Unable to put a finger on it, I have been thinking about readers (aka: those who read books, and books and books) and not sure where my thoughts should go because I was not really sure of where my thoughts had been. So, in some deliberate pondering, I came up with a few things. This topic has surfaced, because our oldest child is sure to be a reader. He LOVES books. He's taken off with reading, and, as his mother, I wanted to know how much I should encourage reading, and how much to set boundaries on it. Let me explain.
I grew up in a family of readers. My Dad has always loved historical books, non-fictional. He read us all kinds of history books, and still reads mountains of them today. He did go through a hiatus from them one time, and read the TinTin books quite thoroughly (after which he'd dream about adventures with Captain Haddock and relive them at breakfast each morning, much to our amusement!) My Mom loves biographies and health/nutritional books. My older sister read everything, mostly girls fiction though. She read and read and read. Every summer she would win the reading contest at the library, after checking out stacks and stacks of books. My mom would have to vouch to the librarian that she actually DID read them. My brother read everything too. He mostly read non-fiction. Things like the encyclopedias A-Z, the dictionary, manuals for machines, and of course lots of The Adventures of Tin Tin too. It wasn't uncommon for our whole family to be reading all those long winter evenings. Except me and my littlest sister would be reading Archie comics as our form of increasing our knowledge of the world.
Many of our friends were readers too, which got on my nerves because the girls would always rather read than play with me. And if they did want to play, it was to reenact scenes from books that of course I hadn't read. *du-mb* (my kid opinion) As I was explaining this predicament to my husband the other day, he summed it up, "so, you have a bias against readers because they shafted you as a child". Yep, that pretty much says it! One of my cousins also mentioned to me (as an adult) that when she visited our house as a child, my sister had her nose in a book the whole time she visited, leaving her feeling like she (my sister) didn't really care to have visitors. I don't want that to be my child in a few years, so am wondering how to strike that balance in my own kids.
In the book, First Born Advantage, Dr. Kevin Leman explains how many first born children are book lovers. He says that they attach themselves to books to avoid being hurt by people. (I can't remember why he says they do this, or what to do about it, but have found this if often true) Books don't betray. Books are less work than relationships. You can 'drop out' if you don't like what's going on, unlike real life. Because of this, many avid readers have a Pollyanna view to life, and have a much harder time dealing with reality. Because, in the real world relationships are hard work. Husbands don't come riding in on a white horse but instead are sinful human nature like ourselves. Real kids get dirty faces and behave unexpectedly much of the time. Wives in real life don't wear a flowered apron and always have a sunshiny disposition with endless energy and freshly baked cookies on the counter. (at least not in this house) But in books, you can choose what you want life to be. Loving reading is a great gift, but one that also needs discretion.
Another thought that sparked interest in me recently was a quote from a lady in a magazine I subscribe to. She was listing bits of advice for young ladies seeking wife-hood and later motherhood. She said, "I wish I had spent more time learning about how life works than having my nose buried in a book all those teenage years". I know of one man who ruined his eyes reading by the streetlight because his parents had removed his lightbulbs at night so he wouldn't stay up ALL night reading (when he had school the next day). He also read from the light that came under his bedroom door. I DO NOT want this to happen.
So, to close I still wonder- how much should a child read? How do you limit reading (if you need to) yet still encouraging a love for books? How do you censor what books your child reads (without reading them all yourself)? And at what age do you do this? Any thoughts are welcome.
Luke wearing his new hat and pj's, while reading his new book "Squanto" that he got from Auntie B for Christmas.
I grew up in a family of readers. My Dad has always loved historical books, non-fictional. He read us all kinds of history books, and still reads mountains of them today. He did go through a hiatus from them one time, and read the TinTin books quite thoroughly (after which he'd dream about adventures with Captain Haddock and relive them at breakfast each morning, much to our amusement!) My Mom loves biographies and health/nutritional books. My older sister read everything, mostly girls fiction though. She read and read and read. Every summer she would win the reading contest at the library, after checking out stacks and stacks of books. My mom would have to vouch to the librarian that she actually DID read them. My brother read everything too. He mostly read non-fiction. Things like the encyclopedias A-Z, the dictionary, manuals for machines, and of course lots of The Adventures of Tin Tin too. It wasn't uncommon for our whole family to be reading all those long winter evenings. Except me and my littlest sister would be reading Archie comics as our form of increasing our knowledge of the world.
Many of our friends were readers too, which got on my nerves because the girls would always rather read than play with me. And if they did want to play, it was to reenact scenes from books that of course I hadn't read. *du-mb* (my kid opinion) As I was explaining this predicament to my husband the other day, he summed it up, "so, you have a bias against readers because they shafted you as a child". Yep, that pretty much says it! One of my cousins also mentioned to me (as an adult) that when she visited our house as a child, my sister had her nose in a book the whole time she visited, leaving her feeling like she (my sister) didn't really care to have visitors. I don't want that to be my child in a few years, so am wondering how to strike that balance in my own kids.
In the book, First Born Advantage, Dr. Kevin Leman explains how many first born children are book lovers. He says that they attach themselves to books to avoid being hurt by people. (I can't remember why he says they do this, or what to do about it, but have found this if often true) Books don't betray. Books are less work than relationships. You can 'drop out' if you don't like what's going on, unlike real life. Because of this, many avid readers have a Pollyanna view to life, and have a much harder time dealing with reality. Because, in the real world relationships are hard work. Husbands don't come riding in on a white horse but instead are sinful human nature like ourselves. Real kids get dirty faces and behave unexpectedly much of the time. Wives in real life don't wear a flowered apron and always have a sunshiny disposition with endless energy and freshly baked cookies on the counter. (at least not in this house) But in books, you can choose what you want life to be. Loving reading is a great gift, but one that also needs discretion.
Another thought that sparked interest in me recently was a quote from a lady in a magazine I subscribe to. She was listing bits of advice for young ladies seeking wife-hood and later motherhood. She said, "I wish I had spent more time learning about how life works than having my nose buried in a book all those teenage years". I know of one man who ruined his eyes reading by the streetlight because his parents had removed his lightbulbs at night so he wouldn't stay up ALL night reading (when he had school the next day). He also read from the light that came under his bedroom door. I DO NOT want this to happen.
So, to close I still wonder- how much should a child read? How do you limit reading (if you need to) yet still encouraging a love for books? How do you censor what books your child reads (without reading them all yourself)? And at what age do you do this? Any thoughts are welcome.
Luke wearing his new hat and pj's, while reading his new book "Squanto" that he got from Auntie B for Christmas.
