Raising a Bookworm

According to the National Report Card for Reading, only one in three fourth graders in the United States reads at grade level. By inspiring children to love books and read everyday in their childhood, you build tremendous skills and abilities that they will use throughout their lives. Love of reading is a gift you can give your child that will never fail them or leave them.  Do you need some ways to inspire your young reader to fall in love with books? Here are a few of my ideas:
1. Let them read what they are interested in---There are some great books out their about a myriad of subjects Trucks, Monsters, Dinosaurs, Space, the human body. Interests will change, so look for the right book for the right moment and keep your child's current interests in mind when suggesting books. We went through phases where we read every book in the library about lizards, then moved on to wizards and magic and even spent a month or two on rodents.  As your child gets older try learning about World War II and the Holocaust together.  My daughter studied the holocaust in fifth grade and read every young adult book she could find on the subject including Diary of Anne Frank, Number the Stars and The Hiding Place.  We were traveling to Washington DC that year and seeing the breath taking Holocaust museum there meant so much more to her because of her reading.  We have learned all about the Titanic--what it looked like, who was aboard and why they think it sank.  Egyptian mummies are fascinating and there are great books to explore ruins and artifacts.  I highly recommend the DK line of books about just about any topic you might like. 
2. Engage your kids in a little competition to keep them reading.  Explore your local libraries summer reading programs.  Many times there are great incentives and fun activities to promote reading often at little or no charge.  Keep track of books or pages read (depending on age and reading level) by adding dots to the back of a paper ladybug or stickers to a chart. Learn when story times are and make it a weekly event to attend. It is a great routine to get in to check out a new pile of books every week.
3. Be an example let your child observe you reading for pleasure or leave books around the house.   Have home libraries that are available to all readers.  Browse bookstores when you are on vacation. Bring your child to an  author visit or a book signing at a library or bookstore.

4.  Read aloud to your child, even when they are readers on their own.  Take turns reading parts and read stories that interest you.  Use voices, inflection and emotion when you read.  Encourage your child to do the same.  Encourage them to read to you and share the stories and topics that they enjoy with other family members.  Having an older sibling read to a younger one encourages a positive relationship and example.
5. Look for children's books that amuse you or stories that engage you.  Share your interests with your child.  When you are choosing books, choose titles you enjoy because you will be reading favorites again and again.  Let their favorites be your favorites.
6. Use technology as a friend.  When we would take a road trip, I would purchase or check out a great story on tape or CD.  Every summer we would be immersed in a great read all together.  One year I had been talking with my school age kids about reading A Wrinkle in Time, a favorite of mine by Madeline L.Engle.  They were less than excited about it, so I bought the tapes to listen to on a road trip.  By the 3rd chapter, everyone was engaged and loving the exciting adventures of Meg, Charles Wallace, Calvin and Mrs. Whatsit.  Near the end of our trip, I slipped in the last tape and disturbing noises came from our tape player as the tape broke and was quickly eaten up by the player.  We were all disappointed! What would we do?  We had to know how it ended.  We drove through a small town to get gas and Emily noticed across the street a small local bookstore.  I ran in and purchased a copy of the book.  For the last two hours of our trip, the girls took turns reading the last chapters aloud, so we would all know how the adventure ended.  Some other books on tape that are enjoyable for children and parents alike are the Harry Potter series (Jim Dale is a genius!), Ramona and Beezus, The Series of Unfortunate Events books and Charlotte's Web. 
Kindle or electronic readers are great tools.  Kids love having their own "equipment". They are light in weight, portable and long books won't seem so daunting because no one can see how many pages a book has on an electronic reader. 

Make some time this summer to read and love books,  Encourage your children to read through your example and enthusiasm.  A little book worm just might show up at your house because reading is an essential!

Real mothers by Jodi Piccoult

I honor of mother's day I thought I'd share this great article by the popular, prolific fiction writer and newspaper columnist-- Jodi Piccoult.  Thank you to all the REAL MOTHERS out there.  You inspire me with your dedication. You are doing a good work!  Be happy, be healthy and focus on the "essentials".  Love, Katie

“When did they stop putting toys in cereal boxes? When I was little, I remember wandering the cereal aisle (which surely is as American a phenomenon as fireworks on the Fourth of July) and picking my breakfast food based on what the reward was: a Frisbee with the Trix rabbit's face emblazoned on the front. Holographic stickers with the Lucky Charms leprechaun. A mystery decoder wheel. I could suffer through raisin bran for a month if it meant I got a magic ring at the end.

I cannot admit this out loud. In the first place, we are expected to be supermoms these days, instead of admitting that we have flaws. It is tempting to believe that all mothers wake up feeling fresh every morning, never raise their voices, only cook with organic food, and are equally at ease with the CEO and the PTA.

