Healthy Habit Thursdays: Dealing With Colds

Posted on March 3, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

AAAAACHOOOOOOO!

How did this happen?

I have a cold!!!!

I never get a cold!

Well, I guess I should never say never. 🙂

And, I do know how this happened.

We actually have all the necessary “germs” right inside our own nose and throat, waiting for a moment of weakness when the “germs” can breach our immune system and get a foothold.

So, what can we do to improve the odds of staying healthy?

Here are a few tips:

1. Get enough sleep! Your body renews and your cells rebuild while you are asleep.

2. Stay hydrated.

3. Dress appropriately for the weather…when you feel chilled, beware! Here in Colorado, we can experience seasons in the space of 24 hours.

4. Wash your hands often.

For me, drinking LOTS of tea with honey is what helps the most when I do get a cold. It soothes my throat, clears my nose and seems to shorten the life of the cold.

I’m sure everyone has their own sure-fire remedies. Please share.

When young children are not feeling well, it is often difficult to keep them quiet and in the house…and giving them their medicine can be a tough task. There are several picture books and activities in SHOW ME HOW! that would be helpful to use when your children are sick. Visit my website to get your own copy of this wonderful resource, now on sale till March 9th for half-price. It’s filled with story summaries and lots of activities…each takes just 15 minutes…15 minutes that can shape your child’s future.

What do you do when your child is ill?

Quotable Timeless Tuesdays: FAITH

Posted on March 1, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by George Eastman House via Flickr

Young children are filled with faith.

“When I look at the galaxies on a clear night, when I look at the incredible brilliance of creation, and think that this is what God is like, then instead of feeling intimidated and diminished by it, I am enlarged…I rejoice that I am part of it.” –Madeleine L’Engle

They believe all kinds of outrageous stories…the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny and so on.

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

They trust that their needs will be met by their parents…food, shelter and love.

“The heart that is generous and kind most resembles God.” –Robert Burns

They hold out their small hands for us to guide them along the path we choose for them.

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” –Helen Keller

If only we, as adults, could retain that childlike trust and faith.

“Faith is a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark.” –Rabindranath Tagore

They say that with faith, all things are possible.

I truly believe that and I know that it is especially important for parents of young children to have faith…as they raise their children in this difficult and often dangerous world.

Faith in themselves.

Faith in their children.

Faith in a Creator, Higher Power, Universal Being…call it what you will…it will give you strength and peace of mind.

“I would rather err on the side of faith than on the side of doubt.” –Robert Schuller

Please stop by tomorrow for WHAT’S IN YOUR CHILD’S BOOKCASE WORDY WEDNESDAY for a review of another picture book every young child should hear from the 100 titles recommended in SHOW ME HOW! This is a book that will help you with the difficult job of parenting…providing you with gentle tips and awesome activities. If you click on the link above, it will bring you to my website where you can purchase a copy for half-price so you can begin reading, crafting and cooking with your preschooler…building self-esteem, developing pre-literacy skills and creating a life-long parent child bond…just 15 minutes a day can shape your child’s future Sale ends on March 9…World Read-Aloud Day. WE ALL NEED A CHEERING COMMITTEE AND PARENTS ARE A CHILD’S MOST IMPORTANT FANS!

Make-A-Meal Mondays: Faith As Small As A Mustard Seed

Posted on February 28, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by limaoscarjuliet via Flickr

One of the greatest things about blogging is the opportunity it provides you with to read the blogs of others.

There are some fantastic writers out there!

Of course, there are only 24 hours in each day, so there is a limit to how many other blogs one can read and still have time to write one’s own. 🙂

I follow several bloggers…and there is one that I read faithfully every day. Today’s post from Elizabeth of Mirth and Motivation is about faith in small things.

I began thinking about that and thought about a loving couple who join together and create life. That new life is definitely a VERY small thing and what a great deal of faith parents have in their unborn child!

The tiny collection of cells that becomes a living, breathing baby and then the tiny baby, helpless and vulnerable, unable to do anything for itself except breathe and cry who becomes a toddler, unsteady on his feet.

The toddler who learns to talk and walk and write his or her name…I know it takes a lot of faith to be a parent…a lot of faith in small things…a lot of faith to see the process of raising a child from infancy to adolescence and beyond.

As parents we need to have faith in ourselves and in our ability to be good parents and also faith in our children and in their potential to grow up to be successful and happy people…as the Bible says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain – MOVE – and it will move from here to there.”

Since this is Make-A-Meal Mondays, I searched through SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING for a recipe that would be appropriate for this post…one that called for mustard in the ingredient list.

CHILD-FRIENDLY FISH CASSEROLE FROM THE SEVEN SEAS

You will need: 10 oz creamy potato leek soup, 1¼ cups milk, 1¼ cups uncooked rice, 1 can tuna drained, 1 box frozen peas, ¼ lb sliced American cheese, ½ tsp mustard, 2 quart casserole dish with cover (or use aluminum foil) and a sauce pan.

1. Mix the soup and milk in the pan and bring to a boil and then remove from heat.

2. Put ½ of the soup mixture into a casserole dish and add the rice, tuna, peas and mustard.

3. Pour in the remaining soup mixture and top with cheese slices.

4. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

5. Serves 4. Add a salad and fresh whole-wheat rolls for a lovely dinner.

Does your preschooler enjoy helping you in the kitchen?

Letting your children help in meal preparation does so much to build their self-esteem. It’s also a great way to encourage fussy eaters to try new things. If you purchase a copy of my new parenting book, now on sale at half-price on my website, you’ll find 100 child-friendly healthful recipes that you and your child can prepare together…most take just 15 minutes to prepare.

Just 15 minutes can build your child’s self-esteem…is there a better way to spend that time?

Please stop by tomorrow for Quotable Timeless Tuesdays for some wonderful quotations about FAITH.