Books rule!

In a very exciting development in the Amagasu household, Zeke now chooses books over TV pretty much any time he is given the choice.

That's right--the printed word over the electronic image. Active imagination over passive observation.

Yeah for the clever little boy!

And he has essentially done this on his own. Shanti and I have always read to him, but it's more of a weekend thing, when we've got all day to kill. On the weekdays, we usually close the day with a bath, jammies, brushing teeth, then a 20-30 minute snuggle on the couch in front of the TV. We've done this since he was an infant, and it's great because it calms him down before bed. Plus, we're exhausted, and it allows us to parent from the preferred horizontal position.

Lately though, the small boy has been lobbying for changes to the program. He now requests specific books at bedtime, and when the attending parent (in the interest of full disclosure) explains that "it's books OR TV, not books AND TV," he voluntarily forgoes the electronic entertainment in favor of the hard-bound variety. I'm feeling a teensy-weensy bit of shame over the fact that he found this path on his own and that I didn't exactly pave it for him, but I'm grateful all the same and happy to help him on his journey.

Current Amagasu book selections:

Ali: Paula Spencer (by Roddy Doyle) Excellent by the way. I recommend it highly.

Shanti: Even Brook Trout Get the Blues (unknown fish-loving author)

Zeke: Slinky Malinky: Catflaps (Lynley Dodd)