A Few Of My Favorite Things

My favorite children's quote is: “Children spell love T- I - M - E.”

This quote is meaningful to me because children grow up so fast and time not spent with them can never be recounted, whereas time spent with them can be counted forever.

I personally love many different children’s books for different reasons.  However, I will use my  favorite children's book entitled Grandma Says Our Hair Has Flair  by Sandy Lynne Holman, because it has a personal story of triumph behind it.

I love this book because it is fun to read, it rhymes which creates enthusiasm, and the children just love it.  I also love it because it helped reveal and heal an identity crisis in one of our families.  I enjoy sharing this story with all children, because I want them to love and accept themselves for who they are, which is truly the beginning of becoming who they want to be.  Life is not all about outward perceptions, but rather the beauty that comes from the inside out.

I used this book to help solve a problem that really touched my heart.  Once there was a child who’d go to school crying and complaining that her classmates were teasing her about her kinky short hair.  Her classmates always denied the accusations and the teachers never witnessed the teasing.  Nevertheless, the accused children were directed to apologize, and they did.  Bottom line is that the children she accused had lengthy hair, and the accuser’s mother wore a long hair wig as well.  It became apparent that the accuser did not like her short and kinky hair.  As a result, she sat out to change it by manipulating her mother with untrue stories of other children making mean comments about her hair.  In order to solve the problem her mother straightened her hair!  Did it solve the problem?  No!  Staff members took time to give positive comments to the child concerning her pretty smile, face, clothes, etc.  This did not work either.  Finally, the mother had long braids weaved into the child’s hair!  Yes, it worked, but only as long as the braids lasted.  Once the braids were out the lies began again and again.  I purchased this book while attending a conference.  I shared it first with the accuser and then with all of the children.  I shared it with the parent too and invited the parent to read it with the child.  Consequently, over time the lies stopped and the child looked really cute wearing her own short kinky hair.  The positive results of this story gave this family good self-esteem.  To me it was a triumph that touched my heart and reinforced my belief that there is a solution to every problem.