MIMI'S STRATEGY When you want a horse and Mama says NO!

By Linda Goudsmit

What can a child do when she really, really, REALLY wants something and Mama says no?

Hildy sees a girl riding a horse and immediately decides that she wants one of her own. She asks Mama again and again, but the answer remains no, and her disappointment grows. Mimi helps Hildy understand the important difference between wanting something and needing something, using medicine, food, clothing, and a clean bed as examples. When Hildy sees the horse again, she remembers the lesson and responds with a more sensible hope: maybe someday.

Mimi's Strategy: "Remember that you always get what you need, but you can't always get what you want."

What children will learn:
- Practice distinguishing genuine needs from simple wants.
- Understand that parents will always provide necessities but not every desired item.
- Accept a disappointing answer without giving up self-control.
- Develop gratitude for what is provided while learning to wait for future possibilities.
Perfect for:
- Homeschool and public-school families teaching wants, needs, limits, and gratitude.
- Homeschool and public-school educators discussing consumer choices and responsibility.
- Parents dealing with repeated requests for expensive or impractical wants.
- Grandparents who want to reinforce patience and sensible expectations.

Part of the growing Mimi's Strategy series, an expanding collection of illustrated books by Linda Goudsmit that turn everyday childhood problems into opportunities to stop, think, and choose a successful strategy to solve each problem. Designed for ages 3-8, the series gives families and educators a warm, repeatable way to talk about responsibility, independence, competence, self-control, critical thinking, and family life.

"Learning to think strategically rather than react emotionally is a valuable skill that will empower any child throughout his or her life. Plus, I have yet to meet the child who would prefer a reprimand to a kiss." - Linda Goudsmit

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1953255345
• ISBN13: 9781953255341
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Contrapoint Publishing
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 3 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3