How Shared Reading and Storytelling Connects Us with Our Children

I can’t believe how quickly the first week back to school after Winter break has passed!  Much like I anticipated, going back would not be easy for everyone.  One of my children in particular seemed to be having a harder time throughout the week.  She was particularly sensitive to what others said to her, impatient at times, and overall not her usual fun loving, creative, happy self.  I figured it must be the transition back to school from vacation.  As the week went by she began sharing more with me - stuff that was bothering her.  As her mom I wanted so desperately to help her.  When our children are hurting, we are hurting even more.  I’m sure you can relate to this.  I was at a loss.  I knew that I couldn’t jump in and just make it better.  The challenge she was facing is part of her experience and journey and will only make her stronger.  Easy for me to say at my age, but harder for a young girl to understand when she is in pain.  I reflected on different ways that I could connect with her without trying to solve the problem.  After all, I really didn’t have the answer and even if I thought I did, it wasn’t for me to do.  By Friday the answer that I was waiting for came to me in the mail.  It was a beautiful book!

For those of you who know me well, you will be able to attest to the fact that I have a real passion for books.  More specifically I love children’s books.  Come to my house and you will find shelves and a few cupboards overflowing with beautiful children’s books.  Some are the more serious kind like Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and others are the funny ones like Elephant and Piggy by Mo Willems.  I also enjoy the whimsical rhymes and play-on-words of Dr. Seuss.  I can go on and on when it comes to children’s books!   I feel uplifted, excited, joyful, and inspired after reading a children’s book.  After all, children’s books were written for adults too!

This past Friday night, I used the book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy to open up a much needed conversation with my child.  We spent over an hour reading and talking about how the story related to what she was experiencing.  By reading together we were able to connect and she became much more open to sharing her sadness, anger, frustration, and other feelings.  Special books and stories can be powerful tools for having important conversations with our children.  Whether it’s to talk about their dreams, fears, worries, challenges, or just to laugh and have a good time together, pick up a beautiful book and you will uncover so much.  What books do you enjoy with your children or your students? Have a great week!