Reading loud out
It’s often said that dads who read to their children are able to develop a unique relationship with them. Star2 goes in search of stories from fathers who are devoted to this enriching pastime with their kids.
THEY say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. And this old adage cannot be more true with Timothy Johnson. Growing up, his father read all the classics to him, from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytales to Aesop’s fables.
Now, the 48-year-old reads daily to his four-year-old daughter, Elisha.
“It is a must to read to her daily. Since she was born, I have read to her every night before she goes to bed. Now that she has started preschool, I read to her in the car while we are stuck in the jam heading to school,” Johnson says.
He is the senior vice president of marketing, product and partnerships at Inti International University & Colleges.
Johnson began with books like Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came
To Tea, Eric Hill’s Spot series and Nick Sharatt’s range of picture books.
He then moved on Ladybird Books’ Peppa Pig series and books by Malaysian writers such as Emilia Yusof and Yusof Gajah.
“I have also started to include Bahasa Malaysia stories so that she can pick up the language,” Johnson adds.
Johnson shares that the reading sessions with his daughter gives them a chance to bond and spend some quality time together.
“I used to read to her to sleep, along with my tuneless singing. Now, it has become a habit to read to her whenever there is an opportunity to do so.
“I believe that starting her young has made her appreciate reading on her own better. And now, we sometimes create our stories without books which I believe makes her more creative,” he says.
To other fathers out there, Johnson has this to say: “Read to your child as a way to get their attention. They may not listen to you when you talk to them ... but when you read to them, you are their idol.”