Simon’s New Bed

Simon’s New Bed written by Christian Trimmer and illustrated by Melissa van der Paardt (2015)

Simon prepares for the first nap in his brand new bed, only to find that someone else is already there. Miss Adora Belle is napping in the very center of Simon’s new bed and will not move. Simon tried telling her politely to move, barked his disapproval, and even drug her around the yard in the bed. But nothing worked. Miss Adora Belle was would not budge. Simon tried to trick her and even begged. Nothing. Finally, Simon tried something he hated to do…he agreed to share the bed with Miss Adora Belle, who agreed to scoot over a bit for Simon.

Learning to share is a tough lesson. But like Simon said, ‘sometimes you have to pick your battles’. If you don’t want your kids fighting like cats and dogs, sharing is an essential skill in any situation. Sometimes we share by taking turns, sometimes we share by dividing something in half, thirds, fourths etc. and sometimes we share by using something together. Talk about how you might share different objects like a box of blocks, a jumprope,  a stuffed animal, a book, or a bed.

When serving snacks you can promote sharing by having fewer items than children or by offering snacks in a large container instead of individually served.