Holiday Stress and How to Renew, Relax and Rejuvenate

Posted on November 6, 2011 by viviankirkfield

'Windows Into the World', United States, New Y...

Image by WanderingtheWorld (www.LostManProject.com) via Flickr

Life can be very stressful, especially for parents.

Juggling work, home and family responsibilities can rob us of our peace of mind.

Add to that the upcoming gift-giving holidays and you increase the stress level exponentially. Our expectations of what the holidays should be often conflict with our finances and our available time and energy and we are doomed to disappointment. Letting go of the past can definitely help. For more information and great tips from Deepak Chopra, read a recent post from a great blogger, Nancy at Spirit Lights the Way.

Stress is a factor in many health-related conditions…and parents who are under a lot of stress can over-react when their children misbehave…for some of these parents, a crying baby or a toddler who wets his training pants can elicit rage and inappropriate punishment resulting in physical or emotional harm to the child.

How can we relieve stress in our lives?

Recognize that you are feeling stressed.
Make a list of the stress factors in your life.
Find solutions to each of these problems…when my children were younger and didn’t have much money to buy gifts for me, I told them to write a love letter or draw a picture…those letters and pictures are still dear to me and I treasured them more than the sweater or scarf they couldn’t buy. Want to have a family get-together but can’t afford to buy all the food and trimmings? Have a family pot-luck, with every member of the family bringing a casserole, side-dish or dessert! No time to make those “from scratch” holiday cookies or don’t like to bake? It’s true I encourage parents to spend time in the kitchen with their children, making nutritious meals and snacks…and my book, Show Me How!, provides 100 healthful, child-friendly recipes…but you can buy the refrigerated cookie dough rolls and just slice them, bake them and decorate with edible gel. Maybe you have a friend who LOVES to bake holiday cookies…how about offering to watch her children while she bakes. Perhaps you love to shop and she doesn’t…be her personal shopper in exchange for several dozen cookies. There are always options for every situation.
Ask for help…if you have a friend or two who are in the same situation, plan to watch their children while they have a free morning, afternoon or evening to relax or shop or cook or bake or clean together without kids tagging along…and then rotate so that each parent gets a chance to have this special time.
Carve out some time for yourself every day…while your children are in school or napping, take a bubble bath, read a chapter in a good book, dance to your favorite music, exercise to a great DVD, walk in a park and listen to the birds. I love watching a classic movie in the evening and munching on a bowl of air-popped popcorn…each person has to find what works for them to relieve the stress that is part of life.
Check out online shopping deals…this can save you time and money…and you won’t have to drag the kids along. Many bloggers have holiday gift guides this year…a really nice one is from Jenny at MyLittleMe.
Start some simple family traditions…your children will remember them even when they are grown and on their own. For a wonderful list of fun and frugal holiday possibilities, please go to this post by Prerna, The Mom Writes.

Wondering what to get the young children on your list? How about picture books and arts and crafts supplies? Reading with young children and participating positively with them in arts and crafts activities builds self-esteem, develops pre-literacy skills and strengthens the parent-child connection. Visit your local library…you can borrow the books for FREE and many libraries have an area where they sell discarded library books or donated books VERY CHEAPLY…sometimes for only 10 cents a book!

If you are looking for some guidance as to which books to choose, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking is the answer. Please visit my website for an online special that can’t be beat…only $19.95 per copy! This ultimate resource of picture book suggestions, EASY eco-friendly craft projects and QUICK child-friendly healthful recipes is also the perfect gift for any parents, grandparents, preschool and kindergarten teachers, daycare providers, babysitters or nannies on your gift list!

“THIS IS A MUST-HAVE FOR ALL PARENTS AND CARETAKERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN!” – Lori Calabrese, Children’s Book Examiner

Wordless Picture Books (wplkids.wordpress.com)
Children and Art Activities: Some Observations (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
The Day No One Played Together: A Story About Compromise Gets a 5-Star Review (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

Photo of Christmas on Fifth Avenue: WanderingtheWorld

Show-Me-How Story-time with Miss Vivian Travels to New Hampshire

Posted on October 18, 2011 by viviankirkfield

For me, the greatest joy in the world is to be with those I love doing what I love.

So you can imagine how joyful I was this past week, spending time in New Hampshire with my daughter and her family…and visiting Toll House Preschool in Merrimack, NH where I read a picture book story and did a simple craft with my grandson’s class of three and four-year olds.

The children were seated on the floor in their story circle and as soon as Jeremy caught sight of me, he jumped up and cried, “You came to my school…you really came!” The teacher welcomed me and ushered me to her story chair. “What’s your name?” asked one of the children. “I’m Miss Vivian” I answered, smiling down at their eager faces. “I traveled here on an airplane so that I could read you a special story.”

The children sat, listening attentively, as I read Yes I Can by Sam McBratney. They loved hearing about the three animal friends who are having fun in the autumn leaves. When the three friends begin to argue and make fun of each other, Little Roo’s mother comes over and encourages each one to show what they do best. Little Roo jumps VERY high, Country Mouse catches his tail and Quacker Duck floats on a puddle. The friends compliment each other…they are learning to give respect and value their own and others qualities and strengths.

