But it’s a lovely–and in truth one of our favorite traditions–one well worth pursuing.  Just keep at it; you will succeed and be the happier for it!

Here’s what to do:

*Choose an evening, any evening which works well for you; a time when you’re all home and have nothing pressing planned.  Selecting a night and setting it aside for Nineteenth Century Evening has the best chance for success.  For instance our evening is Tuesday.  And yes things will occasionally come up, but don’t let that throw you off track.  Simply regroup and forge ahead.

*Get prepared.  Select several great Read Alouds; whether in actual book form or via cd, cassette tape (there are still a few out there!), audio podcast, etc.  Make or buy some treats you don’t normally have.   Raid your game cupboard and pull out those games you haven’t played in a long time, or which (horrors) are still in their shrink wrap!  The important thing is to make certain you and your children are interacting with one another, or listening together to the sound of a human voice.  Making pictures in your own head – without the dubious benefit of someone else’s artwork and imagery.

*Turn off all electrical/battery operated gizmos!  This is the tricky part, (and the area where the above mentioned opposition has arisen), particularly if you’ve a child addicted to inordinately fond of his/her ipod, phone, whatever.  But stand firm, collect those mind numbing gizmos and keep hold of them.  {They’ll thank you in the end.  Honest.}

*Now simply enjoy being together.  If you’ve teenagers who are used to being in different rooms, or who are perpetually “plugged into” something this can be a bit difficult.  But again, do not give up!  In our family it’s common for two or three to play a card or board game, while another (usually myself or one of older students) reads and our youngest works on a craft or project, probably for scouts, and often with Dad’s help.

Sometimes everyone listens to me read aloud, sometimes we all listen to a book on cd.

{And of course the Food Factor doesn’t hurt either!}

Nineteenth Century Evening is a few hours of peace and quiet and being together.  The way families lived for generations, before a smart phone in every hand changed things.

N.B.  Over the years we’ve experimented with going totally purist with Nineteenth Century Evening idea a few times and actually lit an oil burning lamp or candles to read by. 

But…. usually not.

Electric lamps, a boom box (remember those?), if you’re listening to a cd or book on tape, and of course air conditioning during those summer months are allowed! (Naturally a wood fire if you have one is lovely in the winter).

So give Nineteenth Century Evening a try, and do let me know how it goes!

Gathered around Star Wars Battle Ship.

Yes.

Though honestly I think one of the most important traits of good parenting, one of the most important and beneficial things which I’ve done has been to establish Traditions.

{And yes it’s deserving of a capital “T”.}

I have a quite extensive list of the Traditions our family embraces, but one of the most important and longest lasting; beginning when our oldest was an infant and continuing right through today, is Reading Aloud.

{Yes again, deserving of capitals.  If I could attach bells and whistles I’d do that as well.}

We have always always Read Aloud.

Beginning with picture books (at least three a night, plus and usually including Good Night Moon), adding chapter books (but keeping those beloved JP tales), and onward; from the inevitable Harry Potter through Dickens.

We Read Aloud at bedtime, at teatime, during road trips, whilst camping.  During Nineteenth Century Night we switch off that television and Read Aloud.

There are so many great books to choose from.  I have lists and lists, and can’t possibly include them all here.

But naturally I can get you started on a few which, sadly, I believe don’t receive the press they ought to today.

Check out the books below, give them a read – and do tell me what you think!

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

One of the most beautiful coming of age novels ever.  Still two of my children’s (now teens) favorite book.

Hitty:  Her First Hundred Years

 I just finished this as a Read Aloud to my youngest child.  A nine year old boy (very into sports and ninjas and all that) who loved it.  Just goes to show ya!

The Peterkin Papers

Humor at it’s finest, and thickest!

One of our many Book Baskets

But some books are great books. Some books make you think. Some books make you cry. Some books even make you read. They are so riveting that you become immersed, letting time slip away while you sit cozy on your couch with a book in your hand.

It’s tricky to find these kind of books for teenagers because they are so attached to their friends/gadgets/activities. Two local authors have managed to do it this year and their books would make a great last-minute Christmas gift for the teen on your list.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

This is story is out of the box for Evans, whose feel-good novels I always purchase for my grandmother. Michael Vey is a teenage boy with special powers. Due to some odd circumstances in the hospital when he was born, Michael has electric powers that can shock. He is surprised when he meets a girl with similar powers, and when they begin to look into the source of their powers, danger sneaks in. Michael overcomes harrowing situations to protect the ones he loves. Teen boys will be drawn in by the fast pace of the story.

