Sunday Post: Shelter

Posted on April 29, 2012 by viviankirkfield

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

I always try to tie in the theme with something related to parenting.

The dictionary defines “shelter” as a something that covers or protects.

“Oh wert thou in the cauld blast, On yonder lea, on yonder lea; My plaidie to the angryairt, I’d shelter thee, I’d shelter thee.”

– Robert Burns

Yes…parents need to be a shelter for their children. Sad to say, all too often, here in the United States and in many places around the world, parents are not. Sometimes it is because they don’t know any better or because the parenting they received was lacking in love and nurturing. In many instances, though, it is because of conditions beyond their control…war, famine and drought.

Is there anything we can do to help?

One mother and her son have found a way.

Did you know that in many parts of the world, children walk several hours a day to collect the water needed by their family for drinking, washing and cooking? And the water they finally get is often contaminated…but they must use it anyway, because there is no clean water available to them.

Angela, over at A Child’s Heart of Faith, and her six-year old son, Jackson, are doing something to help!

Instead of getting a bunch of gifts from his friends for his birthday, Jackson asked them to donate $6 to his Water Wishes Project…when the goal of $5000 is reached, they will be able to provide a well for one of the many communities around the world where children are giving up their childhood because of the lack of clean water. Please visit Jackson’s Birthday-Earth Day Water Wishes page…your children are invited to draw a picture for the project…and your donation will move them closer to their goal of providing clean water for an entire community.

Just as houses are shelters to protect our bodies and parents are shelters to protect their children, libraries are shelters that protect the books that serve as windows on the world to many.

“To a historian libraries are food, shelter, and even muse.” – Barbara Wertheim Tuchman

There is only ONE MORE DAY LEFT in the The SMH Library Project.

And, if you haven’t done it already, please nominate your favorite library in the comment section! Twenty-five libraries will receive a free copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. NOMINATIONS CLOSE April 30! Don’t let your library lose out on the chance of getting this award-winning resource for parents and teachers and your entire community.

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post:

http://jmeyersforeman.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/red-umbrella/

http://northernnarratives.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/1468/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://orples.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-photo-challenge-shelter/

http://jayjaysfavorites.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/water-dragon-weekly-sunday-post-shelter/

http://truthaboveallreligions.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/sunday-post-shelter/

http://writingmuscle.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://davidrwetzelphotography.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://50yearproject.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://catbirdinoman.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://rondomtaliedraai.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://collinesblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/our-need-for-shelter/

http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

http://motherwifestudentworker.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/weekly-sunday-post-shelter/

http://believeanyway.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/shelter/

http://ceeslifephotographyblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/sunday-post-shelter/

Project 365 Challenge: Day 17…Awards and Attitudes

Posted on January 18, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

It’s still January 17^th here in Colorado, so even though WordPress considers it the 18^th, I’m posting this at 10:20pm on Tuesday night.

I’m really trying to do the “one post every day” that is part of the challenge…but believe me, it is not easy.

However, since I’m encouraging parents to read EVERY DAY with their kids, I can do no less than try to write EVERY DAY and post some type of tip, tactic or tool to help with the difficult job of parenting.

I got a lovely surprise today…Sharon from DoinTheGratefulDance received the Versatile Blogger Award and she passed it on to me. Thank you, Sharon! One of my presentations to moms and dads is called: WE ALL NEED A CHEERING COMMITTEE AND PARENTS ARE A CHILD’S MOST IMPORTANT FANS!

In the same way, bloggers need a cheering committee, and receiving the Versatile Blogger Award lets us know that others appreciate our efforts.

So here are seven things about me that you might not know:

1. I used to stay up till 2 or 3am, reading romance novels.

2. I exercise to a Kathy Smith DVD every morning before I go to work.

3. I used to smoke 😦 but gave it up over 35 years ago when I was pregnant.

4. I signed up for Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Challenge and will be trying to write a picture book draft every month this year.

5. I used to be so shy that I was afraid to speak up…I’m still shy, but I’ve learned to say what needs to be said.

6. I went parasailing with my husband and skydiving with my son, even though I am afraid of heights.

7. I used to bake bread with my children several times a week when they were young.

And now…the envelope please! I’m supposed to pass the Versatile Blogger Award on to up to fifteen other bloggers. I’ve connected many new blogs in the last few months and I’ll also have the opportunity to recognize some blogs that I’ve been following and enjoying this past year. The wealth of talent and effort is unbelievable. I’m sure some of these bloggers have received many awards, but, just like the Oscars, there’s always room for one more on the mantle.

Barbara at Spanish4Kiddos

Elyse at Fifty-four and a half

Aimee at Classified Mom

Julie Hedlund at Write Up My Life

Susannah Leonard Hill

Anita Silvey at The Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac

Ella at My Memorable Children’s Books

I know there are many others I should have included in this list. If I missed you this time and last time, it’s just that my eyes are closing. 🙂

Goodnight! I’ll be back tomorrow with some sweet photos of happy children involved in great activities.

