A Legacy in Fairy Tales Many scientists believe in the long term value of talking to your children as they develop. Children who are read to develop language and reading skills much faster than their peers, and every mother of a restless child knows that the best way to get a child to be agreeable at bedtime is with a story. I’d like to explore how family stories and fairy tale traditions shape each following generation. For me, my mother raised me on books. When I was very young, I was obsessed with books. I could spend hours reading. Often, discipline meant my books being taken away for an afternoon. I owe this passion to my mother, who read to my brother and I from a very young age. As long as I can remember, bedtime meant a song and a
…show more content…
While my mother grew up almost entirely with children, my grandfather was the only child in his immediate and extended family for a very long time. His first cousin was born when he was 12. He grew up in a time where adults had very little knowledge on what to do with a child. He was never read to as a child, but filled his time with other activities. His family lived in a three room apartment that was two miles away from his grandparent’s house, where he spent a lot of time. His grandfather worked in a refinery and didn’t drive. Instead, he had a penny farthing, and he would sit my grandfather on the handlebars and they would ride to the park. His summers were spent on the Asbury Park boardwalk in Northern New Jersey. Some days, he would catch a bus with his friends and go into Elizabeth, New Jersey, or even travel as far as New York City and see the Giants play. As he aged, books became more important. Now, my grandfather is one of my biggest reading influences. He retired a few years ago, and lives in South Jersey with my grandmother. He likes reading books on travel and boating. In the summers I come visit, and we often swap books and read them on the beach
While my mother grew up almost entirely with children, my grandfather was the only child in his immediate and extended family for a very long time. His first cousin was born when he was 12. He grew up in a time where adults had very little knowledge on what to do with a child. He was never read to as a child, but filled his time with other activities. His family lived in a three room apartment that was two miles away from his grandparent’s house, where he spent a lot of time. His grandfather worked in a refinery and didn’t drive. Instead, he had a penny farthing, and he would sit my grandfather on the handlebars and they would ride to the park. His summers were spent on the Asbury Park boardwalk in Northern New Jersey. Some days, he would catch a bus with his friends and go into Elizabeth, New Jersey, or even travel as far as New York City and see the Giants play. As he aged, books became more important. Now, my grandfather is one of my biggest reading influences. He retired a few years ago, and lives in South Jersey with my grandmother. He likes reading books on travel and boating. In the summers I come visit, and we often swap books and read them on the beach