Mind your (book) manners!

How many of you would count Harry and his Bucket Full of Dinosaurs as one of your child’s favourite books? Well I wouldn’t say favourite, but I used to think it’s entertaining but then I started to feel uncomfortable with the way Harry and his sister would talk to each other, and then there was the one story about Harry and his sister calling each other “stupid”. Now, that’s a word I don’t want my boys calling each other, at least not now when they’re in preschool. I will skim over that part or changed it to “silly”. Which I will probably not be able to do much longer once Mittens learns to read.

Is it perhaps a cultural difference? If my boys are fighting and at their age calling each other stupid, I would definitely step in, even if they are teasing, because there are definitely nicer words to be used. So, no, I definitely do not think that there’s a place in preschool literature for the word, stupid. I am quite particular about the words and even the tone that my children use. I will not stand for any sass, but at the same time I know that I need to set a good example as well.

So today when I read Mommy with Selective Memory‘s post on 5 Great Books for Teaching Kids to be Responsible and Nice, I could really identify with her disliking the term “rolled his eyes” used in one of their books. And it also reminded me to mind my manners and roll my eyes less. Or just in my thoughts and not actually do it.

Here are a few of the books that we like:

The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners

Richard Scarry’s Huckle’s Good Manners

Richard Scarry’s Please and Thank You Book. His drawings are so nostalgicfor me, but good manners have not goneout of style.

Teeth are not for biting, Hands are not for hitting, and the other books in the range.

What are some of your favourite books for teaching kids manners and etiquette? Please share them!