Back to School Challenge Day 04: Take My Advice

Day 04: If you are a parent, or have advice for parents...what do you do (or thing would work) to foster the love of reading in your kids?

This is my sister. Everyone say, HI! (Oh, and feel free to Oo and Ah over my adorable nephew.)

If you have kids, or are involved with kids in any fashion, you should do what my sister does. She reads to her kids. And not just little kid books! I remember one time a couple years ago when I was visiting and my sister was reading one of the Little House on the Prairie books to my niece, Anna. Kim didn't force Anna to sit down and listen, she just let Anna wander around the room while she read. I sat and listened.

Now I haven't read the "Little House" books in ages. Kim got to the part where the family is forced to ford a creek and their dog drowns. My sister read those words, stopped and as our eyes met, we both shouted, THEIR DOG DROWNED?! Neither of us remembered that. Anna just kept wandering around the room playing on her own while my sister and I marveled at the simplicity of the statement and the lack of mourning by the family at the loss of their pet. I think Kim and I were more upset than the family was. It was a wonderful, shared moment.

I guess the long and short of my advice is this. Lead by example. Read in front of your kids. Create a ritual around it. Collect your favorite books and read them aloud to your kids. Don't worry about their age. Just read, whether they are listening, or not. You might be surprised what you learn as you try to share one your passions with them.

What parenting advice do you have about reading?

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Day 7 | Day 8 (did not participate) | Day 9