Books for Parents and Kids to Enjoy Together. @FreeSpiritBooks

I really enjoy working with Free Spirit Publishing.
I have been able to review all sorts of books that are not the typical ones you find at the local store.
We have had the opportunity to review their latest series, ParentSmart / KidHappy .

I thought that these would be great to work with Broxton since we do need to get  more of a stricter schedule with him getting ready to start school.  So, this was the perfect time to read these.
Up first:  Ready for the Day.
In this book, you have a daddy getting his little girl up to start her day.  As with some kids, she is not eager to get ready for school.  Instead of daddy snapping at her, he kindly tells her that he too wishes he could stay home with her, but that they will have time to play that night and for her to pick out a game for them to look forward to.  He also picks out a couple outfits and has her choose the one that she will wear.  No, he is not giving her complete control, but by giving her a say in the decision, it seems as though a "crisis" has been averted!
The other great thing is that the words are color coded:
Green words validate feelings.

Blue words offer choices.

Red words encourage. 

This is a gentle reminder to parents on putting a positive spin on things, and it is a great way for kids to see that no one gets their way all the time, but you can always compromise and everyone wins!  

Getting a preschooler out the door in the morning can be a frustrating battle of wills complete with crying and complaining—by parents and kids alike. Ready for the Day!offers healthy, lasting solutions for a stress-free morning routine.

 Now that the day has started... It is time to PLAY!  In the next book, you have two kids that are having a play date.  The little girl feels since the play date is at her house, she can make the decisions... and of course, the little boy has other games he wants to play!  Mommy comes along and helps them realize that they can play one now... and then another later.  When mommy offers a snack, she praises them on using good manners... (LOVE THAT, as I feel some adults should acknowledge when a child is using good manners and not treat them all nasty and rude since they are kids..)  Later on, they have a problem sharing and once again, it is discussed ways to make both happy...  I loved that this book also uses the color coded words to help remind the adult how to handle situations and for kids to enjoy how to handle things as well.

Purple - invites solutions and outcomes.

Green - validate feelings.

Red - encourage.  

( I also liked that they used the some colors with the same ways in all the books.)

Trouble sharing. Haggles over what to play. Jealousy, hurt feelings—and of course tears when playtime ends. For kids just learning to get along, playtime can be riddled with conflict. Ready to Play! offers healthy, lasting ways to help kids cooperate, develop social skills, and have fun.

 The final book we were able to review:  Ready for Bed.  

In this book, we have the mom getting her son ready for bed.  They are going through their bedtime routine... But instead of yelling or getting mad at the kid putting things off, they work on solutions to make everyone happy!  First up, Instead of just "BATH TIME" they pretended they were an airplane on the way to take a bath!  Then, he wanted bubbles in the tub... and remembered to ask politely... which in turn made his mommy proud.  Throughout the book, mommy gave him options, so that he could feel he was being a big kid getting to make his own decisions...   Of course, he wasn't ready to get out of the tub, so they made a compromise with 5 more minutes... After he was bathed, he got ready for bed and since he did such a good job, they had extra time which meant an extra story!  

As with the other books, they also had the color coded words.  

“I don’t want to go to bed!” If you’re a parent of a preschool-age child, you’ve probably heard this before. And you probably know about the crying, fits, and complaining—by both of you—that can follow. Ready for Bed!offers healthy, lasting solutions for a stress-free bedtime routine.

With all of the books, there is a BONUS section in the back for parents.  It helps to explain positive parenting.  I think these are great for all libraries, but I think they would be great at places where young adults could read them to help explain how this would be great.  Kids need positive influences...

FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation