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    amarshallbooks

    📚 Books that help little kids learn & grow
    ❤️ Inspired by my journey as a parent & educator
    👩‍🏫20+ yrs as a teacher & education trainer
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    This Halloween memory has stayed with me because m This Halloween memory has stayed with me because my mom and I remember the same photo so differently. When I look at it, I see myself in my favorite fairy wings. I remember being happy. I wasn’t thinking about whether I had an expensive costume or whether my outfit looked like everyone else’s. My mom looks at that same picture and remembers a time when money was tight. She remembers wishing she could have bought me a costume and feeling like she couldn’t give me what she wanted to. And I wish she could have seen that little girl the way I did. I was happy. I loved those wings. That was what mattered to me. As parents, we can carry so much guilt about the things we couldn’t provide, the moments that didn’t go as planned, or the experiences we wish we could have made better. But our children aren’t always measuring those moments the way we are. Sometimes, what we remember as a struggle is a happy childhood memory for them. So, this Halloween, give yourself a little grace. Your child may not remember the perfect costume, the decorations, or everything you worked so hard to make happen. They may simply remember how happy they felt. What is something from your own childhood that you remember fondly, but your parents might remember differently?
    🎃👻 Happy Halloween! Wishing you and your little o 🎃👻 Happy Halloween! Wishing you and your little ones a day filled with fun, laughter, sweet treats, and lots of special memories! Enjoy watching those little personalities shine in their costumes, soaking up every moment of the excitement and magic of Halloween. 🧡 A little reminder to stay safe, keep an eye on your little trick-or-treaters, and have fun making memories together! Have a spooktacular Halloween! 🕸️🍬🎃
    📚 Stories can help children solve problems without 📚 Stories can help children solve problems without feeling like the problem is about them. 💛 One of the things I love about using stories to support children’s social and emotional development is that they create a little bit of distance. When a character faces a problem, your child can explore what’s happening without feeling that they’re being corrected, questioned, or told what they should have done differently. Instead, they can begin to practise important skills: ✨ Recognising feelings — How might the character be feeling? ✨ Seeing another perspective — What might the character or someone else be thinking? ✨ Problem-solving — What could the character try? ✨ Thinking flexibly — Could there be more than one way to solve the problem? And here’s the important part: you don’t have to turn every story into a lesson about your child’s behaviour. Sometimes, a simple question is enough: 💬 “What could they try?” Give your child time to think. Listen to their ideas. Be curious about their answers. You’re creating an opportunity for them to explore possibilities, practise thinking through challenges, and consider different ways to respond—all through the safety of a story. Because learning about big feelings, friendships, and tricky situations doesn’t always need to start with a conversation about something your child has done. Sometimes, it can start with a character in a book. 📖 💬 Your turn: What problem could your child help a story character solve? #ChildDevelopment #SocialEmotionalLearning #EarlyYears #StoryBasedLearning #ParentingTips
    Teaching children how to repair after a mistake is Teaching children how to repair after a mistake is about so much more than saying “I’m sorry.” ❤️ When a child hurts someone’s feelings, grabs a toy, knocks down a friend’s tower, or reacts in a way that affects someone else, our first instinct might be to ask them to apologize. And apologies can matter. But we want children to learn more than the words. We want them to understand the impact of their actions and what they can do to make things right. That takes practice. Here are a few ways to help children learn the skill of repair: ❤️ Help them notice the impact. “Look at your friend’s face. She looks upset because her tower fell down.” ❤️ Help them consider the other person. “How do you think he felt when you took the truck?” ❤️ Think about what might help. “What could we do to help make this right?” ❤️ Practice a different response for next time. “You really wanted a turn. Next time, you can ask, ‘Can I have it when you’re done?’” ❤️ Give repair time to develop. Children may need help understanding what happened before they can think about how to respond. We can guide them without forcing a quick apology just to move on. The goal isn’t to make children feel ashamed for making mistakes. Mistakes are part of learning. The goal is to help them recognize that their actions affect other people, develop empathy, and build the skills to respond differently in the future. An apology is something a child can say. Repair is a skill they learn to practice. And like other social-emotional skills, it develops through modeling, guidance, relationships, and repeated opportunities to try again. We don’t expect children to know how to do this automatically. We teach them, support them, and give them opportunities to practice. ❤️ Save this for the next time your child needs help making things right.
