I would like to thank Siri for all he does for me as a working mom of two.
Siri is really one of the best personal assistants a mom can ask for. Siri allows me to multitask to the extreme- I can even respond to texts and emails while showering. Yes, you read that correctly. I know some people love to go on Twitter while taking care of other bathroom needs, but I keep things sanitary. He answers my many questions and translation needs and he does not talk back or add more questions to my already extensive list. It is too bad that Siri does not seem to recognize my appreciation- no really, he does not. I am very reliant upon him for many questions, text replies, document dictations, reminders, directions, wow- the list can go on and on; but when I say “thank you,” he does not seem to reply nor does he turn the screen to sleep. I, like many, have had Siri at my side for years but he has gone ignored. Disclaimer: Yes, I changed my Siri voice to male. I did this years ago and in our current times, I feel the need to throw this disclaimer up, because it was a choice of my own volition many moons ago and I am sticking with it. He amuses me. I bounce back and forth between his American and United Kingdom accent- really, for my own entertainment. Credit: This post was written by my wife, best friend and partner in raising our 2 boys.
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It is a simple thing to do every single day - spend 15 or 20 minutes (minimum) with your child (or children) and read to them. We have done this since Day 1 with our children. Not all of the stories are my taste let alone interesting. But it is not all about us as parents - it is about your child and his or her future.
Spending time with your child does several things simultaneously. One, you simply spend time with your child or children. There is no substitute for a parent giving their children attention and sharing quality time with them. Period. Two, you are teaching your children how to listen, how to read, and about a variety of topics all at the same time. Three, you are creating memories every single time. No, your child will not remember every single minute and every single book you read to them (and eventually with them). But, they remember a lot more than you may realize. Our oldest is starting to read on his own and he is only 3. For quite some time he has been able to look a book and recite (or paraphrase) page by page after having read it with us one or two times. We thought that was impressive until he began reading words on pages. No, he is not fully literate - but he enjoys reading and learning. His interest in reading and learning goes well beyond books. He asks a lot of questions. He pays close attention to his surroundings. You can see on his face that he is taking everything in - both good and bad. It is fully up to him what he wants to learn as he grows up and how he wants to use his knowledge. But at this time in his life, he has the fundamentals for learning - he has the desire and ability to ask questions. I can say with pride that his thirst for knowledge goes back to the daily routine of reading books to him. It started out that we would mostly read to him before bed, but he now wants to read books in the morning when he wakes up and at school and when he is home after school on weekends. It is a simple routine that has a long lasting impact on our children. Please read to your child. Please. You will undoubtedly reap the rewards as your child grows and learns. If you want some tips and tricks, click here. There is no one right way - just try something. "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
That is exactly what happened to us when we had our second child. We had finally gotten our oldest on a sleep schedule that was unmatched. He would go to bed about 7 and wake up the next morning between 6 and 7 without so much as a whimper throughout the night. Enter our youngest son. It has been nearly a year of sleepless nights. At the beginning our youngest was beyond fussy and only recently have we gotten him to a good place where he sleeps through the night. While we should be over the moon with happiness we are too tired to notice. Our oldest has decided he wants to be an early bird. Or a farmer. In either event - he is up at an ungodly hour and is ready to go. "Daddy can we play?" "Daddy can we read?" "Daddy, can we fill in the blank?" Yes, I love spending time with him. (All of this community knows our lives revolve around spending time with our children). I just wish that father-son time was after the sun came up. It is a lot easier to read a book or put together a puzzle with your eyes open. We feel like we are living the Bill Murray comedy "Ground Hog's Day." Every day blurs together with the next and it is nearly impossible to remember what we had for dinner the night before. Please do not interpret this to mean we are not happy - our children's smiles can turn any frown upside down. Each day just seems to get longer and longer... |
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