Ben and I were at the book store the other day when we read Audrey Penn's book, "The Kissing Hand" for the first time and we both really liked it.
This is the kind of book that helps us bridge what could divide with our children. Children can have a great deal of anxiety around any real or perceived separation. I mention "perceived" sometimes you may be close by and they can still have this experience. It is important that we give our kids something of us to hold on to, and that is what this book is about.
The story is about Chester Racoon and his mother. It is time for Chester to go to school and he doesn't want to go. (I have to admit, the part of me that is ambivalent about sending my son to school doesn't like this aspect of the story 100%) His mother tells him he'll really enjoy school and then shares with him a family secret, the secret of the kissing hand.
Mom takes his hand and puts a kiss right in the palm of his hand. She explains to him how this will help him feel her love the whole day through. Chester finds this reassuring and even gives his mom a kiss on the hand to help her hold on to him.
This is such a valuable concept for all parents. So many of the difficulties our kids experience have to do with not being able to hold on to those they're attached to. If we can give them a necklace of ours to wear or a shirt of our to sleep in (or a pillow of ours), or maybe just a kiss on the hand to save- this can help them hold on.
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