{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Get Off The Bench & Play!","description":"On this episode, I welcome Andrea Goldner, affectionately known as Nanni Andi, to talk about her picture book Nanni Andi and Our Adventure to All Friends Park and her lifelong work as a nanny. Andrea shares how, after raising her own kids, she went \u201cback\u201d into childcare because it\u2019s what she truly loves and does best. Calling herself a \u201cnew wave Mary Poppins,\u201d she explains why reading to children from newborn age is so powerful: it builds vocabulary, confidence, and, most importantly, a deep emotional bond. Andrea describes how her stories prepare kids for real-world experiences\u2014like going to the park, zoo, or museum\u2014so that when they finally get there, it\u2019s not scary or overwhelming. Through Nanni Andi, kids already \u201cknow\u201d the swings, the slide, or the elephant at the zoo. She\u2019s passionate about getting caregivers off the bench (and off their phones) to actually play, push the swings, catch kids at the bottom of the slide, and read together. That\u2019s also why she\u2019s created matching coloring books\u2014so children can \u201cre-create\u201d their own day at the park and reinforce what they\u2019ve read. Andrea talks about the joy of walking up to a house and seeing kids waiting excitedly in the window, the respect that comes from treating children as real partners, and how she\u2019s now training other nannies and coaching families on how to hire and support great caregivers. In the second half of the show, I\u2019m joined by Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G) to chat about his picture book How Many Squirrels Are in the World?, his bilingual music, love of nature, and his mission to get families off screens and back into the real world\u2014together. ","author_name":"Reading With Your Kids Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/readingwithyourkids.libsyn.com\/site","html":"