Sunday, January 1. 2006

Whilst mummy's away - reading

My wife Nino has been away at her family's home in Nagaland, India recently, so I had the joy of single parenthood for almost 3 weeks over Christmas. It's tough being a mum, a dad, working, running a business - and trying to do all the Christmas stuff too.

I knew Zoë was very active and quite demanding but I didn't realise quite how many times I would have to read her books with her - over and over and over again! She never tires of them. I'd take to hiding some behind the cushions of the sofa just so she would have to find another, hopefully one we hadn't read for at least an hour!

Everything is a learning experience when you're only a year old and maybe repetition helps the information stick but there are only so many ways to read a book that has just one word per page. Still, we could spell the word, count the flowers or clouds or birds on the page, do colours - and of course Zoë could shout out what the pictures showed. I'm not sure if all kids are book mad but I'm glad Zoë is as it allows her own imagination to flourish in a way that TV never can. If I've hidden all her books well enough she'll get one of mine from the bookshelves and sit on the floor thumbing through it (and then tear a few pages out if I don't watch her), little bugger!

For her first birthday, one of our friends Di Taylor, bought Zoë a book - 'Hug' - the story of a little monkey that's lost his mum, who wanders the jungle looking for her and a big hug. It's been her favourite since she got it and been read a thousand times. However, all the time her mummy was away, 'Hug' was never given to me to read. I guess Zoë was missing her mum so much that the idea of a little monkey who'd lost his mum was not very appealling.

Hug
Hug
(Book)
Authors:Jez Alborough

Manufacturer:Walker Books Ltd

Released:05 January, 2004


I'll feature some more of Zoë's favourites later
Posted by David Cummins in being a dad at 11:05 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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