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Potty Training Help!

4/9/2016

 
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If only they knew what to do...
I've been asked for this list so many times, it's time to share it worldwide (or to whoever lands here). Potty training is so much fun, I thought you'd like reading about it with your kid too! We started with the P is for Potty because Liliana loved Elmo so much but that's not every kid. The first two on the list are still well-read in our house because Liliana just loves them - even though she's way past the training phase. I just read Pottytime Chickies before naptime today!
Our tried and true list:
Where's the Poop?
1. Where's the Poop?
What could be more fun than finding the poop..in a book. It's a fantastically funny lift-flap book that goes through animal parents asking their animal kids if they've pooped that day.

And then yep! You get to find it under the different flaps. The best part - it ends with a kid pooping on the potty.

It's really a fun read and one Liliana still asks to read.
2. Pottytime Chickies
Pottytime Chickies, fun, fun, fun! Hop on the potty and get the job done. 

This book is so rhythmic to read that I find myself saying the phrases to Liliana even still when she needs to at least try to go. 

Liliana calls it her laughing book because it's just so funny. The chickies go through sequences of what not​ to do in the potty and then they finally get it right!
Pottytime Chickies
Potty
3. Potty
This book has very simple, kid language with illustrations to match.

This book was one of the earlier ones we tried to explain the concept and it works well as a picture book for that purpose.


​4. The Potty Book for Boys
This book has more text than Potty, so if you have an older kid learning to use the toilet, this is the book for you.

The nice thing about this book is that it lets kids know that there will be accidents - and that's okay. That you just try and try again. This is not a task to give up on. 

It's a gentle, explanatory introduction to using the bathroom.
The Potty Book
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5. Time to Pee
As a former Sesame Street writer, Mo Willems knows kids. 

This book is simple and a great introductory book. And bonus, it comes with stickers.

Our daughter didn't get the sticker chart/reward thing, but she LOVED the stickers anyway.
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6. Potty Superhero
I didn't have to potty train a boy...but this book is the counterpart to Big Girl Panties, for boys. 

This book also shows an accident, which is super common, so it's nice that the book is realistic. 

It's a short, rhyming book that will get the initial point across. Plus, there's a superhero! And a dog!
Big Girl Panties
7. Big Girl Panties
I hate the word panties and wondered why it was necessary in the title of this book.

It's so it can rhyme with aunties. 

That seemed useful enough and Lily really liked this book. Plus, it got her in the mood for thinking about what kind of undies she would like to wear. The answer: Dinosaur undies, duh!

Enjoy (and good luck)!

Great Goodnight Books...And Go To Sleep

4/7/2016

 
I recently had a friend ask me for more goodnight book suggestions for her toddler and I'll be honest, I thought this was going to be an easier list to put together than it actually was. She sent me what she currently reads including Pajama Time, Llama Llama Nighty Night and Good Night New York and I sent her a few quick suggested additions to her nighttime routine. Then I went about looking at any new goodnight books that were on the bookshelves that I may have missed.

Let's start with some background. Almost every parent knows the book Goodnight Moon. Not everyone loves it, but let's talk about why it is so popular. Because it's important - a lot of goodnight books are derivative of Goodnight Moon.

Margaret Wise Brown, through her research, learned that kids were very interested in the "here and now". And so, that was what her storytelling became. Simple settings, simple kid language with cadence that is based upon familiar routines. 

This was a book revolution! So much so, that the New York Public Library didn't circulate the book until 26 years after its initial publication. 

The book became popular through word of mouth. It lulled your 2 year old to sleep (and maybe you, but the 2 year old was the important one). So parents recommended it to other parents and its popularity increased. Now it's a goodnight staple in many households. The Here and Now storytelling method became a mainstay. Again, the important part here - It puts your kid to sleep. 


At bedtime, sometimes you want books that are relaxing but are also fun to read during other times of your day or are a different take on bedtime than the Here and Now. So, I went on a search for other goodnight books that are fun to read at bedtime, will slow down the day for a few minutes but may also provide some text complexity or imagination to your bedtime routine. This list is especially useful for the toddler set - 2 years old and older.
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Goodnight Books
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1. Steam Train, Dream Train 1-2-3
Like trains? Try out Steam Train, Dream Train 1-2-3 by the same authors as Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site.

​It's a cute counting bedtime story, loading the train up with animals that will go to sleep.

I actually like it better than Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site.
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2. Trashy Town
This is an American Library Association recommended book for toddlers' libraries.

It details Mr. Gilly, the trash collector's journey through Trashy Town. Just when the repetitive nature gets to be a bit much, the author changes course. After he cleans up, the only thing left to clean is Mr. Gilly. 

This is a good book to wind down, or read before bath time. 

The author based this book on her own son's interest in the garbage truck going around town and I usually find that parent-written books are extra relatable. Liliana loves this one.
3. Mother, Mother, I Want Another

This book made me laugh. It highlights the struggles parents feel when getting their little ones to bed. They will do anything, including, getting another mother.

The mother frantically searches for another mother to put her mouse to sleep but the book hinges on its playful language from the toddler mouse, who just wants another...kiss. Not another mother! 

You'll get a laugh and an extra goodnight kiss out of this one.
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Books that Wind Down the Day
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1. Stars
In time for poetry month, this is a lyrically written book by an award-winning author and a Caldecott winning illustrator.