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed is the sequel to Condie’s bestseller Matched that came out last year. In this story Cassia risks everything to find Ky, whom the Society has taken away from her. Her search leads her not only back to the boy she loves, it also reveals a world she has never known. Cassia is once again forced to evaluate her values and her heart as she decides which path to choose and which people she can truly trust. This is a great, clean teen romance; perfect for the girl on your list.

Beach, by Elisha Cooper: The watercolors in this book are stunning. It celebrates and focuses on all the “little things” at the beach and the things people do near, in or around the sand and water. This is one of the most beautifully illustrated picture books I have seen in a while. I absolutely loved it (more than my kiddos actually).

Beach Day, written by Karen Roosa and illustrated by Maggie Smith The book is cute. It has a bouncy verse to it. The two girls in the book look the exact ages of my two girls so it appealed to us tons! My daughters loved it and it reminds me of their relationship and how much fun the beach is to little children.

Just Grandma and Me, by Mercer Mayer This book is perfect for us. We are planning on spending 10 days at the beach and it is all we can think about. The book follows a fun day at the beach with Grandma. We love the Little Critter series.

Wave, by Suzi Lee This is a wordless book, painted in just two shades of water color. It follows a little girl’s day at the beach. This is one of our all time favorite books.

Kids need beach reads too, bring this along on your upcoming beach trip!

The Napping House by Audrey Wood and Don Wood:  The artwork is soothing on its own, in a misty shade of blue, which makes it perfect for a nighttime book. But the storyline is so silly it might keep your kids up giggling with you for a bit. First, they show the cozy bed, followed by the snoring granny, the dreaming child, dozing dog, snoozing cat, slumbering mouse and finally, the wakeful flea. You’ll have to see what happens and if any sleep gets done in this house!

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson and Beth Krommes is a book that was released in 2008 that quickly became a favorite for bedtime in our home. The illustrations are dark but etched with gold coloring which gives it a really cool look. The text is very poem-like and also gives off a feel of an oldtime “tale,” which makes it feel like this book could have been published decades ago.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw.
Alright I am a big baby and this book makes me cry every single time, without fail! It’s a beautiful story about children growing up, the bond with mothers and unconditional love. This is why we have bedtime routines!

For me, at the end of the day, I am beat. I really have very little left in me but I am always so glad when I take 5 minutes to read my girls a bedtime book. I need to be even better at this!

Katy Did It! by Lorianne Siomades:  Katy loves to hop, although one day she makes a lot of mistakes while trying to hop around town. The character Lou starts exclaiming, “Katy did it! Katy did it!” which is negative at first. Then Katy figures out how to help. She saves an ant hill and the “Katy did it!” takes on a whole new meaning. There is a great message in this book. The colors in the illustrations are such fun and kids can really relate to this storyline.

Sweet Dreams Lullaby by Betsy E. Snyder:   I love when I find bedtime books that just want me to say, “AWWW” the entire time while reading. I love this book. I love the beautiful coloring, the soothing tempo the text brings and most importantly, I love the cute little bunny. Add this one to your bedtime routine. It will quickly become a favorite.

Forget-Me-Not by Michael Broad:  What could be cuter than a sweet little elephant? I love the illustrations of the baby elephant surrounded by forget me nots. I want the prints in my little girl’s room. It is a great story about a mother’s love, listening to direction and remembering what your mama always tells you.

I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore:
In the book the son asks his mother if she would still love him even if he was an alien, a monster in a swamp, etc. The mother always replies that she would, and even tells him how she would make it work and still help him to feel special.

Reading books together is such a sweet time. I love books that mirror this. Hope you enjoy!

Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks and Sue Hendra. As soon as you see this book the funky, bright-colored monsters catch your eye. They are colorful enough to not be scary but not softened so much to the point where they don’t look like monsters either! The monsters don’t like broccoli in this book, but by the end, they are munching on it! The parts that make us laugh are when the monsters burp after a great meal, when they eat spaceships with forks and the fact that they ARE eating broccoli at the end and don’t even know it.

