If you do
just one thing for your child today, make it a bed time story.
Last night,
after teeth were brushed and faces washed, I crawled into my three-year-old’s
bunk bed, pulled the covers up to his neck and asked ‘So buddy, should I tell a
story, or read a story?’
“Tell me a
story. About dragons!”
Quickly pulling
bits from movies and other stories, I launched into a lengthy tale about a
little boy named Grayson who had his very own pet dragon, named Toothless.
Together, Grayson and Toothless flew all over the city, swooping down to help
people in trouble. In this particular version, a little girl was stuck in a
well, but thanks to Grayson and his dragon, she was rescued and returned safely
to her mommy and daddy.
When the
story ended, I looked over at Grayson who was staring at the ceiling, reviewing
and processing the details of the dramatic rescue. After a few seconds, he
looked at me and asked, “Dad, it was good that we helped that kid.”
Chuckling,
I tousled his hair, hugged him good night and left him to rehash the adventure
as he drifted off to sleep.
With both
education and imagination in mind, my wife and I try to alternate between
reading and telling bed time stories. We have made a point sharing stories with
both our boys each night since they were infants, but I’ve never viewed it as a
strictly ‘educational’ exercise. I have always valued the quiet time together
at the end of the day and enjoy seeing their little imaginations run wild.
While
reading to your kids may seem like plain old parental common sense, there are
still folks out there who underestimate the importance of story time with their
little ones. A friend who teaches elementary school in Central Alberta
once told me, “You can always tell the ones that weren’t read to.”
According to a Nov. 14 article in the New York Times, paediatricians are now advising parents to read daily to their children from birth. Literacy
advocates, like Life Literacy Canada, claim the more time spent with a parent
reading aloud increases his or her level of attachment, enhances a sense of
security, and imparts the knowledge that their parent feels they are worthwhile
people to spend time.
Even on those
chaotic, exhausting days when parenting starts to feel a bit overwhelming,
story time always restores peace and harmony to the household.
No matter
how busy or tired you may be, ensure you take a few minutes every night and
have story time with your kids. Expand their minds, feed their imaginations and
do your part to establish a life-long relationship with the printed word.
Leo is a former Advocate editor. Contact him by
email at newsdeadline@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LeoPare
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