Buy Your Mom a Book Today
My mom loves to read, and it was largely thanks to her encouragement and guidance that I too have grown to become a lifelong reader.
Moms shape a child’s reading life in a number of ways:
Moms are often a child’s first reading teacher. Well before programs like “Hooked on Phonics” were available to help kids learn how to read, moms like mine simply read aloud to their children, and would coach and coax budding readers to wrestle with the letters on the page until they made sense. Today, reading aloud to children is probably the best way to teach them how to read. And what is more fundamental to a child’s education than the ability to read?
Moms create an environment at home where reading is a valued activity. My mom kept a large library of books that she had built up over the years. From time to time, she would dip into it and lend me a volume that she thought I might be interested in. Even if I wasn’t interested in whatever was on her shelves, the presence of those books delivered a clear message: reading is a valued activity in our household. Books matter.
Moms fill in the gaps that are left unfilled by our schools. When I was in high school, I read my share of literary titles. They were part of the assigned curriculum, and I value the chance to have been exposed to the great works of literature. But she would sometimes lend me books from her library — or buy new ones — whenever she thought I needed some guidance on topics they just didn’t teach at school, like how to build self-confidence, how to deliver a speech in front of a large group of people, or how to tackle negative mindsets and think more positively.
Moms pass on the tradition to the next generation. Now that I’ve grown up and have left the nest, I’m the role model for my own children. I read a lot to them, and I buy them books that they love. Seeing my nine-year-old daughter march up to the counter of a book store with a foot-high stack of books — and a huge grin stretched across her face —or listening to my high school son talk about the core themes and main characters in Lord of the Flies, are some of the moments I treasure most about being a father.
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So on Mother’s Day this Sunday, buy your mother a different sort of gift this time, something that will let you demonstrate your appreciation to her for helping you become the reader that you are today.
Rather than buy her a bouquet of fresh flowers or a box of chocolates, buy your mom something she’ll be able to enjoy not only for today, but which she can turn to for wisdom, insight, and entertainment for many years to come.
Buy your mom a book.
Who taught you how to read? Is there a book you remember that had a big impact on your early reading experience?
Image: sean dreilinger / flickr
Listen to an audio version of this post on my new podcast, Write With Impact.
