Every night around 9:30 my husband and I trek upstairs after watching our nightly Netflix documentary (right now we are watching
this one) to enjoy a half hours worth of reading time together underneath a cozy down comforter. For over three years I nearly stopped reading. The challenges of mothering just made extinct my formerly voracious appetite for books. Funnily, though my book reading stopped, my book
buying did not. Consequently I have an almost full bookshelf of never been read and barely even been touched books just waiting for me. I get so excited when I finish one book and get to go "shopping" on my shelf for another one. Really. I do so little shopping any more that this is sheer joy for me.
My latest "purchase" is David Elkind's
Preschoolers At Risk.
. The book is a bit outdated (I believe it was published in the late eighties) but there is still much value in the author's argument. He thinks that in our efforts to create "superkids" (by sending our kids to skill-driven preschool programs, for example) that we are depriving them of their childhood, asking them to be too grown up too fast. Before reading this, I had thought much about how to ensure that my kids get to stay kids--now I am thinking about it even more.
. The book is a bit outdated (I believe it was published in the late eighties) but there is still much value in the author's argument. He thinks that in our efforts to create "superkids" (by sending our kids to skill-driven preschool programs, for example) that we are depriving them of their childhood, asking them to be too grown up too fast. Before reading this, I had thought much about how to ensure that my kids get to stay kids--now I am thinking about it even more.
3 comments:
I'm going to look into this rec and what a good idea to have a set reading time!
I need a good book. Feels like I have not read in years as well. Any I can shop for in your library?
This book makes important points. My daughter is 9. I have been able to watch her grow and NATURALLY develop skills and talents. When we tried to push certain things early, we realized it caused stress. We actually tried violin when she was 6. It was difficult on all of us and we stopped. Two months ago, she started playing the flute. She is excited, practices on her own, and has already had a little "recital" at school. There is a time for everything, and we simply need to be patient and the child will find it.
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