Every night at dinner I ask the girls to share their favorite part of our day (we also Snapchat it too). Sometimes it’s what they learned in school, but often it’s something they either did ( like learned cartwheels in gym class) or ate (taco night for dinner!). I also ask them what they’re thankful for. The answer is usually the same –  mom, dad, etc, etc – but it’s the idea of reflection that I really care about. And that’s the premise of the book Positive Thoughts, Positive Life, by T. E. Corner. I received a copy of the book to review and read it to my girls. As you’ll see in the video clip below, it’s written at a 1st/2nd grade level so that kids can also read it on their own.

The book tells of a girl named Kylie who is just like a typical girl who has playdates, sports and piano lessons. She wakes every day thankful for her family and the life that she has. She realizes that there will be challenges – like when her tennis team doesn’t win their match – but she also knows that there’s no shame in losing and that it’s good to talk about her feelings with her family.

Your kids will learn through Kylie’s example that they can make their own happiness simply by maintaining positive thoughts throughout the day. Every night before bed, Kylie writes her List for Life journal, and a sample is included at the back of the book. As soon as we finished with the book, my eldest filled in the blanks and then made up her own long list as well (she loves making lists). If we didn’t already have our dinner sharing routine, I would have used Kylie’s list as a model to follow. It’s not only a good way to get your kids to reflect on the positive aspects of their day and life, but it gives them practice with their writing. I also like that the title of the book is an easy mantra to repeat to your kids whenever they’re exhibiting negative feelings or thoughts.

To get your copy of Positive Thinking, Positive Life, visit ThePMAPartners.com.