Reading to children, the importance of

Some time ago, a friend posted this story on Facebook. It just speaks so much to me about two things. First is about some of the ways that we as parents act in trying to ensure the success of our children. The other is the subject near and dear to my heart -- the importance of reading, out loud, to children. I think I am just going to leave this here:

Once one of the parents at my school noticed that V had good reading skills, and grabbed my arm in a quiet panic, wanting to know what my secret was. "I....read her books?"

She was so disappointed, hoping I'd let her in on the strategy, the technique that would let her rack up points too in the parenting game I was winning without even wanting to play. Something quick and linear and effective, for people who don't have time to read bedtime stories.

(She and her husband both have incredibly intense, travel-heavy jobs that leave them with insane schedules. I like them both a lot, though I rarely get to see them. But no, I don't have the magic bullet, that isn't snuggling up with your kids and reading bedtime stories.)