The very first book that I ever read to my child was The Enchanted Forest by Enid Blyton. Granted he was three days old and two months premature so he probably wasn’t riveted by the land at the top of the Faraway Tree. He was focusing on important things like learning to breathe by himself and growing eyebrows.
But I read happily. And repeatedly. Let’s be honest not only was the sound of my voice meant to be beneficial to our bonding (and it was the only contact we were allowed) but I had really been looking forward to rereading those books since I finished them at about age ten.
Like many other people of my generation I grew up with Enid Blyton: Mr Pink Whistle, Noddy, The Wishing Chair, The Naughtiest Girl, The St Clare’s series, The Circus series and of course The Famous Five. And I tried to make my son grow up with the same memories by reading him all these books, while I still had a say.
Wherever you stand on the divide as to whether Enid Blyton was a “good” writer, a homophobe or a xenophobe there can be little denial of the pure escape that she offered in the pages of her books. Especially when looked at simplistically – as a child listening to a story, not as an adult looking for symbolism and classical literature.
No parents, lots of adventure and a guaranteed happy ending. The children in her books were responsible, mature and extremely industrious characters. They could catch thieves with no legal intervention, they could travel to far away lands and still be home in time for dinner, they could get through the entire school holidays without ever nagging their parents. And they never seemed to need toys, in fact I can barely even remember the characters spending any time indoors let alone at home.
Sufficeth it to say that as soon as he could make himself understood my son made it clear that Enid Blyton was not his choice of bedtime reading. It’s a funny thing how kids can sense the time setting of a book just by the opening lines. It’s also very funny (to them) that she uses the names Dick and Fanny. Actually now that I am older it’s also a little bit funny to me.
So instead of reading Enid Blyton we read Rony Roy, Dov Piley and Jeremy Strong, H Larry and Paul Jennings and many hundreds of others. We read for so long that we even graduated to people like Anthony Horowitz and JK Rowling. Reading aloud was part of our bedtime routine right until he started reading better than I did and was getting lost in books himself.
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Yesterday I read a report outlining the fact that many parents were no longer reading to their children at bedtime. Apparently two-thirds of parents surveyed read to their kids less than once a week by the time they turn five.
News reports
Research, to be released today, shows nationwide 83 per cent of parents with children aged between one and four read to them at least once a week. It’s a different story once youngsters start school, when the figure drops to 36 per cent.
I know I only have one child and the HUGE luxury of time and resources. I also acknowledge that it’s much easier to look back at parts of your life that have long passed with rose tinted glasses and more than a hint of “wasn’t life perfect then?” but Lord I loved reading to my son.
I loved rediscovering the stories of my youth (before my son stopped me), I loved seeing the world through the eyes of a child, I loved my son lying next to me listening to my voice while his mind whirred and buzzed with the lines of something make believe. Of course I loved it when we moved on from reading “picture books” repeatedly. The same one every single night. Again and again.
There is no wrong way or right way to parent your child, as long as you love them, so I am not saying that reading to my child made me a good mother (loving him did that) but I can’t imagine not having had that time together. I only wish I had been more persuasive with the Magic Faraway Tree – he would have bloody loved Upside Down Land.
Did you read to your kids? Are you still reading? Loving or loathing it?
Great post.. Huge fan of reading to children (as parent and English teacher) Some of my best early memories are of being read to in bed! Adored Enid Blyton despite bad press – perfect escapism (with lashings of food!)
Lashings! Love it xxx
That mention of St Clares brought back wonderful memories for me. I was a complete bookworm when I was young as is my eldest. But my ADHD son would never allow me to read to him, obviously because he never had the concentration, and I really missed it. To this day he has never read a book.
Has he tried audiobooks? I am developing a bit of a leaning for audiobooks these days as I walk the dogs. It’s an hour’s walk some days and I think how much reading I could be doing in that time……
My mom read to us every night without fail until we were in 3rd grade. When my cousins were born, we read to them. When they started learning how to read, we had family story time.
What beautiful family traditions xx
I always read to my two children. Every night they each got to choose a book and reading them was just part of the bedtime ritual. Best quality time for us and them. Some of the favourite reads included The Berenstein Bears (where it wasn’t Brother and Sister, but my two children’s names substituted) as well as Hairy McLairy and so many others that I’ve forgotten about.
I only stopped once the children could read by themselves and then reading for 1/2 hour before lights out became part of their bedtime.
Nothing beats quiet time with a book!
I LOVED The Berenstein Bears!! 🙂
The Berenstein Bears!!! I can even picture them as I write this.
And I love Hairy McLairy. In my family we call my very thin son Blitzer Maloney, I am Bottomly Potts – because I’m covered in spots (freckles) and my husband is Schintzel Von Krum because he’s got a rather large tum 🙂
Bear-y glad you enjoyed reading our stories and especially that you took time to read to your cubs!
I read a bit of Enid Blyton as a kid… I think I had a few hand-me-downs from my elder sisters… Noddy and Famous Five mostly… I seem to remember liking them…
I did have a few Dr. Seuss books… I think that’s where I got my love of the ridiculous and the surreal…
When I was older I loved The Wind In The Willows – it was the first “proper” book I ever read, and I still think back fondly of the gentle friendship between Ratty and Mole, and their adventures… but also of the consequences of behaving like Toad, even though he too was a gentle soul…
My husband was a HUGE Dr Seuss collector. Started buying copies for Little Pencil when I got my positive pregnancy results and was busy shopping for Enid Blyton books! Now my son reads Dr Seuss to his baby cousin.
Yesterday my son went to the Orthodontist and instead of being intimidated by the orthodontist we both agreed that he looked just like a Dr Seuss character. We didn’t agree this in front of him mind you – but if you remember the bee watcher’s watcher’s watcher’s watcher – that is what our orthodontist looks like!
Brilliant! 😀
No kids yet for me but I’ve kept all my dog-eared Enid Blyton books just in case- Magic Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair, Malory Towers, St Clare’s, Book of Fairies, Famous Five.
But I know one thing for sure- any girl of mine will definitely be getting an embarrassing read out loud version of ‘Are you there God, It’s me, Margaret,’ by Judy Blume. I remember my friends and I thinking how scandalous Judy Blume books were when we were kids- ‘We must, we must, increase our busts!’
As I commented on your Facebook post yesterday Lana, I bloody loved the Magic Faraway Tree series and in fact ALL Enid Blyton books when I was a kid. Except the Secret Seven. Couldn’t get on board with them, I was a Famous Five girl all the way. I always wanted to go camping on the moors and have a bed of springy heather and eat potted meat. Seriously.
I love kids books so much. I’m currently reading Desperaux to my 6 year old, and it’s a bit too old for her, but with some explaining, we’re both enjoying it immensley. Another book by the same author – the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tullane – is also fantastic. She also loves the Ivy and Bean books. As an adult, I am not a fan of Enid Blyton, I find her writing really labourious to read out loud, but as a child I loved her, and my daughter does too.
I have to share this fantastic book, called Imagine. It has the most beautiful illustrations – lots of finely drawn optical illusions. It’s absolutely wonderful. http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Imagine-Norman-Messenger/9780744592023
OMG that book is so beautiful. I want a copy *furiously thinks of next small person’s birthday as an excuse*.
When my son was young we owned every picture and pop up book I could get my hands on. We still have them and I can often be found just browsing through them and “popping” up pages
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