The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

Weekly Trip to the Library

It’s difficult for children to learn to share. Children are seldom capable of true empathy under the age of six. Prior to that time they share because we condition them to do so. Don’t expect a child less than two or 2½ to easily accept sharing. I typically read children’s books about sharing and play a game of sharing with children to help them learn to share.

To play the “The Sharing Game” that I developed I play this game when the child is happy and well rested. I simply announce, “Let’s play sharing!” I grab a toy and the child grabs a toy. We sit together and play with our toys separately than I announce, “Okay, time to share” and we exchange toys.

One great book to introduce the idea of sharing is Eric Carle is the classic The Grouchy Ladybug.

As the title reveals, the ladybug is grumpy. She refuses to share, and shouts at the other friendly ladybugs to leave her alone. The grouchy ladybug tries to fight every insect who comes in her way, although no one is big enough to be worth fighting. As children follow the Grouchy Ladybug on her journey, they will learn the important concepts of time, size, and shape, as well as the benefits of friendship and good manners. By the end of the book the grouchy ladybug decides to be nice and share with a fellow ladybug.

You can buy your own copy of The Grouchy Ladybug by clicking the links in this article.

After reading The Grouchy Ladybug make a paper plate ladybug with your Nanny Kid.

You Will Need:

Paper Plate
Red Paint
Black Paper
Glue Stick and/or Tape
Paint Brushes
Safety Scissors
Pencil

What to Do:

1. Protect the work surface.

2. Let the child paint a paper plate with red paint.

3. With a pencil trace a medium sized circle (like a drinking glass) on black paper and several small circles (I used a seltzer bottle cap) on the paper.

4. Have the child cut out the circles and a straight line from the paper. If the child isn’t old enough to use scissors you can cut out the shapes for the little one.

5. Once the paint is dry on the paper plate, glue or tape the large circle to the bottom of the red plate to symbolize the ladybug’s head. Then allow the child to paste the smaller circles and line to the top of red paper plate to complete their ladybug.