confessions…

of a former elementary school teacher-turned-parent:

my very least favorite homework assignment to do with the kids is their daily reading aloud practice.  HATE IT.  and it is expected to be done EVERY SINGLE DAY.  now, i know the value of daily reading practice for fluency, for comprehension, yeah yeah yeah.  but no one ever says how brain-numbingly boring it is for the parent who must sit through the excruciating 15-20 minutes of a child’s monotone voice stumbling over words nicknamed “rule breakers” and therefore are not sound-out-able and so require said parent to actually be paying attention enough to help with those pesky words.  unfortunately for me, listening to my child’s monotone reading voice works faster and more effectively than the strongest sleeping pill in a matter of seconds.  though i am supposed to be alert, holding up the book, and enthusiastically following along with my child so that her love of reading flourishes to heights unknown, i am out cold in ten seconds flat.  every single time.

thankfully and oddly enough, my child has yet to notice and if she has, hasn’t seemed bothered by my snoring next to her in the least.

the funny thing is? 

my dad used to do the exact same thing back in the day when i had to read aloud to him.  snoring.  right next to me.

except that i used to get very bothered by it and somewhat offended that he’d be fast asleep instead of riveted and enthralled by my exceptional reading skills.  and so i’d elbow him and huff my displeasure.  and yet, he’d never get mad at the rude awakening but would mumble out a sleepy, “sorry, sorry” and then be out again seconds later.

hmm.

this makes me very thankful for my daughter who never elbows me now that i’m doing the same thing to her.

also very thankful for my dad who never got upset at me for being upset at him. because i know i surely would not take an elbow in the ribs too well now that i’m the parent.

hmm.