Bedtime Stories

I have been reading bedtime stories to my children for the last 12 years!! Yes, I guess have been reading for a long time, but with my children so well spaced out, that's to be expected. But recently, things have changed.

With my older 2 children, I read them bedtime stories uptil they were about 9 (for my oldest) and 7 for my son, ie until little D became more demanding and I decided that they were proficient enough and should be reading on their own. Fortunately, they were quite happy to be reading on their own too! When they were younger, it was usually fairy tales, or any other interesting stories from books by their favourite authors. From about age 7, it used to be bible stories. I guess, it was our way of bonding.

But with Little D, things are a little different. She loves books. And usually when I have read her a bedtime story, she will ask for another, and then another, and another. Until I put my foot down, and tell her she has had one to many and I wasnt reading anymore. I will then proceed to switch off the lights, and tell her to go to bed.

Recently she has just learned to read, and she is so enthusiastic about practising her readng. She wants to do it all the time ... which I should be happy about. About a couple of nights ago, she decided to change the order of things. I no longer read her the bedtime story, she reads me the bedtime story instead. what happens is, I will lie in bed with her, and she will read. If she needs help with a word, I will help her out with it. And I must say she is getting quite good at it.

Last night, as we lay down to have our "unusual" bedtime story (unusual because it was the child reading to the mum), guess what? I fell asleep even before she could finish the story. With a reversal of roles, she must have finished the story, switched off the lights, and went back to bed herself (or at least I think she did that!!). Coz the next thing I knew, it was already morning!!

Now, that's the type of bedtime story I like!!