    “Be careful!” It’s something most of us say automa “Be careful!” It’s something most of us say automatically when our children are climbing, running, balancing, or doing something that makes us a little nervous. ❤️ But here’s the thing: “Be careful” is a pretty big instruction for a young child. What does careful actually mean? What should they look for? What should they do differently? Young children are still learning to recognize potential risks, understand their surroundings, and figure out how to respond. Simply telling them to be careful doesn’t always give them the information they need. Instead, try being specific about what you notice and what they can do. ❤️ Instead of: “Be careful!” Try: “The floor is wet. Walk slowly.” ❤️ Instead of: “Be careful up there!” Try: “The blocks are high. Move your feet back so you have more room.” ❤️ Instead of: “Watch out!” Try: “There’s a bike coming. Let’s move to the side.” ❤️ Instead of: “You’re going to fall!” Try: “That surface looks slippery. Hold the railing as you step down.” The goal isn’t to remove every risk or prevent your child from trying new things. It’s to help them learn to notice what’s happening around them and make decisions that support their safety. And just as importantly, it gives them opportunities to practice those skills with you there to help. We’re not just trying to keep children safe in the moment. We’re helping them learn how to recognize and respond to risks over time. Of course, some situations require us to step in immediately to keep a child safe. But when there’s time, try replacing a general warning with specific, useful information. You might be surprised by how much more your child can learn from it! Tell me: What “be careful!” situation happens most at your house? The climbing? The running? The jumping off the furniture? 😂 Share it in the comments! ❤
    Independence doesn’t mean your child has to do eve Independence doesn’t mean your child has to do everything on their own. ❤️ Sometimes, we think of independence as getting dressed without help, solving a problem without asking for assistance, or figuring things out all by themselves. But real independence is about building the confidence and skills to try, make decisions, work through challenges, and recognize when they need help. For preschoolers, that learning happens in small, everyday moments. ❤️ Choosing which shirt to wear. ❤️ Trying to put on their shoes, even when it takes a few attempts. ❤️ Working through a problem before asking you to fix it. ❤️ Making a choice and learning from the outcome. ❤️ Asking for help when something feels too difficult. These moments might seem small, but they give children opportunities to practice decision-making, problem-solving, persistence, and self-advocacy. And yes, sometimes it takes longer. Sometimes they get frustrated. Sometimes it would be so much easier to step in and do it for them. But when we have the time, allowing children to try gives them the opportunity to discover what they can do, what they’re still learning, and when they might need support. That doesn’t mean we leave them to figure everything out alone. We can offer encouragement, break a task into smaller steps, or help when they need it. The goal isn’t to raise children who never need help. It’s to help them develop the confidence to try and the skills to know when to ask for support. Independence grows through practice, encouragement, and the security of knowing someone is there when you need them. ❤️ What’s one little thing your child is learning to do independently right now? Tell me in the comments! ⬇
    A tantrum is a hard moment, not a report card on y A tantrum is a hard moment, not a report card on your parenting. ❤️ When your child is melting down, it’s easy to wonder if you’re doing something wrong. Maybe you should have handled it differently. Maybe you should have prevented it. Maybe other parents don’t deal with this as often as you do. But a tantrum doesn’t mean you’re failing. Young children are still developing the skills they need to manage big emotions, communicate what they want and need, tolerate frustration, and cope when things don’t go their way. Those skills take time, experience, and practice. And learning them isn’t always a smooth process. Your job isn’t to prevent every big feeling. It’s to help your child learn how to work through them. You can acknowledge the feeling while still holding the boundary. ❤️ “I know you’re upset that we have to leave. It’s hard to stop when you’re having fun, and it’s still time to go.” ❤️ “You’re angry that I said no. It’s okay to be angry, but I won’t let you hit.” ❤️ “You really wanted that toy. It’s hard when we can’t have what we want.” You don’t have to give in to stop the tantrum. You don’t have to talk your child out of their feelings. And you don’t have to turn every difficult moment into a perfect teaching opportunity. Sometimes, your child needs you to hold the boundary, stay nearby, and help them get through a feeling they don’t yet know how to manage on their own. You can be compassionate without changing your answer. You can hold a limit without dismissing their feelings. And when the moment passes, you can reflect, reconnect, and keep building those skills together. So the next time a tantrum leaves you questioning yourself, remember: one hard moment does not define your parenting, and your child is still learning. Give yourself some grace, too. You’re learning right alongside them. ❤️ Save this for the days when parenting feels especially hard.
    When your child hits, you don’t need a long explan When your child hits, you don’t need a long explanation in the moment. ❤️ When emotions are high, children may not be able to take in a long conversation about what happened, why it happened, or what they should do differently next time. Start with safety, a clear limit, and calm support. You might say: “I won’t let you hit.” “Hitting hurts. I’m going to help keep everyone safe.” “You’re really upset. I’m here to help.” Keep your words simple. Stay calm. If needed, create some space between your child and the other person. This doesn’t mean the behavior gets ignored. The teaching can come later. Once everyone is calmer, you can talk about what happened, name the feeling or problem that came before the hitting, and help your child think about what they can do next time. “You were really angry when she took the truck. Hitting isn’t okay. What could you do when you’re angry?” Young children are still developing the skills to manage big emotions, communicate their needs, and handle frustration. In the heat of the moment, they often need our calm more than our explanation. The goal isn’t just to stop the hitting in that moment. It’s to help your child gradually build the skills they need to handle those big feelings differently next time. Connect first. Set the limit. Teach when they’re ready to learn. ❤️ Save this for those moments when your child’s behavior leaves you wondering, “What do I even say right now?”
