Sleeping in Narnia
Once he’s ready for bed, we read my four-year-old son picture books, usually Star Wars related titles from the library, and then he’s told to lie down, get cozy under the covers, and listen as I read him The Chronicles of Narnia. On average, he’s out after about three paragraphs.
We’ve gone through almost four of the novels and I’m pretty sure the boy hasn’t absorbed much of the general plots. It’s hard to keep track of a narrative when the narrative almost instantly puts you to sleep, so I don’t fault him for his minimal recollection of who’s who and what’s what. At least he can name the reoccurring characters. And I’m pretty sure he knows that Aslan is a lion. Let me check. Yes, he does, though he also just told me he’s a tame lion, so he’s clearly missing a crucial detail.
I’ve wondered if I’m inadvertently setting the stage for the boy’s future reading of the stories. Will the sleepiness he now experiences at my reading lead him to feel sleepy when he himself picks up the series? I must confess that this possibility doesn’t frighten me. Lewis was a master wordsmith and craftsman of the language, but he just wasn’t a great teller of stories. The books are interesting as allegories, but they’re not all that interesting as narratives. Very little actually happens. And much of what does happen is told through exposition. The stories are kind of, well, boring.
But they work very well for putting the boy to bed. That’s a plus.
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Kyle:
Keep at it! My sons are now 25 and 21; the stories we read together 15 or 20 years ago are a substantial part of our shared experience and are foundational in our relationship. We can communicate deep attitudes and expectations by relating to the characters in the books we read. To have this kind of communication, I think it’s important for the books to cover topics of deep meaning.
We also read the Narnia books, LOTR, Star Wars books, Myst books, lots of Chris Van Allsburg, Maurice Sendak and others.
For fathers and sons, I most highly recommend Lloyd Alexander’s Prydian series. These have a lot to teach about what it means to grow up, find one’s self and become a man.
I’m convinced that any parent or grandparent who can read can do this: “Storytime” as an experience was completely lacking in my childhood, and I don’t even remember any of my school chums talking about an experience of regular storytime; we all had TV. I think it was my wife’s prodding which got me started doing it (reluctantly), and it has a lot to do with the differences in quality of relationship between myself and my father and myself and my sons.
Here’s my Narnia experience with my kids so far. I started reading them to my now ten year old son when he was about 5. He enjoyed them, probably as much for the time with dad reading to him as for the stories themselves. He is now an avid reader, plowing through literally hundreds of pages a week. He has read all but two of the Harry Potter books since Christmas. But he will not read the Narnia books himself. I’ve seen him pick up and try, but I don’t think he ever really finishes them. I wonder if it is because they are somewhat slow going compared to other things he reads.
I’ve now read most of them to my eight and six year old daughters as well. They have enjoyed it as well, and seem to be much more engaged in the stories than my son was. And still, my son is always right there to listen when he hears me reading them to the girls, but not to pick them up on his own.
I found The Chronicles of Narnia to be terrific bedtime stories. They can be read as boring or as exciting as you make it, Dad. Changing voices for different characters and playing off of your listener’s reactions where appropriate make them more fun.
I don’t think your child falling asleep while listening to them will result in a problem for your boy reading them later. You sound like a genuinely concerned dad. I bet he will surprise you with what he likes to read and do before you know it.
I have ten children and still read Narnia books to the 5-8 year old set. The smaller ones still insist on Barney, Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine. The older ones develop their own preferences and read to themselves, but we enjoy making and taking recommendations. It’s fun to watch them grow to read to the younger ones, too.
Bedtime stories are a great skill to develop and unique time together with the children. Since my oldest daughter marries later this year, I hope I’ll have this part of my life for many years to come.
I’m reading this minutes after I closed chapter 12 of Voyage of the Dawn Treader to my girls (11 and 8). I act out the whole chapter each night. I know I enjoy it–and hope they catch some of the fun.