Reading

When Merry was an only child and continuing until David was almost two we would read a story every night. Now with three kids, David's inability to sit still, and my poor attitude, bedtime stories have come to screeching halt.

I am concerned, I am not sure if I am concerned enough to do anything about it. Getting Merry and David to bed every night sucks the life out of me. Slowing them down long enough to get their pajamas on, their teeth brushed and there prayers said wears me out.

There are also content issues. Merry likes stories with substance, David likes stories about trucks. If I am reading Cinderella to Merry, David won't sit through it. If I cater to David's interests, Merry, understandably, is not interested. When this dynamic first appeared Heidi would read David a story and I would handle Merry. Now, Heidi has her hands full with Thomas at bedtime and everyone seems to be going to bed fine and not missing the stories. So why should things change?

Things should change because reading is fundamental. If you want your children to read when they get older you need to read to them. That is what they say. My mom read to her kids every night until we were embarrassingly old. We loved it and we still love to read. I want the same for my kids. The logistics are a problem right now, in the future they should work themselves out. A little more effort on my part, a little age on the kid's part and we should get right back into the swing of things. A love for reading is nurtured by parents that read to their children.