Ah, Monday. I have never been a big fan of Mondays (I don't know too many people who are). But Mondays are even harder when you have a toddler that apparently hates Mondays more than you do. Today's post is in honor of all those Monday mornings - the dawdling, the screaming, the pleading, the crying, the begging, the bargaining, refusing to eat, begging to eat more - and the list goes on. Usually by the time I get to work on Monday morning, I feel like I have already worked a whole week. It takes a shift in perspective to get back in a good frame of mind and buckle down for a productive - and happy - day and week.
The books that I have chosen for today's post are great examples of books that put things in perspective. Even very young children can learn lessons from relatable tales, and in the throes of a tantrum (no matter what time of day or what day of week), I have been able to remind my Little One that she can choose to have a good day by reminding her of these stories. I'm not saying that it works every time....but the fact that it has EVER worked makes me realize that she is learning from our reading adventures, afterall!
My No No No Day
Anyone that has ever spent any time with a toddler knows about no, No, NO days. But "NO!" days don't end with toddlerhood.... I'm sure it's safe to say that we all come down with bouts of the "no's." The main character in this book parades us through her day, filled with lovely activities and loving people...but she won't have any of it. As she grumps off to bed, she sweetly tells her mom that she just didn't have a great day, and mom replies that hopefully tomorrow will be better. And it is. The lucky little girl has an equally lovely day, and with just a change of perspective, she certainly enjoys it a whole lot more. This story has given me a framework for dealing with my often-grumpy Little One:
Me - (trying to remain calm and collected) "Are you having a NO day?"
LO - (sniffling dramatically through tears) "No, I want to be happy."
End Scene. Thunderous applause.
I have read enough of Kevin Henkes books now to realize that I am in love. They are all remarkably simple and beautifully illustrated stories that deliver a very moving message. All the animals in this little tale start off having a terrible day. Tragedies of loss and loneliness strike at every turn, and it is shaping up to be a bad day indeed. BUT! One by one, things start to look up. In the end, everything is right with the world, and it turns out to be a very good day indeed. Always look for the bright side, sweet Little One....the world will right itself once again.
I will mostly let the trailer below speak for itself. This book is great. She asks for it every night, often as she drifts off to sleep and is still begging for JUST ONE MORE!? "now good news bad news mommy?? <yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnn>." We talk about why the rabbit is happy and the mouse is sad. We talk about why the rabbit becomes sad at the end. We talk about how the friends can cheer each other up. We laugh at the ridiculous scenarios. We love this book.
What a nice selection of books to help toddlers and all of us have a positive outlook. Loved the trailer.
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