Montessori Toddler Prep Books - Visiting the Dentist, Doctor, Airport + More
There are a lot of books that can help prepare your child for significant events like going to the doctor or dentist. However, there are very few books that are non-commercial (without licensed characters) and that have real, photographic, relatable images, that would be preferred by many Montessori parents. I recently discovered this Toddler Prep series, that uses real images and a variety of children.
Toddler Prep books can help children of all ages prepare for unfamiliar environments, sounds, equipment and people, strange noises, waiting, lining up and being touched by medical professionals.
The Toddler Prep books walk the reader through each event and each image shows a different child, doctor, or dentist, so there is variety in the people shown. There is a photo on each page that shows different environments and equipment. At the airport, you can see the outside of the airport, the airline counter, security, waiting areas, windows to watch planes take off and land, the jet bridge, and inside the aeroplane including the bathroom (which can be scary for young children), which prepares the child for the environments they are likely to encounter.
My children love going to the dentist, but it is important to prepare them for the first few visits. The only part of Going to the Dentist (UK here) that I didn't find relatable was the term 'boo boo'. The images of the dentist's chair and tools are large and clear. It covers the entire process of a check-up.
I love that the author uses real terms like hygienist, instrument, scaler, plaque and cavities.
Going to the Doctor (UK here) covers the process of going to the Doctor for a check-up and having a 'shot' (perhaps immunisation?). The tone is friendly, warm and welcoming. The child goes through the process of being weighed, having their height checked, temperature taken, given a shot, the Doctor listening to the child's heart with a stethoscope, examining their ears with an otoscope, and, looking inside the child's nose and mouth.
Even if your child doesn't have all of these checks, this is a really good preparation book.
Going on an aeroplane is a big deal for young children. Going on an Airplane (AU and Worldwide here) is really thorough in showing children the process from start to finish.
There are seven books in the Toddler Prep series including Going on a Road Trip, Going to the Movies, Going to the Swimming Pool and Going to get a Haircut. I ordered my copies from Amazon AU and all books were printed locally in Sydney.
I really wish we'd read the Going to the Movies book, I've taken my four-year-old to the movies twice and while I talked to him beforehand about the movie we were about to see, I completely forgot to prep him on the basics (of not talking too much, staying in his chair, the room being dark, and, the loud volume of the movie), and the Sydney Film Festival 2022 is coming soon!
If you subscribe to Lovevery keep an eye out for the realistic Bea Gets a Checkup Board Book. I'd love to hear other realistic children's preparation books that you'd recommend. I recently needed a book for children's surgery, and couldn't find one that was just right.
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