Just the Way I Am

Just the Way I am (The 7 Habits of Happy Kids) by Sean Covey

I couldn’t believe it when Jelly Belly found this book. How many years have I known about this author and the 7 Habits of Effective People, Effective Families, Effective Teens. I have gone to classes, workshops. I think I can recite them. Okay maybe not. But there I was sharing this with my daughter and I loved the message. Talk about building up some self-esteem. Pokey the Porcupine learns to accept the way he is. He learns to walk away from Biff, the school bully, who makes fun of him on a daily basis. Pokey decides that “He was not going to let Biff ruin his day.”

A short, sweet and to the point book that teaches the child to Be Proactive: You’re in Charge of your feelings. If Pokey the Porcupine learns to accept the way he is then so can I. My favorite part is The Parents Corner. It was a great tool to practice reading comprehension and to have valuable discussion. For us it went something like this:

I ask her... Name 3 things you like about yourself

1) I like my hair

2) I like my hands

3) I like my arms

"Mommy, your turn, what do you like about yourself?" And then I froze. It took me a minute. I really struggled. Yikes! I need to revisit these habits.

1) I like my name

2) I like the color of my eyes

3) I like being a mommy

She says, “My turn…”

1) I like my hair

2) I like my hands

3) I like that you are my mommy

And my heart melted.

Highly recommend this book. This book is a great way to prepare young kids for the inevitable. Kids can be mean. Chances are someone will make fun of her at school, the park, or somewhere when I least expect it.  It’s up to me to teach her how to handle these situations before they happen.

What will you say when someone asks, "What do you like about yourself?"