My big girl at age 3 doesn’t know the difference between the library and the book store. She uses the words interchangeably. This has probably occurred because regardless of which one we go to, we do the same activities: browse around, read a few, and walk out with a book…or two…or three.
When big girl was little, I did my best to keep her toy count low. But I would never refuse books! I LOVE books, and I see that passion slowly developing in my girls.
My mom insists that I didn’t inherit my love for books from her. She likes to read, but not too much and nothing too heavy. My grandmother, on the other hand, is a voracious reader! She devours books! Growing up, and to this day, she always has a stack of books near by.
She reads quickly – she can finish reading a book (maybe more) in 1 day! She reads all types of books – anything that comes her way. And although she did not attend college, she has learned a lot from what she has read over the years. I can remember watching the television game show Jeopardy! with her as a kid and she could answer every question. I was amazed by her knowledge.
I, myself, don’t remember reading much myself as a young girl. In fact, I do recall reading the Cliff Notes (condensed note-like version with explanations) of books assigned in high school because I couldn’t keep up. I am not a fast reader, but I love to read. I like to read books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, anything with the written word.
Reading, especially fiction, is my escape – it is my form of relaxation (usually with a glass of wine in hand). I love to go to someone else’s world at the end of my day! I am hoping to pass on this trait to my girls, too, so I have surrounded them in books from day one.
I started reading to big girl literally at birth. I read, in the book, “Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain”, by Maryanne Wolf that it takes approximately 2000 days to learn to read, and the clock begins on the day you start doing so. So there I was, reading to a newborn baby – ready, set, go! And, I read everything and anything to her.
I can recall reading to her “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson in the middle of the night. Big girl had her days and nights mixed up and was wide awake – so I read to her my book club pick. It was a special day when big girl first sat in my lap wanting to listen to the story – it was around the age of 16 months. Up until that point, she would toddle around me while I read to her aloud. By the time she turned 2, her favorite activity would be for us to read every book on the shelf.
So at 3 and a half, she still loves books as much as I do. But now she likes to pick her own books, which would not always be my first choices. And her sister, little girl, is developing the same book loving habits. When the girls are quiet, they are usually sitting and looking at the pages of books.
I like to consider myself a minimalist (which is simply my excuse for not decorating our home) and rarely read a book more than once. The only book that I have read multiple times is “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Once I read a book, I usually pass it on for some one else to enjoy and don’t want it back.
I was recently at a book signing, and the author asked me who to make the dedication to; my response was no one, since I was most likely going to pass it on after I was finished (yes, I told the author this). Since I don’t read books multiple times, I prefer to borrow books from the library whenever possible. They are free! And, I get to give them back when I am done so they don’t clutter my house.
But for my girls, I love to buy books. I love to bring a new book into the house and read it to them multiple times in a row. Or place a book on their shelf (which is organized by color) and come back to it a few weeks or months later. It is my way of spoiling them. I am often impressed that big girl can describe a book she is looking for, “You know, Momma, the one with the ballet girl…” which describes many books in our house.
I sometimes worry about the girls reading in the future. In the world of the internet and e-readers, I wonder if books will become extinct. I like to think and hope that technology will simply be a compliment to books. And that when my girls are my age, they will take their children to the library and book store, too. And that their children will sit in her lap and turn paper pages.
Do you enjoy reading books yourself or to your child?
And, do you think you can spoil a child with too many books?
This has been an original post for World Moms Blog by A. Roselyn of California, USA.
Photo credits to A. Roselyn.
I wrote about this myself recently! Our house is in danger of disappearing behind a large pile of books. We are supremely happy 🙂 My kids all love books, and I’ve noticed that aged around 2-4 they seem to like one book at a time, for quite a while. I’ll read the same book every night for 6 weeks, then just as I’m thinking I will go quite mad, they’ll pick another one… and want it every night for 6 weeks.
I don’t think it’s possible to spoil children with too many books – but I do think you’re doing a great job instilling a love of books and reading in them. Their lives will be so much richer for it.
Thank you Kate for your comment. I, too, am amazed when the girls ask me to read the same book over and over. But then I think it is super cute when the memorize a book and “read” it themselves 🙂
I love books too. There are certain books which I read and re-read so often that I know the 200 odd pages almost by heart. They are surely the best creations 🙂
Yes, my son also loves books and I have surrounded him with books since day 1. I just hope some day he as a daddy reads out bedtime stories for his kid too like I do now.
