Sunday, May 15, 2011

On Fathers Reading to Childern

I read recently that seventy percent of all incarcerated inmates enter prison illiterate.

A long time ago, I heard a scenario described on the radio. A card company donated Mother's Day cards to a prison. The inmates could chose a card and mail it off to their mom. This idea went over much better than anticipated. If I remember correctly, the card company made at least two more deliveries of cards because there was so much interest.

They were a bit stunned at the interest but they were also spurred on. Since the Mother's Day cards were such a hit, the company decided to provide cards for Father's Day as well.

But...not a single inmate sent a card to their father for free.

Not just a lot less interest. No one mailed a card on Father's Day. This speaks volumes.

How much of the world could be changed by a father taking the time to read to his children?

A simple, almost daily act could change a child's life. Reading to children inspires a desire to read, exposes to new ideas, provides a time for touch, connection, and a way to say that the child is important.

The father of my children (just for the record -- he is also my husband) reads to them most every day. Even the twelve-year-old boy who dreams of adventures and moving out on his own, and who can read 20 books in a few days, loves to be read to by his father (and his mother, too).

I knew it was a gift how much their father loves them.

But perhaps it is an even greater gift than I realized that the highlight of our day is daddy reading aloud to the children.

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What about you? Do you think it could change the world to have fathers read most every day to their children?

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing the story about the prison inmates...oh how much the world needs fathers! So grateful that your children have such a wonderful father, and grateful for my only incredible husband/father of our children, as well.

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  2. I am popping over from Gg - Notes on the Journey to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for your recent support during my dad's open heart surgery. He is doing so well.

    Over 60 comments with prayers and well wishes, including yours. Such sweetness. It helped me not feel quite so alone, having recently moved to Chicago.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

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  3. Poignant post! I pray for the fatherless... especially those with fathers!

    Blessings, Debbie

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  4. I think that Fathers being more a part of their children's lives could fix almost everything that's wrong with the world. My hubby often reads to the kids and falls asleep!

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Thanks for being part of the conversation...I love hearing from you. Kathleen

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