She's in college now. Gone are the days of hiding the flashlight under her blanket when her parents would check to make sure she was asleep. It's been a while since she got so wrapped up in a book that she finished it only to discover the bathwater she's been reading in has become uncomfortably cold. No more do adults tell her to quit reading and go do something else. "It's been a while," she confides, "since my mom has fussed at me for 'reading too much.' That's partly because I haven't been around. And partly because I haven't had as much time to read."
Late Night Reading
I can't imagine my mom telling my sister to "stop reading so much."
But maybe that's because my mom had already told me to stop playing my computer games and go outside to play <smile>.
"It's a good thing my mom and your mom never got into a discussion about books," I tell her. "I don't think my mom would agree that you can read too much." Read at the wrong time, not have a healthy balance, not listen to your parents? I could see my mom having a problem with that. But the simple act of reading? That's a good thing.
So, here's the question: How do you maintain proper balance in your house? Do your kids try to sneak books into bed? Have you ever had to tell your kids to quit reading? It feels strange to suggest that you could ever read too much...
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
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