Homeschool Friday - Be Polite & Kind

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Be Polite & Kind

By: Cheri J. Meiners

Illustrated By: Meredith Johnson

Publication: December 15, 2003 by Free Spirit Publishing

40 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Manners

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Description--When children are kind, courteous, and respectful, people enjoy being around them and reciprocate with the same behavior. This book helps kids understand the importance of showing politeness, speaking kindly, using basic courtesies ("please," "thank you," "excuse me"), and respecting the feelings of others. Scenarios and role-play activities help adults reinforce the book's lessons.

We have been studying manners in our homeschool. So when I saw Be Polite & Kind for review, I grabbed it. Our family can get into a habit of using our words negatively with a negative tone. I feel like I've been harping on "be kind," "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." And "speak the truth with love." I'm guilty of it too. The content in this book is best suited for smaller children, but no one is too old for a reminder on polite behavior.

Be Polite & Kind sprinkles instruction, situational awareness, and the reason why we are polite and kind throughout in a cyclical manner. It starts out with how our words show others that they are important to us. Then there is a focus on the word "please" and a few situations where using "please" is polite and kind. There's a sprinkle of information: "Being polite means people will often want to help." Then, "thank you" is introduced with a few situations where the phrase could be used. I liked the attention being brought to the reader to make a point to notice things you can be thankful for and verbalize that to others. Help others. And then when others thank you, say "you're welcome." There were a few situations with "excuse me" and "I'm sorry". And then the reader is reminded to think before speaking. "No, thank you" is shown as an option for saying how you feel politely. And then again, the reason we do these things is shown. "Respect others because that is how we each like to be treated." And "people enjoy being around others who are polite and kind." All in all, I think Be Polite & Kind gets 4.5 Stars. Have you or your child read Be Polite & Kind? What did you think? Let me know!