Raye Pietruszka / Author

12/27/2025

Grateful for this thoughtful review!

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas ALL!

12/22/2025

12/19/2025

💕Sometimes children need adults to make better decisions in healthcare to support a child’s coping and a less stressful experience.

Two things never mix with healthcare:

1️⃣ Telling children it won’t hurt - this only adds to stress and a breakdown in trust - the person determines their own pain experience and perception - adults can’t change this with words. Instead:
✅ Be honest - “some kids tell me it felt like a scratch / poke”
✅ ALWAYS - use measures to reduce needle related pain - numbing creams, pain management devices
✅ Give comfort hold options - avoid “holding down” and “restraint” positions. Positions where a parent can give a comforting and secure hug can reduce stress for all involved.

2️⃣ Making PROMISES! Plain and simple - healthcare AND life is unpredictable. Avoid making promises that you personally have no control over.

Stay tuned for book 2! I’m on a mission to tackle these last two wish list items!

12/18/2025

Still time to arrive before Christmas!
ONLY I-Love-Yous! by Raye Pietruszka, city of the hills native, shares a story that encourages safety, reassurance, and positivity in the minds of young children!

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble (online - shelves in New Hartford), or order through your local bookstore to stock up on 2026 gifts (Valentine’s Day, Teacher Appreciation, Birthdays and more).

12/17/2025

Day 17 of my Advent: Books and Coping Hooks is stuffed with 2 beautiful books that highlight persons with disabilities and strong messages of heart to heart relationships that carry us through tough challenges.

These books help to:
💕 Validate the experience for persons with disabilities.
💕 Bring awareness to ALL children while normalizing differences.
💕 Encourage empathy and inclusion.
💕 Demonstrate that teamwork and the power of imagination can lead to amazing solutions and discoveries.

🎁 Here Comes Sam: A Story of Rescue Puppy Love with Gabby and Nicky - Jannesy Deleon -


🎁 The Boy Who Wanted to Fly - Farial English -

Don’t forget to follow these authors and please them a review.

Add books to your shelves that help ALL kids feel accepted, included, understood, confident, and connected!

12/16/2025

🎁Ditch the screens - stock up on books this Christmas!

ONLY I-Love-Yous! can help little book lovers discover inner strength and the power in a positive mindset!

💗 Perfect for ages 4-8
💗 Encourages resiliency, kindness, and confidence.
💗 A tool to express and process big worries before they overwhelm little minds and bedtime routines!
💗Inspires imagination and creative storytelling as a coping strategy.
💗 Great gift for Valentine’s Day, Teacher Appreciation, and Birthdays!

👉 Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/ONLYILoveYous

👉 Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-i-love-yous-raye-pietruszka/1147186603?ean=9781779442864

👉 or buy local and order through your local bookstore (gear up for 2026 gift giving!).

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12/16/2025

Did you know the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends strict limits on screens?
👶 UNDER 18 months - Only for video chatting to connect with loved ones.
👶 18 months - 2 YEARS - Only choosing “high-quality content” and watching with a parent to support understanding.
🧒 2-5 YEARS - Only 1 hour max per day - again, WITH a parent to help them understand what is fantasy based and how the content relates to reality.
👧 6 AND OLDER - set strict limits on time and keep consistency. Considering the above timeframes, anything over 2 -3 hours a day is probably too much.

🚫 Keep bedtime and mealtime - NO SCREEN TIMES 🚫

📚READ 📚 READ 📚 READ 📚

12/15/2025

Yep! It’s true! Santa is in full procrastination mode!!!

Only a few days left to get your shopping done 😵‍💫

📚 Give stories
🤗 cuddles with a good book,and
💕 heart to heart talks!!!

Let Elly and her power of positivity inspire courage and confidence.

✅ Amazon 👇 (🙏 leave review🙏)
https://tinyurl.com/ONLYILoveYous
✅ Barnes and Noble 👇
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-i-love-yous-raye-pietruszka/1147186603?ean=9781779442864
✅ online wherever you buy books
✅ support local and order through your local book store….late is better than never 😄