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Reading Aloud or Alone?

Does reading aloud to your kids really help them develop a love of reading? Or, should we model by reading alone? Find out about how much reading moms actually do each week.

When my daughter was in fifth grade she interviewed me for a parent survey and asked, “Mommy, what are your favorite hobbies?”

I answered that I liked to hike, read and exercise. She looked at me very quizzically, pondered my reply for a moment and then said, “You don’t like to read. I never see you reading a book.”

I was a little stunned by her answer. I had read all the parenting manuals and they said read to your child everyday to demonstrate a love for reading. I had done this religiously but apparently, I also needed to read to myself in front of the children to really drive the point home.

I hadn’t seen that curve ball coming. I weakly responded, “I know you don’t see me reading books but that’s because I don’t have time when you and your brothers are awake. There are too many other things that need to be done.”

She quickly dispatched my excuse, commenting, “If you really liked to read you would just do it.”

Perhaps she thought I claimed reading was a hobby just to make me look good. I had a credibility gap with my daughter.

Recently, I pondered this conversation from several years ago. My children are older now and it would not be a problem to read during the weekend, yet still I never do. Somehow I feel guilty about sitting down in a chair in the middle of the day and doing “nothing.”  

So what is a busy mom with other priorities supposed to do? 

Please click here to read the rest of this blog at permissionslips(http://permissionslips.wordpress.com), a blog written in collaboration with friend and fellow Mercer Islander .

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Paul Zohav M.Ed. May 30, 2013 at 01:10 pm
Mercerwood Shore Club Address: 4150 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040 Phone:(206) 232-1622
Connie Carson May 30, 2013 at 02:33 pm
Thank you, that was not clear in the initial article. CC
Connie Carson May 30, 2013 at 03:18 pm
Sorry, that phone number rings forever. Guess I will be missing this.