I wrote a post years ago with the phrase “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” and showed a photograph of E asleep amidst a stack of books. For years she fell asleep that way – sneaking a light on after lights out time, or just reading by the light of the hallway. Now she just falls asleep with one longer book splayed across her chest, as I’ve been known to do more than once.
Just recently we’ve discovered F is doing the same thing. “Sneaking” her light back on at night, reading to herself and the numerous friends in her bed, and then collapsing on top of the whole heap a bit later. And as many times as we might remind her to go to sleep, she’ll still manage to reach on tippy-toes to the light switch on the wall and make the evening reading time extend just a wee bit longer. Because she knows she won’t ever really get in trouble for doing what the rest of the apple tree loves best to do.
I LOVE THIS! I found your blog through YHL and now I’m devouring the reading posts. I’ve been reading to my 16 week old little boy every chance trying to cultivate a reader. Any advice or did this just come naturally to your girls?
Thanks,
Sara
Welcome! I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know how much of the “reading genes” they were born with, but we’ve read to them since they were tiny. They are also surrounded by books, and books are the first thing we grab over toys. We also have lots of elementary school teachers in our family, so we’re kind of partial to children’s literature and I definitely have a weakness for it. I’ll buy books over clothes or toys any day.
When both girls were really small we’d put a few baby safe board books in their cribs when we’d check on them sleeping at night. They would wake up and discover them, and we loved listening to the chatter in the cribs in the morning. My oldest daughter got a reading light for her third birthday, and she loved having some control over that light at night. Even after her bedtime she was allowed to have a stack of books in her bed and read to herself. I think the combination of reading aloud (which we still do with the 8 year old) and allowing them time with just books in the quiet of the evening or early morning, has made them both enjoy reading so much more.
We’re about to get new bookshelves in our living room and I’m so excited to get all of the grownup books out of storage and into a visible library.
Thanks again for visiting.
What a great idea to put a book in the crib when they are little but old enough! I too have found I love children’s books. I’ve spent a lot of money and get very excited when we have new ones to read. I’m most excited when I come across a book I remember reading when I was younger (Sylvester and The Magic Pebble!) that I must have it for my child(ren). We had our first library trip so I could get new books without buying.
I’ve been reading The Read Aloud Handbook so I plan to keep reading to my son at every stage. I just love books and great stories no matter what age they are for.
Thank you for the reply! Off to get soft books and a nightlight! I want to be ready.
I love Sylvester and the Magic Pebble!