Time is a gift and I’ve chosen to use my time to read to my children.
I also learned how important it was to have books in every room, closet and vehicle we own. I wanted my kids to always have a book at their fingertips. I know this helped fuel their passion for reading. Another thing I realized over time is how beautiful a used book can seem. Books are meant to be touched and read over and over again. The more they get read the more worn they look and that’s a good thing!
I know life gets busy and we feel like we don’t have time to do everything, but reading to my kids is high on my priority list. Time is a gift and I’ve chosen to use my time to read to my children. My hope is that one day they will become fathers and mothers and show love to their children too by taking the time to read to their own children daily. Books make me happy, and reading them to my children makes me even happier! -Sari
*Side note: My kids love having a wall book shelf right next to their beds. I bought these from IKEA and they’ve been a fun thing for my kids to put their special books in. I highly recommend getting some for your home!
Find Sari’s wall bookshelf at Ikea
IKEA FLISAT Bookshelf
Thanks, Sari
I am SO blessed to be able to claim Sari as a close friend of mine. Her sunny personality always lightens my spirits, and my kids are all convinced she is their own, personal buddy. She has 3 of the sweetest, smiliest children, from toddler to middle grade. She is a former 2nd grade teacher, the kind every kid loves and every parent prays to have. Thank you so much for your insightful contribution, Sari!
tawnyember
Sari, I enjoyed reading about how reading fits in to your daily life. I agree, I think reading time is almost synonymous with cuddling time. It’s a win/win time for adults and kids. I especially love those book shelves by the beds! I need to see if my grandkids might need some of those. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for your comments Linda! I bet all of your grandkids would enjoy having their own bookshelf as well. A friend of mine just brought it to my attention how important it is to have the book covers facing outward instead of the spine showing. It’s more appealing to the reader and it draws your attention to the book more. This is especially true for young readers who can’t even read the small words on the spine. I’m even more motivated now to get some for my toddler’s bedroom. 🙂
Really love the suggestion of keeping books everywhere. Also, letting them become well-loved. My littlest guy can still be found deconstructing books sometimes and as I try to teach him respect for books and keep my calm, I think “at least he is interested.” Haha.
Chelsey, thanks for commenting! I admit my heart hurts to see a wounded book, too. In a future post we’ll talk about how to patch them up without getting all worked up! And yes, we’re happy your little guy wants his hands (or feet?) on books!
Chelsey- you’ve definitely got the right attitude. I’m impressed! It sounds like your little guy is interested in books, and over time I’m sure he will learn how to be more careful with them. I have two boys and oh boy were they rough on books when they were younger. The stories I could tell… sometimes they were even library books. Eek! But it’s all part of the process and they would never hurt a book now. Btw- Scotch packing tape works really well on torn books. It’s a lifesaver!
Sari-I love your passion of reading to your children. Great ideas to display the front cover of books. Those are the ones that get checked out the most at our library too! Thanks for sharing! ❤️