When my first child was born, we grew apart a bit. I didn’t love you any less, it was just that my attention was focused on keeping a tiny human alive. Then the third Harry Potter book was released, and I knew I had to find a way to have you be a part of my life again. So, I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban out loud to my baby while he sat cradled in my arms. He didn’t understand the words, but he seemed content to listen to my voice as I read about Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s latest adventure. I kept reading to him after that, all kinds of books: picture books, kids’ encyclopedias, Guinness Book of World Records. We learned about exotic animals and what it means to be a friend. We worried over poor Max as he made mischief of one kind and another and we talked about what to do when we felt mad or sad or out of control. When his brother was born, I read the Goblet of Fire to him, keeping the Harry Potter tradition alive. Later, he would sit side by side with his big brother and the two of them would look at books and read to each other making up the words as they went along. You opened doors to new vocabulary. You helped support their cognitive development. You helped them focus their attention until the last page was turned. But the best part was that you gave me and my boys a way to connect, to find moments of peace in a busy world. I will always be grateful for you.

When my first child was born, we grew apart a bit. I didn’t love you any less, it was just that my attention was focused on keeping a tiny human alive. Then the third Harry Potter book was released, and I knew I had to find a way to have you be a part of my life again. So, I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban out loud to my baby while he sat cradled in my arms. He didn’t understand the words, but he seemed content to listen to my voice as I read about Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s latest adventure. I kept reading to him after that, all kinds of books: picture books, kids’ encyclopedias, Guinness Book of World Records. We learned about exotic animals and what it means to be a friend. We worried over poor Max as he made mischief of one kind and another and we talked about what to do when we felt mad or sad or out of control. When his brother was born, I read the Goblet of Fire to him, keeping the Harry Potter tradition alive. Later, he would sit side by side with his big brother and the two of them would look at books and read to each other making up the words as they went along. You opened doors to new vocabulary. You helped support their cognitive development. You helped them focus their attention until the last page was turned. But the best part was that you gave me and my boys a way to connect, to find moments of peace in a busy world. I will always be grateful for you.

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