Product Review:  I Am Stumped! [Paperback] (Ages Preschool+)

Three is Not a Crowd!

This Award-Winning Title by Lisa Rivard speaks to me because it reminds me of myself at Aiden’s age.  I had (okay, truth be told, I still have) a hard time fitting in with other girls because I liked to play rough and tumble with the boys or play by myself (yes, I was very anti-social then, too) on the swing set and making up songs.  I felt like I was in luck when I was in third grade because the most popular girl in school and her sidekick decided to add me to their group.  It was not until later that I realized that the popular girl thought a boy she thought was ‘cute’ liked me and decided to befriend me to later put me down in front of him.  Her plan backfired in the end (and my father’s job forced us to move the next year anyway! ha!), but it really stumped me as to why she would really care that much to make the fake friendship effort when I clearly had no interest in having a ‘boyfriend’.  Ewww!  Yucky!  Plus, I didn’t (and still don’t) want any ‘fake’ friendships, either.  Perhaps if we, as parents, demonstrate to our children how to get along with others by setting good examples (aka not putting down our own peers) will help our children learn how to develop good, lasting and ‘real’ social skills.  After all, it’s hard to expect your child to be nice to their classmates if you spend your time playing games or putting down others in front of your children (or, heck, at all!).  Kids learn from observation and if you are ‘stumped’ about your own child being in a difficult peer situation than perhaps it is time to think about how we treat others as well and talk about it together.  I know I try to be aware of it in my own life and I am not always up to par (Hey, I love gossip magazines as much as a lot of people and it was tough giving it up for Lent last year!), but I try to be truthful and kind to everyone and I want to show Brooke that is a good way to live.  Lisa Rivard does a wonderful job in her book at showing kids the importance of getting along and that having more ‘real’ friends is better than having fake ones or none at all. Bravo!

I Am Stumped! [Paperback] (Ages Preschool+)

www.nelsonpublishingandmarketing.com

List Price:  $ 10.95 (Currently $9.31 through Amazon.com)