Do’s and Don’ts: Shopping With Preschoolers

Posted on February 18, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Although we’d all probably like to leave our children at home when we go shopping, this is not always possible. So what can we do to make sure our shopping trips with preschoolers go as smoothly and safely as possible. Many of the following tips are from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I posted this back in November…but I see so many lost children, children climbing on shopping carts, etc. when I am at the store, I thought I should bring the article back again. 🙂

DO’S FOR SHOPPING WITH PRESCHOOLERS

Do keep children with you at all times.
Do accompany and supervise children in public restrooms.
Do have a plan in case you become separated…just like a fire safety plan which should be discussed at home and practiced routinely.
Do teach your child to look for people who can help…a uniformed security officer, salesperson with a name badge or another mother with children.
Do remind children to remain in the area where they became separated…there is a wonderful picture book story that addresses this issue…DON’T WORRY, I’LL FIND YOU by Anna Grossnickle Hines. When Sarah and her mother go the mall to buy Sarah some clothes, Sarah insists on taking her doll. When Sarah realizes she has left her doll at one of the stores, she runs to find it. Now, however, she doesn’t know where her mother is. Sarah remembers her mother’s instructions to “stay put” and so she remains at the toy store and soon mother and child are reunited. Read this story with your preschooler before your shopping trip and discuss the plan of action in case you become separated.

DON’TS FOR SHOPPING WITH PRESCHOOLERS

Don’t dress children in clothing that displays their first or last name…this may give strangers an opportunity to start a conversation with your child.
Don’t leave children in the toy area of a store expecting store personnel to supervise your child while you shop in another area of the store.
Don’t allow young children to shop on their own to purchase gifts for friends or family members.
Don’t shop with your child if you feel you will be distracted. Try to make other childcare arrangements…perhaps you and a friend who also has young children can take turns watching the children while the other goes shopping for a morning or afternoon.
Don’t allow children to push the shopping cart if there is a younger sibling in it…and don’t allow children to hang on the cart, even if it is empty…too many accidents occur when shopping carts tip over.

Important tip: Make sure you wipe off the cart with a sanitizer (many stores provide them near the carts now) and clean your child’s hands when you leave the store. Tawna at Random Thoughts, Advice, Gripes, etc. http://btrbb.blogspot.com/2011/02/prefenz-botanicals-alcohol-free.html is offering a giveaway of a great hand santizer product. Head on over and enter…just a few more days!

For busy parents, online shopping can be wonderful option. You can do it in the evening when the children are sleeping and avoid the crowds and parking hassles. If you do go out shopping with your children, keep these tips in mind. You’ll be glad you did! If you need a gift for a parent, grandparent, teacher or babysitter of a preschooler, I’d like to suggest my new book, SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SLEF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING. This great resource pinpoints 100 picture books every young child should hear and provides a story summary, gentle parenting tip, eco-friendly craft project and child-friendly healthful cooking activity for each recommended title. Hop over to my website: www.positiveparentalparticipation.com for a half-price special!

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday?

Posted on February 16, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed when you walk down the aisles of a bookstore or library…so many choices…which one should you pick? I know I do!

It is also difficult for parents who want to choose good books to read with their children.

These posts on Wednesdays are dedicated to busy parents and teachers who are looking for quality picture books, but don’t have a lot of time to search through the stacks.

Since this week I seem to be following a theme of LOVE, I’ve chosen I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART, one of the stories I recommend in my new parenting book.

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART

Written by Noris Kern

Illustrated by Jean Baptiste Baronian

Polo, the baby polar bear, wonders what it means when his young caribou friend, Walter, tells him that his mother loves him with all her heart. Polo goes home to ask his mother and she explains that she loves him with her mouth when she kisses him, with her paws when she tickles him, with her belly when she hugs him; in other words, with her whole self or whole heart. Polo is extremely comforted by this revelation. Before he goes to sleep, he tells his mother that he loves her with all his heart too.

