Although I fail in most aspects in being a mother and more so am devoid of any maternal instinct whatsoever, (honestly, I never, never, NEVER, EVERRRRRRRR saw myself staying at home with kids. NEVER. You can ask ALL my ex-boyfriends. They’d tell you what my life plan was. And it had nothing to do with kids. Smoking in hot pants atop a window ledge on a Parisian street maybe, but no kids. Definitely no kids.) but lately, I have somewhat redeemed my maternal shame.
For all the mother that I am not, and believe me, I don’t want to be telling you what I do with my kids because just purely I might get arrested, but I know one thing I’ve done right. Yes, one thing. As a mother, I have succeeded in inculcating the love of reading in BOTH my children. I know not how long it will last but I can make a bloody good guess that it’ll last forever. OK, I’m praying hard.
T1 started reading at 3.5 years of age but started looking at books since she was 18 months? Because I didn’t know any better then. Amazingly though, this last school holidays saw the better part of her time with books because we didn’t go anywhere and she was very happy to smell all those books of hers. I never asked her to read anything, she was just always caught with a book! I was damn well and mighty chuffed.
Her latest bedside read? Toy Story 3. She cannot get enough of it. I have been eager for her to start reading books without pictures (not that books with pictures are anything, they are fantastic!) but I just wondered when her attention span could go with small text and no pictures. And now it has!
When a friend told me of her friend’s amazing child reading Enid Blyton books at 5 plus a year ago, I laughed and said there was no way T1 could ever reach that standard of reading by that age. Phenomenal. When I was 5, I could read words, not Enid Blyton books. But by golly, T1 really can! I am overwhelmed with pride because I wanted so much for my children to be in bed with books. Her teacher wrote recently in her school report that she was an excellent reader. She doesn’t only read, she understands most of the time and if there is a word she doesn’t, she knows how to look it up the dictionary. Or ask.
But T2? I was reading to T2 since birth. With age comes experience. Or rather, with experience comes experience. And since she started to sit, I’ve noticed she’s started taking a keen interest in books. She is sometimes even more interested in books than toys! Of course, I am blessed that I have T1 as a shining example to her and as my automatic book reader. *grins*
When I am alone with T2 at home, I just pile a handful of books in front of her and she opens them, looks at the pictures, turns them upside down, chews them…….whatever, as long as she grows to love books.
Now I don’t have any ambitions for my children, as in they can marry whoever they want or be whatever they want when they grow up, but one thing I truly want is for them to love reading. To never stop reading…..
But of course, my girls being drama queens, want to exceed my expectations and take reading a step further. They need to ACT it out. Yes, T1 is always acting out her stories. She must’ve learnt it from drama school, or maybe it was me, I can’t remember. And it sure looks like T2 is following suit……
I am impressed with myself for this very one reason.
**************************************************************************Who is Mamapumpkin?
Mamapumpkin is a former Design Architect turned Multi-Million Dollar Digital Entrepreneur. She sets out to prove to all that you can have anything and everything that you want; if you have that fire of desire burning within and the drive to work hard. Even better with much love.
Mamapumpkin has not only grown corporate businesses successfully in the past and doubled her salary 5 times over 5 organisations but has grown THREE BUSINESSES to 7 FIGURES within an 8 year period. She now shows others EXACTLY HOW after retiring her own husband from employment. He is now the official dog walker, family driver, chef and THE BEST FATHER to their two girls and THE BEST HUSBAND to the woman who CHOSE HIM!
Mamapumpkin is the girl who has nothing but fights for everything including YOU. She is idealistic in her desire to put unbelievable amounts of money and extrardinary happiness into the lives of good people so we can change the world together believing in happiness for ALL. She strives to impact lives authentically wanting to reduce poverty cycles and enable quality education for all and always supports the voiceless. She believes we can all have a life of our own desires to enable real contribution into the world. But first, one needs to understand what this all means.
A beautiful life without limits.
If you wish to learn how to propel your life forward guaranteed, be brave to take action. Mamapumpkin's purpose is to build people. Her gift is to help them UNCOVER their HIDDEN GIFTS. She operates fairly and always leaves an impression. You either love her or not and she is alright either way.
She is a living testimony that women really can have a lot. Being financially and time free has enabled her to travel the world anytime, anywhere, doing anything with anyone, as she spends most of her days with her children, having fun, supporting others wherever she can. Also having fun.
Very Sweet!!!!
good for u! I too took up reading 7 yrs ago as wanted to encourage my boys & have succeeded.Boys read while they sit on the throne every mrng as I put books in their bathrooms. My eldest always carry a book whereever he goes (I too cant leave home without one). We also make it a point to go to the SAlam Library every 2 wks to get our 12 books supply.
well done mamapumpkin! can i send my girls over to you too please?!!!! pretty please with ice cream, strawberries and cherries on top! okay, with godiva chocs too. i’ll pay you!!!
This part, I totally failed big time! Tabik!
It’s really really good you have cultivated the interest in reading in them. It never goes wrong, and it’s the BEST gift a mother could ever give to a child.
BTW, good to hear your earlier post full of optimism for T2. Yes, I agree noone else can give better advice than the child’s own mom, screw the so-called professionals, they don’t know your child as well as you do. Keep believing in yourself.
Wow! I hope I am half as successful as you are in the future when it comes to getting my own children interested in reading. I love books and cannot live without them!
good job Patsy!!
my friends never thought i wld be a SAHM. my cousin gave me a weird look when he came back from US for a visit, never thot i wld stay at home looking like that.. hehe
me used to be the ‘wet’ girl ma..
breast enhancement procedures are getting more and more popular these days;””