10 Reasons I Love Reading to my Toddler

1) Sometimes she asks me to read to her. I love allowing her to communicate so I fulfill her request and let her know I understand her.

2) She is at a stage where she's learning 10 new words everyday! What better way to help her language development than by reading a fresh variation of words from a book.

3) She has pretty much memorized her favorite books. As I'm reading, I pause at some words and she will fill in what I leave out. I love how her voice sounds as she's testing out words she understands but has never spoken.

4) My parents saved all the books I had as a kid and now I'm reading them to Little H. I enjoy the stories as much as she does sometimes!

5) It's fun to extend the story and talk about the pictures. I'll ask her to point out "where is the balloon?" and she giggles as she does it - sometimes repeating "boo-in!"

6) Reading has become the cornerstone of her bedtime routine. It lets her know it's time to relax, cuddle with mommy and get ready to go to bed.

7) I read to her everyday. She sees me reading my own book (almost) everyday. She is learning that reading is a normal thing people are supposed to do. And sometimes she will sit down and entertain herself with a book - it's a much appreciated break for me!

8) Sometimes I'll play a game where I say the wrong thing. "A cow says meow" then I'll look at her and wait. She knows exactly what I'm up to and her face lights up. "No, MOOOOO!" she'll say. This is another cute side effect to her having memorized some books and a fun way to make them new again. It also allows for more discussion about the pictures.

9) I really enjoy the cuddles - it's pretty much the only time she will sit still and happy on my lap, or beside me on the couch.

10) I know that in reading to my daughter, I'm playing a large role in her development. I can be secure in the fact that I'm helping her communicate, learn, and grow into a creative little person! Why wouldn't I love it?



Recommended reading for Toddlers (Little H's Favorites!)

Goodnight Moon

Moo Baa La La La

All by Myself


written by H.E.Eigler

How to Encourage a Love of Reading by Nurturing an Interest in Storytelling.

A fantastic way to show your child the virtue of reading is by developing their love for a good story. Not only does an interest in storytelling encourage curiosity for what's between the pages of a book but nurturing that interest will also give kids some creative problem solving ideas as well.

Creativity is a skill. Use it often and it will grow, multiply and become stronger until creative approaches to challenges become almost instinctual. Ignored, this skill withers and becomes wrought with second guesses, dead end walls and the feeling of not knowing where to begin.

To me, beginning is the hardest part. Once I get rolling a story often takes on a life of it's own. So in helping your kids to come up with a story where do you begin? You begin with DreamStarters.

The DreamStarter Book: by Jennifer Karin Sidford is a collection of 50 story beginnings.

Here is what Jennifer has to say about her book:

In truth, DreamStarters began out of desperation and an inability to pull a creative thought from my brain at the end of a busy day. The day had come when my kids (three boys, ages seven to fifteen) had mastered reading, and they no longer needed me to read them chapters from their favorite books. Instead, they asked me to tell them a story. At bedtime I would begin the story, then (struggling to come up with something compelling and worthy of serious Harry Potter fans) I would ask my kids to tell me what happened next. What began as a solution to my creative drought turned into a favorite family tradition.

Soon DreamStarters made its way to the dinner table, as we found it was a great way to keep our kids engaged at the table a few precious minutes more. Even my teenager stayed to present his own plot twists!

Here's one of the DreamStarters from the book. This one is called "Ice Wind"

Justin and Nicole were hiking toward the top of their favorite mountain when the wind
began to blow. At first, the wind was light and warm, but it soon became fierce and bitter
cold. Even though it was summer, the wind turned everything around them to ice.
“There’s a cave,” Justin yelled to Nicole over the high-pitched scream of the wind.
They leaned into each other as they walked, bracing their weight against the powerful
gusts. The cave’s entrance was covered with icy vines that refused to move. Justin pulled out
his Swiss Army Knife and cut through the vines. From deep within the cave came a blast of
warm air. Justin pushed Nicole into the cave and followed next. It was very dark, and the
warm air smelled damp and…

Is this not a great idea? Engage with your kids. Spend time on something together. Encourage siblings to work towards a conclusion. Show them that daydreaming and being creative is something to indulge in. How could they not enjoy this activity and how could it not develop an interest in story and the written word?

Want a copy of the book? I have one to giveaway! And yes, it's signed :) To be eligible to win, visit the DreamStarters Website and read through this reader submitted DreamStarter. Come back here and tell us in comments what you see happening next. Make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner.

Bloggers, get an extra entry by posting about DreamStarters on your blog. Leave a separate comment with your url for it to be counted.

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1 Great Project - 3 Reasons to Do It

I've recently corresponded with Creative Mom Jenna McCarthy, Author of The Parent Trip
She was telling me about how as a writer, she walks around with a notebook to capture all the funny things her kids say. She says her children are "pure fodder" for her writing endeavors. She then told me how she takes those notebooks and turns them into a special project that allows her to do three important things:

1) Use and encourage her creative mind.
2) Include her children in that creative process and
3) Encourage her children to read and enjoy stories.

Here's what to do:

As your kids say funny things write them down. I know that many of you are bloggers and chose to journal these silly snippets in a digital format - that works too and in fact, might be a nice way to keep everything all in one place for later use.

Once you have a nice collection of quotes, start transferring them into a small journal or scrapbook. Here is where you can include your kids. Ask them to doodle on the pages or decorate with stickers. You can also have them choose photographs of themselves to be included in the book. Don't forget to add a title that includes their name.

