Our family loves to read books individually and together. Every night Tony or I read to our children. I personally LOVE when Tony reads to us. He reads books he enjoyed as a child, and excels at bringing these stories to life!
We read the entire Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen. This series, different than anything we had read before, caused us to pause and ponder:
- How would I hold up in a similar situation?
- Would I have the grit necessary to push through?
- Do I have basic survival skills?
Our awareness and desire to immerse ourselves more fully in nature has increased.
Tony wrote, “In Hatchet, Brian is thrust into a wilderness survival situation with nothing but a hatchet his mother had given him. Through the story he has to learn how to find food to eat, water to drink, build shelter and clothing, and make fire. He also deals with wounds from a porcupine, a bear encounter, a moose attack, and a tornado. While he had almost zero preparation for any of this, he was able to think through his problems and find solutions. He had to constantly observe his surroundings, process what he learned, and deduce how to overcome bad situations. Through mental acuity and toughness he was able to not only survive, but thrive. It is the same with us. We don’t need the latest cool guy (or girl) gear; we can reason out solutions to our problems with some dedicated thought, creativity, diligence and mental resilience.”
I highly recommend reading Hatchet and Brian’s Winter aloud as a family. Adults and children alike will be moved to think more about nature, survival skills, and give thanks for the countless things taken for granted everyday.
When we put in the time our pay days will come. One of my pay days came as we were driving in the car. Zaylee said, “Mom, I am richer by far you see… I have a mother AND father who read to me!” It may not be elaborate or flashing lights, but the simple consistent efforts make the biggest different.
Make reading aloud to your kids a priority. You will never regret the time spent reading with your kids!
💕 Terynn