Let books be your dining table,
And you shall be full of delights
Let them be your mattress
And you shall sleep restful nights.
~Author Unknown
Childhood memories are special for everyone and almost
everybody delves into the world of their childhood once in a while and you know
what - everybody has something to tell about what really they did in their
childhood. Some liked to play their
favorite sports, some liked their friends, and some liked their
grandparents. But for me "reading
books" is what I say when someone asks me about the most enjoyable thing
that I did in my childhood and I suppose I inherited this habit from my father
and elder brothers who were avid readers.
There were plenty of books of all sorts lying on the bookshelf. When we were very young, my father used to
read out story books and comics to us like fairy tales, Phantom, Tintin, Tarzan
and we (my brothers and sister) all used to sit beside him and listened with
great interest and enthusiasm and often we found ourselves entering into the
world of imagination. My father never
said no when we approached him to buy books.
When I was about 7 or 8 and able to read and write independently, I
started picking up books from the shelf to read and since then went through so
many books that now it is impossible for me to recollect all. Some of the books that I liked most and went
over and over again over the years are A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Alice
in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, The Life and
Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, The Snow Queen by Hans Christian
Andersen and so son. I also got to read
a lot of books that were shared by my friends and it was real fun and those
sweet memories I still reminisce with nostalgia.
Reading books has many benefits and can prove beneficial for
children both mentally and morally. Reading
is a fun and great way to reduce the stresses of life and just unwind. With more reading comes better reading
skills, thus allowing easier comprehension.
I also used to read a lot of travel books and got to know a
lot about different geographic locations, places, religions, and people of
different cultures around the world. I
urge today's parents to allow their children to read a lot of good books, the
reason being it can teach them a lot.
Through reading, children can learn to read, think, and communicate
appropriately and fluently and books can help a child to develop these
skills. Whether they know it or not,
children are always hungry for knowledge.
Their capacity for learning is tremendous. I think parents should recognize that it is
important to arm children with knowledge.
The more they know, the better chance they stand of growing into
successful and happy adults. Those who
read extensively can become good writers too, have a strong vocabulary, be able
to express themselves and communicate effectively, and have good grammar and
spelling skills. Books can help children
to continuously inspire and promote creativity.
In today's chaotic and confusing world with so many negative elements
around them, children are often stressed and confused, though they are not able
to fully express these feelings and I think some good books should be made
available to them as a healthy choice for distraction, but do not force them to
read, just keep the books in a place where they can see them easily and I am
sure they will soon start picking up those books to read as I did in my
childhood.
I feel very sad when I see today's children sitting in front
of the TV and watching cartoons all day long.
Before 90s, when people saw a student with specks, they used to say,
“This boy/girl must be intelligent.” But
now, people say “He/she must be watching TV all day long.” Well, there is nothing wrong with watching TV
for an hour or two; however, if it gets to the point where all they are doing
is sitting on the couch all day, then there is a problem. With the popularity of computers and video
games in recent times, habit of reading has taken a backseat. I am very thankful that the idiot box and
video games were not there in my home when I was a child and books were my real
friends (still they are) as they helped me as true friends by providing
knowledge as well as sharpening my knowledge skills.
"A house without books is like a room without windows. No man has a right to bring up his children without surrounding them with books, if he has the means to buy them."
— Horace Mann
"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."
— Jacqueline Kennedy
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."
— Walt Disney
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