Thanks to readers who have been giving me feedback as requested (either by commenting on various posts or by e-mailing me personally at blog@MarlaColeman.com); I continue to try to add value to this blog. There seems to be a collective interest in my posting a more directed call to action, rather than just musing (Yes, I am still trying to acclimate to a world where subjective experience trumps objective reporting!). As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am confident I have a lot to share, but I still am striving to make my "voice" practical as well as passionate.
So, starting with future posts, I was thinking of concluding each with a call to action -- a short set of conversation starters for reading the title book to your child as a bedtime story. I have dubbed these springboard questions, which emanate from the theme of the book as well as from the theme of the post, Tuck-In Tips. (Also, make sure to label the behavior so your child knows what it looks like!)
For example, Tuck-in Tips for the November 30 post, "Harold and the Purple Crayon" (click on book title to view a 7-minute animation of the story) would look like this:
• How does Harold keep from getting lost?
• What does Harold do to picture success?
• Talk about a time when you felt really strong and in control.
Harold showed that he was responsible. He used his brain to make good choices, and he learned that he could count on himself to invent his own future. He also was creative!
Discussing the various chapter(s) that their father and I read to our children at bedtime gives us the opportunity for a family dialogue; we find out their thoughts and reactions and inevitably they want to hear about our childhood experiences that relate to the subject. They become personal as well as enthusiastic and verbal and they have much to say. The only problem is that they are so stimulated that it takes them longer to fall asleep. Any suggestions? Please do not advise us to start earlier in the evening; the time just is not there with homework, baths, etc.
Kudos to you for engaging your children so much that they don't want it to end - or have they figured out that's a great tool for procrastination AND they get to hear those vibrant stories! Either way, here are a few strategies that might help:
-Make the discussion time part of the routine of reading; routines in themselves are very soothing to children
-Set a time limit - either by the clock or by the discussion; in other words, 10 minutes or one story from the child and one from you in response to the question, "Tell me about a time when...."
-When the time has passed, be firm and also say you can't wait to tell them another story, and right now it is bedtime! Continue with your usual bedtime ritual.
Good luck and thanks for sharing.
Marla