The other night, I was reading to Katherine and she wouldn’t stop talking. She asked questions. She commented on how she was like Ramona. She talked about characters from other books that reminded her of Ramona. In effect, she did everything we should do to encourage our children to do to become independent readers with great comprehension skills.

But I was tired and I was watching the clock and I actually said, “Katherine, stop talking.”

Stop talking. Really? Right as she was in the middle of the tough business of meaning making. Stop talking.

“But Mommy,” she said.  “I have lots of questions.”

And so there. I stopped watching the clock and let her go.

We went to bed later than we (and by we, I mean I) wanted to but as I fell asleep, I was reminded again that parenting is all about figuring out when to be flexible and when to enforce rules. When to take the lead and when to be led. I was reminded that sometimes, the little ones in the family really do know what is best.

Questions and all…