Guest Post By Jen Rofe, Literary Agent
I learned about tact when I was 12 years old, courtesy of my brother, who was 10. The story goes like this: My uncle, in his later 30s at the time, was dating “Diana,” who my brother and I weren’t fond of. We didn’t think she was particularly nice. Then, as I remember it, my family went on vacation to Hawaii and a week later my uncle picked us up from the airport with a different woman in tow, Judy. Loudly, and in front of everyone, my brother asked: “What happened to Diana?” That’s when my uncle taught him the word “tact.” We ultimately ended up with an Aunt Judy and a couple of awesome cousins.
This is one of my favorite family stories to recall. It’s a fun example of how youthful naivete can make for an awkward moment and learning opportunity. I’m not yet a parent, so I can mostly only imagine the challenge of teaching children some of the big concepts like “tact.” Children are granted grace for their lack of brain-to-mouth filters, and they have the superpower ability to say and do the most embarrassing things at the most inopportune times. Like my friend’s toddler who, when he and his father came across a man legitimately wearing an eye patch, loudly proclaimed, “Look, Dad, it’s a pirate!” Or the time my friend’s two-year-old daughter decided to strip in a department store and dance in front of the make-up counters. Or when my friend’s son chose to announce, in Target, which number his mother performed in the bathroom.
These stories came to mind a few months ago when I discovered the New York Times bestselling picture book Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jane Dyer (HarperCollins 2005). This entirely charming book teaches some of the big concepts like Pride, Respect, Greed, Regret, and Trustworthiness in connection to making, eating, and sharing chocolate chip cookies.
How do you teach children about Trustworthiness? Like so: “Trustworthy means, If you ask me to hold your cookie until you come back, when you come back, I will still be holding your cookie.” And Modesty? “Modest means you don’t run around telling everyone you make the best cookies, even if you know it to be true.” The whimsical and wonderfully unexpected illustrations of children interacting with anthropomorphized animals add another layer of charm to this book. I particularly enjoy the image for REGRET — a brown and white bunny reclines in a chair, his hands on his protruding belly and the top button of his trousers undone. We all know the regret of eating too many cookies.
An added bonus – a recipe for chocolate chip cookies in the back.
Today, I’m excited to offer a give-away of Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons. For the chance to win, simply use the raffelcopter widget below to leave a comment here telling Bump Life about an embarrassing moment with your child (other ways to get more entries below also!). Two winners will be chosen and announced next Friday (9/7)
You can learn more about Amy Krouse Rosenthal and her other books, including the follow-ups to Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, at http://www.whoisamy.com/.
Jen Rofé is a literary agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. You can follow her on Twitter at @jenrofe.
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Stacey Woods - Not long after being hired, I introduced my son to my new boss. She had asked to meet him. Although she loved children, she had none of her own. Initially, everything seemed great. She talked to him about his favorite food, books he liked and surprised him with a plate of chocolate chip cookies. He chowed down and really showed off his manners. He thanked her for the cookies and threw in “it was nice to meet you”. Not bad for a 4 year old. I was very proud of him. As we were leaving she held open the door. While standing right in front of my boss, my son looked up at me and says, “She had good cookies. Is that why she is so fat?” It was awful, but I eventually got over it. He is 15 now and I am still very proud of him.
Megan - Stacey! So funny! My son said something similar “saying, wow that woman is really big!” I want to make sure you get entered into our drawing, can you go back and click the rafflecopter link above to enter the contest! Thanks!
Megan
Jeanmarie Anaya - Love your website, so glad I clicked my way over to it!
During a family holiday dinner, when my now 7-year-old daughter was 4 years old, I was reading one of her favorite books, Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel, to her and her cousins. We came across the word “loitering” in the book. When my daughter asked, “Mommy, what is loitering?” I explained that it’s sort of like when you don’t have a purpose–you just hang around with nothing to do, causing trouble, getting in everyone’s way. She looked thoughtfully at my father across the room and said, “Kind of like Grandpa?” EXACTLY like Grandpa. Hahaha. Alas, he didn’t find it as funny as my mother and I did.
Stacey Woods - Thanks Megan. I didn’t realize I missed a step. I hope I got it right this time. This was a great idea. I’m glad Jen posted about it on facebook. I could have easily written about thousands of embarrassing moments involving my children.
Kathy Ellen Davis - This is sooo funny!
I don’t have any children yet, but I’ve been around a TON OF THEM growing up.
My family’s got a great video of me being pretty tactless.
We are all sitting in one of those kiddy pools on our porch and my mom is video-taping.
I’m maybe 6?
She explains that she wants to send the video to Grandma and Grandpa so she wants everyone to say something about the pool.
My older brother says, “Here’s the pool Mommy bought us. It’s fun.”
My younger sister says: “I love the pool Mommy!”
My younger brother is kind of young so he just splashes around a bit.
And when it’s my turn, I say,
“Here’s the pool that Mommy bought us for 9.99 on sale at Kmart. And Billy (younger brother) just pooped in it too, but this is a new video, so that’s ok.”
Needless to say, I’m not sure that every got sent to them!
I love Amy Krouse Rosenthal and this book does such a good job of really putting these abstract ideas into words. Thanks for the fun giveaway!
Monica McNamara - As a young child, I loved wearing wrap around skirts. I’d wrap them around my waist several times and tie a pretty bow on the side. I would twist my hips side to side just for the thrill of feeling how the skirt gracefully swayed against my knees. I lived on a charming court in my neighborhood called Kaplan Court and my best friend, JoAnna, lived on Kaplan Court too. I was invited to go with JoAnna to a special event one evening. I don’t remember where we went now, I only remember my excitement over having a reason to wear my wrap around skirt. I proudly wore my red one, and felt like a spunky princess all evening long. When we got home, my Mom stood on our front porch while JoAnna’s Mom stood on their front porch so they could both watch me get home safely. Not being a fan of crossing Kaplan Court after dark, I began sprinting, with record timing, to get myself home. I felt a sense of freedom as I ran. The breeze was all encompassing and the fresh air washed over me. Being completely focused on my sprint toward home, I did not notice my Mom’s hysterical laughter until I approached the front porch. I turned to look at JoAnna’s Mom only to find her laughing, also. I was bewildered as I looked around wondering what caused such a comical eruption coming from both of them, when I finally spotted my little, red wrap around skirt lying in the middle of Kaplan Court. I had been too busy running to know I had run home without it.
Lacy - My little one isn’t talking yet, but if you want to talk embarrassing…
When she was 11 days old we took my daughter to the home of my friend, a renowned baby photographer. We got the baby naked for her photo, but she wasn’t cooperating, so my friend suggested I go upstairs and nurse her in a quiet room. I wrapped her in a thin blanket and took her upstairs—but while we were nursing, she pooped a massive, EPIC poop all over me, the chair I was sitting in and the photographer’s white carpet.
That’s one I’ll be telling her dates in high school for sure…
Anne Marie - I was going to comment but I can’t think of a good story! But I can’t delete the Rafflecopter thing!