Brett and Rebecca

Top Model (not the Tyra kind)

by Rebecca of eensies.com

Recently, as winter has finally really settled in here in Brooklyn, I’ve been opting to stay in after my daughter’s afternoon nap rather than freeze my tush off. The other day, after an hour and a half of puzzles, dancing, reading, helping her “make dinner” in her kitchen, drawing and playdough, i was out of tricks and more importantly out of patience. Yes, my first instinct was to grab for the remote, but instead I turned on her favorite CD, You Are My Little Bird, grabbed MY book and sat down in the corner of her room and read. A good friend of mine had mentioned that she sometimes does this while her son plays and I was inspired to give it a go.

It was amazing, seriously! She completely engaged herself and I got a MUCH needed break. What makes this even better (and relevant to eensies) is the underlying message I was sending her. I am a reader! What’s more important than letting your child know that you value this activity yourself? The best way to get your kids excited about reading is for you to model reading. So give it a try!

Some other good times to try this at home are while your child is doing their homework, while she sets the table or while she is doing her nightly reading. It doesn’t have to be daily, but make it a priority to get the message across, you’re a reader.

Brett Blair and Rebecca Caban first crossed paths eight years ago while pursuing their graduate degrees at the Bank Street College of Education. They’ve been working and playing together since then.  Brett has taught for the past 10 years in Kindergarten through the 3rd grade. She currently teaches first grade at a renowned Manhattan public school and happily lives with her husband in the village.  After teaching for 10 years, Rebecca is now being taught by her 2 year old daughter while spending their days together at home in Brooklyn. While in the classroom, she taught pre-K through the 3rd grade and spent time coaching other teachers.

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