It’s time you found out sooner rather than later. I’m a huge nerd. I also need all the help I can get when it comes to making it through the day to day. Here are some tools that have made a big difference for me and my family. Please feel free to comment resources that have helped you! We’re all in this together! (a little throwback for you)
Books For Adults:
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches
Rachel Jankovic
This book is so good, we chose to hand them out as gifts to all of the mothers in my mom’s group! For when you need some assurance that it is ok if you don’t have it all figured out. And yes. Every time I pick up this book, I try to wipe the spaghetti off of it!
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Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything
Geneen Roth
Don’t let the title fool you. This book is much more than a religious approach to food and eating habits. I listened to it on tape during a long road trip and was floored by how much it changed the way I view food.
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Books for Kids:
Bloom
Doreen Cronin and David Small
“A mud Fairy, and extraordinary ordinary girl, and a castle in peril”. I LOVE THIS BOOK. It is the story of a young girl finding she is worth more than she thinks, tied up in a traditional fairy tale/ princess story package. To prove to you that this book is worth it, I have purchased six extra copies of it and I use them as birthday presents. Not only does it eliminate the struggle of figuring out what to buy for all of the darn wonderful birthday parties we get to attend, but it is passing on the message that all girls are extraordinary.
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Shades of People
Sheila M. Kelly and Shelley Rotner
A WONDERFUL book to introduce the topic of race, and how skin color has no bearing on what a person is like on the inside. For more information on discussing why people have different skin tones, please check out this episode of the podcast The Longest Shortest Time. Their website has links to other references for children based on age.
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No Means No
Jayneen Sanders and Cherie Zamazing
A book about the importance of standing up for yourself, and setting boundaries when it comes to your body. It is easy to understand and an excellent book for preschoolers. Be prepared. If your children are anything like mine, they will start using the title phrase, “No means no”, as an excuse for getting out of doing what they are told…these toddlers man. You can’t catch a break! But honestly, no one wants to talk about the very real threat of sexual assault. But this book gives kids the tools they need to speak up.
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My Body! What I Say Goes!
Jayneen Sanders and Anna Hancock
Similar to No Means No, but the two make a great companion set. Again, this book gives young kids the confidence and the tools to set boundaries for their own bodies. Cannot recommend it enough.
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Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids
By Carol McCloud
This book has become very popular in both preschools and elementary schools, as a way to manage classroom behavior. I introduced this book when my kids were 2 and 3, and I think they were too young for it. However, it helped me greatly in how I need to talk to them about kindness and generosity. Since reading this book, I have started asking them every night what they did that day that was kind for another person. I am excited to see how this book makes an impact as they get old enough to really understand it.
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Suki’s Kimono
Chieri Uegaki and Stephane Jorisch
A very sweet story that I bought to introduce my children to other cultures, but also to enforce the concept of accepting people for who they are. I like this book because it is a true narrative, rather than the other more textbook like books on this list.
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All the Colors We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color
Katie Kissinger
This is another one from The Longest Shortest Time. I have since learned a lot through discussing these topics with my own children. It has helped us have a more open dialogue (as much as you can with a three and four year old) and given my children the freedom to ask questions about tough topics. This book goes in depth about the scientific reasons for differing skin colors. It drives home the point that skin color has nothing to do with a person’s heart and character. We are all humans, and should be treated as such.
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Helpful Gadgets
Plane Seat Belt:
Here’s the FAA approved harness we use for our kids when we fly. It’s MUCH easier than lugging around a carseat, and keeps them secure, no matter how big a tantrum they throw.
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