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JULY 2014 
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Dear , 
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It's been a pleasure connecting with many of you around the country in person during my book tour. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at Google's headquarters in Palo Alto where I discussed three chapters from 52 Weeks of Parenting Wisdom: "Don't Ask When You Mean To Tell," "Everything in Moderation," and "Who's in Charge?" I also took plenty of parenting questions from the audience (my favorite part of speaking engagements). You can watch the full talk on Google's Author Talk YouTube channel here:

 

Meg Akabas,
Meg Akabas, "52 Weeks of
Parenting Wisdom"

 

The flurry of travel activity for events associated with my book and state and national parenting educators' meetings led me to write about the topic of reading for this month's newsletter. (See below, and you'll understand why.)  

 

I'd love to hear what subjects you'd like me to cover in future newsletters; send me an e-mail at [email protected] or contact me through my website or facebook page. Also, now is a good time to let me know if you'd like me to lead a workshop or give a book talk for parents at your local school, library, community center, religious institution or mom's group during the 2014-15 school year so I can fit it into my schedule.

 

Happy parenting,


Meg


Reading Is Not Just For Bedtime! 

 

 

Almost every time I leave home (unless I am just going down the block to the grocery store and back), I bring a book with me. I read on the bus or subway, while standing in line at Trader Joe's, while waiting for appointments; I hate to be caught without a book. Likewise, when my children were young, we always brought books with us wherever we went. I had a good collection of small and paperback books that traveled easily, and reading was just a regular activity we did whenever we had some downtime, no matter where we were.

 

Nearly every parent I know reads to their children at bedtime. And, that's wonderful - bedtime is a special time for connection, and it is the perfect moment to associate with the closeness of snuggling together with an engaging book. But, I am dismayed when I see parents with children - on airplane trips (of which I've seen my fair share lately), in the waiting room at the doctor's office, filling time at a restaurant - and not a book in sight. Often the parent will resort to putting a device in front of the baby or child to keep him/her occupied and to prevent the child from becoming bored while waiting.

 

If reading is something you do with your child mostly before bedtime (or, as part of school assignments), I encourage you to also regularly reading other times during the day. Doing so sets the stage for enjoying reading anytime and not just as something done before sleeping. It fosters curiosity and nourishes a child's emotional and social development. It provides great material for interesting discussions between you and your children. It keeps kids from getting restless when waiting and thus prevents misbehavior. Also, it keeps you and your children from habitually resorting to electronic devices to keep them engaged.


Last month, I visited the New York Public Library's exhibition entitled "
The ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter." It is a wonderfully curated and fascinating display of the history of children's literature open until September 7th. (I highly recommend a visit if you live in or are traveling to New York City; it's free, and you can bring children!)

 
The original Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet
on display at the NY Public Library 

 

Because I see families spending less time with books, I worry that the next generation of children will not have the amazing connection to the rich world of children's literature that I and my family do. I want to inspire you to always have reading material with you when you are out with your children.  Make it a habit to take opportunities for sharing books more often; it will enrich your children's social, emotional and intellectual development as well as their relationship and communication with you. And, by the way, I'm also talking here about reading to babies - not just toddlers and older children; the American Academy of Pediatrics just released a new policy directing pediatricians to advise parents to read to their infants from birth.

 

You can look for some of my favorite children's book recommendations on my website and in upcoming newsletters.   Happy reading!

 

 

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