Summer Reading

                                 
It's the summertime again and I generally have no standards in the summer. I let the kids run around with no shoes on and watch endless hours of TV and go to bed whenever they want. They think it's their break but it's a break for us too. I may have loose standards in the summer but I'm not completely negligent. I make them read and help out around the house and try to maintain some type of order.

I asked daughter if she had finished the book that she checked out of the library. She said she hadn't so I told her she had to finish it this week. "But I don't want to." "Why not? You don't like it?" "I like it, I just don't want to." Well, welcome to the story of my life, doing things you don't want to do. "Well, you need to make sure you read the 400 pages for summer reading." Do you know what this child said to me? "I don't have to do that, all you get is an ice cream party anyway." She seems to think that summer reading is optional, which annoyed me. It kind of is, I guess, because there is no consequence if you don't do it but that's irrelevant.

"You know why you have to read? Because I don't want your brain to turn to mush over the summer. You NEED to be literate. You need to be able to read and write WELL so that one day you can go to college and get a job. A good job, because I am not going to support you in your adult years. That's why." Meanest mom ever. My youngest was like, "I'll do it." She must be excited to read herself out of my rule. Everyone agreed to read 400 pages after that. We don't read to get ice cream parties in this house. I don't reward things that you are expected to do. Otherwise, we would have a party every time I did the dishes.