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Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick reads to his son, Jack. It is a rare occurance captured on video. Credit: Illustration by Ibby Ahmed<\/p>\nI\u2019m a capable reader, I swear. I make the voices, add inflection, build suspense.<\/p>\n
But ask my son, and (if he could talk) you would think I\u2019m still learning the alphabet.<\/p>\n
Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick reads to his son, Jack. It is a rare occurance captured on video. Credit: Illustration by Ibby Ahmed<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not allowed to read to him. He won\u2019t let me, especially if mom\u2019s around. I have better luck by myself, but he\u2019s also getting interested in \u201creading\u201d on his own, so I\u2019ve been relegated to a lowly listener.<\/p>\n
This is the same kid who used to smile when I sang him songs. His favorite was my cover of Loretta Lynn\u2019s cover of \u201cIn the Pines.\u201d<\/p>\n
I think I understand why he doesn\u2019t want me to read. I\u2019m supposed to be a source of dumb, mindless fun. We wrestle, chase each other around the house. But reading, most of the time, is a calm-down activity. And I don\u2019t think he sees me as a calming figure.<\/p>\n
Maybe I\u2019ll start talking in a quieter, more gentle voice. Something in his 1 \u00bd-year-old brain will say, \u201cOh wow, my dad can be a source of comfort too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Worth a try, no?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll add a big caveat to this: I can\u2019t stand Thumper the bunny, so I\u2019m OK missing those books.<\/p>\n
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations<\/a> from individuals, foundations and organizations.<\/p>\n Tyler Fenwick is the dad of a toddler who demands his parents mom read him approximately 300 books per day. You can reach Tyler at tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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