reading together

Reading is a very big part of our life here. We have always read to the kids a lot, and Jason and I set the example of reading a variety of materials ourselves every day.


Walking into a room and finding this scene is what makes me realize that of all the things we could still improve on as parents and as a family, THIS is something we have definitely done right. The older kids read to the little ones and the little ones actually sit and listen. They look at books themselves even without being able to read yet. The older kids almost always have a book nearby, and can easily spend several hours plowing through a good read. They all love books! And the love of books and reading will allow them to learn and do anything they want to in their lives.


Hazel and Lyle here in particular have a special connection going these days. She is very willing to read to him, and I have found that her taking over his bedtime stories can give me an extra few minutes to straighten up the bedrooms before we lay down, which really helps out. It is also great when he will let someone else take care of some of his needs, because there are so many things that he just requires Mommy for. It's just a great sibling bonding time too, which I love to observe.