“We’re cozy in our den.
My mommy reads a book to me,
Then reads it once again.”
Nancy L. Sanders’ book Bedtime with Mommy brings back wonderful memories of childhood nights spent with my own mother as I snuggled under her arm for reading time.
Sanders’ book, copyrighted in 2021 by End Game Kidz, shares beautiful illustrations by Felia Hanakata of snuggles between a variety of mama animals and their babies. It also models an important connection with God through prayer and thanksgiving and the promises from His Word. What a wonderful way to instill a love of God in your child at such an early age.
“It’s bedtime here at MY HOUSE.
We sing a favorite hymn.
We close our eyes and say our prayers.
Then Mommy tucks me in.
I love bedtime with Mommy
When we turn off the light.
Her kisses, snuggles, prayers, and hugs
Are special every night!
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”—Proverbs 31:26
Since May is the month for Mother’s Day, this blog is a salute to anyone who has played that parenting role. What an awesome responsibility moms have in training up a child in the way he or she should go!
As an English teacher I always loved stories that contained symbolism. I taught those underlying meanings based on suggestions from the teacher’s guides as well as on my own insight.
Once when hosting a writer at my school, an audience member asked if the writer had intended a physical bridge in the book to be symbolic. The writer responded, “If the bridge speaks to you in a symbolic way, then, yes, that’s what I intended it to mean.”
While teaching Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story “The Masque of the Red Death,” I presented possible symbolic meanings for Poe’s use of colors. When a student asked how I knew the author’s intentions, I replied, “I don’t know for sure, but it makes for a more meaningful lesson!”
To me, those messages are God-inspired!
The world of beloved author Eric Carle speaks to me in similar ways. From his classic book The Very Hungry Caterpillar (©1969 by Penguin Random House):
“One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and—pop!—out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar [who became] a beautiful butterfly.”
Herein lies the transformation from birth to death to new life. These kinds of stories are often called allegories (simple on the surface but ripe with underlying meaning) and can be wonderful ways to explain the mysteries of our loving Creator to a young child.
Adults can use the loving characteristics in Carle’s I Love Mom (©2016 by Penguin Random House) to help children understand God’s love as well. Like a mom, God can lift them up, hold them close, and show them the way.
Carle’s The Tiny Seed (©1987 by Little Simon) can help children understand the seasons of life as well as God’s plan for their lives as they grow.
These books all give moms the opportunity to spend quality time discussing God-centered lessons with their children while at the same time making lasting memories.
As “The Literary Lyonesse” I encourage all of you to take the time to read quality literature to the children you know. Use the stories to discuss elements of literature such as plot, setting, character, and theme. Promote critical thinking by asking your child to make story predictions, find possible symbols, and discuss the moral values of the characters.
Also, check out some of the amazing devotionals for kids, and make reading a ritual at any time, day or night.
My Mama and Me, written by Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley, illustrated by Phyllis Harris, and copyrighted by Tyndale Kids in 2013, provides a perfect opportunity to develop that strong bond between mother and child. Each of the twenty-five devotions also contains a “Fun Idea for Mama and Me” that helps children remember the theme.
Use paper, crayons, and glue to make a Thank-You Tree. Draw a tree trunk with branches on a piece of light-colored paper. (Or you can glue real twigs onto the paper if you have some in your yard.) On bright-colored paper, draw and cut out several leaves. On each leaf, draw or paste a picture of something you are thankful for (food, pets, family, flowers). Then glue the leaves onto your tree.
“Reading with your child is one of the precious gifts of motherhood.”—back cover of My Mama and Me
Help the children in your life to understand the power of story, and teach them about The Most Powerful Story of all!
I am thankful for a mother who loved me and read to me and shared God’s story and His promises with me.
May you remember similar moments with your own mom, and may you make memorable moments for a child to treasure in the future.
“I hold my special Bible. We find my favorite Psalm. We read about God’s promises. I’m peaceful now and calm.”—Nancy I. Sanders
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”—Dr. Seuss
“He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark.”—J. K. Rowling
“I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.”—E. M. Forster
2 Timothy 2:15; Isaiah 66:13; Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Luke 18:16
