National Read To Your Child Day

Happy Valentines Day National Read To Your Child Day! Although I can appreciate the significance of today for those of you that are romantics at heart, but today’s National day is way more important!

I know I frequently joke about the “hardships” of my childhood, from near drownings to disappearing Ninja Turtles, but the best memories I have from back in the day, are of the Mujjie (my mother) reading to my brother and I before bed. To be fair, I’m really not sure who enjoyed it more - her or us. Some of my favourites include Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree,” and anything by Robert Munsch or Mercer Mayer. Mom, on the other hand, has yet to let go of silly book called “Skinny Bones.” By letting go I mean, she has a case of copies, which she proceeds to pass off to anyone that comes to visit! …hmmm no wonder no one ever wants to visit us!

Regardless of what book was read, most remain some of my favourite pieces of literature or childhood memories. Having the time to spend with a parent is crucial to their development, as is the promotion of a love of reading. It terrifies me that books and thus reading to children is increasingly becoming non-existent. I used to work for a moving company, and the one thing that really disturbed me (although there were many behaviours I disliked within that position), was the fact that books in the homes of families with small children were a rarity! I remember getting so excited when I’d see a bookshelf filled with…books! I think its wrong that kids know the ins and outs of a computer, but can’t sit still long enough to sift through a Bernstein Bears tale because they are so overly stimulated!

Hopefully today’s “National Holiday” will inspire the book-less masses to pick one up and spend a few moments reliving their childhood. There’s nothing better, than a little nostalgia from time to time!

Leave a comment below to let us know of a favourite book or memory about a childhood book! And don’t forget to vote on today’s poll!