Today MW welcomes a very special guest. Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama.
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books). She started her platform “for fun” seven years ago and ended up on “Good Morning America.” Christina teaches e-courses on platform development and writing nonfiction for publication. Her students are published in national magazines and land agents and book deals. Christina has been encouraging reluctant platform builders via her e-zines for five years, has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and online publications, and is a monthly columnist for the Willamette Writer. A popular speaker at writing conferences, writing programs, libraries, and bookstores, she hosts the Northwest Author Series in Wilsonville, Oregon. She is also the author of Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (Writer’s Digest Books).
Daddy Lust: I Just Love It When You…Read Bedtime Books So I Can Write!
By Christina Katz
Since Mamawriters is a community for moms who write romance, I feel emboldened to share how much I lust after my husband. Not only when he does the dishes, empties the litter box, or (sigh) vacuums. I especially (heart) him when he reads my daughter bedtime books.
Not only do daddies who read bedtime stories do something wonderful for their children, they give moms a much-needed pre-bedtime break to hop online and connect with other moms, read that blog feed, or write!
Okay, so none of those things are particularly sexy—unless you are reading or writing romance, of course—but a little mommy-alone time is the kind of thing that fills a writer mama’s heart with glee.
But back to the guy who relieves me every night. My husband, Jason, has been reading to our daughter, Samantha, for over seven years, since she was just squiggly thing in my belly.
I thought this gesture was so touching. Until guess whose voice she recognized first just after being born?
Mommy’s?
Nope. (Although she gazed at me in a distinctly unwavering manner, like, “Yeah, that’s my mom. Mmm-hmm. Yup, I’d recognize her anywhere.”)
It was Daddy’s.
Of course, right? We do all the heavy sweating and who gets the glory?
Daddy. 
At her Kindergarten teacher’s conference, Samantha’s teacher mentioned what a good reader she was and that she could “sight read” almost all the kindergarten-level words.
And who gets all credit?
Mommy?
Uh-uh. Still Daddy.
But please don’t think I am complaining. Far from it! In fact, I am in my home office, typing away like a maniac on this guest post right now, as my husband reads our daughter Stuart Little by E.B. White in the other room.
I love chapter books!
But not as much as I love Daddy.
I once asked my husband for his top reading recommendations for younger kids. See what you think:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Dr. Suess’s ABC by Dr. Seuss
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Olivia by Ian Falconer
Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
Franny B. Kranny, There’s a Bird in Your Hair by Harriet Lerner and Susan Goldhor
Now that our daughter is older, she and her dad favor variety in the form of stacks of books from the library rather than the tried and true favorites read over and over.
What are your child’s favorite books to hear aloud?
After you share a few with us, see if you can talk your significant other into picking up the nighttime book-reading duty. Tell him there is lust involved…and you’ll be back in just a little while to tell him all about it.
Christina
–
CHRISTINA KATZ
Make the most of what you have…to author!
Nonfiction Writing-for-publication Classes From Beginner to Book Deal
http://christinakatz.com
christinakatz@earthlink.net
Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Strengths to Grow an Author
Platform (Writer’s Digest Books, October 2008)
http://getknownbeforethebookdeal.com/
http://getknownbeforethebookdeal.typepad.com/
Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids
(Writer’s Digest Books, March 2007)
http://thewritermama.com/
http://thewritermama.wordpress.com/
Writers on the Rise E-zine
http://writersontherise.wordpress.com/
The Northwest Author Series
http://northwestauthorseries.wordpress.com/
Sponsored by the Wilsonville Public Library, The Friends of the
Wilsonville Public Library & the Wilsonville Arts and Culture Council
Created and hosted by Christina Katz
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thewritermama
Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Christina-Katz/716153807
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Twitter: violaestrella
says:
Hi Christina,
Really cute post! I agree. What could be sexier than a man being a good father? It’s one of the reasons I’m still very much in love with my hubby.
As for books, my sons always loved for us to read Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss. Probably my favorite Seuss book. So quirky and fun.
Hi Christina,
So happy to have you with us today! I agree–an involved daddy is VERY sexy.
I love all the Margaret Wise Brown books and The Very Hungry Caterpiller is my absolute favorite. We also have a fabulous little book called I Love You All the Time.
I’m going to be ordering Writer Mama and Get Known Before the Book Deal today. They both sound fabulous.
What inspired you to write Writer Mama?
Thanks,
Renee
Hi Christina!
My hubby reads to our kids at night. I help tuck them in and then he takes over. LOL I wish I could say I was writing, but usually I’m picking up the house or doing laundry!
My kids love the Clifford books, especially the farm animal ones. I giggled everytime I hear hubs reading Fancy Nancy or one of the Disney Princess books to our daughter. For such a big man, he does a heck of a princess voice!! LOL
Hi! Great article. My hubby and I have a brand new baby and are first-timers so everything is new and exciting for us, but one of the things I cherish so much already is watching my husband interact with our daughter. When I see him talking to her or singing or telling stories and she just looks at him and sometimes smiles in response it just melts my heart and I couldn’t love him more in that moment. All the little things he does to help out: changing diapers and outfits, getting up with her in the early morning trying to give mom a little more “sleep time” and the fact that he WANTS to be a hands on daddy is very attractive and thus leads to the “daddy lust”. Thank you!
Great post Christina!!!
I laughed aloud about the daddy lust! When my hubby does things with our kids, or cleans, I get all tingly inside too, lol… so funny!
My hubby takes the kids from me in the evenings to give me an hour or two of time for me, and then I put them to bed. I’ll have to try telling him to do the nighttime reading and all about the lust and see what happens
I do find that sometimes I get a little Daddy envy too, because my kids come to me for comfort and him for fun… Yet at the same time it really makes me happy that they have that relationship with him.
