By Tara Koerber; 128 pages. Subtitle: A Parent's Fun Guide to Teaching Children They Are Valuable
There's something to be said for a book that does one small thing well. You won't get detailed parenting theories or multi-step interventions or advocacy strategies in this slim, greeting-card-sized volume, but if you're looking for ways to make your child feel special, entertained, creative, indulged, maybe a little bit embarrassed but definitely loved, this is your book right here.
- A hundred ideas to choose from, plus extra fun
- Ideas range from very simple to somewhat complex
- Some ideas make use of seasonal materials and themes
- Extras include ways to increase fine motor skills, homework helpers, and knock-knock jokes
- Index gives extra help for finding good ideas
- It's a pretty slight book for $10
- Some of the ideas are too obvious, others too contrived
- Reads like a magazine article stretched to fill a book
- Introduction
- Ideas: 100 ideas with quotations on parenting and inspirational sayings interspersed throughout
- Conclusion
- Appendix:
- Knock Knock Jokes
Quick Idea List - Fine Motor Activities
- Question of the Day
- Things to Ask Your Child
- Homework Helpers
- Index
Telling your kids you love them is no big deal. Saying it costs no money, no effort, and very little time. You can say it constantly, morning to night, whether the declaration is greeted with a smile or a roll of the eyes. Showing kids you love them -- that's a little more tricky, isn't it? You could argue that spending time researching their disabilities and fighting for their rights is a way of showing love; they could argue that buying an iPod and a cell phone and an XBox is a good way, too. But maybe the best way to show it is to give them the gift of your undivided time and attention, something that may seem to require more patience and mental energy than you have to spend.
Show Me You Love Me comes to the rescue, then, with 100 good ideas right off the top of its head. They're all gratifyingly appropriate for children with special needs, but they're not all suited to any one parent's talents and interests -- you'll want to pick and choose and be inspired to come up with variations of your very own. Some will serve as reminders of ideas you've liked before; others will spur "Why didn't I think of that?" moments; and others will just seem beyond ridiculous. No matter. Find something that seems do-able to you right now and give it a try. Then find something else. Use the daily checklist that starts the book as a simple small-scale goal. Even if you don't follow through on your big important plans every day, you'll take good care of the small stuff.