When it's done, you'll have a storybook that your kids will want you to read over and over again. What child doesn't like being the main character in a story?! Especially a main character who is funny, silly and smart too! You'll have loads of fun reliving memories and your child will feel special and loved in a whole new way. Plus, they will be learning without even knowing it. These books will help them to recognize their name in print, as well as the names of any siblings or other 'characters' in the book such as pets. Older kids will learn to see why you thought what they said was humorous and laugh at themselves too. What could be better?


Here are a few gems from Jenna's collection -

At the park:
Sophie (4 years): Mom, why is there a hole in this bench?
Me: Well, what is the bench made from?
Sophie: Wood!
Me: That’s right! And where do we get wood?
Sophie: Home Depot!

In bed at night, singing songs:
Sophie: “This old man, he played seven, he played seven up in heaven…” Mom, what’s heaven again?
Me: That’s where grandpa lives, with God and all of the other people who have died.

Sophie: God DIED?

I know you have a funny quote from your own little one in your mind right now don't you? Go on now, start their book you can always come back later.

About Jenna McCarthy's book:

The Parent Trip: From High Heels and Parties to Highchairs and Potties is a must-read for expecting and new moms. Packed with wit and wisdom, The Parent Trip is "smart, hilarious, incredibly useful and so honest it almost hurts,” says Peg Moline, Editor-in-Chief of Fit Pregnancy magazine, adding “Every pregnant woman should read this book."

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Tricia Dower - the not so Silent Girl

When I was little I used to love crawling into bed, grabbing my pink teddy bear (eloquently named 'Pinky') and hearing my Daddy read me bedtime stories from a vast library of Dr. Seuss, and other kids tales.

Now that I'm an adult I still like it when someone tells me a story but now it's called a 'reading'. Calling it a 'reading' makes it a posh night time affair which does not include a bed, a teddy bear or blankies but it can (and did) include a glass of wine (ok two).

Recently I attended Tricia Dower's reading from her short story collection - Silent Girl. The stories were incredible. While their themes were often dark, the women in them glowed with hope. Her characters were bright, humorous, and intelligent - as Tricia is herself. Not only is she a fantastic writer, but listening to her was such a treat. You see, when I was a kid, it was always best when Daddy 'did the voices'. It made me laugh to hear my Daddy sound so different and it made the stories come to life. So I was pleasantly suprised to hear an accomplished, studious author with stories based on Shakespearian plays 'doing the voices'.

I won't tell you much more, I don't want to ruin anything for anyone. Just go get her book and enjoy the stories. You can even read them at bedtime if you wish. If you want to know more, you can visit her website www.triciadower.com

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Nuture the spark

It's easy, as mothers, to focus on the kids, the husband, the housework and go a week or longer without thinking of ourselves and our own creative interests. Then we sit down to do something creative and it just doesn't flow well. Why is this? Creativity needs to be exercised in order for it to stay in top shape. Ignore it and it will wither. I believe that a creative person will always be creative but as moms, we need to be able to pick up where we left off and get something done before our attention is needed elsewhere. How do we keep our creative mojo in shape even when we can't use it as much as we'd like? Here are some tips:

1) Foster your sense of imagination.

Run fantasy situations through your mind. If you're sitting in traffic, think about what would happen if your car broke down. What would you do? What would happen? You might be surprised where your mind will take you - just keep an eye on the road while you imagine your story! When you fantasize often it will be easier to sit down and write about another life, or visualize a scene to paint when the time comes.

2) Read when you can.

Along the lines of fostering your imagination, reading will allow you to let you mind float along and follow a story that you don't have to make up. Reading keeps your mind attuned to grammar rules, format, and a lot of technical things you might not even realize you're picking up on. So when you sit down to write, if you are a writer, the nit picky stuff will come easier to you, allowing yourself to focus on the creating instead of the editing.

3) Let yourself play!

Get down on the floor with your kiddos and play! Finger paint with them, smell some crayons. When you read stories to them, look at the pictures. Take some time to forget being serious and lighten up. Put some music on and dance. Playing will help you relax. Creativity blooms when the mind is at ease and open. Who can sit down and make art with the weight of the world on their shoulders? Well, unless you're into art filled with angst - if that's your bag you're likely reading the wrong blog :)

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To Cheese it or, not.

Having a little version of myself crawling around has got me wondering what traits she will inherit from Mommy and Dada. Of course, one hopes their child will share some of their passions and a few of their interests. I can't lie and say I wasn't a bit sad to see little H's disgust over a cheesy Kraft dinner noodle I popped in her mouth the other day. You see, I usually remove a few noodles for her before I put the cheese mix on. Until this point, I wouldn't give her something as disgusting as Kraft dinner - I reserve that filth for myself. But I thought, 'what would it hurt to see if she likes it with cheese'? Turns out she shares her fathers disdain for the almighty KD. We'll see if she out grows it.

Anyway, it made me wonder who she will take after as she grows. Will she like music or movies? Video games or painting? Comics or novels?

I'm doing everything I can to tend to any spark she might have for books. I read to her every day. Usually one book before her afternoon nap and three before bedtime. She is only nine months old but, I hope that Moo Ba La La La by Sandra Boynton or Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown stirs something deep in her DNA, put there by her mother, and all her other book loving relatives.

So far it seems she likes the voices I make, she likes the pictures and she sits still as I read to her. She grabs at the pages to flip them back and forth and back and forth while I take her through the stories. She doesn't seem to tire of our reading routine. We'll see if she grows out of it, or deeper into it as I did.

Do you read to your kids? What are your favorite kids books??? Let me know in comments.