Joey and Jet in Space by James Yang is full of dogs, spaceships, robots and adventure. Who wouldn’t love that? I love the digital pen & ink drawings. It’s almost like a really colorful comic book. The gadgets in the book are very imaginative. The fun relationship between the boy and his dog is cute, and this is a book you’ll find yourself reading over and over and over.

Boris and the Wrong Shadow by Leigh Hodgkinson. I love illustrators who use collage techniques in their books and this one does a great job at it. It tells the tale of a mouse who takes the cat’s shadow while the cat is sleeping! The cat sets out to get rid of his new mouse shadow and reclaim his cat shadow. They both learn a little about what the other goes through and end up really loving who they are.

For Just One Day by Laura Leuck and Marc Boutavant is a book I love because it helps you and your child explain your imagination. You really feel part of the story instead of just looking at it from the outside. You feel very included. You imagine yourself as chimp, whale and butterfly.

Think outside the box and pick up a few books you wouldn’t normally try. You might be surprised to find a whole new style of books that you and your child really enjoy!

We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow is a fantastic book about nature just in time for spring. The illustrations are bright, eye catching and unique. The text is bouncy, poetic and the perfect length to keep the attention of your kids. The book’s message is wonderful too; it teaches you to appreciate nature and the value of its preservation for the future of families throughout the world.

Song of the Flowers by Takayo Noda celebrates the flowers of spring with a nice lullaby rhyme. This is a soothing book that is perfect for bed. We love the very bright and bold colors used in the illustrations.

My Garden by Kevin Henkes is a fun story with a main character that we all fell in love with, a cute little daydreaming girl. I love the feel of the watercolor illustrations and softer colors. Umbrellas pop out of the garden when it rains and tomatoes are as big as beach balls. This little girl has fun daydreaming about her garden!

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert is a classic that leaves me thinking I need to plant a rainbow flower garden as well. It also goes over educational things like yearly cycle and process of planning, planting, and picking flowers in a garden. The bond that the mother and child form in the book is adorable. We loved this book so much we bought it for our home library.

One Red Apple by Harriet Ziefert and Karla Gudeon is a book that seems like it came from your grandmother’s book shelf. It goes over the life cycle of an apple: from fruit growing on the tree to market, to picnic, to seed, to sapling and tree, and finally to a new apple.

Hope you enjoy our library picks this week to help you get in the mood for spring! Grab the books and read them outside under a tree with your family.

I spoke to my pediatrician about it.  “She looks at me as if I should be teaching her something.”

He shook his head.  Had he ever heard that one before?  His only advice:  “Just enjoy her.” Well of course I enjoy her.  But what should we enjoy doing together?  When she looks at me so eagerly, what should I talk about?  Isn’t there something I can teach her?  These were new questions I hadn’t thought about while reading my What to Expect When You’re Expecting book.  It was quite a shock to realize I had a college degree and not a single answer.

Luckily, others did—and had written about it. So while I nursed my baby, I started devouring parenting books trying to give myself a quick degree in “mommy-hood.”  My favorites were books like How to Give Your Baby Encyclopedic Knowledge and Slow and Steady Get Me Ready. These books advocated what I hoped:  you can teach your baby anything.  The wide-eyed stare from my newborn could signal the start of meaningful learning time right now.

“What can we learn about today?” became our daily mantra.  I showed her pictures of different kinds of birds and flowers.  We listened to nursery rhymes in French.  We counted the zebras at the zoo.  My friend and I used to choose an animal, a composer and an artist each week to teach to our toddlers. We’d check out all the library books on bears, listen to Mozart and paint dot pictures like Seraut.

Over the top? I don’t know. I could teach her the names of all the Disney characters (which she learned anyway) or I could teach her to recognize types of flowers and great art. This focus gave me the direction I craved as a new mom and, perhaps more importantly, heightened my enjoyment of my daughter (and of the whole world.)

I now have four daughters ranging in ages from twelve to three.  The luxury of those endless learning hours have given way to junior high school play practices, dance carpools, and “Can you take me to the mall please?”  That baby who once looked at me so wide eyed, now says, “I know” once every ten minutes.  Yet “What can we learn about today?” remains our mantra and the source of some of our best family times.  Even when our mommy-plates become very full, there are many ways we can do this.  And that’s what this blog is about:  tips and tricks for weaving learning, especially reading and writing, into every stage and phase of our homes and our children’s lives.

I’m looking forward to writing about it.