When the story was over, we talked about the different talents that each animal had and we all got up and jumped like Little Roo, turned round and round chasing our “tails” like Country Mouse and pretended we were swimming in a puddle like Quaker Duck. This activity helped the children get a little exercise after sitting so quietly for the story. It’s important to provide a good balance of activities for young children…if we try to keep them sitting too long, they will get restless.

The next activity for this preschool class was “centers” where the children can choose painting, clay, etc. This was the perfect time for some of the children to work on the simple leaf family craft project I had planned. Using leaves of different sizes and shapes, each child picked a few leaves to trace on the page. Each shape became a member of their family as they added hair and features and colored them in.

As the children worked on their project, they told me about their families and their pets. I’m always amazed at how verbal young children are…especially when they are relaxed and at ease…which seems to happen all the time when children are engaged in arts and crafts activities. Parents can use this time as they participate with their children to listen and learn what is on their children’s minds.

I’m sure the next time I return to New Hampshire, I’ll have the opportunity to visit with the children at Toll House Preschool again. The teacher told me she had never seen them sit so attentively for a story before. Although I believe in the policy of “No Rules…Just Read”, I also know that there are certain things we can do when we read a picture book to young children that will help make the experience more enjoyable and rewarding for both parent and child.

1. Find a comfortable place to read…child on your lap in a comfy chair or sitting side-by-side on the couch.

2. Make sure your child can see the pictures as you read the story.

3. Allow your child to point out things on each page and talk about them.

4. When the story is finished, encourage your child to retell the story as you turn the pages again.

These are some of the tips I give in my book, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. In addition to lots of story suggestions, you’ll find a matching craft and also a cooking activity for each recommended picture book.

PLEASE DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE SIZE OF THE BOOK! Don’t think of it as a BIG BOOK…IT’S A BOOK WITH BIG IDEAS! Every parent and teacher who uses it says it makes planning and doing activities QUICK AND EASY!

“Kirkfield lays out a brilliant and simple program with activities that will inspire parents and teachers.” – Diana Loomans, best-selling author of The Lovables in the Kingdom of Self-Esteem and many other books

It’s available in the original print version with lots of lined spaces on every other page for recording your child’s memorable moments.

It’s also available on Amazon’s Kindle for those of you who don’t like a bunch of books taking up space in your home.

The gift-giving holidays are quickly approaching…there’s an online special on my website that can’t be beat…it would make the perfect present for any parent, grandparent, daycare provider, nanny, babysitter, nursery or preschool or kindergarten teacher.

To see the latest review of Show Me How by Lea, a homeschooling mom, please click here.

Autumn Leaves: A Lesson in Diversity for All of Us

Posted on October 3, 2011 by viviankirkfield

I went for a walk today.

The sun was shining down, creating beautiful patterns on the ground as it filtered through the branches of the trees.

The trail was littered with leaves, many of them already brittle and brown.

The Show-Me-How Story-time with Miss Vivian program has begun in our local District 11 kindergartens and Pre-K’s and the craft that ties in with the picture book, Yes We Can by Sam McBratney, requires leaves that are still flexible. I’m not sure if the teachers who are reserving dates for the program in November and December will think to put aside a bunch of fresh leaves in a plastic bag.

When you plan activities with young children, it’s always good to be prepared. I hate to disappoint little ones. That’s why I caution parents to check to make sure they have all the necessary ingredients or materials before they begin one of the cooking activities or craft projects recommended in my book.

As I bent down to scoop up leaves, I marveled at their varying colors, shapes and sizes. And I began to think about how even though they were different colors and shapes and sizes, they were all leaves.

Perhaps we can learn a lesson from this that can apply to people as well…even though we are different colors, shapes and sizes…we are all people.

I also noticed that some of the leaves had rough patches or holes where bugs or disease had left their mark…but they were still leaves.

We need to remember that when we meet others who are mentally, academically or physically challenged, they are still people…deserving of our respect, attention and friendship. And it is important to help young children understand this as well.

The lesson of the leaves can foster a wonderful discussion with your children. Please let me know what you think.

If you’d like to have 100’s of activities at your fingertips like the ones I do in my program, please visit my website where you can buy a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. What a great holiday gift this would make for any parent, teacher or grandparent of children ages 2-7! Don’t forget daycare providers, nannies, babysitters, early childhood education students and even expectant moms. They probably have enough little outfits that their babies will outgrow within a month or two. This award-winning book also has plenty of lined spaces on every other page for recording important highlights as your child participates with you in the story reading, craft project and cooking activity. Joan Fleischer, co-founder of the Creative Arts Therapy Center in New York City says, “I can’t think of a more valuable gift to give at baby showers or to anyone in a position to nurture and foster self-esteem in children.” It’s definitely a bargain at 50% off the cover price and comes with a money-back guarantee!