Family Matters

There's a lot of noise in my head these days. I worry too much, I think too much, and I go to bed exhausted every night. Time moves fast, and quite simply, there's not enough of it.

There are days that go by when I don't think about writing at all, because I just don't have the brain power to get there. I get up at 5 a.m., drop my daughter off at daycare, head into work, do my job, pick her up, commute home, make dinner, eat, give my daughter a bath, get her down to sleep...and by that time, I'm ready for bed myself. So sleep it is.

Then there are days (usually the weekends) when all I do is think about writing. I think about the next phase of Nightfire, I think about what recipes I need to post on Cocktail Cutie, and I think about all of the things that I want to tell my readers here, on my author blog. There are so many things I want to say, so much ground I want to cover...but then, I can't find the time. It just flies away, and sometimes I take a look around and wonder where it all went.

Today, though, I have something that I want to say, something that I've had on my mind for a long time and something that I really and truly believe is of utmost importance.

In my day-to-day life, no matter how busy I am, no matter how tired, no matter how badly I just want to sit on the couch and veg (or cry, or sleep, or a combination of all three), there is something that is so important to me that I cannot and will not stop doing.

That something is reading to my daughter. Every day, no exception.

One of my daughter's favorite books is Goodnight Moon. It's part of our bedtime routine, and we read it every night. When I pull her into my lap and show her the book, her entire face lights up with a big smile. That smile fills me with so much love I can hardly stand it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the entire world.

We started reading together even before she was born, and even though it felt a little silly, I did it anyway. Though part of me selfishly wants nothing more than for my daughter to share my love of reading not only as a child but as she grows up, I didn't just do it for that reason. Studies show that it's important to read to your children even as infants - not only does it stimulate their brain development and vocabulary, but it helps the parent-child relationship as well. When parents read to their children as babies (and as they grow), those children associate reading with love and affection. In fact, last year, the AAP issued a new policy advising that parents of young children should read aloud to their children, as well as talk about the pictures that are illustrated in their books (you can read more here or here).

Please, please, please READ TO YOUR CHILDREN. It doesn't matter if it's a "classic;" kids - especially those as young as my 13-month-old daughter - don't care. They don't know Dr. Seuss from someone less familiar.

The fact of the matter is, our children's environments are inundated with technology these days. Television, computers, tablets, cell phones...the list goes on and on. And as easy as it might be to let our tired bodies sit on the couch and get sucked in to one or more of those things, there's so much benefit to everyone - both to us and to our children - when we push through the exhaustion and spend time with each other. Your children need active, attentive interaction in order to thrive and grow, and the joy you'll find in forging these bonds with them is irreplaceable.

That's all I've got for today...hopefully soon I'll be able to share more of my thoughts with you.

Take care.