“The Mouse, The Monster and Me” is a book about assertiveness for children ages 8 and up. In the book Dr. Palmer uses the mouse to represent shy/timid behavior and the monster to represent the bully. Throughout the book the children are given examples of how to be assertive AND respectful and not be a mouse or a monster. There are also games and exercises to get the children interacting with the subject matter. The book is full of positive affirmations to let the child know they are doing a great job as they learn to be the best them they can be.

“Liking Myself” is about self-esteem and assertiveness for children ages 5-9. This book helps children learn how to talk about their feelings and how to handle themselves when they feel upset ore overwhelmed. This book also has activities and games to get the child involved in the book.

Both books are hand-lettered and adorably illustrated and would make a great addition to any family library and a great gift for your favorite teacher. There are even teacher guides and lesson plans available under the resources tab at UpliftPress.com.

Disclosure: I received 1 copy of each book to use in this review. This review is part of Parent Reviewers. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Sometimes as parents, we aren’t sure if our child is being bullied or if it is just kids being kids. A basic definition of bullying states, “Bullying is the use of one’s strength or status to intimidate, injure or humiliate another person of lesser status.” Bullying falls into three categories of behaviors; physical, verbal and social. Physical bullying includes hitting, kicking, any activity that is a physical assault or the threat of physical violence. Verbal bullying includes, name calling, insulting, or teasing. Social bullying includes peer rejection, exclusion to isolate or humiliate the victim, gossiping about the victim, and making prejudice comments. A bully’s acts are usually intentional and often repeated.

Who bullies? People who bully often have domineering and controlling personalities. They are quick to anger and usually have low self-esteem. Both boys and girls can be bullies. People who bully often have a need to dominate another person.

Continued bullying can have long-term effects on both the bully and the victim. 60% of young men who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24. We must put and end to this trend. Children who are victims of bullying may see their grades slack off, begin self-injurious behavior and even commit suicide. On any given school day in the United States 160,000 children stay home from school because they fear bullies.

Later in this series we will discuss a proactive approach to bullying, what to do if your child is being bullied, and what to do if your child is a bully. This is a serious topic and it needs to be addressed. I want to thank @polkadotpatch on twitter for suggesting I write about bullying.

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