Stewart, S., Small, D., &
Rosenstreich, L. (1997). The gardener. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
This is an emotional tale of
separation in which a young girl makes a trip to the city in order to work for
her uncle because the economic situation at home is far from being prosperous.
The mere thought of separating from your family can be scary, right? Well not
if you bring your home with you. Moving into a new place where the person who
you will be with is not necessarily the happiest person ever, can be a quite
fearful experience. Yet, little Lydia makes the city her home by bringing one
of the things she loves the most. Her kindness soon wins over the heart of the
so very serious uncle who hardly smiles. So what would happen if she gets to
move back home? Will he miss her? Grab the tissues! That last picture speaks a
thousand words.
It is always difficult to teach your children about hardships, especially when they have been blessed with a decent life. It is important to sometimes expose them to different situations that other people their age are going through so that they realize how blessed they are and that although sometimes life may seem unfair, other people go through harsher situations. When my children complain about not being aloud to watch television because they fought with each other, we remind them that there are kids who don't even have that privilege. Each parent has their own way of dealing with discipline or decide what their children need to be exposed to. Although not optimal, I believe children need to be aware that not everyone has a perfect life so that they are more appreciative of the few things they do have.
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