At first we could read them to Braden. He was small and immobile and thus unable to stop us. I believe it's important to talk with your baby when they are little. Hearing words and sounds helps them even if they won't be able to talk for a long time. Sometimes it's hard to say anything interesting. That is where reading comes in. If you run out of things to say just read a book. I read Dr. Seuss quite a bit during these days.
As time went on Braden wouldn't even let us read him a book. If we tried he would just take it away. Getting through one page was quite an accomplishment.
Eventually that led to him "reading" books himself. He would take them from us, but at least he would look at them for a few moments. After that you would sometimes find him sitting in the floor of his room surrounded by a pile of books.
We have one low bookshelf that is just above the floor. He can easily get those books and read them. He would look at one, throw it down, and get another. This would continue until they were all on the floor. He still does that.
A little while later Arica and I stored some of his toys and clothes in big plastic tubs. I was slow in getting them stored under the house so the tubs sat in Braden's room for a few months. During this time Braden started climbing up on one of the tubs so he could reach the books on top of his big book shelf.
This is when Braden really started to enjoy reading. Around that time this became his favorite book.
Braden called this his "Cars" book because he particularly liked the page that showed cars, trucks, airplanes, trains, and the like. He still likes to look at the book sometimes. He still likes the cars, but another one of his favorite pages has become the fish, especially the clown fish that he calls Nemo.
That leads me to our current stage of reading. Braden, as I have mentioned before, loves Cars and Toy Story. He has always loved the Pixar movies. And why would he be any different with books.
Braden has a nice collection of Little Golden Books. The same type books I had when I was a kid. He has some of the original stories, but they get little attention in our house. What Braden loves, of course, are the book adaptations of his favorite movies.
Arica and I have read each of these books 100 times.
Toy Story 2 seems to be Braden's favorite, though. At least it's the one I have read him the most. I read it to him almost every night before he goes to bed. The best part of this whole thing is that night time story. Before bed every night Braden wants me to read him a book. It's something you hear from parents the world over. Every kid goes through this stage. It seems so simple, but I love it.
Reading Braden his bedtime story is always one of the best parts of my day. Simple things like this are without question the best part of being a Dad.
8 comments:
See. You are a better man than I. I love reading to my kids at night but I HATE the repetition. My wife and I each read one book to the 5YO and one to the 2.5YO. But they (as your little one) like the same book... over and over again. I try to encourage them to have me read one of the other 1000 books in the room but they love their ONE book. I keep it fresh with my little one by changing the story when I can (because she doesn't know any better). I have fun with it. But the 5YO can spot a change a mile away so she corrects me anytime I try to make a change. I still do it anyway. :)
Kudos on the reading. It is amazingly beneficial to kids as they grow older. And if you find a set of books that they can relate to and enjoy such as these, more power to you.
I agree, that is the best part of the day.
We read this book - http://www.earlymoments.com/Disney-Wonderful-World-of-Reading/List-of-Disney-Books/The-Prince-and-the-Pauper/
every night. I have no idea why he loves it so.
I wholeheartedly agree. I got Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307157857/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0007111444&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=16M87WSEENRNR901CGCA) for HRH when he was a toddler that he then passed down to Gremlin. It was loved, ripped, lost, and broken. When Santa brought a new copy this year, it was immediately placed back into rotation.
I can't recommend it highly enough.
E has twelve tiny books that we have to read over and over and over. Every night. It's good, though, because some of them he "reads" word for word.
I think it's great that you guys spend so much time reading to him. Kids pick up so much from it.
Dude, what is it about Toy Story that these kids love so much?! Ari is the same way! He LOVES the movies and has all the action figures. His favorite is part 2 actually. He also likes Nemo, but forget it, Toy Story wins. In fact, when we go to the library, he demands "Toy Story books."
I have to say that reading is my favorite form of entertainment. I love nothing more than escaping into a book. Both The Mister and I spent many a happy time cuddled up with the girls when they were younger reading books. They are both voracious readers now. With you it's Pixar, with me it was Barney. As long as they are being read to, or are reading, children are in for a treat.
Our little man likes the same book over and over again too. We do try to encourage him to let us read him something different, but alas that is usually met with great consternation.
Post a Comment