A wise woman once READ…

Gee, I’m impressed. I know some really clever, passionate mums! Caterina, a dear family member all the way from Winnipeg in Canada has also shared a lovely story about reading with her sons. I hope you find it as touching as I did…

Shortly after my first son was born, a friend gave him the book “Where the Sidewalk Ends”, by Sheldon Silverstein. I read the poems to him whenever we had quiet time. As he grew older I would jump into bed with him at night and let the book open where it might and start reading from there saying that I would only read one poem. Of course, he would not let me stop. I did all the voices, sounds and theatrical pauses that would bring the poems alive.

As he grew older I let him choose a poem, usually by looking at the picture and since he had heard the poems so often, he would say them/ "read them" as I pointed and said the words.

As time passed he took over and he would read to me with all the voices.

When our second son came on the scene, I followed the same procedure but had both in bed this time with the older son now doing the poems with me or alone for his younger brother.

Fast-forward 20 years. When Sheldon Silverstein died a few years ago, in honour of the enjoyment he provided us all, all three of us jumped into bed and again we read the poems we loved the most. In the end, we had finished the whole book — again.

I give this book as a gift to all the new babies that I have the pleasure of knowing.

Enjoy yourself and they will too. Read and they will too — a wonderful philosophy for the leaders/readers of tomorrow.

A wise woman once said…

Maria, a friend of mine and mum to two young kids emailed me recently with an anecdote that her partner, Craig, remembers from his childhood. I thought it was a great reminder of how powerful a mum’s loving words can be.

Craig remembers learning to read. He said his mum read to him a lot and he loved stories. She said to him, “one day you will learn to read the words and can read as many books as you like”. He remembers thinking how great that would be and couldn’t wait to learn how to read.

That’s pretty cool!