Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian?

Posted on March 4, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by psiaki via Flickr

I’ve noticed that a lot of bloggers set aside a day to encourage others to “follow” their blog…sign up to receive notifications of their posts, “like” them on facebook, “follow” them on Twitter.

I’m thrilled that there are people reading my posts…actually over 3000 page views since I started this blog at the end of this past summer!

It’s not so much a vanity issue…but more that the posts that I write may be helping others…or at least putting a smile on their faces. 🙂

I had lunch yesterday with a dear friend, who is also an author. She is also a former journalist and reporter and is always giving me wonderful ideas for promoting my book.

Since the first of this year, I’ve been visiting our local District 11 schools here in Colorado Springs, implementing the SHOW ME HOW Story-time Program in the Pre-K’s and kindergartens. Every Thursday morning, I read a picture book story and then do rhythms and a craft project (from my book) with a classroom full of eager smiling children. What a blast!

I’m happy to say that the program has been really well-received…in fact, the head of the volunteer program for District 11 warned me that teachers are already putting in their reservations to have me do presentations for the new school year in August and September!

So, I thought that perhaps on Fridays, I could share my experiences in the schools. And also let everyone know where I will be the next week. My author friend suggested, “Where’s Miss Vivian?”

I had to cancel yesterday’s scheduled presentation because of a dentist appointment…but it turns out that it was a good thing I did because I wouldn’t have wanted to expose the children to my cold.

Last week, on February 24^th, I was at Columbia school. The children loved hearing about KATY AND THE BIG SNOW by Virginia Lee Burton. After giving the children a chance to discuss the story, we formed a circle and went through the motions of Katy, the crawler-tractor, as she plowed the streets of the town of Geoppolis. The craft project of creating a snow-cleared road way picture captured the enthusiasm of the children to such an extent that they wanted to stay and work on their project after the allotted time and were sad to put down their art materials because it was time for recess! Having to encourage young children to stop drawing and pasting in order to go outside to play…wow…that’s a new one!

As the children lined up, one of the little boys looked up at me and said, “Miss Vivian, I really like you!” Another child piped up, “This was the BEST time EVER!”

What was it that the children were so enthusiastic about?

When we spend time with our children, joyfully interacting with them, we build their self-esteem. They understand that we value them if we give them some of our time.

How can parents shape their children’s future?

Just 15 minutes a day…read a picture book story with your child.

Just 15 minutes a day…do a simple craft project with your child.

Just 15 minutes a day…prepare an easy recipe with your child.

Where can you find all of these activities, laid out in a simple, easy-to-use format?

Hop over to my website and grab a copy of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING…now on sale for half-price with FREE shipping until March 9th. I guarantee it will be the best $22.50 you have ever spent…and I’m offering a 365-day money-back refund if you don’t agree!

Next week, I’ll be at Taylor school, doing two back-to-back story/craft presentations.

Image of Katy, the crawler-tractor by psiaki via flicker.

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: SWIMMY

Posted on March 2, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan in 1898. On the...

Image via Wikipedia

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

For me, faith in oneself is tied together with confidence in oneself…the belief that no matter what the challenge or task, we are up for it.

This is such an important lesson to teach our children and the picture book I’m recommending today from the 100 that appear in SHOW ME HOW, epitomizes this. Reading this story with your children can open up a discussion about many topics…death, overcoming obstacles and working together are only a few of them.

SWIMMY

Written and illustrated by Leo Lionni

One day, a big hungry tuna fish swallows an entire school of little red fish. Swimmy, the only little black fish in that school, escapes because he is the fastest swimmer. Although he is very sad to have lost his family, he enjoys discovering the many wonders of the underwater world as he swims along. When he discovers another school of little red fish hiding in the shadows of some corals, Swimmy invites them to join him on his journey, but they are afraid to venture out of their safe haven because they will become prey to the large fish. Swimmy decides to fool the other sea creatures by teaching the little red fish to swim together, creating the illusion of a large fish with himself as the eye. This enables them all to leave their hiding place and enjoy the wonders of the ocean.

Swimmy’s speed enabled him to escape the hungry tuna, his color helped him to be the eye of the fish formation, and his ingenuity created the idea that would save his newly found school of little red fish. Our children have special qualities also and we must encourage them to value their own strengths.

Just 15 minutes a day is enough time to read a picture book to your child and that may be the most important 15 minutes you spend each day. Reading picture books to your child build’s self-esteem, develops pre-literacy skills, creates a life-long parent-child bond…and it’s FUN!

Need some direction regarding which books to choose to read to your child? SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING provides summaries of the 100 picture books every young child needs to hear. Don’t let another day go by without getting a copy of this valuable resource for your home…on sale now for only $22.50 with FREE SHIPPING (continental U.S. only). Visit my website for details.

I invite you to return tomorrow for HEALTHY HABIT THURSDAY.

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.