Teaching Our Children To Love Their Neighbors with Jennifer Grant

As a previous school reading specialist and high school reading teacher, I am passionate about reading to my kids and equipping them to be great leaders. In the mental health profession, we often use books with kids to teach coping and social skills. This intervention is called psycho education or bibliotherapy. I also love finding great children’s books to use in discipline my kids as they grow in their faith as we are discussing in my Intentional Summer Facebook group which you can join by clicking here.

Could you share a message from your book that they would find useful as they walk alongside children?

Children are naturally observant.

. As we spend time with young children, it’s helpful to refrain from always looking to give them answers or making every moment “productive.” Instead, take time to watch them a bit. See what captures their imaginations or attention.

Also, you can foster your child’s emotional intelligence by “people watching” with them. Sit quietly on a park bench or in a restaurant. Ask them who looks happy among the people passing by. Who looks sad? Where might these people be going? How might they spend their days? What does a person’s posture or the way he or she walks reveal to us? By asking open-ended questions, encouraging reflection, and letting your child direct a “people watching” session, you not only encourage them to look at others with empathy and interest, but you might also learn something new about your child’s perspective, sense of the world, and current developmental stage.

What is one practical tip that you share in your book that a person could put into practice today that would benefit my readers ? 

The refrain in my book is “Maybe I can love my neighbor too.” There are several examples of ways we can love our neighbors in the book, including giving money to people in need, sharing toys or food, and simply noticing the needs of people around us. We all want to raise kind and courteous children and so many of us long for a more civil, loving world. By modeling loving acts for our kids and talking about what it means to love, we can raise a generation of good neighbors and make the world a better place.

Where can we find out more information about the book and other resources you have available?

My publisher, Beaming Books, has created a bingo board and an activity pack of resources for teachers, parents, and librarians to use in conjunction with the book. You can find it HERE.   To learn more about my work, as well as my first “Maybe” book, Maybe God Is Like That Too, visit my website at jennifergrant.com.