Have You Abandoned Your New Year’s Resolutions: Healthy Habit Thursday

Posted on May 12, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

If you’re like me, you start the New Year off with good intentions.

All of us probably KNOW what we should be doing to stay healthy.

Every January 1^st, I make a list of New Year’s resolutions or goals.

Many of them focus on good health habits like walking every day, drinking 8 glasses of water, eating nutritious foods and getting 8 hours of sleep each night.

Then, life gets in the way!

We all lead busy lives and many of us have so many responsibilities that we often push our own needs to the back burner.

Can you believe that 2011 is almost half over?

I’m revisiting those resolutions and goals to see how realistic they were and whether or not I need to revise them.

Taking a time-management class would probably be a great thing for me to do. I know that 24 hours should be enough time to accomplish what I want to do…the problem is making sure that I am devoting the right amount of time to each task. Blogging always tends to take more time than I thought it would, but I love connecting with everyone. 🙂

I think what I need to do is write down a schedule of how I think each day should go…and then keep a log of what is actually happening…I’ll then see where I am spending time that might be better used in some other activity.

How do you plan your time? I’d really appreciate your input because right now, unless I give up sleep, there is no way I can fit everything in. 🙂

I do know that I must walk and exercise…if I let a few days go by without doing it, my muscles tighten up and my back hurts.

I do know that I need to stay hydrated by drinking enough water…if I don’t, I wind up eating more…my body seems to tell me it is hungry when really all it wants is a glass of water.

I do know that I have to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night…if I try to make do with less sleep; I have a lot less energy in the morning and am less productive throughout the day.

I do know that I need to watch what I eat…if I eat “fast food” or highly processed foods, my body complains.

So I am rededicating myself to my 2011 New Year’s resolutions and goals that focus on staying healthy. The warmer weather is here, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming…it’s time for my walk!

Please stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian? I have several exciting upcoming local events (Summer Soulstice in Monument, CO – June 18, and PBS kids Fun Fest in Acacia Park, Colorado Springs – June 11) to tell you about and also a new special book offer that will go up on my website this weekend.

Making Blood Draws Easier for Kids: Healthy Habit Thursday

Posted on May 5, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Do you like going for blood draws?

I don’t know about you, but it’s not my favorite activity.

In fact, I don’t think there are very many people who would look forward to that…unless you are a character in the Twilight series. 🙂

And if having blood drawn is unpleasant for most adults, imagine how little children feel about it!

In two weeks, I have an appointment to see my family doctor for my annual physical and he always wants me to have various lab tests done beforehand. So, the other day, I went to Healthlink, one of Memorial Hospital’s outpatient lab facilities in Colorado Springs, to get my blood drawn.

While sitting in the waiting room, I saw a notice hanging on the wall entitled, “Making Blood Draws Easier for Kids”.

After reading it, I spoke to the staff and asked if I could copy it and post it on my parenting blog because I knew that there must be many parents who would appreciate the information.

They were happy to have me pass along these simple tips that may help parents whose children need to have blood drawn.

1. Your attitude is contagious! If you are tense, your child will get tense as well.

Be positive!

Be honest with your child that it might hurt!

Talk about where or what you are going to be doing when you leave!

2. Your child could sit on your lap during the blood draw.

3. You could stand behind him or her and give a shoulder rub during the draw.

4. You could hold his or her other hand.

5. You could tell his or her favorite story.

6. You could leave the room…sometimes older kids would prefer this…it makes them feel grown up.

7. When it is all over, tell your child that you are proud of him or her…no matter how he or she acted during the draw.

8. Things NOT to say:

Don’t say it won’t hurt!
Don’t say just think of something else!
Don’t say just act like a big boy or girl!

As a parent, I appreciate how hard it is to see your child being stuck with a needle. I applaud the Healthlink staff for their foresight in posting this notice to encourage parents to be positive and honest with their children. If you have a child who needs to have blood drawn just once in a while for a particular test or on a regular basis because of some ongoing health problems, I hope these suggestions will be helpful.

Here’s another suggestion: Mother’s Day is only a few days away…and the long days of summer are just around the corner. We are offering a special Mother’s Day bonus for anyone who purchases a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Get a copy of this wonderful resource, brimming with fun-filled educational activities for young children, and receive a $10 Marshalls/TJMaxx Gift Card for mom as a bonus. Visit my website for the details. Offer ends on May 8.

Please stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian and find out about my visit at Queen Palmer School and my exciting plans for the Mother’s Day Weekend!

Mother’s Day Special: What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday

Posted on May 3, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Mrs. Ramsay and her children, Montreal, QC, 1891

Image by Musée McCord Museum via Flickr

“You may have tangible wealth untold,

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,

Richer than I you can never be,

I had a mother who read to me.”

This well-known verse by Strickland Gillihan points out so clearly how important it is to read to your child. I know that most of you do…for those of you who don’t…you are missing out on something really special. Reading picture books with young children is special for several reasons:

It engages the child in the story and events between the pages.
It develops pre-reading skills.
It opens up a window of opportunity for you and your child to discuss, not only the story, but how it relates to your child. Often, during story-time, children are able to talk more openly about issues that bother them.
The time you spend together creates a life-long parent-child bond and can be so much fun for everyone involved.

Here’s a great children’s book that celebrates Mother’s Day.

No Time For Mother’s Day by Laurie Halse Anderson is a story about a little girl who has two days to decide what to get for her mother. She goes shopping with her cousin whose mom had given her daughter a list of what she wanted and the money to buy everything. However, Charity does not see anything she wants to get for her mother. What she really wants to get is an extra pair of hands for her mother who is always so busy. On Mother’s Day, Charity’s present to her mom is revealed…a day of peace and quiet. Charity has turned off all of the phones and things that go beep.

Some other good Mother’s Day titles:

1. My Mother is Mine by Marion Dane Bauer

2. Berenstain Bears & the Mama’s Day Surprise by Jan and Stan Berenstain

3. Happy Mother’s Day by Steven Kroll

4. A Present for Mom by Vivian French

5. I Love You, Mama by Isabel Gaines

Reading, crafting and cooking with young children are wonderful activities that build self-esteem, develop pre-reading skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. If you’d like some more activities to fill the summer days ahead, you can purchase a copy of my book. It provides hundreds of great picture book suggestions, simple craft projects and easy cooking activities…enough to keep everyone happy and busy all summer long and beyond!

If you go to my website, you’ll be able to buy a copy at 20% off the cover price AND receive a bonus $10 Marshalls/TJMaxx gift card that will be mailed to you with the book. This is a special Mother’s Day offer, good only until May 8. The book is a great Mother’s Day gift for any mom who is time-short. There are 256 pages that are chock-full of easy eco-friendly activities that will keep your young children busy every day.

Buy a copy between May 1 and May 8 and receive a $10 Marshalls/TJMaxx Gift Card (aren’t these two of the best stores for moms?) with your order.

Please stop by tomorrow…for Healthy Habit Thursday…I’ll have some great tips about how to make blood draws easier for kids.

On Friday, I’m flying to Chicago to spend Mother’s Day weekend with my son and daughter-in-law. I will be meeting with the owner of Lollie’s, a children’s boutique, to discuss placing Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking in her shop…she’s read the book and loves it and would like to have it available for her customers. 🙂 So, Miss Vivian will be in Chicago for the next few days!

And I’m really excited because next week, we’ll be featuring a guest post from a local Colorado Springs author, Rebecca Dunning. She’s a really special lady and I’m thrilled to welcome her to next week’s What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday.