CHARLOTTE – Her request took me by surprise. My eight year old daughter called me into her bedroom.  “Mommy”, she said, “will you read to me?” Glancing at my watch, I wondered if this was a smart move. I had projects to finish, emails to compose and calendars to synchronize. One look at my daughter’s face told me that saying no wasn’t an option. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she scooted over to make room for me on her bed. As I reached for the book, I took note that it was an old chapter book that had once belonged to her eleven year old sister. I knew that this was a book that she could easily read on her own. I understood right away what this meant. My younger daughter was creating an opportunity for us to connect by reading together. It was a struggle tearing myself away from work, but I am so happy I did. I read the first chapter of the book to her. We laughed, made connections to the story, made predictions about what we thought would happen next, and simply enjoyed the time together. Give your child the liberty to choose the book you will read together. It will affirm and validate her and let her know that you are interested in what interests her. Carve out twenty or thirty minutes to bond over books with your child. You won’t regret it. Follow us on Facebook @KumonOfCharlotteMintHill and Instagram @kumonatminthill. Visit our website at www.kumon.com/charlotte-mint-hill to set up a free parent orientation.