYONE! Cultivating cheerfulness does not mean ignoring problems or pretending that everything is rosy when it is not. If something is troubling you, please share it with someone who cares about you. Set in motion steps that will change the situation. If it is a situation that can’t be changed, join a support group or ask for help. For 2011, I am going to resolve to let others know how much I appreciate their help and encouragement.
Maintain An Interest In Life: Isn’t it amazing when we see elderly people who get college degrees after they have retired from a life-long career? Or middle-school children who raise money for the children in a village that is situated thousands of miles from where they live? How can you maintain an interest in life? Read a book about something you always wanted to find out about, volunteer in a local school or hospital, reach outside your normal routine to help someone…the possibilities are endless. For 2011, I am going to resolve to reach out and volunteer in our local schools by reading stories and doing craft projects with the Pre-K and kindergarten classes.

So there you have it…my 5 simple steps to a happier healthier 2011.

Are you making New Year’s resolutions this year? I’d love to hear them if you are!

Happy Holidays to All and may the coming Year bring Peace to at least some parts of the World!