Click to enter and comment: 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge

Project 365 Challenge: Clearing up Some Confusion

Posted on January 12, 2012 by viviankirkfield

: Image via Wikipedia

Project 365 Challenge

The 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge

Perfect Picture Book Friday

Comment Challenge

I’ve had a few questions about the challenge I issued to parents and other child caregivers the other day. It’s no wonder some people are confused. Perhaps I just have too many challenges going on at the same time! So here is the background of each “challenge” and what it means to me and how it affects you.

Project 365 Challenge: This is a challenge by Word Press and individual bloggers to encourage blogging every day. Some bloggers are doing photography challenges and are posting a new photo each day. Other bloggers might be offering a different recipe every day. Some follow the prompts given by Word Press and others will have posts about random subjects.

What Project 365 Challenge means to me: I hope to offer a helpful positive parenting tip, tool or tactic each day that will make the difficult job of parenting a little easier…a picture book review, a simple child-friendly recipe, an easy craft project, a new resource for parents such as another blog that gives great parenting advice, information about a library or school program I’ve done or just a little humor to lighten your day.

How Project 365 Challenge affects you: All you have to do is read my posts. If there is something you find valuable…I’ll be thrilled. If you have the time and want to comment, I love to hear your thoughts and will always comment back.

Click to enter and comment: 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge

The 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge: This is my challenge to parents and anyone involved in the care and education of young children to read with their children every day and also to spend time positively doing crafts or cooking or playing puzzles or taking a walk with their children. There will be a prize of a picture book at the end of each month and anyone who participates is entitled to a special $5 discount off the price of my book on my website.

What the 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge means to me: I’m excited about this challenge and hope to encourage everyone to read to their children on a daily basis. The impact on a young child of being read to every day is enormous and life-changing. When adults spend quality positive time participating with children, it builds self-esteem, develops literacy skills and strengthens the parent-child connection. We all want that, don’t we? I’ll try to make it simple, giving you quick and easy activities and book suggestions during the week.

How the 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge affects you: All you have to do is read a picture book to your children every day…and do some other positive activities like drawing a picture or letting your children help in the kitchen. Even having your little ones help sort the wash and fold the towels will count. Every day…or as often as you can, just post a comment on the official comment page (click this link or click the top button on my right sidebar), sharing with us the book that you read and/or the activity that you and your child participated in. If you write your comment on a different page, no worries…all comments count. One of the most helpful things about blogging is how we can become a community…a village. Let’s become a Positive Parental Participation Community and share our stories with each other and help each other. At the end of each month, we will randomly pick one comment and that person will receive a picture book. If you take part in the challenge and post even one comment in the month, you are entered to win the picture book AND you are eligible to get a $5 discount off the price of my book, Show Me How! This great resource will give you hundreds of picture book summaries, quick crafts and easy cooking activities. I met a preschool teacher yesterday who recognized me and told me how much she is enjoying my book that was given to her as a Christmas present by one of her students. “I don’t have to make lesson plans anymore. I just open up your book and I have the story recommendation, craft project and cooking activity all right in front of me…with a tip on how to use that particular story to build self-esteem and also some room on the page to write notes.”

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Picture book author, Susannah Hill, has a special page on her blog where she recommends picture books and provides summaries and other important information about them. She also invites other bloggers to contribute their favorite picture book stories for her list.

What Perfect Picture Book Friday means to me: I will be participating in Susannah’s list. Every Friday I post a review and summary of a picture book that I feel every young child should hear.

How Perfect Picture Book Friday affects you: Read my post every Friday and you will have a great book recommendation for your child. Visit Susannah’s blog (her button is on my right sidebar…you can just click it and it will take you there) and you will have lots of picture book suggestions for the other days of the week. Your local library is a super resource for picture books and the children’s librarian will be thrilled to help you pick out great stories for your child.

Comment Challenge: The Comment Challenge has been issued to encourage bloggers to comment on each other’s blogs. The goal is to comment on five blogs each day. Writing frequent posts is a lot of work…and takes a lot of effort. It is nice to have someone comment and this can motivate people to keep on, even when it is difficult or they don’t have much time.

What Comment Challenge means to me: I love reading other blogs…I learn so much! And I love to respond to what others are saying…so I enjoy commenting on their posts. I will try to do at least five comments each day.

How Comment Challenge affects you: It doesn’t…unless you are also blogging and taking part in it. But I hope you will comment on my posts as part of the 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge, as you share with us the books you are reading with your children and the activities you are doing

Jennifer, a super mom blogger at The Toy Box Years, is taking part in the Positive Parental Participation Challenge and she just posted a great review of my book. Take a look…she tells why she loves using it.

I hope this explanation of all of the challenges was helpful…and I look forward to reading your comments and sharing great parenting tips with you in the coming year.

Come back tomorrow for Perfect Picture Book Friday and a review of must-read book for your child.