I have a confession to make. I fall asleep while reading aloud to the kids. I even fall asleep while they are reading aloud to me in the middle of the day. It is not occasionaly it has become more and more frequent. It is to the point where the kids point it and out and try to prevent it or bring me back to awake time.
The other day Ciaran was reading and I recall him asking me "What does this sound make?" and from what can only be a dream induced sleep I responded with a full explanation of DRM technology. To which he shook me awake and looked dumbfounded. He wanted to know what "br" says. I somehow in my brain saw DRM and thought my 6 year old son wanted to know about it and launched into a full explanation of it.
Another time he was reading aloud to me "Green Eggs and Ham" for the fourth time this week and he asked me if I could please keep my eyes open. To which I truthfully replied, "No. We have to finish this later when I wake up more fully." I feel bad because he is working so hard at it and has done a great job with reading lately and is so proud of it. But how can it come across to a child, that it is not him and his reading but rather me.
I think it is worse when I am the one reading aloud and I start to skip words unintentionally, reread words or speak gibberish. Apparently I have fully fallen asleep according to Rhiannon in the middle of a sentence. Maybe I need loads of caffeine when we read in the middle of the day - or to walk laps while we read - something to keep my brain awake when it wants to be asleep.
So yes I read aloud to my kids all the time. I hope they will forgive me and one day forget all the times I fell asleep while doing it in the middle of the day!
May 10, 2007
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it makes me feel so much better that i'm not the only one this happens to!
ReplyDeleteSo funny! I yawn non-stop while reading aloud. Must be a oxygen/carbon dioxide conflict of some sort. I feel so much better knowing I'm not weird.
ReplyDeleteAs an HS Dad, I too fall prey to this, even when it is an interesting story - we read Charlotte's Web, and are now on Heidi, before we close this year with Cricket in Times Square (and attendant unit study- yay!)
ReplyDeleteI find that the concept of a 'siesta' for dad (somewhere around 12:30-1:30 time zone) is what I need to keep going- and I only have two DS/DD!
Caffeine isn't a good long-term solution, nutrition is (yes, I read that comment about 'lunch in the car' - NO SUGAR!! As a Shaklee distributor, I can tell you, the supplements changed our lives! I would never be without them- and, even so, I STILL need a nap from time to time- we call it 'quiet time' after lunch. Then, I can tackle afternoon school, music lessons, etc. That's my two cents, for what it is worth..... sandrajlmataoldotcom