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Trouble sharing. Haggles over what to play. Jealousy, hurt feelings—and of course tears when playtime ends. For kids just learning to get along, playtime can be riddled with conflict. Ready to Play! offers healthy, lasting ways to help kids cooperate, develop social skills, and have fun.

When good friends Emma and Ryan get together to play, there's lots of fun to be had—and also plenty of playtime problems to be solved. Children will love the full-color pictures and whimsical story, and parents and caregivers will learn the language of positive parenting.

This book, and others in the series, provides a BONUS for parents and caregivers. With honesty and gentle humor, Ready to Play! shows how to handle typical playtime struggles by modeling three parenting techniques using color-coded text to teach the language of positive parenting:

• Giving encouragement
• Validating feelings
• Inviting kids to brainstorm solutions and imagine outcomes

These techniques are explained in detail in a section at the end of the book that is just for adults. The result: you get through everyday challenges with less stress while building your child's emotional intelligence and your own parenting skills.

Ready to Play! features:

• An engaging, realistic story that will ring true for parents and kids alike
• Easy-to-use techniques and positive language highlighted in color-coded text
• A section just for adults that explains the language of positive parenting
• An easy, fun way to improve parenting skills—by reading with your child

Ready to Play! is part of the ParentSmart/KidHappy series, the only parenting books intended for grown-ups and kids to share. Reading this book not only teaches adults effective techniques for encouraging cooperation, it provides a model for kids to follow. Use it as a conversation starter (e.g., "Why do you think it was hard for her to share her favorite horse?") as well as a terrific opportunity to snuggle up and read with your child.

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Gr. 1–2	Ages 3–6	I
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