Hi there! I’m so glad you stopped by. This is my first post on this blog and I just wanted to share a little story about my daughter. ( I promise there won’t be too many of these and I’ll *try* to keep this one short!)
A few months ago, my daughter M and I read a book titled ‘ Watch out Wilf’. I picked it out from the library and we read it as soon as we got home. It’s a really sweet story about a Mommy mouse and her son, Wilf who just doesn’t know how to stay out of trouble…although he really, really wants to! Every time his mom says, “Watch out Wilf” it’s already too late and Wilf has invariably crashed into, broken or spilled something.
I’m sure we read that book at least 45-50 times. After we had read it a few times, something funny started happening. My daughter, who was a little over 2 at the time, started acting the book out. So as I cooked or carried out some other chore, she would scamper like a little mouse, pretending to be really mischievous(not that she had to try too hard), and say ” Mommy, now you say, ” Watch out Wilf!”" And so we began pretending to be Wilf and WIlf’s Mommy. She would want to enact the book at least a few times every day. She would invariably remember the events in the book, in random order at times, and as she went about pretending to do all the spilling and breaking, I would have to take my cue and cry out, ” Watch out Wilf!” Now, to anyone witnessing the scene, it might have seemed like the stress of motherhood had driven me bonkers. But to us, it was the most delightful of times. I had such a whale of a time playing it out with M that after a few weeks, when she lost interest in the game, I kind of missed it!!
The sweetest part in the book is when after a really busy day of rescuing Wilf from trouble, Mommy Mouse plops down on her chair, completely worn out. Wilf, who feels bad, makes her a surprise gift basket to cheer her up.
Now, this part, M still remembers!
Some days, when she’s been really naughty and I am clearly more exhausted than normal, she pretends to make me a gift too. It’s usually some scribbles on a piece of paper, wrapped in a cloth or scrap paper she finds in her room. But the gesture is so moving and the imp looks so incredibly cute as she tries to make up for her mischief, that I do indeed feel better instantly.
And that’s why I enjoy reading with my baby so much. It’s not just the few minutes that we read the book together. To me, it’s about creating a memory that’s imprinted in my mind forever. She may not remember every single book we read or experience we’ve shared…but I probably will. When I glance at any of the books we’ve read together, I can instantly recall something funny or silly or moving in connection with the book. I also feel that with every book I read with her, I am becoming more a part of her life and vice versa. After all, it is that shared experience of creating memories and the joy of spending time together that makes all the sleepless nights and changing diapers worth it. Right?
What do you enjoy most about reading with your little one? I would love to hear all about it!
P.S : If you want to know a little more about this addiction I’ve developed, read about it here.