Perfect for winding down the day and relaxing. It's also a great book if you have a star, night-sky lover. 

This book captures the awe we feel when we look up into the nighttime sky.
2. Hippos go Berserk!
For all of you Sandra Boynton lovers, this is a good book to supplement her other goodnight books.

One hippo all alone, calls another on the phone. Once all of the hippos arrive, there is a party! But every party must end, and they all start to go home.

What's interesting in this book? You count up to 9 and back down, meeting 44 hippos along the way (you are left with the original hippo). She does the math for you, but you could do it later if you wanted.
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3. The Wonderful Things You Will Be
Emily Winfield Martin is an artist who wrote a book...actually a few. Her illustrations are dreamy and the story is affirming for any young child.

The drawings are filled with imagination and the words are calming and relaxing.
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4. Waiting
Kevin Henkes' newest book won the Theodore Geisel award for little readers. The book focuses on the trinkets little kids find and keep - and what they're waiting for. 
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5. Owl Moon
A perennial favorite and with rich text, this is a story of a father taking his child owling. The story is full of patience, paced words and beautiful pictures. Jane Yolen knows how to tell a story.

​Enjoy!

Quick Literacy Tip: Postcards

3/30/2016

 
Please share!
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Remember sending postcards as a kid? I used to love sending postcards when we went on vacations or even better, receiving them in the mail. Who doesn't love getting mail?!

Liliana and I were in Dallas this past weekend and we visited the zoo. As souvenirs, I put pictures up from the trip in her picture frames instead of getting tchotchkes. And as something fun to do, we always get postcards to send. Liliana has a lot to say (always) so she thought it was great when I told her postcards are a way of "telling stories" to other people who live far away.  

​Plus, writing postcards is a quick way to get literacy into your day and works for little kids all the way up to big kids! 


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Gift Giving Guide: Books for the Baby Shower

3/16/2016

 
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I bought a lot of my daughter's books to start her baby library. There were certain books I wanted and there were certain books I didn't want at all.

There are books that it seems like almost every new mom registers for - you know the ones - The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, Dear Zoo, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Where the Wild Things Are, Guess How Much I Love You - you get the picture. These are all great books, but a new mom is inevitably going to receive these.

But there are so many other books! Here is a list with a mix of American Library Association recommendations, Caldecott winners, most-checked out kid books from the library, my daughter's favorites and my own favorites. I often buy and recommend books by well-known authors, but their lesser known titles that are just as fantastic.

​Many of my own favorites are books that are not annoying to be read over and over and over and over and over...and that makes it more fun for Liliana. If I can convey enjoyment while I read, she will pick up on that. Read books that are joyful to you as a parent!

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1. I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love
This is an adorable story including animals, rhyming and beautiful pictures.

This book promotes parent/child bonding and as the baby gets older and can interact more into its toddler years, it's a fun book to read together.

In case you're wondering, I do prefer the hard cover to the board book. The illustrations warrant the extra page space.
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2. The Very Busy Spider
This is a fantastic alternative to The Very Hungry Caterpillar and I actually like it better. You still get Eric Carle's artwork and bugs, but with other farm animals added in!






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3. Global Babies
​Let's bring some diversity to this list. These sets of books are still Liliana's favorites, 3 years later.

There is also a Global Baby Girls and Global Baby Boys. They are also a great springboard for talking about other parts of the world.





​4. Jazz Baby
This book is so rhythmic, it's musical! It's a ton of fun to read and does not get old when you are reading it over and over and over.

The book is easy to read to the beat and you'll see your kid bopping along while you read. It's really a joyful book.






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5. The Quiet Book
​This book is relaxing to read. It's a sweet book which goes through the different kid reasons to be quiet.

As kids get older, they will relate. But in the meantime, it's a nice way to wind-down for bedtime.

​In case you want more:
  • The Little Island - Not your standard Margaret Wise Brown book. It won a Caldecott award in 1947 for the beautiful watercolor pictures and the story is very mellow. 
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  • The Pout Pout Fish - The illustrations are great and the story is super cute. There are more of these books in case the child-to-be loves the first one. These stories can grow up with a kid.​

  • Fish Eyes - Lois Ehlert always has great pictures in her books. This board book has math extensions and is so colorful, you'll want to flip through it again. We frequently do art activities based on the fish in this book too.

  • Eating the Alphabet - Another Lois Ehlert book with fruits and veggies. It's very colorful and there is a lot to look at. It's also a great book to bring along to the grocery store and keep those hands busy.
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  • Please Baby Please - Written by Spike Lee and has a musical tone to it. The book goes through a toddler's day - very familiar to us!

  • G is for Goat - A great introduction to the world of Patricia Polacco - with a farm alphabet.

  • Ten, Nine, Eight - A counting backward book akin to Goodnight Moon.

  • Baby Beluga - Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea, swim so wild and you swim so free. Beautiful ocean animals and if you like Raffi music, even better. 

  • 10 Trick or Treaters - Another favorite of ours - a counting backward to bed book. 

  • Giraffes Can't Dance - A colorful, animal-filled book about finding the confidence in yourself. The rhyming in the book is well-done and hasn't been a bother to read over and over and over again.
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  • Chickens Aren't the Only Ones - A very colorful book explaining all the animals that lay eggs. The rhyming is done well and one Liliana picks this up from the bookshelf almost daily.

​Enjoy!

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