Get Understanding

Yesterday I posted about the benefits that our children gain from reading 20 minutes a day with them. Today I was reading Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley and found a quote and scripture that affirms how important it is to read with our kids:

Proverbs 4:7 - "With all thy getting get understanding"...

my I add "With all thy giving give understanding"

"Children who are exposed to books at early ages have scholastic advantages throughout their lives. Parents who fail to read to their small children do a disservice to them as well as to themselves. It takes time, yes, much of it. It takes self-discipline and planning. It takes organizing and budgeting the minutes and hours of the day. But it is never boring to watch young minds come to know characters, expressions, and ideas. Good reading can become a love affair, far more fruitful in long-term effects than many other activities to which children give their time. It has been estimated that the average child in the United States watches something approaching 8,000 hours of television before he or she even begins school. What a difference might it make, what an influence could it have in the homes of this country if parents were to work at creating an atmosphere of learning and education at home, so that children were exposed at an early age to thoughts and concepts and attitudes that would build and motivate them for good throughout their lives."