Reading by Example
by Carleton Kendrick Ed.M., LCSW"What's that book about you're reading, dad? Do you think I'd like it?" Do your kids ask you questions like this? Are books a vital part of your life? Do they see you reading books on a regular basis? I'm not talking about TV Guide here, or the sports page, or People magazine. I'm talking BOOKS !
Don't Just Talk the Talk ... Read the Book
We're always hearing that reading to and with our young children is crucial to their cognitive development. What we don't hear about very often is how kids are influenced by seeing their parents reading and enjoying books. Our children might ask, "If reading books is so great why don't my parents do it? Why is reading books good for me and not for them?"
We complain about how much TV children watch. How much TV do we watch? We cringe at the numbers of overweight and unfit kids. How much physical activity of any kind do we engage in, alone or as a family? Get my point? It's no different when it comes to reading books. If a child grows up in a family where books are savored, discussed, shared, and valued by her parents, chances are she'll embrace reading books as well.
Parent's Reading Again ... for the First Time
It's never too late for parents to discover the joys of reading. Many of us grew up having difficulty reading, not being encouraged at home to read, being forced to read boring books in school. Now you can read what you want. At your own speed. No tests! And you just might hear, "Hey mom, what's that book you're reading?"
