• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy + Terms
  • Affiliates

The Chaos and the Clutter

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google Plus
  • RSS
  • Email
  • School at Home
  • Sensory
    • Sensory Processing Disorder
    • Awesome Sensory Play Activities
      • Sensory Bins
      • Sensory Bottles
      • Sensory Bags
  • Family Games
    • Minute to Win It Games
  • Special Needs Parenting
    • Childhood Anxiety
    • Reactive Attachment Disorder
    • Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Store
  • Course Login

Books for Kids About Liking Who They Are

By Sharla Kostelyk

(This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure policy.)

  • Total19.0K
  • Facebook401
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest18.6K
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Self-esteem is a word that gets thrown around fairly liberally, but it is important for kids to learn to embrace their uniqueness and to like themselves for who they are. They get so many messages from the media about having to aspire to some sort of unattainable perfection that it is important that we counter that with our own message about them being good enough just the way they are.

Books for Kids About Liking Who They Are. These are great self-esteem boosters.

These messages can be even more important for kids who may feel different because of a special need or a visible difference such as a hearing aid, scarring or being significantly larger or smaller than same-age peers.

Books for Kids About Liking Who They Are

I often use books in helping me reinforce the values I am trying to teach my kids. Here are some books that help teach kids about being okay just being themselves:

A Bad Case of StripesA Bad Case of StripesSpaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage To Be Who You AreSpaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage To Be Who You AreI Like Myself!I Like Myself!Marvelous Me: Inside and OutMarvelous Me: Inside and OutYou Are SpecialYou Are SpecialI Love My Hair!I Love My Hair!The DotThe DotThe Skin You Live InThe Skin You Live InWe're Different, We're the SameWe’re Different, We’re the SameI'm Gonna Like MeI’m Gonna Like MeStand Tall, Molly Lou MelonStand Tall, Molly Lou MelonIt's Okay To Be DifferentIt’s Okay To Be DifferentBe Who You AreBe Who You AreWhat I Like About Me!What I Like About Me!

A Bad Case of Stripes – This is one of our all-time favourite read-alouds! We’ve even done some really fun activities to go along with the book and help cement the concept of being who you are.

A Bad Case of Stripes ActivitiesSpaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun – This is a neat book because it lends itself to discussions on bullying, family traditions and embracing your uniqueness. Essentially, it’s a book about having the courage to be who you are, presented in a way that kids can easily understand and relate to.

I Like Myself – This is another family favourite. What parent doesn’t want their child to be able to say they like themselves? When I told the kids that I wanted to take a picture of them with their favourite book, this is the one that Dancing Queen chose.

You are Special – The underlying message in this book is that God cherishes each of us, exactly as we are, regardless of how the world perceives us or of how others treat us. It’s a long book for a read-aloud so you may want to break it into parts. Another book by the same author (Max Lucado) called If Only I Had a Green Nose reminds kids that they are created as unique for a reason.

I Love My Hair – This book obviously doesn’t apply to all kids, but if you have a daughter of African descent who struggles with liking her hair, this book is awesome! It has helped Dancing Queen to feel like her hair is another part of herself to be celebrated, not hated.

The Dot – “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.” This book helps kids discover their talents and encourages them to follow their own path.

The Skin You Live In – This is a great book about diversity and self-esteem. It is simple enough for even young children.

The rest of the books in the list above are not ones we have read yet, but they seem to be ones that teach the same lesson. Are there any that you would add to this list?

  • Total19.0K
  • Facebook401
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest18.6K
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Homeschooling, Parenting in the Chaos

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Krista says

    April 5, 2016 at 9:29 am

    Do you have a printable list for these?

Primary Sidebar

Categories

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 • The Chaos and the Clutter • Site Design by Jeni @ The Blog Maven

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2023 · Chaos and the Clutter 2.0 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Enter your email address below to join the 5 day email series Little Hearts, Big Worries with resources and hope for parents.