Books are a big deal around here. It’s no secret that I wish all the boys in my life loved reading as much as I do, but perhaps they wish I loved fart jokes as much as they do. I try to encourage reading on the sly because anytime I stomp my feet and flail my hands in effort to get the boys onside with my desires, I am often met with sullen, uninterested faces or, more likely, a look that says, “she’s crazy!”.
I took the idea of a book box from my teaching days. I made a project out of it and engaged the boys from the beginning. At the grocery store, I casually mentioned that we needed a box. I didn’t give them any further details so when they were sorting through the heaps of discarded boxes that line the front of the store, their curiosity was piqued.
“Uh-uh. Too small! ” I’d say or “Uh-uh. Too big!”
When they landed on the perfect box, we brought it in the house along with the groceries, but I said no more about the box and deferred all questions pertaining to it saying that I wasn’t quite ready to share its use yet.
A few days later, my middle one was lazing around the house, bored. Read: he was whining and I was quickly becoming irritated. I suggested that he decorate “The Box”. I gave him clues that guided his colour selection and sticker choices. Once the box was completely covered, I asked him to return it to its place on the floor in the dining room.
When the boys were at school, I pulled all of the Christmas and holiday books from our shelves and placed them in the box and then moved the box to a prominent location in our family room. I said nothing about the box, but when the boys came home from school they quickly thumbed through the books and come bedtime took a few upstairs with them only to return them first thing in the morning.
I didn’t say too much about the book box but it’s now a part of our Christmas tradition, our Christmas narrative if you will. Each year the boys are eager to become reacquainted with some of their favourite stories and discover what new additions have been made.
4 Mothers 
Such a great idea!
Reblogged this on Our Beginning.
I love this idea, my little one is 2 and already has a collection of holidays books. Right now they are in her book shelf but I would love to have them on display more. You can even wrap the box in wrapping paper and add bows and ribbon.
Another idea is everyday read on book from the front so they have a different story every night.
Really lovely idea. Mine started spontaneously picking Christmas books as soon as the tree went up, but formalising it and creating a tradition is a great idea.
This is such a perfect idea and so simple. What a lovely tradition. My baby boy is 14 months old at the moment and so this very well may be the first Christmas he ‘gets it’. I think, at least for me, books had a massive hand in creating the magic of Christmas when I was young, so I cannot wait to try this out. Thank you for sharing.
Every year I buy the kids one special Christmas book. Throughout the year we keep them, plus any others that have found their way into our home, boxed up with the Christmas decorations. Then after Santa Claus parade (my official start to the season) we haul them out and put them in a basket in the family room. It feels like new material….the kids enjoy seeing old favorites reappear and it gets them into the spirit of the season!
I completely agree! It does feel like new material, and I love how they oooh and ahhh over their memories of enjoying the stories from previous years.