Charming illustrations and a simple text help young children enter the world between the pages of this book. Young children need to be reassured that their parents love them. All too often, we interact with our children only when we want to correct their behavior. This is really a reinforcement of their negative behavior. Perhaps, instead, we can follow the principle of Positive Parental Participation.

If you are enjoying the time you spend with your young child, whether it is reading the picture book or working on a craft project or preparing something together in the kitchen, that joyful interaction will help your child feel valued and valuable, an important step in the formation of high self-esteem.

Are you looking for great picture book recommendations and simple, easy-to-do fun-filled educational self-esteem building activities? Pick up a copy of the book that provides it all…now at a substantial saving at 50% off the cover price.

Birthdays: Special Days On Which To Reflect

Posted on February 11, 2011 by viviankirkfield

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Today is my birthday!

I know that many people, especially as they get older, would rather not celebrate their birthdays. Perhaps they think that if they don’t let people wish them “Happy Birthday” it will keep time from slipping away. Maybe they believe that birthdays are just for young children.

For me, each birthday is an opportunity to rejoice and reflect.

I look back at the year gone by and think about everything that has happened, all that I have accomplished and all of the wonderful people whose lives have connected with mine. This past year has been especially fruitful…my new book for parents of preschoolers was published in September. My talented daughter and daughter-in-law set up my website and were instrumental in getting the book to look so amazing before it went to print. I’ve met dozens of amazing moms and dads through their blogs…many have read the book and have done terrific reviews on their sites…you can read the latest one that was posted today:

http://bookdads.com/book-review/book-review-show-me-how/

And then I give thanks for today…as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift…that’s why they call it the present.”

I love my life…yes, sometimes it is incredibly busy…but I’m happy that I have the strength and energy to do what needs to be done (most of the time).

I love my family…supportive encouraging loving husband whom I’ve been married to for forty-three years, three awesome grown children who are happy in their own lives, three gorgeous (of course) smart (of course) and wonderful (of course) grandchildren and a dear sweet sister.

I love my friends…one I’ve known for over half a century and her prayers and good wishes raise me up on a daily basis; some whom I’ve just met through this amazing blog/internet/social networking phenomenon. but I feel close to them already.

And then I look forward to the future…with eager anticipation. Another gem from Eleanor Roosevelt sums ups how I feel: “You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.”

I’m excited about the opportunities that I have to share my passions: for picture books and for uplifting young children. The new SHOW ME HOW! story-time program for our local schools here in Colorado Springs has enabled me to be back in the Pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, surrounded by the eager smiling faces of young children. And parents and teachers who use the book will be building self-esteem, developing pre-literacy skills and creating a life-long parent-child bond.

May I share one more quote from Eleanor Roosevelt? “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Helping children believe in the beauty of THEIR dreams is exactly what the book does! I realize that parents are often overwhelmed these days with juggling jobs, home, family and other responsibilities. It is hard to find the time to plan quality activities. That’s why the book is such a valuable tool…it is a genuine shortcut for today’s busy parents and teachers. Everything is laid out in a simple easy-to-use format…story suggestion and summary, gentle parenting tip, eco-friendly craft project and child-friendly healthful cooking activity.

After doing some market research, we’ve decided to try to make the book more affordable for parents and others (preschool teachers, nannies, daycare providers, grandparents) who want to purchase a copy. From today (my birthday) until March 9^th (World Read-Aloud Day…very appropriate, I think, because the book is all about the importance of reading to young children), the book will be on sale on my website for $22.50 per copy with FREE shipping. I am taking away the BOGO event, as that required people to purchase two copies at the same time. I hope that everyone who has been thinking about getting a copy, but were hesitant because of the price, will hop over and grab one…or more…I’ve been told they make great gifts for baby showers. 🙂

So now I will post this to my blog and close the computer and enjoy the rest of my special day! There is definitely an ice-cream sundae, a bowl of popcorn and a good movie in my plans for today!