Finding the Floor: Games That Teach Kids to Pick Up Their Toys by Cathy Whitford ~ A Review and Giveaway

Finding the Floor: Games That Teach Kids to Pick Up Their Toys

Cathy Whitford

Nonfiction/Parenting

About the book:

Nothing squelches the warm glow you get from listening to the happy sounds of children playing with their toys faster than thinking ahead to the decidedly unhappy sounds those kids will make when it is time to pick up the toys. Keep the happy sounds (theirs and yours) going with games that make picking up the toys as much fun as playing with them.

If you have a toy-shaped dent in the bottom of your foot because you can't walk across the floor without stepping on something your kids left out, this book is for you. Why rant, rave and nag at your kids to pick up their toys when you can teach them to make tidying up a game? This book provides you with ten fun and easy ways to turn pick up time into play time.Your children will love learning to organize in a more engaging way!

My thoughts:

If you are like most parents you dread the whole pick up the toys dilemma. Getting the kids to clean up after themselves is an important skill for your kids to learn. But it is also a task that could make any normal momma pull her hair out!

What if there were a way to get the job accomplished without all the melt downs? What if there were a way to get the kids to actually clean up and have a good time doing it? Cathy Whitford has come up with ten very clever games that can accomplish the task with a minimum of effort yet a maximum of payoff.

Each game is broken down into steps so that the implementation is easy for the parent. All ten of the games have the same end result . . . a clean space free of toy clutter. Cathy also explains the benefit beyond cleaning of each of the games. For instance, "The Size Game" teaches very young children about the size differences and older children about accomplishment feedback. "The Bossy Game" teaches leadership skills such as delegation and kindness. "The Scavenger Hunt" teaches sorting and reasoning skills.

I can't recommend this little book enough! It is especially wonderful for those of us that have the "It's Just Easier To Do It Myself" mentality. Kids need to be taught at a young age to care for their possessions. (Do we really think that one day they will wake up and suddenly decide to clean up?) Cathy makes the process painless for both the children and the parents. This thoroughly tested group of fun games is a hit!

Purchase a copy for yourself at Amazon.

About the author:

Cathy Whitford lives in Springfield, MO where her seven kids, two dogs, one husband and one granddaughter continue to make messes like the ones that inspired her to create the games in this book.

The Giveaway:

We are pleased to offer one of our readers a copy of the book Finding the Floor: Games That Teach Kids to Pick Up Their Toys. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Monday, July 14, 2014. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.

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