When my oldest child was little, I read to her. Actually, I read to her while she was in the womb. I read to my little girl every day. It was a wonderful time of day. Weather it was bed time and she was all tucked into her bed or just a break from the day's routine, the scene was pretty much the same. Little child snuggled up to her Daddy; Daddy reading out loud. My daughter always loved that I would use different voices for each of the characters in the story. Sometimes, she would beg me to read a story that she knew perfectly well, simply because she liked the voices I used. I didn't mind. 25+ years later, I smile as I write this.
Now, my girl has a little girl of her own. My granddaughter is everything I could imagine. Wonderful is not a descriptive enough word to relate what this little one is in my life. She is full of energy and has a ready smile. She doesn't just brighten the room she is in, she brightens the world.
Her Mother and Father read to her. The routine at night is, the young miss crawls up the stairs as she makes happy noises, zips down the hall and into her room. From the rocking chair, she retrieves the Kindle. She then gets to snuggle with her Momma and Daddy and they read to her. The little one loves this.
During the day, my granddaughter will climb up on the couch, sit next to her Momma and try and read whatever happens to be near by.
The point to this is simple. My daughter and her husband are being parents! They are actively taking a posative role to stimulate their daughter's mind. Their child is just over a year old and she has all ready taken the first important steps to developing the most important skill she will ever have. Reading.
If you ensure your child can read, you give a gift that will serve a lifetime. When each of my children began to formally learn to read, I was happy. When they could finally read without assistance, I did the happy dance. The first milestone of lifetime survival had been completed. I had one less worry.
I did this for all of my children. Today, they all love to read. My granddaughter will also have that gift. How did this come about? It didn't happen by accident. As parents, we designed our children's life so that they will learn the skills they need for life. Reading, Arithmetic and the ability to speak clearly are indispensable tools for success. The best way for our children to gain these skills is for them to be taught not only in schools, but at home. The process starts long before the child ever crosses the threshold of any school.
For this to happen, parents need to parent. All the electronic gadgets need to be turned off now and then. The television is not a baby sitter. The portable game machine or cell phone is not your child's best friend. You are.
A friend told me that when she gets home from work, her youngest daughter can't wait to have "private" time with Mom to relate some urgent personal issue that only Mom can hear about. I love hearing things like that. Imagine, a young girl who is excited to talk to her mother! This relationship didn't happen by accident. My friend worked hard to foster this relationship with all of her children. She parented her children.
So, if you have a child, sit them down and make them learn the multiplication tables. Read to them. Encourage them to read. Sit down at the family table at meal time. Make sure the television is off and have a conversation. Exchange ideas. The electronic world does not have to constantly intrude upon your world and interfere with you being a parent to your children.
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