200 Blunt Words for Divorcing Parents

Today, I came across this advice for divorced parents from Judge Michael Hass, a retired Minnesota Judge, and wanted to share.  I think this advice could extend to all parents and grandparents.  

"Your children have come into this world because of the two of you. Perhaps you two made lousy choices as to whom you decided to be the other parent. If so, that is your problem and your fault. 

"No matter what you think of the other party -- or what your family thinks of the other party -- these children are one-half of each of you. Remember that, because every time you tell your child what an 'idiot' his father is, or what a 'fool' his mother is, or how bad the absent parent is, or what terrible things that person has done, you are telling the child half of him is bad. 

"That is an unforgivable thing to do to a child. That is not love. That is possession. If you do that to your children, you will destroy them as surely as if you had cut them into pieces, because that is what you are doing to their emotions. 

"I sincerely hope that you do not do that to your children. Think more about your children and less about yourselves, and make yours a selfless kind of love, not foolish or selfish, or your children will suffer."

65 Books for Three-Year-Olds

Here's a list of books that are perfect for three-year-olds.  

Three can be a hard age to pick just the right books. Many simple board and picture books start to become just a little bit too babyish, while lots of picture books still have too many words per page to suit the attention span of toddlers and young preschoolers.  Although there are scores of great children's books out there, there are also many that lead parents to believe that their own three your old could have come up with a better story.  The stories on this list are not too long, not too short and better told than the average three-year-old child's tale. The list is in alphabetical order which should make them easier to find in the children's section of most libraries.  

I hope you and your little ones enjoy reading these together!

65 Stories for 3-Year-Olds

1. Monkey Do! by Allan Ahlberg
2. Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough
3. Babies in the Bayou by Jim Arnosky
4. When I was King by Linda Ashman
5. An Orange in January by Diana Hutts Aston
6. In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck
7. Be Gentle with the Dog, Dear! by Matthew J. Baek
8. Hickory Dickory Dock by Keith Baker
9. Little House, Little Town by Scott Beck
10. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker
11. And the Train Goes… by William Bee
12. Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett
13. Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown
14. The Dark, Dark Night by M. Christina Butler
15. If You're Happy & You Know It! by Jane Cabrera
16. Holly's Red Boots by Francesca Chessa
17. Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill
18. Pigs Love Potatoes by Anika Denise
19. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
20. Dog's Noisy Day: a Story to Read Aloud by Emma Dodd
21. Horse by Malachy Doyle
22. Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert
23. Knitty Kitty by David Elliott
24. Bark George by Jules Fieffer
25. Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming
26. The Perfect Nest by Catharine Friend
27. Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
28. The Most Perfect Spot by Diane Goode
29. Ginger Bear by Mini Grey
30. Fall Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall
31. Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
32. A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
33. It's Moving Day! by Pamela M. Hickman
34. Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
35. Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird
36. The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort
37. The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins
38. Help!: a Story of Friendship by Holly Keller
39. Pearl's New Skates by Holly Keller
40. Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett Krosoczka
41. Green as a Bean by Karla Kuskin
42. Albert the Fix-it Man by Janet Lord
43. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
44. The Mighty Street Sweeper by Patrick H. Moore
45. Wake Up Engines by Denise Dowling Mortensen
46. Pillow Pup by Dianne Ochiltree
47. Bobo and the New Neighbor by Gail Page
48. Mouse Mess by Linnea Asplind Riley
49. Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root
50. Kids Like Us by Carole Lexa Schaefer
51. First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
52. Duck on a Bike by David Shannon
53. The Rain Came Down by David Shannon
54. The Stray Dog: from a True Story by Reico Sassa by Marc Simont
55. Gobble Gobble Crash!: a Barnyard Counting Bash by Julie Stiegemeyer
56. The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone
57. Winter Is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer
58. Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup
59. Duck at the Door by Jackie Urbanovic
60. Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington
61. Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems
62. Bear's New Friend by Karma Wilson
63. Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
64. Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee
65. How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all." Jacqueline Kennedy