Better Together: Why Inviting Another Family Makes Activities More Fun #FamilyFun Sometimes family activities can feel like another item on the to-do list. However, doing those activities with another family makes them more fun! Whether it’s a trip to an amusement park , a visit to the local pool , or trip to a pumpkin patch , including another family can multiply the fun in amazing ways. One of my favorite moms to collaborate with is my friend, Ayana Ledford who's pictured above with her daughter Sahar. We have done all of the things listed as seemingly random examples above and here is how including her and her daughter (and sometimes her son too) has made the events more fun. On the date above, Ayana almost left the venue because parking was a nightmare. That said, she hung in there and we would up having a great time!
The Internet teaches me so many things. Today I discovered a new holiday! Apparently April 2nd is “International Children’s Book Day” and has been since 1967. The holiday is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.
As the child of an educator I have had a lifelong passion for learning and for books. I read so much as a child that I neglected by assignments, was distracted in class and was sleep deprived because I kept reading after I was supposed to be asleep!
I have tried to instill a love of reading in my daughter. Her nanny, who is studying early childhood education, incorporates reading into her day. Also, Andre and I read to her every night. Like a lot of other parents we use Goodnight Moon to soothe her to sleep. She really enjoys it. Her other bedtime favorite is ChickaChicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault. Our child seems to find rhythm in everything and often bops to the beat that she hears in the words of ChickaChicka Boom Boom. It appears that to her, reading is a party!
Our tactics may be working because we have noticed her “reading” to herself. And at times, she “reads” aloud to us. Besides my mother’s influence and my own love of books, I have the “Best Books for Babies” by the Fred Rodgers Company to thank for helping to instill her love for reading. About a year ago we were invited to launch of that program by my dear friend, Maggie Kimmel. Max Starks from the Pittsburgh Steelers read to the children and emphasized the importance of reading. Even though she was only seven months or so at the time she enjoyed the event and the book. (A link to the event appears below.) Before that we had been reading to her somewhat sporadically. However, after that event I was motivated me to read to her more consistently after that. I realized that the librarians and educators are right, babies are never too young to enjoy a good book.
So celebrate this International Children’s Book Day by reading to your child or to someone else’s. You could also buy a book to put in your child’s Easter basket or visit your local library. You know what they say, “reading is fundamental”. http://www.rifpittsburgh.org/
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