Three things I’ve learned (so far) from reading to my kids

• The name of a popular children’s character is spelled Humpty Dumpty, not Humpy Dumpy.
  
  
• No matter how much I—and most others—admire it, Winnie the Pooh is not the only children’s book ever published.
  
  
• Between reading a book and watching TV, a child would prefer to read.

I know. The third sounds unbelievable. Until—

“Do you want to read a book with Daddy or watch TV,” I asked my 3-year old one morning. The Backyardigans, my son’s favorite, is showing.

“Read with Daddy,” my 3-year old said without hesitation.

I was particularly lazy that morning. So, I tried again, pushing for the watch-TV option.

“How about read with Daddy or watch TV and eat Popsicle?” My son loves Popsicle.

“Um … read with Daddy.”

I felt proud. So I read him a book.

Two pages into reading Michael Frith’s I’ll Teach My Dog 100 Words, my son looked at me, smiled and whispered, “Daddy? Can I read with you and eat Popsicle?”

Smart kid.