For the last couple of months, the kids and I have been reading the Harry Potter series together. I know. Gasp. I have heard from some people that A) The series is a little too intense for younger kids. and B) Some people disapprove of the wizard/witch thing. Here's the deal: My kids are totally OK with the intensity level (so far) of the series. We talk about the books a TON. I mean ALL. THE. TIME. I am well aware of what my kids find frightening and what is appropriate for them to hear, and, as of yet, we are all good in the hood. Secondly, the whole witch/wizard thing. We talk about that too. Actually, there wasn't too much talk about because the way the books are written, I feel, they are very clearly fictional. The kids don't even second guess that what is going on is fiction and not something that we aspire to do or hope for in real life. Again, we talk about the books A LOT so I know what they are thinking, and am able to nip anything that needs nipped, in the bud. All this to say, I understand that there is questionable material, but we are doing fine with it, and I am thankful that it's me that they are working through some of these things with and not reading them on their own.
Some of you are probably thinking, seriously? is it that big of a deal. Well, some think that it is, so I'm just laying it all out there.
Anyway, I was wanting to do something different with bedtime routines, and since we read every night, I thought maybe we could shake things up a bit in this area. The Girl is always in some sort of novel, and it's difficult to keep up with the story lines of all the different books since she is a bit eclectic in what she likes to read. And The Little Man? well, there is only so much of the easy readers a parent can handle. So, we needed a break. Something to look forward to, and frankly, something we could all do together. So, I am reading the books aloud while the kids listen. I was skeptical at how well The Little Man would be able to listen without having pictures, but once the action started to pick up in the first book, he was totally into it. After we watched the first movie, he became obsessed and listens so well sometimes he straightens me out on what's going on.
I have just loved the special time this has created for the kids and I. Like I mentioned before, we talk about the books all of the time. We discuss characters, plot lines, foreshadowing, and their ideas on where/what/who is going to happen next. Then after each book is complete, we watch the movie. And, get this, sometimes we choose to read instead of watching TV. I know. Now, I will say, that the movies have been a bit intense. There were times in the second and the third movie that we've had to pause the movie and remember how things happened in the book, recall how things turned out, and remind ourselves of why this event is important to the whole story. Once we work through some of those things, they seem to be OK with the scene. Rest assured, there have been no nightmares. This has also been such a good way to show the kids how important it is to read the book and not just watch the movie. They have shared with me some of their disappointments in things that were either left out, done out of order, or done in a totally different way. Their appreciation for reading a story has definitely grown, which I think is saying a lot considering our family's affinity for the tube.
I can hardly wait for the summer when we will have ample time to delve deep into some of the longer books in the series. Long lazy days are perfect for reading. If there happens to be a pool nearby, well then, even better!
This has been such a fun time for our family. I can't believe how much I (and they) love it. Our hope is one day (after we've completed the series) to be able to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter with all the rest of the Hogwarts
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