Here's a secret: those mothers don't exist. Most of us-even if we'd never confess-are suffering through the raisin bran in the hopes of a glimpse of that magic ring.

I look very good on paper. I have a family, and I write a newspaper column. In real life, I have to pick superglue out of the carpet, rarely remember to defrost for dinner, and plan to have BECAUSE I SAID SO engraved on my tombstone.

Real mothers wonder why experts who write for Parents and Good Housekeeping-and, dare I say it, the Burlington Free Press-seem to have their acts together all the time when they themselves can barely keep their heads above the stormy seas of parenthood.

Real mothers don't just listen with humble embarrassment to the elderly lady who offers unsolicited advice in the checkout line when a child is throwing a tantrum. We take the child, dump him in the lady's car, and say, "Great. Maybe YOU can do a better job."

Real mothers know that it's okay to eat cold pizza for breakfast.

Real mothers admit it is easier to fail at this job than to succeed.

If parenting is the box of raisin bran, then real mothers know the ratio of flakes to fun is severely imbalanced. For every moment that your child confides in you, or tells you he loves you, or does something unprompted to protect his brother that you happen to witness, there are many more moments of chaos, error, and self-doubt.

Real mothers may not speak the heresy, but they sometimes secretly wish they'd chosen something for breakfast other than this endless cereal.

Real mothers worry that other mothers will find that magic ring, whereas they'll be looking and looking for ages.

Rest easy, real mothers. The very fact that you worry about being a good mom means that you already are one.”
― Jodi Picoult, House Rules

Eat a Rainbow

When children are infants, we as their parents, introduce them to a variety of vegetables and fruits.  My girls loved baby food pears, squash, beets, peaches---even green beans.  When children start making their own choices about healthy foods a few years later, often times the offering of veggies, especially green ones, is met with a headshake and a resounding "No!". 

What is a parent to do?  The obesity rate among children between 2 and 18 has tripled in the last 20 years.  We know our children need good food choices for optimum growth and brain development. Food choices need to reflect low calories, low sugar and high vitamin, fiber and protein.  We may have to be creative in the way we introduce and include healthy foods in our family's diet plan.

Recently there have been several cookbooks celebrating the effort of hiding vegetables in food.  While it might be effective, for a short time, to load pasta sauce with diced veggies or to add pureed zucchini to brownies, breads or chocolate cake, ultimately teaching our children to choose fruit and vegetables is going to be much more effective than tricking them.  Hopefully we can help our children to learn to love healthy choices.

Another technique that may work is to give two choices, instead of an open ended choice.  For example, instead of saying "What kind of fruit would you like for breakfast?", try "Would you like an apple or a banana for breakfast?"  During meal preparations ask,  "Would you like to help me prepare zucchini or peas for dinner tonight?". This will give you an opportunity to develop your little chef's motor skills and engage him more fully in the healthy eating process.  Children often love to eat what they have helped prepare.

One technique that worked with my kids, was talking about "eating the rainbow".  We copied some pictures of a simple rainbow and hung one on the fridge each day.  My daughter was learning the colors of the rainbow, ROY G. BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet) in school. Each day she would search out a food item for each color.  After she ate her "color", she colored in that portion of the rainbow.  It was an engaging and interesting way to try many new, healthy foods.  We both tried things we hadn't tried before, like turnips, eggplant, kale and spaghetti squash---and had some coloring time, which is always fun!

I do believe it is important to show our children that we want to make healthy food choices.  They need to see us choosing a apple or banana over a cookie or taking a second helping of vegetables at dinner instead of an extra roll.  Showing our own good example is the best way to teach healty eating habits.  Eating as a family and trying new foods together has benefits on many levels.  We know children respond positively to family dinners. Talking about choices and giving our children the opportunity to make those good choices can help us all to be healthier.  And in my opinion, that is an essential.

Wear sunscreen.......

In April of 2012, Mary Schmich, columnist for the Chicago Tribune, won the Pulitzer prize for commentary.  She is an interesting, precise writer. She is the oldest of eight children, loves the Midwest and is an avid reader.  (We might be long lost sisters!) I have often enjoyed her writing and more importantly been led to thinking deeply about topics because of her written word.  Thirteen years ago I read the speech she gave at a graduation.  I loved it the first time I read it (and the 100th!). She is as witty as she is profound. I thought I would share it this week in honor of graduation season.  I wish I had written it---but I was grateful to have found it.  Enjoy, have a giggle and then choose one small thing from the list to do this week to change your life for the better. It might help you refocus yourself on your "essentials"!  Love, Katie

Wear sunscreen  by Mary Schmich

"If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.”