Family Traditions
By Julie Douglas, Family Program Specialist
The mom-to-be picked through the books, smiling at some, laughing out loud at others, and often exclaiming, “I KNOW who sent this one!” What could be better than receiving a wagon full of children’s books for your newborn? The baby shower guests were asked to bring a copy of a favorite title for the soon-to-arrive grandbaby/nephew/cousin. The guest of honor was challenged to guess who had given each book, which turned out to be easier for her than expected. Eloise Wilkin Stories, a beautiful collection of beloved Golden Book titles was passed around and memories were shared. The family reminisced about how much Grandmother had loved the poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson. Cousins spoke dreamily of the illustrations of Tasha Tudor. The guests chuckled over the abundance of horse and dog books that were given by this family of animal-lovers (after all, the baby’s great-grandpa had been a veterinarian.)
This is going to be one lucky baby. Oh sure, he is going to have a nice collection of books for his little nursery, but more importantly, he will belong to a family that values books and stories and has strong family traditions based on reading. I listened as aunts and cousins and grandmas-to-be recounted book sharing experiences and anecdotes. The guests talked about illustrators and authors as if they were old friends. “I remember THAT book, I loved it!!” was heard over and over again. It was clear that the baby boy was going to be steeped in story and poetry.
How does a family embrace books and storytelling and make these things a cherished part of who they are? Here are a few tips that I have gleaned from families I know. But I invite you to share your family’s reading traditions by visiting www.readfromthestart.org and commenting on our blog.
1. Read to each other. Read to the little ones, but don’t stop once they begin to read on their own.
2. Make books or stories part of holiday or other family celebrations. Choose a book that is read every Halloween. Tell a child the story of their birth as part of a birthday celebration.
3. Go to the library often and as a family.
4. Talk about what you are reading. Share with your child a funny scene from a story. Make “What are you reading lately?” a question that is commonly asked in your home.
5. Give books as gifts. Consider a subscription to one of the wonderful children’s magazines. Look for high quality non-fiction for kids with a passion for dinosaurs or ballet or whales.
The key is to make books a natural part of each family member’s daily life. Now that really is a gift that “keeps on giving.”
