Sunny Side Upbringing: A Month by Month Guide to Raising Kind and Caring Kids

Sunny Side Upbringing is amazing. Everything about it is top-notch. I love the binding of the book, which makes it like a recipe book. I love the format, how the chapters cover the months of the year. Each “chapter” consists of an overall theme that will help you to raise a kind and caring child (honesty, love, gratitude, empathy). Included in each chapter are relevant quotes from well-known people, real-life testimonies/stories, and various ideas that are relevant to toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children.

I love that author Maria Cini Dismondy is an advocate for reading, which is very important for children. She includes in every chapter a book list to look into as well as eight craft ideas that center around a particular book that you can read with your child.

The themes and bits of advice in the chapters range from pregnancy to car trips, potty training to back-to-school. Then there are pages about reasons to celebrate the month, which include the unfamiliar holidays (read a book day, chocolate milkshake day, etc.). From a mental health perspective, this book is perfect for raising children to become responsible and caring adults as well as for helping you to play an active role in your child(ren)’s childhood.