The Parent Bloggers Network

So far, five of our parent bloggers have reviewed the books, Ready for the Day and Ready for Bed. And let’s just put it this way – if there was a “Mommy (or Daddy’s) Extra-Special Helper” award for a product? These books, written by an Atlanta-based mom, would easily win.

According to one blogger, Ready for the Day tells a story of “a little girl who at first is resistant to getting ready for school. But her dad uses several different techniques to encourage her to get ready, and as a reward they have time to play before going to school. Dad gives her choices when getting ready, like asking which of two outfits she wants to wear. He also expresses understanding of how she feels, and points out when she uses her manners or otherwise behaves appropriately.”

In Ready for Bed, “a mother and her son go through all of the bedtime activities. The boy is grumpy and doesn’t want to comply, but his mom makes it fun by doing many of the same techniques in the other book. She offers him a choice of which PJs he wants to wear, sympathizes when he doesn’t want to get out of the bath, and encourages him when he remembers his manners. Bedtime ends up being fun, without tantrums and resistance.”

Bloggers have a number of wonderful things to say about the book written by Stacey Kaye. An example? “The dialogue is better than most children’s books.” This blogger explains, “I’m always critical of dialogue - does that really sound like an actual conversation? - and it’s rare to find realistic dialogue in children’s books.  While some of it seemed forced, the large majority of it seemed quite natural.” Another reviewer thinks “the illustrations in these two books are beautiful and lively. The action is drawn well and the characters’ feelings can easily be determined by looking at their faces.”

But the main aspect most commented on is how the book teaches caregivers to not just communicate with a child but do so using a positive parenting language. “I have heard my friends say that they would pay someone to just ‘tell me what to say,’ and that’s pretty much what these two books do,” remarks one blogger. Another concurs, adding, “Language is so important in interacting with your children and Ready for the Day and Ready for the Bed provide guidance on exact discussion for encouraging your child’s emotional health and intelligence.”

Initially, one of our reviewers expected the books (which are tailored for kids ages three to six) to merely contain fun stories to read in order to prepare kids for the day or night.  But she was pleasantly surprised to discover so much more. “There is a section in the front of the books telling “grown-ups” about the books’ color coding: GREEN words validate feelings, BLUE words offer choices and RED words encourage,” she observes. “When I first saw this I thought the book might be talking down to parents but as I read the book I didn’t feel that way at all.”

So will this book help you curtail the “war of the wills”? Our bloggers answered with a resounding “yes!” “When the child complains or gives a bad attitude, the parent acknowledges the grumpy feelings and then tells the child what an acceptable behavior will be. I’ve personally found both of these strategies to be effective, so I would say the book is right on,” remarks one blogger. Another chimes in: “they are also great tools to remind parents of the important role they play in making these times enjoyable instead of dreaded.”

But this is not just a book parents can read. Kids love to read this book too! “Tacy is expected to read to us each night, and these books are a great fit for her reading level.  In fact,” notes this reviewer, “she read Ready for the Day out loud to Kyle last night and noted it on her school reading log.”

And another great point — several reviewers found the diversity (as well as the fact that a dad is featured as the main caregiver in one story) a refreshing change from alot of other books on the market. One blogger sums it up with this sentiment:“If you would like a cultural diverse parenting tool to positively impact your child’s learning and your own parenting skills definitely give these books a try.”

Don’t forget we still have a few more bloggers’ writing about their experiences. They are:

Wed 9/10 - Creature Bug and Mid-Campaign Post

Thurs 9/11 - Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting

Fri 9/12 - Boston Mamas

Mon 9/15 - Chicky Chicky Baby

Tues 9/16 - Dana Reviews

Wed 9/17 - Round-Up

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 at 5:00 am and is filed under Books, Pre-school. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.