Embracing the Child highly recommends this book.MY SELF, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS: 26 Experts Explore Young Children's Self-esteem, Betty Farber, M.Ed., Editor (2000)
How can improving a preschooler's self-esteem also improve his behavior? Read Chapter 3 Why is it important to understand a child's individual temperament? Read Chapter 8 How can you help youngsters deal with their feelings in a constructive manner? Read Chapter 17 What can you do to help children make friends easily? Read Chapter 32 How can you encourage young children's good manners in a humorous, entertaining way? Read Chapter 38 This book lists 64 resources for adults and 400 resources for children.
SECTION 1 Resources For Adults Who's in Control? Dr. Balters Guide to Discipline Without Combat (1989) Annie Stories: A Special Kind of Storytelling by Doris Brett. Workman, 1988. Parents use storytelling to help their children resolve problems when dealing with stressful events in their young lives. I Saw a Purple Cow, by Ann Cole, Carolyn Haas, Faith Bushnell, & Betty Weinberger. Little, Brown, 1972. For more than 25 years, this book of creative activities has been helping parents and teachers to design party themes and everyday experiences using items found around the house. They're Never Too Young for Books: A Guide to Children's Books for Ages 1 to 8, by Edythe M. McGovern & Helen D. Muller. Prometheus Books, 1994. . In this practical guide to the selection and use of books with young children you will find annotated book lists by subject matter, including many titles that relate to competence and self-esteem. The Magic of Encouragement: Nurturing Your Child's Self-Esteem, by Stephanie Marston. Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster, 1992. (Not in print ‹ please check with your librarian.) A lively, readable, practical book on topics parents care about such as: self-esteem, feelings, and discipline. It is a valuable resource for parents of children from preschoolers through teens. The Divorced Parent: Success Strategies for Raising Happy Children After Separation, by Stephanie Marston. Pocket Books, 1995. The author has spent the last 12 years as a successful family therapist dealing with all the complicated parenting issues divorce raises. She brings to the topic her empathy, common sense, and years of case histories, in this important book. For Children Saras City, by Sue Alexander. Clarion Books, 1995. Told from the point of view of a little girl living in Chicago in the 1940s. We hear about Saras school, her trip to the department store with Mama, the games she plays with her friends, and how Daddy listens to the radio with her before bedtime. Bub or The Very Best Thing, by Natalie Babbitt. Michael di Capua Books/HarperCollins, 1994. ³One day in the castle the King and the Queen had an argument.² They quarreled about this question: what is the very best thing for the Prince? Is it toys? Is it lessons? The King looks in his books for the answer. The Queen talks to everyone she meets in the castle. But every book says something else, and each person has a different answer. Finally, they ask the cooks daughter, who asks the young Prince. He answers, ³Bub.² The cooks daughter is clever enough to understand. The King and Queen might even figure it out some day too! Benjamin's 365 Birthdays, 2nd ed. by Judith Barrett. Aladdin, 1992. Benjamin has so much fun at his birthday party, especially unwrapping his presents, that he figures out how he can make the fun last 365 days a year! American Too, by Elisa Bartone. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1996. When Rosina, an Italian immigrant, is laughed at by some neighborhood girls, she asks her father, ³Why do we always have to do Italian things? This is America not Italy!² In a moving ending to the story, Rosina is the queen at the feast of San Gennaro. She is dressed as the American symbol that she treasures most, and is glad to have two countries as part of her heritage. Mad About Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans. Viking, 1993. Collected in this one volume, including Bemelmans' childlike illustrations, are all the classic tales about brave, self-confident, adventurous Madeline. As Anna Quindlen states in her introduction, "...it would not be stretching it too far to say that, for little girls especially, Madeline is a kind of role model." Paddington Bear Board Book and Rattle, by Michael Bond. HarperFestival, 1999. Packaged in a cardboard ³suitcase² like the one in the classic story, this appealing book and stuffed bear rattle would make a lovely gift for toddlers. The Important Book, by Margaret Wise Brown. HarperTrophy edition, 1990. Each page tells, in rhythmic prose, the most important facts about one particular thing. And the book ends with, "The important thing about you is that you are you." The Secret Birthday Message, by Eric Carle. HarperFestival, 1998. Think of the excitement of finding a secret message under your pillow on the night before your birthday. The reader accompanies the boy on the treasure hunt through the cutout shapes of this board book, until the treasure is found‹ a surprise birthday present. Sleepytime Rhyme, by Remy Charlip. Greenwillow, 1999. This book is a love song from a mother to her baby. It tells how she loves every part of her baby: ³I love your hands, your teeth, your nose, your ankles, feet, and all ten toes.² There are whimsical illustrations by the author/illustrator. Mama, Coming and Going, by Judith Caseley. Greenwillow, 1994. After Jenna's baby brother was born, life got so busy that Mama forgot to do some things like defrost the chicken for dinner. Absent-minded Mama also left the water running in the bath, locked the car with the keys and the baby inside, and went to a birthday party on the wrong day. But Jenna is always there to help, and with the use of problem solving and lots of love, they work it all out very well. |
FOREWORD© - with permission of Preschool Publications, Inc. "We all want what¹s best for our children. We want them to grow up strong and healthy. We want them to have the skills and confidence to face obstacles, to believe in themselves and their abilities. There is nothing that encourages achievement and protects against failure as effectively as children¹s certainty that they can, through work and effort, meet all challenges. "How can we help our children do this? That¹s where My Self, My Family, My Friends comes in. Twenty-six early childhood experts combine their wisdom and experience to help you guide your child to a strong, enduring sense of self-esteem and competence. "Section One describes the building blocks of the process: how to encourage young children¹s positive view of themselves. It talks about the importance of cherishing children, of meeting their basic needs so they can go on to reach higher and go further. "Of course, each child is unique. Sections Two through Four focus on children as individuals, and explores the influences on their growth and development. It answers questions such as: What do children need at different ages? Are boys really different from girls, or is it that we treat them differently? It also reminds us that children need balance in their lives and offers wonderful suggestions for ways to unwind. You may want to try some of these for yourself! "How do children come to understand their emotions and their power? How do children learn to manage their feelings? Section Five comes to the rescue with the perfect combination of advice, activities, and solutions. "Section Six focuses on the situations families face: siblings¹
issues, the
joys of grandparents, heritage and traditions "Finally, children¹s relationships extend beyond family, so Sections Seven and Eight take you through the other side of children¹s lives: making and keeping friends, and learning how to get along with others in the world. "And so, here¹s the complete guide to children¹s self-esteem and its relationship to the people in your child¹s environment in one wonderful package. But this book does more than that. Not only is there background and theory, the how and why of children¹s development, there are also ways to put this knowledge into action with practical down-to-earth suggestions and ideas. Even more, each section offers information on books and resource materials for you and your child. Perhaps it should be called, How to become a wiser and more confident parent." Neala S. Schwartzberg, Ph.D. Developmental Psychologist, Editor, Parent and preschooler Newsletter, and regular contributor to health and parenting publications. |