Sunday Post: Black & White…or Do We Parent in Shades of Gray?

Posted on August 20, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is BLACK AND WHITE

I always love to connect the Sunday Post theme to an aspect of parenting.

As parents, we have many choices to make.

Should we be strict or lenient?

Do we move to the city or the suburbs.

Will our children go to public or private schools…or should we homeschool?

But there are some things about parenting that are BLACK AND WHITE:

Parenting requires organizational skills…kids need routines.

Parenting requires communication skills….kids need you to listen to them.

Parenting requires compassion…kids need your love.

Parenting requires consistency…kids need rules that are enforced.

But setting rules does not means that everything is black and white.

Is stealing wrong? What if your children were starving?

Is killing wrong? What if someone is trying to kill you or your child?

Perhaps parenting is a journey in “Shades of Gray”.

Parenting requires participation…kids need your time.

Practice Positive Parental Participation and your child will have a head-start to a happy and successful life.

Spending quality time with your young children now will have a positive impact on their school performance. It also helps them build stronger relationships later in life.

To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today. Show Me How is the book that makes it easy and fun!

Giving back is important to me. Part of the proceeds of each copy sold is donated to several children’s organizations.

Schools are opening all over the country and we’d like to give a free copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking to your favorite school or classroom. Nominate your child’s school or other childcare facility in the Show Me How School Initiative by leaving a comment and telling us why you’d like them to have this book. If you don’t have young children, but know people who do, please tell them about the free book their child’s school can receive! At the end of September, we will be awarding a dozen books to the winning schools.

Last, but certainly not least, I just came back from a local SCBWI meeting…one of the members, children’s author Marty Banks, has a new book out on the market. The Adventures of Tempest & Serena is a wonderful chapter book for readers ages 7 and up. I’ll be reviewing the book here in a couple of days, but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up about the free download that is coming up next weekend. I’ll post the correct URL when I do the review. I think this is a book parents and grandparents will want to buy for holiday gifting!

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post…click on a link and travel around the world:

http://bodhisattvaintraining.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://blueberriejournal.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/bw/

http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/leonard-pitts-jr-s-freeman/

http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/black-white/

http://mariadesuede.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/une-competition-en-noir-et-blanc/

http://jullianeford.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://shaanthz.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://cobbies69.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://nprimopiano.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/bw-stairs/

http://p0nky.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://truthaboveallreligions.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://imexcited.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://connieemeraldeyes.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://cassiemeetsworld.com/photography/sunday-post-black-white/

http://pollysspace.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://davidrwetzelphotography.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

Sunday Post: Black & White (autumninbruges.wordpress.com)
Jakesprinter Sunday post: Black and white (alicethroughthemacrolens.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Village…It Takes a Village to Raise a Child (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Solid like a Rock (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Road: Which One Will You Follow? (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
Sunday Post: Close-Up: Simple Tips for First Day of School Anxiety (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)

Sunday Post: Close-Up: Simple Tips for First Day of School Anxiety

Posted on August 12, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is CLOSE-UP.

I know I’ve used this photo before…but it personifies “CLOSE-UP” perfectly.

Do you practice attached parenting? Are you a helicopter mom? Have you encouraged your child’s independence?

No matter what type of parent you are, you may be experiencing some anxiety as you send your child off for the first day of school.

Many children also have concerns about school. Will they like the teacher? Will the other kids be nice? Will they find their way around the maze of hallways and classrooms? (I get lost when I do school visits) Will they ever see you again?

Here are five simple steps that will make the transition from home to school smoother.

1. Have an upbeat, matter-of-fact, positive attitude about school.

2. If your child has not been there yet, arrange for a visit before school starts.

3. Connect with parents of other children in the class and have play dates with your child’s classmates…children feel more at ease when they see friendly faces in the classroom.

