My children always enjoyed hearing me read out loud to them.
I would make birthday tapes and CD’s of their favorite books each year.
One of my sons has told me that if I would read his favorite series he would listen to me even now!
Was it any surprise to me that my daughter, who teaches at an Early Learning Centre, invited me to come as a Celebrity Reader to share my gift with the children under her care?
The two of us spent a delightful hour at the local library selecting all her favorite books,
Mine were packed in boxes and sitting in storage waiting for the day when they will be released!
During the week before Thanksgiving I took two bags of books ranging in suitability from 18 months to twelve, to her school, cleared my throat and prepared to read.
The first group were three year olds and they were all ready for me sitting neatly in a circle on a colorful rug.
I sat down with them and they swarmed me much to the dismay of their teacher who was worried I would catch any germs they were carrying. I already knew, when I heard the coughs and sneezes, sniffles and wheezes at the front door, that the writing was on the wall whether I kept my distance or milled around with them on the floor.
The air was thick with germs.
The young ones were a little noisy and I had to read in a slightly louder voice than usual but I managed an hour and the children enjoyed looking at pictures and hearing stories they’d not heard before and handing me a new book everytime I paused for a breath.
Next stop was the toddler room where I was pinned against a wall in their quiet corner by the adorable toddlers wanting to be connected to me and my bag of books.
This group were calm and attentive even though they were a wriggling pile of legs and arms in my feet.
At lunchtime I sat in my daughter’s room for an hour watching the serving of the midday meal. Then we went off into the playground to eat our sandwiches and drink a cup of coffee.
I read to her class until it twas time for me to go home.
I was seated at the lego table where I introduced them to Marvin K. Mooney, Junie B. Jones, Wilber, Patrick and Amelia Bedelia.
I was exhausted after five hours. Paris still had three more to go and some of the children had been there since 630 that morning.
My head was spinning with all the constant, stimulating company and I hope I was able to provide an oasis of peace to their super sensory day.
Bless you Pre-school teachers and after school teachers who provide a safe place for children to be while their parents work.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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