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Balanced Eating

How do you bring balance into your home when it comes to food?

I started reading with my children from the time they were infants. We read everything from Dr. Seuss to The Berenstain Bears to "The Happy Man and His Dump Truck." During potty training, we had stacks of books in the bathroom. We went to the library together and each checked out books they chose. When my children were pre-schoolers, we read and read and read together.

By kindergarten, my children were reading by themselves. Some school assignments would require that they read aloud at home. We dutifully listened, and still continued to read a book or two to them. But as the reading material became more advanced, our read together time diminished.

I could have continued to read aloud to my children, regardless of their age or reading ability. I could have continued to read the books they knew by heart, or introduced other children's classics to them. I should have found new books to explore, to share with them.

I could have insisted that we read together for a short period every night, no matter their ages or grade levels. Imagine reading the latest Berenstain Bear adventure (which continue to be published) to a teenager.

When my children were tweens and teenagers, we went on our first cruise. I would have loved to have read "Walter, the Farting Dog Goes on A Cruise." It would have been a great start for a new adventure.

I should have spent more time reading magazines and newspapers with my children. I could have searched for those articles that would make a difference in their perceptions of this world. We could have discussed current issues that impacted their lives.

I could have spent more time reading parts of their textbooks. I could have asked them to read me a bit of what they were reading. I would have understood a little more of what they were experiencing scholastically.

I should have spent more time reading with my children. Those early years certainly prepared them for reading. But once they started reading by themselves, I backed away. I could have kept it up.

I would have kept it up, if I had realized the most important part of our reading time. It wasn't all about learning words or learning to read. It was about our time together, and showing my children I believed spending time with them was important. Reading time could have been a time to read, but also a time to listen, to communicate, and to grow closer. What a great time that could have been.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her "Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda" column each Thursday.