I’ve been following some online discussions about children’s books that deal with some of life’s more serious issues.  The discussions led me to a book review posted on Amazon.com which concluded by saying “Children have their entire adolescent and adult lives to learn … and should not be subjected to such material before bedtime. Ridiculous.”

Okay.  I have a problem with this.  It perpetuates two problems.  First, that children don’t have the capacity to deal with certain realities of life.  Second, and most important, the review implies that the time to read with your child (or that the only time to read a ‘weighty book’ with your child) is just before you shut off the light for the night.

One of the feelings I get when I read that review is that some parents won’t expose their children to books that can help them understand the world around them and can kick-off real conversations in a controlled environment — anytime, anywhere — and yet they’re likely to plunk their children in front of the television or let them surf the Internet and discover the how inhumane the world can be on their own.

Where and when do you read with your child?

I opened my notebook to a random page and found some scribbles I had made in a hurry while at the park with my two daughters this past summer. It took a few minutes to figure out what I’d written:

Things to learn.

ENJOY BEING TOGETHER

As Bayla ran towards the swings, I could hear her voice calling out
“Dad! Can you push me, please?”

Social technologies have been the catalyst for many new friendships that would never have happened because of the three ‘ographies’: geography, psychography and demography. Because humans are social animals (I mean that in the scientific, not rock and roll, sense), we traveled to meet each other, strengthen our friendships and share ideas. We are the ghosts in the machine.

SAVOUR THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE

Lucy took a lick of her ice cream, giggled and said,
“I’m the Queen of Make-it-Last, Bayla’s the Queen of Eat-it-Fast.”

For most of us, a chocolate or ice cream is a quick hit of decadence. Ever since she was a toddler, Lucy (now eight) has managed to make even the smallest sweet last long after the rest of us have given up lamenting the speed at which we rushed through our own. Each of us enjoys things in our own way. No matter what they are and how you do it, be sure to enjoy the good things in life.

WANT IT AND REACH FOR IT

She isn’t satisfied playing on the usual structures.
Bayla pushed herself to the next challenge.

As they learn new things, children always want you to watch and offer an acknowledgment of their achievement. On this particular day, Bayla graduated to a more challenging set of monkey bars and called for me to watch. You could see the determination and concentration as she extended her reach from rung to rung and made it across the river of sand. Find the next challenge, the thing you haven’t tried, and push yourself to conquer it.