Great list of books! My older daughter is really in chapter books. Her current favorite is Matilda by Roald Dahl–she’s reading it now for the 2nd or 3rd time. She also loves all the Junie B. Jones books, and Magic Tree House books.
My younger daughter loves all the Dr. Suess books, Goodnight Moon, and books about animals.
Twitter: jeannieruesch
says:
Eliza, I’m totally starting to see the Mama for comfort and Papa for fun element with my son… I’m not sure my hubby gets that yet, but it’s starting to be very apparent with me.
When my son wants cuddles, he comes to me. When he wants to be tossed in the air and tickled until he cries, yeah, it’s right to papa. LOL
That very thing happened tonight! They were all playing, tickling, hiding, etc… and then after pjs, the girls curled up with me to watch a movie…lol
Some of my favorite, most warm-fuzzy pics are of our son on my hubby’s lap, reading bedtime stories. Since the little guy just turned two storytime only last a few minutes, which I usually waste doing laundry or dishes when it’s not my turn to read. My chance to sneak some computer time comes when ds insists on a shower instead of a bath, which hubby oversees. I know my time is up when ds streaks across the hall, dripping wet, and tries to climb up in my lap to play with the keyboard.
We used to read Goodnight Moon but now he asks for Baby’s Boat and a couple of classic Golden Books I found at a thrift store — What Does Baby Hear? (which he calls Baby’s Tummy because of the bath tub scene) and Who Are Baby’s Friends?
I’ll add the other suggested titles to my shopping list. Thanks for the suggestions!
If they only understood.
My husband vacuumed the whole house, (a real rare thing), someone was coming over, and I was in such back pain I could not do it.
I told him I have never thought him sexier or loved him more then at that moment. He looked at me as if I was crazy. He didn’t get it and after 33 yrs. of marriage.
Twitter: jeannieruesch
says:
Welcome to MamaWriters!
I told my husband that I thought it was sexy when he cooked…he laughed at me, but he still cooks more than he did before (and he’s good!) so I think somewhere, in the back of his mind, he wonders if I was saying it because I actually MEAN it.
Great post! My hubby isn’t a reader, so he doesn’t read to my son…but I do. Goodnight Moon is a favorite. My son loves anything with trains, cars or planes, so The Little Engine That Could has been read many, many times.
My boys loved to hear The Napping House when they were little. My husband read to them every night because he’s so much better at it than I am.!
My husband used to read books to the kids. He would also make up stories and even write them down. Hw used to write poems for our daughter. He passed away 5 years ago when she was 12 and the best part is that even though she misses him she has all the drwings and poems to remember him by.
This is such a wonderful post! Makes me appreciate my hubby even more for all the wonderful things that he does for our kids. He, too, reads to our little one each night. He says that he misses out on seeing “all the little things” that she does all day. So, he likes to have some one on one time when he gets home from work. I’m all for that! LOL
I’m also extra blessed because when I take our toddler up for bath and bedtime, my hubby cooks dinner…EVERY night! Can I hear a WOOT?!
Now that I’m expecting again, I’ll need him all the more and everyone should LUST after their hubby for all the wonderful things they do for us. Thanks for the great post!
First off, my hubby doesn’t read. I’m envious that your husband would even have a list of fave kid’s books.
My kids are pretty much happy to hear anything, they just love to be read to, even my soon to be thirteen year old. David Shannon books are good, we also like Nate the Great, The Berenstain Bears, Clifford & Chris Van Allsburg to name a few.
Deidre
Mr. Meryl is also the reader in my household as my voice gives out easily and we want the kids to catch ever nuance and new word. My imperfect speech doesn’t always read the words well.
1st grade son currently on a June B. Jones kick. It’s nice ‘cuz she’s in first grade too. But sometimes I worry the books will confuse him because it’s not proper grammar (it’s in 1st person and reflects Junie B’s appropriate age.).
Deidre, love Chris Van Allsubrg, too. Was into children’s book long before I had kids — fave class in college: children’s lit.
That’s so sweet that he reads to them. My girls are beyond this, but hubby does take them to the library frequently.
My husband is great with getting kids to bed too, thank goodness! My daughter, when younger, loved Goodnight Moon; she’s 8 now and my husband just finished The Chronicles of Narnia with her and is starting Harry Potter. My little guy loves anything silly, especially Dr. Seuss books with all their rhyming words and funny pictures. He also loves Goodnight Gorilla and 10 Minutes Till Bedtime (me too!). This is what I was looking forward to most about parenting – getting to read great books with my kids!
Christina, I looked everywhere for a mention of an “Amah” (my Taiwanese wife’s name) and Pop-pop. We locked up the house in Connecticut and moved to Massachusetts to spend our grandson’s first 13 months tending him. And I still read The Big Red Barn and Goodnight Moon to him now that he’s 2 1/2.
Most startling, we shocked his Mom and Dad when they learned he loves grapefruit…and has 20/20 eyesight in spotting the olive in my martini and 30 feet.
The whole process of raising kids isn’t simply a gender issue, but a generational experience at its best. Oh, and next week we’re going back to Cambridge (from Jersey) to babysit for eight days while Mom and Dad are at an out-of-town conference.
I think it’s great that your husband helps with things around the house but especially with reading to the kids. Since my “baby” is 24, it’s hard to remember some of the books they enjoyed, but I know they liked Dr. Seuss and they liked the Little Golden Books – one of their favorites was The Pokey Little Puppy. I still have a lot of those books which I now share with my grandkids.