4. If you don’t have a routine in place for bedtime and getting-ready-for-the-day-in-the-morning time, put them in place now. Make it a habit to discuss plans for the next day in the evening and lay out clothes and anything else needed the night before. When school starts, your child will be used to getting things ready and you won’t have that last minute rush in the morning to find the missing shoe or backpack. Regarding bedtime, please make sure you are allowing plenty of time for your child to get ready (brush teeth, wash, lay out clothes and necessary items, story-time, etc.) and still be getting to bed at a reasonable hour.

5. Make sure your child is eating a good breakfast in the morning…when school starts, this will be even more important. My younger son loved pizza. Some children might prefer eggs and toast, cereal with fruit and milk, French toast and bacon or pancakes with fruit toppings. How about peanut butter and banana on whole wheat bread?

Many times, children who are fussy eaters become better eaters when you let them help out in the kitchen. If you are looking for some simple child-friendly recipes, Show Me How! has one hundred of them and teams each cooking activity with a picture book suggestion and a quick and easy eco-friendly arts and crafts project. You can order a copy on my website at less than 50% of the cover price. The book is available for shipment to Canadian residents also!

Studies show that the quality time you spend with your young children now has a positive impact on their school performance. This is a great opportunity to get a wonderful resource you can use on a daily basis, year after year. Show Me How is an award-winning book endorsed by parents, teachers and national organizations such as the JDRF. To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today. This is a book that makes it easy and fun to be in your children’s lives today! Don’t put it off until tomorrow!

Another thing not to put off until tomorrow: if you’d like to nominate your child’s school or other childcare facility in the Show Me How School Initiative, please don’t forget to leave a comment with the school’s name. If you don’t have young children, but know people who do, tell them about the free book their child’s school can receive!

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post…click on a link and travel around the world:

http://p0nky.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/sunday-post-close-up/

http://blueberriejournal.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/close-up-2/

http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/2011/07/12/cheese-less-pesto/

http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/sunday-post-close-up/

http://bodhisattvaintraining.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/sunday-post-close-up/

http://perceptionsofareluctanthomemaker.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/jakes-sunday-post-close-up/

http://inspirationimport.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/my-mothers-eyes-close-up/

http://tracycampbellwriter.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/week-6-summer-short-sweet-challenge-have-you-been-bullied/

http://spanishpinaynanay.blogspot.com/2012/04/show-me-how-book-attached-parent-will.html

Sunday Post: Collectibles…Picture Books and People

Posted on July 22, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is COLLECTIBLES.

Children’s picture books are among some of the most prized collectibles. Many don’t survive the wear and tear of childhood…others live on to be passed down from generation to generation.

For me, the value of the book is in the joy each story gives to the children who hear it.

Some collectibles are valued in the millions but the smile on a child’s face is priceless.

Books are a window on the world for young children…and the time spent talking about the story and encouraging the child to relate the events in the book to his own life experiences can help strengthen the parent-child connection. Children who are comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings at a young age will be more likely to come to parents with problems and concerns as they get older.

Many of you have heard of the horrible tragedy that occurred a few nights ago in my state of Colorado in the theater in Aurora. Our hearts go out to those who were impacted by this and our prayers are with their families and friends.

One of our biggest problems in the world today is the inability of people to tell others when they are angry or frustrated or depressed or unhappy. Engaging with young kids with stories and activities is a great opportunity for this type of communication.

If you need a guide to choosing great picture books and awesome activities, please take a look at my award-winning resource for parents and teachers… Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking

I’m so pleased to announce that it is now available for shipment to Canadian residents…please visit my website and click on the special PayPal buttons for Canadian shipment!

If you’d like to see the book in action, please check out a new review of Show Me How! Erik did several of the activities with his younger sister and took some fantastic photos…the mac and cheese casserole picture will make you hungry!

Show Me How will be featured on Diane Hower’s segment of the local NBC affiliate morning show (Grand Junction, CO at 6am to 7am Mountain Time) on Tuesday, July 24^th http://www.nbc11news.com/news/misc/50648692.html and will be reviewed on her blog: http://bookwisdombydiane.blogspot.com/.

I hope everyone will tune in and I’ll try to post the show’s highlights on my blog next week.

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?