Oops.

I joke that I have a Type A mother (I say it with love, Mom).  The woman does clean every week as if the First Lady is coming for a visit.  Teasing aside, I am very grateful that, despite being the oldest child and my mother's daughter, I never felt pressured to be perfect.  Sure, I erased holes into my school papers trying to get my letter "J's" just right, but I never felt terrified of making mistakes.  Barney Saltzberg fills his newest book, Beautiful Oops, with pages of mistakes.

Each one shows how an accidental tear, fold, spill or scribble can be turned into something fabulous.  It is important to let your children know that it's okay to make mistakes, and to let them do so.  Admit that even grown-ups make mistakes.  Show them that sometimes messing up isn't an "oops" at all if you take a closer look.  This is truly a beautiful book to own, and one that begs to be shared with the children (and grown-ups) in your life who need a little help seeing the beauty in an "Oops!"