    Waiting is so much more than “just be patient.” ❤️ Waiting is so much more than “just be patient.” ❤️ For young children, waiting can require a whole collection of skills that are still developing—managing frustration, remembering that their turn is coming, shifting their attention, and staying regulated when they really want something right now. And that’s why telling a child, “You need to wait,” doesn’t always make waiting easier. Instead, give them opportunities to practice waiting when the stakes are low and everyone is calm. Try practicing during everyday moments: * Waiting for a turn during a game * Waiting for a favorite toy * Taking turns choosing a book * Waiting while you finish helping someone else * Practicing “my turn, your turn” during play You can help by putting the waiting into words: “You want a turn. It’s Maya’s turn right now. Your turn is coming.”
    I’m going to be honest… creating content can be ex I’m going to be honest… creating content can be exhausting. The pressure to get views, the feeling that you have to constantly show up in chat rooms, engage, comment and work so hard just to get your content seen. And when I stopped doing all of that, my views crashed. They didn’t just dip… they plummeted. I won’t lie. It made me question whether I should even keep going. But then I reminded myself of something… My value as a creator isn’t measured by the number of views on a post. I have knowledge to share. I have something meaningful to bring to the table. And somewhere out there, there’s a parent or teacher who might need to hear exactly what I’m sharing. So I’m going to keep creating. Not just for the algorithm. Not just for the numbers. But for the one person who learns something, feels understood, or walks away with a new way to support a child. Because if even one person benefits, then it’s worth it. ❤️ If you’re feeling discouraged by the numbers too, please don’t forget why you started. Let’s keep showing up for the people who need what we have to share. 💛
    Repeated questions can be more than a test of your Repeated questions can be more than a test of your patience. Children may be using repetition to practice language, make a prediction, understand what comes next, or learn how something works. When you have the bandwidth, try answering with a question: “What do you think happens next?” What question does your child ask approximately one million times a day?
    I love helping children build emotional language, I love helping children build emotional language, but I don’t think we have to narrate every feeling for them. Sometimes instead of saying, “You’re frustrated,” we can pause and give them room to notice. You might say, “Something feels hard right now,” and let them tell you—or not. We’re supporting emotional awareness without doing all the noticing for them.
    When your child keeps saying, “Look at me!” it’s e When your child keeps saying, “Look at me!” it’s easy to think they just want attention. But sometimes they’re looking for connection, reassurance, or a chance to show you they can do something. Instead of only saying, “I see you,” try noticing what they’re showing you. “You worked really hard on that.”
    You can validate the feeling without saying yes to You can validate the feeling without saying yes to the behavior. 💛 This is one of the hardest parts of those big preschool moments. Your child is furious because they can’t have something. You can say: “You’re really angry. You wanted that.” And still hold the boundary: “I’m not going to let you hit.” Both things can be true. The feeling is allowed. The behavior has a boundary. You don’t have to convince your child that they’re not upset. And you don’t have to give them what they want just because they’re upset. Try: “You can be mad. I won’t let you hit.” “It’s okay to be disappointed. The answer is still no.” “You really wanted another turn. I’m not going to let you grab it.” That’s emotional validation without behavioral permission. And during a big moment, you don’t need a long explanation. Keep the language simple. Name the feeling. Hold the boundary. Stay connected. Because validating your child’s emotion isn’t the same as approving every action that comes with it. You’re teaching them: “My feelings are safe to have—and I can learn what to do with them.” 💛
    Sometimes “I can’t” doesn’t mean “I don’t know how Sometimes “I can’t” doesn’t mean “I don’t know how.” A child may be asking for connection, reassurance, or a little support when something feels harder than usual. You can support without taking over: “I’m right here if you need me.” That gives them room to try while reminding them they don’t have to figure everything out alone. Does your child ever suddenly need help with something they usually do independently?
    “I already told you what to do!” 😅💛 Sometimes a d “I already told you what to do!” 😅💛 Sometimes a direction sounds simple to us: “Go get your shoes, put them on, grab your backpack, and come to the door.” But for a preschooler, that's actually a LOT to hold in mind. They have to remember the instructions, figure out what comes first, stay focused, and move through several steps without getting distracted. So when they don't follow through, it doesn't always mean they're refusing. Sometimes the direction was simply bigger than the skill they can manage in that moment. Try breaking it down: “Go get your shoes.” Pause. “Now put them on.” Pause. “Now get your backpack.” You're not lowering the expectation. You're making the steps easier to process and complete successfully. And over time, as those skills develop, you can gradually give more steps at once. So the next time you're repeating a long list of directions, try asking: “Could I make this one step at a time?” Sometimes shorter isn't easier because we're asking less. It's easier because we're giving their developing brain less to hold at once. 💛 Save this for the next time your preschooler seems to “forget” everything you just asked them to do.
