“Leo was a busy lad. No matter how hard he worked, there was always more to do.” This time of year, I can totally relate to Leo in Peter H. Reynold’s wonderful book, So Few of Me. Some days, I wish I had what Leo had to help – another Leo. In fact, the busier he gets, the more Leos show up to lend a hand. But, more Leos find more and more things that need to get done. By the time the tenth Leo shows up to tackle the ever-growing to-do list, original Leo needs a nap, even though “dreaming was NOT on the list!” Leo realizes, “what if I did less – but did my BEST?” and gives himself time to dream.

Even little ones can relate to that overwhelmed feeling Leo feels in So Few of Me. Leo’s strategy of to-do lists is a good one to model and teach our kids. Now when I do storytimes, even with the 2-year-olds, I have a list that they can see of all the things that will happen during our time together. I made strips with words and pictures that say things like “book” and “song” and I hot-glued magnets to the back so I can stick them on my white board (I save the free magnets from pizza parlors and insurance agents to cut up and glue on). I pull off each activity as we do it so little ones can see how our time is passing. This visual plan is especially helpful for those who have trouble with transitions.

When my own kids were little and we had errands to run, it helped them to have a list for them to hold where they could check off items as we accomplished them. To avoid frustration (and meltdowns at the grocery store or bank), I tried very hard not to squeeze in “just one more” errand and instead I’d stick to the list.  Encourage your little ones to make and use lists of pictures and words. Don’t forget to save room on your to-do list for dreaming!

For more information, visit peterhreynolds.com.