Secret dad tip

If you& #39;re just getting started in the dad biz, one of the best things you can do is to read to your kids EVERY DAY.

I& #39;m clocking in at 13 years and it checks a lot of boxes:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="☑" title="Kästchen mit Häkchen" aria-label="Emoji: Kästchen mit Häkchen"> time w/kids
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="☑" title="Kästchen mit Häkchen" aria-label="Emoji: Kästchen mit Häkchen"> vocab
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="☑" title="Kästchen mit Häkchen" aria-label="Emoji: Kästchen mit Häkchen"> can discuss content
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="☑" title="Kästchen mit Häkchen" aria-label="Emoji: Kästchen mit Häkchen"> tricks your kids into loving books/you

Secret dad tip 2.0

I kind of hate when I read advice like "do this hard thing every day and if you don& #39;t you& #39;re a lazy jerk" so let me add some finer points to my advice:

Secret dad tip 2.1

It& #39;s ok to skip a day, but really make an effort not to. When reading longer books we usually take a night off between books. consistency of routine is important for kids. this will also help establish good bed times and bedtime routines.

Secret dad tip 2.2

You& #39;ll have lots of days where you are too tired or just don& #39;t want to read. I do too. I push myself to read regardless. I just make it non-negotiable. Getting into the same book nook, couch, bed, etc. helps a lot. It gets you & the kids in the mindset to read

Secret dad tip 2.3

When the kids are younger you will get bored of reading the same book they LOVE for the hundredth time. Suck it up. They are learning and they love the time with you.

Secret dad tip 2.4

We did "bigger" stories starting around 6 or so (e.g. Narnia). They& #39;ll probably forget some of these and you can reread them later. You& #39;re READING so you can skip, change, do voices, stop and explain... whatever helps them understand the story. They& #39;ll get it.

Final secret dad tip:

Go deep on a genre. We& #39;ve read every (EVERY) Encyclopedia brown story. At least twice each. My kids and I now often riff off the story patterns like it& #39;s tween-detective JAZZ. We change the stories, analyse the patterns, create absurd variations. It& #39;s fun.