Say Goodnight to Boredom of Goodnight Moon

“Say Goodnight to Boredom of ‘Goodnight Moon.’”  This headline in our local newspaper caught my attention Sunday.

The picture book, Goodnight Moon, was one of my children’s favorites when they were small. I have fond memories of my little ones snuggled on my lap while Baby Bunny said, “goodnight” to the telephone and the red balloon and the three little bears sitting on chairs, and so on. The simple text held the attention of the youngest of toddlers, I enjoyed the simple poetic rhythm, and the story was short enough to read night after night, often after we had read a few other picture books first.  Sure, we had some books that made be think, “Aak! Not that one again!” But not Goodnight Moon.

Apparently not all parents feel the same way. According to the article,

“In the 65 years since it was published, the classic children’s book, “Goodnight Moon” has lulled countless youngsters to sleep--not to mention doing almost the same to their parents, who often find themselves struggling to stave off boredom as the read Margaret Wise Brown’s repetitive bedtime tale over and over again, night after night.

Technology has come the the weary parents’ rescue…”

The article continued to explain that now there is an app for Goodnight Moon. “All you have to do is click on the auto-play button, step back, and let your child enjoy the calm and captivating narration to their heart’s content.”

How sad! Do modern parents really want to let technology take the place of interaction with their children? Do we really want to give up those precious memories of quality time spent with our children, introducing them to the joy of books when they are small? Apparently some do.

Personally, I don’t regret one minute of time spent reading with my children. I cherish those memories and miss those days. I think that the many hours we spent reading aloud helped my children’s intellectual growth and helped develop a love of books in them. But even more important, reading aloud provided a low-tech, quiet time that was just for them. My kids all have happy memories of the books we read together.

Please set aside the technology for a while and read to your kids!