I’ve been holding onto this post idea for awhile now, waiting for a third entry. You know how I am with the power of 3, lol. This is a fun subject because the title works both ways–it’s about the stories we read, but also stories about reading.

First, I want to share an idea that I think is so cute–and the mother has the patience of an angel! This mother-angel-friend was telling me about this silly thing she does with her kid at bedtime. They pick out a book (and yes, it’s almost always the same book) and they’ll discuss which word the toddler is in charge of. I’ll use Goodnight Moon as an example. The kid picks which word they will “read”. Sometimes it’s ‘moon’ and they get to “read” a lot. Other times it’s ‘mouse’ and they have to wait their turn until the word they selected comes up. By now, they’ve probably had a turn being in charge of every word in the book, and that’s great, right? I mean, this keeps the child engaged and whether they are “reading” or not, they are aware of their word and know when it’s coming up in the story.

Then, awhile back, I overheard a woman discussing her nightly ritual with her ill mother. Every evening, 9 pm her time, she calls her mom and reads to her. There’s a two hour time difference, so it’s 7 pm at the memory care facility where her mother resides. She reads to her for about twenty minutes, sometimes longer. She recites books that her mother shared with her as a child. A Wrinkle in Time and Charlotte’s Web are in regular rotation. On good days they reminisce, but most days her mom just listens. Always, they feel closer than their miles dictate.

Recently, a friend shared her routine of driving around with her elderly mother, hitting up a fast food restaurant, and dining in the car, all while listening to an audio book together. They do this two or three times a week for an hour or more each time. I am a big fan of audio books, but even more than that, I am a big fan of a shared listening experience.

There you go, three quick reading stories. About reading stories.
How do you share your love of reading?