I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard my children or grandchildren cry out in a panicked voice, “I can’t find my . . . “, expecting me to find what they need. One of a moms’ biggest headaches and battles is motivating children keep their rooms clean and orderly. With her wonderful gift to get straight to the heart of the matter, Julia Cook engagingly deals with this challenge.
The story centers around Cletus and Bocephus (love the names!), two very devoted cousins. While their relationship is close, they are polar opposites in other ways!
Bocephus is neat and tidy to the extreme, while poor Cletus is disaster in the neatness department. His chaos and confusion affect the entire household!
His mother declares an ultimatum. “No clean room, no playing with Boephus!” Mom’s know the sensitive spots don’t’ they? Bocephus shows his cousin not only the benefits of being organized but also guides him step by step how to accomplish the goal.
My 10 year old granddaughter suffers from this issue; she is a female Cletus! I asked her to read the book and share their thoughts. She immediately acknowledged that her room was much like his. Here is what she said she learned.
Her being organized would make it easier on the entire family.
She wouldn’t have as many disagreements and problems with Dad and Mom.
The idea of having a place for everything was new to her, and labeling boxes to sort.
She liked that the important words were super big and colorful. She said they popped out and helped her see the main point. She also enjoyed the “weird” words “whatchmacalit, Bocephus, and Cletus.”
At the end are 12 tips to teach a child organizational skills. This is the perfect organizing book for kids! And as always with Ms. Cook’s books, adults can benefit from the basic ideas.
Go to http://www.juliacookonline.com to see more of Julia Cook’s amazing books!