The Joys of Having a Child Who Can Read

[*Jessica*]

We can't get away with spelling things we don't want the boys to know about any longer....because Nik always figures out what we're discussing!

We have to be careful about the books and magazines we leave in the bathroom, because he might pick them up and start reading things we aren't quite prepared to discuss yet. (I can't remember exactly what book it was that made us realize that one.)

And tonight the dinner I had planned had to be scrapped because Marc didn't get home until too late with a critical ingredient. I offered bagels with cream cheese and fruit salad for an alternative dinner.......Nik brought me How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman from the bookshelf! He figured there had to be something in there that we could make since it tells you how to cook everything!

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by *Jessica*

We can't get away with spelling things we don't want the boys to know about any longer....because Nik always figures out what we're discussing!

We have to be careful about the books and magazines we leave in the bathroom, because he might pick them up and start reading things we aren't quite prepared to discuss yet. (I can't remember exactly what book it was that made us realize that one.)

And tonight the dinner I had planned had to be scrapped because Marc didn't get home until too late with a critical ingredient. I offered bagels with cream cheese and fruit salad for an alternative dinner.......Nik brought me How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman from the bookshelf! He figured there had to be something in there that we could make since it tells you how to cook everything!

LOL

my son had a BD in Nov, turned 4. the week after his birthday -- a child who can not read and who can not ID all his letters -- was sitting with me, i was on the phone with my mom -- i SPELLED the word CHRISTMAS TREE and Theo YELLED OUT "Christmas Tree??? when do we get it"

I about fainted.

and my Newphew was 5 when Sis spelled -b-it-c-h to me about someone and he piped up "that means she isn't nice"

Nik sounds like a hoot.

[elizawill]

yes, not being able to spell in front of my daughter anymore stinks. my husband and i know pig latin though, so we still have one up lol.

[trailblazerbarbie]

I have a dd who just turned six and whose reading has blossomed. She reads everything now, and always asks if we're driving the speed limit, telling us how many miles until whatever city and also reading things that we aren't really wanting to discuss yet. I'm so glad she's developing into a reader though, so it's well worth it to me.

OTOH, she also knows how to tell time on an analog clock and that can be quite annoying when you give an estimate of a time...like it's 8:45 and she'll correct you and say no, it's only 8:43....and trying to put her to bed now that she knows the time can also be difficult.

[*Jessica*]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

and my Newphew was 5 when Sis spelled -b-it-c-h to me about someone and he piped up "that means she isn't nice"

Nik sounds like a hoot.

Oh, dear! Nik is a hoot.

Originally Posted by elizawill

yes, not being able to spell in front of my daughter anymore stinks. my husband and i know pig latin though, so we still have one up lol.

Ah, pig latin would be very handy. I know a made-up language from my school days, but Marc can't seem to grasp the intricacies. Maybe we need to have a brush up course for him so we can go back to talking over their heads.

Originally Posted by trailblazerbarbie

I have a dd who just turned six and whose reading has blossomed. She reads everything now, and always asks if we're driving the speed limit, telling us how many miles until whatever city and also reading things that we aren't really wanting to discuss yet. I'm so glad she's developing into a reader though, so it's well worth it to me.

OTOH, she also knows how to tell time on an analog clock and that can be quite annoying when you give an estimate of a time...like it's 8:45 and she'll correct you and say no, it's only 8:43....and trying to put her to bed now that she knows the time can also be difficult.

Oh, yes, it's definitely worth it! There are those times, though, when I just can't wait to share something with Marc when he gets home because I haven't talked to an adult all day. And then I have to wait until they go to bed to do it now that Nik can read and spell.

The time thing sounds funny, but I can see how it would be annoying if it was my child doing it. And it makes me glad that we don't have a set bedtime. We just let them know that we'll be ready to help them brush teeth and read/tuck them in in 15 minutes, or 30 minutes, or whatever. That means that if they are acting really tired we can send them to bed at 7, and if they slept in and just don't seem ready for sleep yet we can let them stay up until 8:30 or whatever.

[Ruthla]

How cute!

It's been over 9 years since I've had only "pre-reading children" in the house, so I really can't remember relying on spelling out words so kids couldn't understand. I can't even remember if I ever did! I remember my mom doing that with DS, but long before he was truly reading, he knew that "I.C.E." meant ice cream! (No, mom, you don't need to avoid saying the word in front of your grandson. I don't mind telling him "no" even if you do have it in the house.)

With bedtime, I've used this ability to read clocks to my advantage. "Can I play for one more minute?" "OK, it's now 7:43, so you can play until 7:44, but then you have to clean up."

[elizawill]

lol. my dad spelled a word in front of me not too long ago. he didn't even realize he had done it! lol. he asked my mom if she had given me the B-O-O-K yet? i was like... "um dad... i'm 38.... i can spell book",

jessica, my husband and i also have another language besides pig latin. it is more complex. each vowel is said outloud, and each consonant has an "ong" on the end. so my name (amy) is "A mong yong". it's hysterical.

[*Jessica*]

Originally Posted by elizawill

lol. my dad spelled a word in front of me not too long ago. he didn't even realize he had done it! lol. he asked my mom if she had given me the B-O-O-K yet? i was like... "um dad... i'm 38.... i can spell book",

Now that is hysterical!

It reminds me of the year my mom asked me to help her wrap her Christmas presents because she had hurt her wrist or something. She poked her head into the living room where I was wrapping and asked me if I had wrapped my sweater yet. Oops, now I knew what I was getting.

[*Jessica*]

Originally Posted by elizawill

jessica, my husband and i also have another language besides pig latin. it is more complex. each vowel is said outloud, and each consonant has an "ong" on the end. so my name (amy) is "A mong yong". it's hysterical.

I don't think I could even describe the language I remember from childhood. But I sure can rattle it off my tongue! I love you sounds something like, "Uh-the-guy luh-the-guv yuh-the-goo."

[Savoir Faire]

Luckily, "helado" is ice cream in spanish...and my kids don't know that yet.

My daughter (who is a pre-reader) knows that if my husband spells a four letter word with a P, it is either park or pool.

I'll be sad when we can't spell things out anymore!!!