It’s weird this whole “Mom blogging” thing. I don’t usually like to call myself that because…don’t you try to put your labels on ME blogosphere. Also it makes me feel like a dork who wears her pants too high. (I don’t, even though I should…my body may be back to it’s usual size, but the skin on my stomach will never recover.)
Anyway, as you may know, every so often I have a blog identity crisis where I feel compelled to break free of the shackles MOM and get back to blogging about me, because JEEZ Delilah, the world doesn’t revolve around you, OKAY? But this is actually NOT one of those times. Instead, this is going to be one of those rare times where I take hold of the Mom Bloggin‘ label with both hands and admit that while I still care about great design, and weird funny crap, and pretty things I can’t buy, I also care a lot about stuff like, well…like this email I got from Scholastic a few months ago that actually gave me a twinge of nausea.
– Kids’ Definition of Reading is Changing in the Digital Age: One in Four Kids Think Texting with Friends Counts as Reading —
I mean, that’s horrifying, right? And it’s the kind of thing that before parenthood, I would have just ignored. I would have seen it and thought “not my [future] kids” and forgotten about it a second later while chuckling over a text on my iPhone. But instead, when I saw that statistic with Dee sitting on my lap, I had an actual visceral reaction to it. Because if having a kid has taught me anything, it’s that in this day in age (god, did I just say that? quick! somebody pass the doc martens!) with information and distraction coming at us a mile a minute I have little to no control over what the world barrages her with and I have to do my damndest to ensure that the lessons that Scott and I want to instill are heard above the din. So it stayed with me, that statistic, and it haunted me like a bad 80’s slasher movie villain.
But what do you do? How do you make sure that your kid isn’t one of the one in four who believes that OMG STFU BBQ constitutes literature? Or one of the 39% of kids ages 9-17 who believe that EVERYTHING THEY READ ONLINE IS TRUE (KIDS!!! Anyone can publish lies on the internet! Look! THE SKY IS PURPLE! I’m doing it right now!)
And that’s TODAY, in 2011. By the time my kid (and probably most of your kids) is/are in high school, that number could be…who knows! Vowels could be completely eliminated!!!
So I read to Dee every day. I make sure she has mostly books in her toy bin. When she picks up my cell phone to use as a toy? I give her a book instead. But that’s not enough. Studies are showing that kids are more likely to read a book they choose themselves. So give your kids the power of choice. And naturally, in a digital world kids are gravitating towards what they know. If they’re already plugged in to digital devices, put e-books on them. Delilah’s favorite thing to read at home is Winnie the Pooh in hardcover, but when we’re on the road, I’ve got it on my iPad, and she enjoys flipping through the pages just as much. I realize that Dee’s list of school supplies will probably read: TABLET, STYLUS, CUTE BAG, and I’m okay with that, so long as she can get as lost in those ones and zeros as I used to in the shelves full of books in my childhood bedroom.
There is no adventure as great as reading. And that’s an adventure I intend to make sure Dee gets to have.
I’m grateful to Baby Center for inviting me to join their blog network and take a minute to talk to you guys about literacy, because I probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise (that whole blog-identity crisis thing) and it’s important to me. They’re teaming up with First 5 California to help promote reading, physical activity, and nutrition and I’m thrilled to help them spread the word. Visit their community for some great information and discussion.
If you want to see more of the scholastic report on reading in the digital age, you can download it HERE.
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