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Every Sunday (or at least those Sundays when I actually get to read the newspaper) I check out the list of “Best Seller” books appearing in the Lifestyle section of the Sun Sentinel. The ostensible purpose of this exercise is to see if any of the titles and quick quips about the books catch my eye, but in reality more practical reason is in the event I am caught at a cocktail party with a bunch of the literary intellect, I don’t sound like an uneducated, out of touch buffoon and I can at least acknowledge that I’ve heard of a particular book. (I will however, proudly proclaim that I do not know half the names of all the reality shows and other trite content that plagues the cable television airwaves, and I make no excuses for that when such programs make their way into cocktail conversation!)

Well, this week I came across the book Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Little Golden Book, by Diane E. Muldrow. The fact that the book is Number 8 on the hardcover nonfiction list, down from Number 6 the prior week attests to the fact I haven’t had much time to read the paper lately.

But, I digress. The description notes that the author, a children’s book editor, “offers tips for adults to get the most out of life.” The mere mention of the title brought me immediately back to my own childhood, and I could see my little bookcase, filled with those gold and black foil spines, with classics from the iconic Poky Little Puppy to Five Pennies to Spend to the Little Red Hen. I remember my dad reading these to me and later, me, trying, to read them to him or my older brothers, or whoever would listen.

But it appears the premise behind the book is not unlike a book popular first published in 1988 entitled All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten. In short, those parables that Golden Books published using puppies, hens, bears, suns, moons, stars and some incredibly unrealistic humans (Moms with perfectly coiffed hair and spotless aprons serving Dads as they sat in their chairs with slippers on their feet yet still wearing their tie from work!)gave little readers a little insight into life, good and bad, right and wrong and (my favorite) doing the right thing!

Unfortunately, these lessons from our past are often lost as we become adults and have to deal with “real life problems.” These lessons are often buried even further when two parents are divorcing or splitting up. If you find yourself in such a situation now, or are already past the actual “legal” process and are living separately with children under the court ordered or (hopefully) agreed upon parenting plan, think about it. Are you reading a Golden Book to your children at night that contains a good “life lesson,” and then spending the rest of the time with your children ignoring everything the book teaches? I am not referring to the process of going through a divorce or separation and the impact on the kids, but during and certainly in the aftermath of divorce or separation (which, by the way is the rest of your life), practicing what you preach (or at least read) to your children.

You cannot teach your children to be charitable and giving to others and then not pay your child support

You cannot teach them to always speak kindly of others or (as my parents told me daily….when you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything) and then trash your former spouse.

You cannot take children to a house of worship of any faith, expect them to learn from and live by the lessons of your faith, and then act rudely and impolitely to the other parent.

No need for me to go on with more examples. If you don’t get the point now you never will.

So keep reading those Golden Books (and all the other great kids’ books) to your kids…even when you think you are too tired; remember The Little Train Who Could. Then after you close the book and your children close their eyes, remember to live by those lessons. Not only will it improve your children’s lives, it might just improve your life as well!