I have to be honest.
Parenting is hard work and I’m going to go out on a limb and say I’m not winning the “Mother of the Year” award any time soon. Remember, I’m letting go of perfectionism, so pursuing an award for the best mother ever just isn’t on my bucket list.
Sometimes good enough is good enough.
And although most first time mothers wish they did, we all know hospitals don’t send you home with a user’s manual when they roll you out to your car in a wheelchair holding your new bundle of joy. Newborns, with their squishy little faces and darling coos, grow into willful toddlers and, at least for me, at times it feels like an alien has taken up residence in our home!
My sweet, sweet baby boy has turned into a little man with his own thoughts and opinions about almost everything. His current favorite phrase when he’s frustrated is “NO, I DON’T WANT TO, MOMMY!” and he says it complete with an angry face and a stomping foot.
It’s epic. And not in a good way.
At times I’m tempted to get frustrated right back at him but instead, I’ve found a solution that works every time. Or sometimes. Or once out of every three times I try. {Ahem.}
Reading a book!
Truly, grabbing my frustrated little man, taking him out of his currently frustrating environment, and plopping ourselves on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and a good book is usually a great solution to the mayhem that occurs when his little toddler self is having trouble controlling his own emotions.
This week we received a new book in the mail, so of course this book made it to the calm-down-couch pile of books. {Part of the fun of blogging is receiving books to read and review and this was one of those times}.
The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book
I grew up with the Berenstain Bears teaching me all manner of socially appropriate behavior through great quality children’s books. Reading was and still is one of my favorite things to do any time I have a few extra minutes (or hours!).
I was excited to crack open this cute little board book and see what new adventures Mama Bear, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey had in store for me. Small in size, the thick-paged board book is perfect for little hands still learning to turn the pages.
And what better topic for me to read to my strong-willed toddler than a book about manners? In The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book Brother, Sister, and Honey yell “I want a cookie!” and Mama Bear is shocked at their poor manners!
In the span of 20 short pages, Mama Bear walks her cubs through a reminder of when to use the magic words – please, thank you, and you’re welcome – and rewards them for doing so with some of her scrumptious cookies and milk.
My “big” kids (ages 2 and 5) listened intently to the book and the littlest asked to read it over and over again, like little ones tend to do! It’s a great book for me to read during our “cool down” times after tantrums as a simple reminder of appropriate behavior and manners.
If you’d like your own copy to use during the inevitable toddler-tantrum moments, you’re in luck!
To win a copy of The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book, choose one (or several) of the entry methods below.
Ways to Enter this Giveaway:
- Leave a comment on this post.
- Visit The Mosaic Life Facebook page. And *like* it if you like it. 🙂
- Sign up to receive blog posts by email.
I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday, March 3rd. This would be a great addition to a child’s Easter basket this year!
