Don't Take This the Wrong Way . . .

Before I had children of my own, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what it would take to be a good mother, but--as I have admitted on several occasions--some aspects of parenthood are a lot more difficult than I imagined they would be. And in many cases, I just don't cut it.

For example, I am not really good at doing little girls' hair or putting false eyelashes on them.

 

I also lack fashion sense and can't quite coordinate my kids' outfits the way some more skillful mothers do.

 

(And, yes, I think I've mentioned before that all three of my kids want to be pirates when they grow up.)

Sometimes I bend the safety rules to let my kids have a little fun.

 

I'm not even much of a vegetable gardener, and I couldn't keep a potted plant alive to save my own life (although my roses are looking quite nice this year).

 

Anyway, the one redeeming quality I always fall back on is that I did get that master's degree in English a few years ago.

Sometimes--when I see someone from my old high school when I'm shopping with my not-so-well-behaved kids, or run into someone from church when my little ones are not looking quite as well dressed or groomed as one might expect, or when I look at the ratty mess at the back of Alaina's hair and wonder myself if she actually does have a mother, or even when I write/say/think something that turns out not to be 100 percent gramatically correct--I wish I could hold up a sign that says "I have a master's degree in English," just so people would realize I am not completely lacking in all competence (or at least that I haven't always been).

So, to get to my point.

The other day after school I was talking to Ben's teacher about my son's lack of desire to attend summer school. (Benjamin has been recommended to a program to strengthen his reading skills . . . classes start a few days after regular school ends and go until the END of July. I wonder why he is not excited--I wish I could go!)

Ben's teacher was explaining that the program will help him keep the benefits of all the hard work he has put into learning to read this year.

From the start, I have thought the program would benefit Ben, because it is very difficult to get him to read at home. He does, however, LOVE to be read to, and would listen to books for hours if he could--especially at bed time. But I will get to that in a minute.

As I was talking to Mrs. P, though, she mentioned that for some kids reading through the summer would happen naturally because reading is just a big part of the family's life and routine.

As opposed to our family????

Let me introduce you to my family, and our apparently little-known familiarity with literacy.

 

I have read pretty much every day to all three of my children since they were born. With Ben, I even tried to read to him BEFORE he was born (a little enthusiastic, I was).

 

My children feel more at home at our local library than they do anywhere else (with the possible exception of Grandma's house).

 

I don't think we have EVER missed a story time (okay, maybe one or two--but those were in cases of extreme illness). We know all the children's librarians by name, all the songs and rhymes by heart, all the best spots to find books.

 

We join the summer reading club every year, and attend all the activities--we even wore out the handle on our library tote bag.

 

I think few could match our enthusiasm for the library!

We have books in every available space in our small home. I can't pass a bookstore, book fair, or even book shelf at the library without picking up a book.

 

And then there's that master's degree in English that I mentioned earlier.

As you can imagine, Ben's teacher's comment cut to the core of my entire self-concept.

I have always hoped, and even believed, that in at least this one area I AM NOT A NEGLIGENT MOTHER!

We read with our kids!

I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Still, I am thinking of having some T-shirts printed. I am just not sure which slogan would put it best:

I Have a Master's Degree in English

Literary Lisa, M.A.

My Other Degree is in Linguistics

Kiss the English Teacher

It might make me feel better.

What do you think?