Another Reading Legacies Trustee, Derek Cox, took time out of his afternoon to tell us about the way reading help him bond with his son during the early years.
My son is 11 now, but in the past, I read books to him faithfully from the time he was born until almost 8 years old. I asked him does he remember me reading to him. With a fond tone of voice, he let me know that he does remember that. He liked how I would read Star Wars and make all of the sound effects of the characters and blasters firing. I must say the force was with me when I was reading those stories because I would really get into it and try to make him feel like he was at the movies watching it.
I took reading with my son serious. I never skipped any pages or jumped to the end. If I was in town, I read to him practically everyday before his nap and every night before bedtime.
We bonded during those reading sessions. During the day when I would read before his nap, I would make it special by preparing a little snack for him to enjoy while I read. That was usually apple slices smeared with peanut butter or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Nestled in tight to my side and snacking away, he would get drawn into my animated readings of his favorite books. It’s amazing how those years make him comfortable curling up next to me even now at the age of 11.
I think this sort of closeness with his father validates him. He doesn’t need the acceptance of others, because he knows he has the acceptance of his father. He doesn’t seek validation from others because he has validation from his father.
As he heads into the sixth grade, he’s social, he has great emotional intelligence, he has creative thinking for solving problems. He’s witty. He’s good at telling stories. He’s good at reading aloud. He has a good vocabulary. And most importantly, he enjoys reading.
Big Nate is his favorite book to read. We go to the local library and grab books every month. He plows through them and will even share some of the funny content with me, so we can laugh together.
The greatest thing that has come from our years of reading is our Friday night communion dinners. It’s a special dinner, where we take time to honor God. We cook up something special like tri-tip. We light the candles, bake some bread, and pull out the grape juice. Asa will read a passage from the Bible. I will say a prayer over him, and he will say a prayer over me. And then we dig in! These passage readings have led to him seeking out his own Bible and reading more about the love of God during his personal time. This has been the power of reading in my household. Reading to my son as a child is leaving behind a legacy where the things to God are valued and the heart of God is passed on. There’s no greater legacy. Read to your kids, and leave behind your testimony of your reading legacy.
Whether your children are 11 or 41 right now, Derek is right to point out that experiences like this help children feel supported and seen by the important adults in their lives, and we know this helps them grow into confident and capable adults!
Reading created closeness for Derek and his son.
Did reading help you build a positive relationship with someone important in your life?
