Ever
since I was a little girl, I was obsessed with reading.  I would go through
books so fast that my mother decided that it was time to introduce me to
libraries.  Libraries were magical places to me, so I would beg my mom every to
take me to them.  My younger sister and I would curl up in a corner reading the
newest book that grabbed our attention. 

Even
now, I can’t go on for long without reading a book.  When I started having long
commutes, I turned to audiobooks, which are blessings when you don’t have time
to read an actual physical book.

I
want my children to have this fascination and obsession with books.  We try to
read for 30 minutes a day, but if not, we read for at least 15 minutes.  I have
seen them go from being disinterested when they were babies; to wanting me to
read a story over and over again; to reading a book while I am there listening. 
I even experimented to see if they would be able to listen to audiobooks, and
they are starting to get the hang of it.

Since
they were babies (starting around one), I would take them to the local library’s
book readings.  They were so cute.  During the holidays, they would have an
arts-n-craft activity to go alongside the book we were reading.  My favorite
time was Halloween.  The kids would get their costumes on and listen to the
librarian read a story.  After the story ended, they would have the kids go
trick-or-treating around the library. 

They
already have their own library cards and are always begging me to take them to
the library. If we go to Barnes&Noble or Borders, they are always looking for a new book to buy.  I
smile because it reminds me of how I was when I was a little girl. 

Reading
is very important for a child, so even if you are busy, try to read for at least
15 minutes a day.  It isn’t that much time to invest for your kids to grow up
with a fondness for books.

I
think I will buy the kids and myself a new book tonight. =D