To the Parent Who Wonders If They're Doing It Wrong

Hey, you — the one who bought the beautiful books, cleared a spot on the nightstand, and still ended up with a kid who'd rather do literally anything else than sit still for a story.

First things first: you're doing a great job. Truly. The fact that you're even reading this means you care, and caring is most of the work.

Here's a secret from the author's desk: not every child falls into reading like a warm bath. Some wade in slowly. Some splash. Some refuse the water entirely for a year and then one Tuesday ask you to read the same poem six times in a row. All of that is reading. All of that counts.

If bedtime stories are a battle, try reading a single poem at breakfast instead. If your child squirms, let them squirm — listening doesn't require stillness. If they want the same book again, read it again. Repetition is how small humans memorize the music of language.

And on the nights you're too tired, when the dishes are loud and the laundry is louder, skip the story. Tuck them in. Whisper something kind. That counts too.

You are not doing it wrong. You are doing it slowly, and lovingly, and in the only way that works for your particular kid. Keep going.

With warmth,

— The Author