readthebook

Books: the original laptops

I found an awesome collection of Bernard Waber books on ebay and they came yesterday. We tore into the package and immediately began reading. I love all the little stories in Nobody Is Perfick. One of my all-time faves is Ira Sleeps Over (when I was a little girl, I had a blankie I slept with every night, even at sleepovers) and one of my sweet boys has something he sleeps with, too.

My favorite thing about reading stories to my kids is when they lean in close, whether in my lap or by my side, I can turn or bend and kiss their heads and breathe in their hair. And even this morning hubby was reading Lyle Finds His Mother to Ivy and I caught him kissing her cheek just like I do...


I confess sometimes I find myself wanting to check my phone or email too much in the presence of my children.

A must read: New York Times: The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In

I've been keenly aware of it since the kids have been off school this week and needing so much more of my attention. I want them to remember reading together, the best books, and not watching TV or getting into trouble or just flat out being ignored or dismissed while I have my face behind my laptop, or my attention on my phone instead of on their beautiful face.

Of course, I work at home, so there is a required amount of screen time, and so often I thought I was doing better than others since I never watch TV in front of them- but- I'm still plugged in.

And of course I'm sure there's plenty of people out there whose heads are about to fall off from all the nodding because they don't EVER do this in front of their kids, so, if it's not being on the computer for you it could be something else, whether it is keeping a clean home or holing up in the kitchen always cooking or watching your soaps or being too involved in your church or bible study or whatever. Whatever is stealing you away from the valuable time you should be spending elsewhere.

While not always reasonably possible every single moment (hey, nobody is perfick), my hope for my family is that there is more eye contact and physical touch and hands-on-creative time and [good] music and dancing and book reading and adventure than screen time, even in this very plugged in world we live in today.