    “Selfish” can be a pretty big label for a skill th “Selfish” can be a pretty big label for a skill that’s still developing. 💛 A preschooler who doesn't want to share isn't necessarily being selfish. They may still be learning how to: Wait. Take turns. Notice someone else's perspective. Manage the feeling of wanting something another child has. Use words to negotiate. Those are BIG skills. And telling a child: “You need to share.” doesn't automatically teach them how to manage all of that. Instead, we can give them language and support: “You’re still using it. They want a turn.” “You can have another turn when they're finished.” “What could we do while we wait?” The goal isn't to make every preschooler happily hand over whatever they're holding. It's to help them gradually learn that other people have needs and turns too—and they can handle the feelings that come with that. Sharing isn't a personality trait. It's a skill. And skills take practice, support, and time. 💛 Save this for the next time you're tempted to call a preschooler “selfish.”
    There’s a difference between supporting your child There’s a difference between supporting your child through a problem and immediately solving it for them. ❤️ When our children struggle, it’s natural to want to step in. We want to make things easier, take away the frustration, and help them feel better as quickly as possible. But sometimes, when we solve the problem for them, we miss an opportunity for them to practice the skills they’re still developing. That doesn’t mean leaving them to figure it out alone. It means staying close, offering support, and helping them work through the challenge without automatically taking over. You might try: ❤️ Acknowledge what’s hard. “I can see you’re frustrated. You really wanted that to work.” ❤️ Get curious together. “What do you think we could try?” ❤️ Offer support without taking control. “Would you like a little help, or do you want to try again?” ❤️ Break it into smaller steps. “Let’s think about the first thing we could do.” ❤️ Make room for mistakes. “That didn’t work the way you hoped. What else could we try?” The goal isn’t for children to solve every problem independently. They’re still learning, and they need us. The goal is to help them experience that problems can be worked through, that mistakes are part of learning, and that they can build the skills to navigate challenges with support. We don’t have to choose between helping and letting them learn. We can do both. The next time your child faces a challenge, pause before jumping in. Ask yourself: Can I support them through this instead of solving it for them? Those small moments of practice matter. ❤️ Save this as a reminder for the next time your child gets stuck.
    Sometimes “look at me!” is really a child saying s Sometimes “look at me!” is really a child saying something else. 💛 A preschooler who keeps calling your name, showing you their work, or asking you to watch may not simply be looking for attention. They might be looking for: Connection: “Are you there with me?” Competence: “Did you see what I can do?” Belonging: “Do I have a place here?” Reassurance: “Am I okay? Did I do this right?” Instead of automatically thinking: “They just want attention.” Try getting curious about what might be underneath the repeated bid. You might say: “You really wanted me to see that.” “You wanted to share that with me.” “You look proud of what you did.” “You wanted to make sure I noticed.” You don't have to stop everything every time your child calls your name. And you don't have to respond with huge praise every time either. Sometimes a calm, connected response is enough. Because when we look beyond the behavior, we can start asking a better question: “What is my child communicating right now?” Sometimes the answer really is attention. But sometimes it's connection, competence, belonging, or reassurance. 💛 Save this for the next time your preschooler asks you to “look!” for the 47th time. 😅
    There’s a difference between supporting your child There’s a difference between supporting your child through a problem and immediately solving it for them. ❤️ When our children struggle, it’s natural to want to step in. We want to make things easier, take away the frustration, and help them feel better as quickly as possible. But sometimes, when we solve the problem for them, we miss an opportunity for them to practice the skills they’re still developing. That doesn’t mean leaving them to figure it out alone. It means staying close, offering support, and helping them work through the challenge without automatically taking over. You might try: ❤️ Acknowledge what’s hard. “I can see you’re frustrated. You really wanted that to work.” ❤️ Get curious together. “What do you think we could try?” ❤️ Offer support without taking control. “Would you like a little help, or do you want to try again?” ❤️ Break it into smaller steps. “Let’s think about the first thing we could do.” ❤️ Make room for mistakes. “That didn’t work the way you hoped. What else could we try?” The goal isn’t for children to solve every problem independently. They’re still learning, and they need us. The goal is to help them experience that problems can be worked through, that mistakes are part of learning, and that they can build the skills to navigate challenges with support. We don’t have to choose between helping and letting them learn. We can do both. The next time your child faces a challenge, pause before jumping in. Ask yourself: Can I support them through this instead of solving it for them? Those small moments of practice matter. ❤️ Save this as a reminder for the next time your child gets stuck.
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