My son, Andrew (age 7) has been reading way too much Pokemon and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The result has been an infusion of ideas and habits that aren’t necessarily all that helpful from a behavioral perspective.
Suddenly, I realized that maybe I, the scholar-father, should make sure he reads something GOOD. Brilliant, I know.
So, last night I introduced him to The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I had him read the first chapter on his own. He liked it and accurately reported back what happened. I laid in bed with him and read the next couple of chapters. I could tell he liked it because he occasionally finished a sentence ahead of me in a voice of wonderment.
Around 8 pm, I left him in bed with his lamp on and a bookmark in the book (he doesn’t tolerate folded corners like his old man).
When I checked on him before retiring myself around 11 pm, I could tell he wasn’t really asleep. He knew that I knew and looked at me.
“Andrew, have you been up reading all this time?”
“I finished it.”
I asked him what character he liked the best. OS-LAHN, he enunciated.
Daddy couldn’t resist rubbing the secret late night reader on the head and feeling rather triumphant as he walked out the door.
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
