You know the mantra.
Boost your children's exposure to books.
More books! More magazines!
Link it up with literacy-related games and activities!
Everything takes time. The more time you spend reading to your little pumpkin, the more (s)he enjoys reading and learning.
A secret weapon. A stealth weapon that is hiding right in your home.
Can you really double the read aloud time for your kids?
Magically?
No special programs. No 31-day tutorials.
It's a simple trick for many families, although it sometimes seems impossible to implement.
It must be pure magic?
Well, all I can say is that it ends with the dad.
But it could start with you.
Beyond the bounds of possibility
The word impossible is not in my dictionary~Napoleon Bonaparte
Magic or not, it is clear that some guys "get it".
Some of us dads don't (not that we don't want to).
But its okay, you are used to it. Men are clueless about many details of life anyway, right?
You are about to learn a set of time-tested tips how to transform the dad in your house into a beautiful prince, to improve his dancing, sense of fashion and your lives forever.
Wait...
Strike that.
In fact, that's impossible.
What you will find below are tips on how to help dads become Read Aloud Dads, because - deep down - I think all dads really want to.
Skip This, If You Are Married to Jim Trelease
Action is the foundational key to all success.
~Pablo Picasso
Hopefully, you are a member of a family that is blessed with a Read Aloud Dad from the birth of your child.
But not every family is. My wasn't.
You may remember how some time ago I revealed that it took me roughly two years after my twins were born, just to take a children's book in my hands.
And the worst thing is that back then I didn't even feel guilty about it. No way.
In my head, I was thinking that my wife's decision to read aloud to my twins every night was "her thing" AND that reading aloud was really a thing we had to do to get our twins to sleep.
I was clueless about some things.
I became a Read Aloud Dad, only after something clicked inside me when I saw the difficulty that my wife was having to keep herself awake in the evenings while reading to our baby twins.
When I saw the tension simmer between my tired out wife and my twins who were positively starved for bedtime stories.
Reality was there in front of my eyes, but I didn't see it.
Thankfully, something clicked in my thick head that evening.
Waiting
How Much Of Human Life Is Lost In Waiting~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Obviously, if a family wants to have a Read Aloud Dad in its house, this should not turn into a waiting game.
Wait, wait and ... the sad truth is - he may never come.
Why should kids wait for something "to click" in their dad's head for him to start reading?
Aren't they entitled to enjoy read-aloud sessions with their dads - immediately and every day?
They shouldn't be forced to wait.
The good news is that you can easily inspire the dad in your family to become a read-aloud parent.
Truly.
Many just need the inspiration.
But I must warn you, it's an extreme makeover that will involve at least:
- a nose job,
- a brow lift,
- an under-eye lift,
- liposuction,
- a tummy tuck
- a chin implant
- and dental work.
If you are keen on giving a helping hand to the dad in your family to become a Read Aloud Dad - just say the word!
The Big Dad Makeover
Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.
~Leo Tolstoy
Is that a resounding yes?
In one post I said that reading to one's kids is easy, just put a kid on your knee, pick up a book and start reading.
Yet, I was wrong.
That's the very end of the process.
Everything starts with ... the book.
OK, the Dad is at home. The kid is at home. But the book?
Maybe it is at your home too, but a book is more than a book.
It is the inspiration.
Remember: the book is the key!
Dads are often like big kids, I know myself best.
A dad who is 100% involved in book purchases and selection is a dad who reads with enthusiasm.
A Read Aloud Dad is worth his weight in books!
So - when you are shopping for books, ask Dad to choose books for the kids.
This time, let him do it completely on his own. Let him surprise all in the house.
But that's not enough.
Combine with the following:
1. Ask him to tell you about his favorite comics and new ones that he would like your kid to read one day. Ask him to look them up.
2. Find out what were his favorite book series as a boy and bring them into your house.
3. Find out who are his unforgettable heroes from childhood and find some children's books about them
4. Visit several children's book stores together so that he can tell you which is the best, according to his taste
5. Buy him a dapper children's book guide like Anita Silvey's 100 Best Books for Children or if you have older children a copy of Silvey's wonderful 500 Great Books for Teens as a present.
If this is not enough (and I sincerely hope it isn't) there is also Julia Eccleshare's incredible 1001 Children's Books You Should Read Before You Grow Up (I dare you to leave this enormous book on his desk without any effect!). 
And be sure to stand aside while he spreads his wings.
Watch the magic.
Follow it up with steps 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. (You must tell me what they are in the comments below)
With a Read Aloud Dad in the house ... you are guaranteed to double the read aloud time that your kids enjoy and this can only be good.
Let this secret be our ongoing project - so let's get working.
Let's magically double Read Aloud time for our kids!
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