Raising Good Little People

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In case I didn’t mention it all the way back in August when I came home from BlogHer 11, I met with plenty of amazing companies and brands. Some I’ve had the pleasure of working with and some I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying their products and sometimes writing about them.

But the absolute standout for me was when I was walking the Expo Hall and stopped by a little inviting booth for The Mother Company. I have to admit that when I was walking with Claire (@thehhhousewife), we were initially lured in by the possibility of winning an iPad 2. To enter, we simply had to record a video asking for advice about our biggest parenting challenge.

Me? In front of the camera? Yeah, I didn’t hesitate for a second. And even convinced Claire to do it too. But after the “video shoot,” we stuck around to learn more about the company and we were both so impressed.

We loved their freshness and honesty and what seemed to be a completely genuine mission for assisting in the social and emotional learning of preschoolers. As a mom of a preschooler, it’s the thing I worry about the most. As they put it:

“The ABC’s and 123’s will come; the main challenge in raising a young child is how to best lay the foundation to become a good person.“

I couldn’t agree more. And it’s what I try to teach my son. But sometimes, he’s not always the best at expressing feelings. When I brought home their Ruby’s Studio DVD called “The Feelings Show.” Evan wanted nothing to do with it. So I said, I wanted to put it on. Just to see how it was. But he didn’t have to watch it.

He was glued to the TV. We both loved it.

A few months passed and I had the opportunity to review a few new books from The Mother Company. Again, more about feelings. This time, they were very well-received.

The first is a simple yet beautiful picture book called “A Little Book About Feelings.” The message corresponds nicely to Ruby’s Studio and we enjoyed it. Well, I did. Evan listened and then was done. I’m hoping to get him to read it a few more times (especially after the night we had tonight).

The second book we both adored from the moment we opened it. It’s called “My Feelings Activity Book.”

Exactly how it sounds, it’s a hard back activity book that’s great for the two of you to work on together. Here’s an example of one of the pages we worked on together.

You probably can’t read it but these pages are called About My Family and About My Home. Here’s what Evan dictated to me…

I laugh really hard when someone in my family: tickles me on the neck

I get really mad when someone in my family: yells at me

I love it when someone in my family: brings me home surprises and kisses and hugs me

What makes my family special is: we go to McDonald’s once in a while and Mommy and Daddy really love me

So cute, isn’t it? I have to admit, my little boy is a lover and as he starts to get a little older, I’m especially grateful to have a reason to capture these little moments.

The book also dedicates pages to eight very specific feelings: proud, sad, shy, scared, frustrated, happy, jealous, and mad. We talked about each of them and he did a great job of naming the feeling just from the pictures. And then he had a chance to express his own thoughts on those feelings.

He chose HAPPY which made me happy and although he used a black crayon to draw his happiness, he was proud nonetheless.

Now, you might think I was just using this review to show off my cute kid again. It’s partially true. But I do legitimately love what The Mother Company is doing and I fully support all of their efforts and thought you might want to as well.

Right now, they are offering a one week promotion of 20% when you buy two books. Just use the code 2BOOKS. If you want to keep up with their other promotions, I highly recommend visiting their site and signing up for their email newsletter.

On last thing, if you do become a big giant fan like me, help them spread the goodness and possibly win a gift card to Whole Foods.

Now, go do the right thing.