Ian & Reading

Kelli left a comment about Ian and his reading or my reading to him. It brought back a flood of memories. Found myself chuckling a few times as I went over the memories. So, yes Kelli I think it would make a good topic also.

Ian grew up with books all over his room. We started buying them when he was about 6 months old. Every-night he had stories read to him, not that he understood a word we were saying at that age. as he got older, the age of his own son now, he would pretend to read. I would be reading in the evening and he would get a book and sit beside me and pretend to read. I tried to avoid reading bedtime stories to the kids (will explain later so I don’t get the bad father rap). The kids had favourite books that they had to have read over and over. It was almost as irritating as Ian’s popcorn popper toy. They both would twist me around their finger and get me to read their favourite. One evening Ian sat beside me and started reading his favourite book out-loud. I was totally shocked. Took me a few minutes to realize he wasn’t actually reading, he had memorized the story. But he did learn to read, which he surprised his grade one teacher with the first day of school. Over the years you could always find Ian when you needed him. In his room with his nose in a book. I thought it would stop when he got his TV in his room but it didn’t. Slowed him down a bit was all. It was the same with Nintendo. Now he is as bad as he ever was. Today I helped his habit. Told him the discount store had recent hardcover books on sale for $2.98. But he isn’t the only Stewart with the habit. I had to buy 2 book there myself today.

Now I guess I had better explain the not wanting to read bedtime stories to the kids. I preferred to make up stories and tell them a story. They never realized my stories always had the moral twist to them. It was my way of filling their heads with “do the right thing”. Of the hundreds of stories I told them, some purely made up by me to drive a point home, the one they most remember was a bible story. Could be they remember it because they had me tell it so many times. I take the high road on it and say it was because the moral of it made sense to them.

I hope Ian will find time to tell Nathan some stories too.