Just Keep Reading

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Just keep reading.

There’s one thing I don’t deny my son of — reading time. I can deny him of snacks (“Enough chocolate for the day!”), of toys (“You have enough Cars characters already.”). But when it comes to books, I find it very hard to say no.

Reading was my escape when I was a child. (Read: Fully Booked – A love affair with books) I recall spending summer days at my grandparents’ home and exploring my Grandfather’s Book of Knowledge collection. My favorite was the volume with a condensed version of Little Women. In the school library, I spent much of recess and lunch time browsing through books about saints, books by Beverly Cleary, SRA stories and more. In our own home, there were Archie comics lovingly shared among us cousins and siblings, my Dad’s business books, my Mom’s book collection which had a wide variety of genres from romance to mystery.

My one-year-old bookworm. One of my favorite pictures of my son.

My one-year-old bookworm. One of my favorite pictures of my son.

I began reading to my son while he was still in my womb. When he was a month old, I read a bunch of books aloud to him. Not kiddie books — a Dan Brown book, a Charlene Harris novel… He’s six years old now and has a wide book collection from even before he was born — books I thought my future child would like (yeah, super bookworm right here). Everytime he reaches for a book, my heart soars.

Reading Together

Mother and Son reading time.

My favorite moments are when we read together. We’d be side by side — he on one side of the bed, me on the other. Or we’d read in his play area — he surrounded by toys, me within arm’s reach. I cherish this quiet time we share together. Whether it’s a magazine or a book, for as long as we’re reading together, we’re pretty much happy. We don’t talk, but it IS bonding time.

I believe that children learn how to love reading more when they see their own parents loving books. I developed a love for reading certainly through my grandfather and my parents. It’s easy to see this love comes naturally for my son. Now it’s my responsibility to help nurture this love! :) How do we do that? Just keep reading. Whether it’s a romance book for me or a Scooby Doo puzzle book for him, we’ll keep on reading — together!

 

 

2 Comments on Just Keep Reading

  1. angie
    November 9, 2015 at 4:47 pm (8 years ago)

    What’s interesting for my two boys, Alab is not as into books as his Kuya. He handles books as an object that he can close and open, throw. He’s not as interested in the pictures as his Alon was at the same age. I haven’t given up yet though. Since Alab is more tactile with books, I usually hand him the touch and feel ones or the Very Hungry Catterpillar so he can feel the holes. Alon, on the other hand, can sometimes just stare at book covers or pictures for a long period. Interestingly enough, he can’t stand it when I teach him letters.
    angie´s last blog post ..40

    Reply
    • Toni
      November 11, 2015 at 7:41 pm (8 years ago)

      Cute! It must be so much fun to see how the two develop so similarly and differently <3

      Reply

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