Growing up is never an easy feat for a child. With so many different people and experiences that might impact who they become, it’s critically important to ensure that your child knows how to grow into their best selves.

Just like adults, children have days where everything is sunshine and rainbows, and days where the whole world feels gloomy and grey. And while the causes of these bad moods shouldn’t go unnoticed, it’s important to instill in kids the importance of a positive attitude. Yes Days, No Days shows, through creative and silly illustrations, just how powerful optimism can be, and how it can turn a day around. Have your child start every day right with these important lessons on positive mental attitude, gratitude, and perspective.

You’re never too young to start practicing gratitude. Not only does thankfulness boost your mood, but it also promotes great physical and mental health—things children should focus on sooner rather than later for their own good.

Gratitude Journal, written and illustrated by Suzanne Culleton and Linda Culleton, is a 26-week activity journal that focuses on the practice of thankfulness. This journal has something for everyone: puzzles, yoga exercises, games and more! This journal is perfect for helping young children identify and recognize all the things they have to be thankful for, and helps them set healthy habits of gratitude that will last them a lifetime.

It can be easy to focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do, but children reading this book will soon learn the value in counting their blessings rather than fixating on the opposite.

Thank You Thank You Thank You, written by Melissa Peck, is a daily gratitude book for kids and adults alike. Each page points out all the wonderful things in this world we have to be thankful for, and reminds families to focus on the good in the world regardless of what’s going on around them. Making this book a nightly habit is a great way to end every day with a thankful heart. It’s never too late to begin teaching your children life-long values and lessons they can take with them through childhood and adulthood. There’s so much that goes into growing up, which means endless opportunities to learn and grow right alongside your children.

Every one of us likely has a book or two from our early childhood that we will always remember. It’s the life-long values, everyday lessons, and heartfelt stories that make a big impact on who children are as a person and how they go on to live their lives. Take a look at three books that provide children with the insight they need into living their lives in happiness. Zen Pig: The Art of Gratitude, written by Mark Brown, teaches children how to say “thank you.” It teaches them all about gratitude and how important mindfulness and compassion are to living a productive and meaningful life. Adults can take a lesson from the story too. 

Dogs make us laugh and bring us joy, fill our hearts and complete our families. We train them, but what if they had a chance to train us back?

Sit. Stay. Love: Life Lessons From a Doggie, written by Chalaine Kilduff, teaches children wise life lessons from the perspective of man’s best friend. Through rhymes and adorable illustrations, children will learn the value of laughter and loyalty, what friendship means, and more.

When you’re young is the time to dream, and there’s nothing wrong with dreaming big and following your passions. Learning this lesson early will help children block out any negativity they may face when they chase after what they love.

Reverie: I Believe in Me, written and illustrated by April and Jackson Jones, teaches young readers about the power of believing in yourself even when it seems like no one else does. Children follow Reverie, a unicorn doing everything she ever wanted to with love and passion, and succeeding at it all even when everyone else thought it was impossible— because with hard work and passion, any dream can be achieved!   

Through engaging and entertaining stories, it will be easy for children to learn valuable life lessons that they can take with them from childhood to adulthood. Sharing these stories with them and giving them the tools they need to grow up well is just one more way to ensure your child’s success. Raising amazing children who grow up to be spectacular adults is no small feat, but these books will help you and your little one on their way to becoming a person you all can be proud of.