bookworms

I am a reader. It is possibly my favorite thing to do. I would read for a job if I could. My dream vacations involve a quiet mountain deck and a good book or a comfy beach chair, the ocean and a good book. If I run out of things to do with the kids or they are driving me crazy, I pick up a book to read to them. When we go on long car drives my children's favorite form of entertainment is a good audio book. So, yeah, obviously I love a good book and my kids know that.

Tom is not a reader. Tom thinks that books require too much work. He is not patient enough to wait for the words to reveal their story. he would rather be doing something. Building something. Fixing something. Discovering something. Tom falls asleep while reading the kids their bedtime stories. Not kidding. So, yeah, obviously it comes as no surprise that my kids know that Dad is not a reader.

So, all of your non-readers out there, the ones who think that they can teach the importance of reading by telling their kids to read and sending them to school to do it. Know this, non-reader: Your children notice. They see how you spend your time. They see what is important to you. Now, don't worry, you do not have to be a nerdy bookworm like myself to create an environment that celebrates reading. You can do so by providing opportunities for your kids to discover new books. You can do so by reading; even if what you read is the newspaper or a magazine with topics that interest you. No matter what, your kids need an example.

I realized just how important that lesson is today. Tom is reading Treasure Island right now. Well, he was reading it this weekend in Colorado. I think he started it so that he would have something to do on the train when he rode home Sunday night. Whatever the reason for picking up the book, it was important. Today, while at Target, Lily dug through a dollar bin of classic books that have been adapted to her reading level. She picked Treasure Island. She picked it because she wanted to read the same book as Daddy.

 I think that is an excellent example of just how much our children pay attention to what we do. It's another example of how reading and books help to connect people. Our children are always finding ways to connect with their parents. What better way than a good book?