I love books! And I love to read! Every evening after the wee lad has gone to sleep I have a little bit of “me-time” where I can read 🙂 I don’t think you can spoil a child (or an adult) with too many books. As our lad can’t read yet his books are mostly images (and flaps than can be opened to reveal more images), but he seems to love sitting on the floor in his room with all of his books around him (he is ever so clever at taking them all down from the shelf). Sometimes he will come walking over to us with a book in his hand and then wanting to be picked up so we can look through the book together. We also read stories to him every night before bed.
Oh – I just love the way the you have organised the books according to color!! I’ll have to do that when I get home 🙂
Asta – I too am amazed on how much children love to read books at such a young age if you expose them to it. We are noticing that little girl, who is about the same age as your lad, will now bring over a book and sit in your lap – she wants you to read to her!!!
Love your post, and your book shelf! I love to read and also have read to my kids from birth. And I always splurge on books. In fact, I just stocked up on more for an upcoming trip. Nothing better than new books for a plane ride, and that includes for me too!
Someone after my own heart – I love books, I devour books (or anything written) like some people devour food. I borrow probably 8 books a fortnight from my library and my greatest treat is buying myself a book, although three full bookcases means I have had to practice restraint. I read to my kids when they were small, it was our special time. My opinion, no you can never spoil a child with too many books (although my hubby would probably disagree)
We love books too! I don’t believe a child can be spoiled with too many books. But I do think they can get overwhelmed with too many choices.
My 1 year old son is in a stage of eating his books. I only buy clearance board books so if they get destroyed, it won’t be as painful for me to watch. I have the nicer books stashed away for when he is a little less destructive.
Destroying books is an issue at a young age but thankfully we are passed that phase with big girl but still have to keep an eye on little girl. Big girl has one signed book and she ripped the pages not even an hour after the author signed it for her! And pop-up books – forget about them until they are older 🙂
Great post! A woman (and girls) after my own heart. In fact, I was spending so much of our monthly budget on children’s books that I finally signed up to become an ambassador for my favorite publisher, Barefoot Books (http://www.browsingbarefoot.com). Barefoot focuses their books on international topics and tales and beautifully illustrates them, drawing both children and adults in.
I envy that your kids sit and read quietly. My almost 5 year old doesn’t know how to read yet (and I’m not rushing it) but SHE doesn’t know that. When she sits down with books, she “reads” them out-loud based on the pictures and her own, actively developing imagination.
To clarify, big girl can’t read yet. She has some books memorized so she sometimes sounds like she is reading. Or like your girl, she tells the story in her own words – which I think is super cute 🙂 I will have to look into Barefoot Books – I am not familiar with them. Thank you!
I’ve been an avid reader since I was little (I remember participating in a summer reading program at my local library in first grade), so I really enjoyed your post! Over the last year I’ve been told many times by different people that reading books to your kids is the best thing you can do to prepare them to read by themselves.
Like your big girl, my big girl, who is 4, loves books too – and I can totally relate to Kate’s comment about liking one book for a number of weeks at a time! She has started writing letters, and recently taken interest in small words (3-4 letter “sight” words). She gets SO excited when we read a book together and she spots one that she knows 🙂
I wish I had more time to read things for myself, but in the meantime, I enjoy re-reading my own childhood favorites, and new children’s books when I read to my daughters 🙂
I love re-reading favorites from my childhood. I can clearly recall reading “The Princess and the Pea” as a child – I had the Disney version and Minnie Mouse was the princess. I just picked up a version for the girls retold by Rachel Isadora – it is a lovely version!
I am a voracious reader myself…so much so that when I can find nothing to read, I go back to my older books, or even read the back of cereal boxes and shampoo bottles 🙂
But I never thought of reading to my baby who is an year old now. He never seemed to listen the few times I did try it. Do you think I should continue trying?
Funny! I often find myself reading the back of shampoo bottles, too. I figure if they have a story to tell on it someone should read it 🙂
I don’t think children are ever too young to read to. I remember reading to big girl when she was crawling and toddling around thinking “are you even listening” but she was. And one day, she sat down to listen. Keep at! He will surprise you some day. And then want more, more, more 🙂
I love reading. And I love to read to my daughter. She now “reads” to herself and knows many words to some of her favorite books — e.g. How Does a Dinosaur Say Good Night? If you’re going to spoil your kid in anyway — I say books are the way to go!!
Ahh, this post made me really miss book stores and libraries! Heaven. I’ve been a big reader since I was little too — and I still am. My kids also love books and I would definitely splurge on some new reads if I could. Still, we enjoy what we have and familiarity is fun too. I also love it when they “read” their stories to me.
Yes there are book issues in our house too. Mostly where to put them all. The boys love stories being read to them and they see both Craig and I reading. I’m a bit like your grandmother – can read a book in a day and cannot stop reading if I start…yes it has been a problem since having children!