Many years ago, when my children were much younger, I started a tradition of reading with them every night before bed.  I will admit, it started more as a chore to instill a love of reading in my kids, but after a while, it became a performance art.  We would read books like the Dr. Seuss classics, Green Eggs and Ham or Fox in Socks, all while getting into character voices and standing up, acting out various scenes.

I remember one night, one of my children picked up Henny Penny, a classic tale about a frightened hen who believes the sky is falling.  As such, it is her duty to go and tell the king.  Along the way, she meets several other animal characters, picking them up for her journey.  

This particular story provided the opportunity to change up my voice, borrowing from British television, Julia Childs, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, and Jack’s character from the TV show, Will & Grace.  Pretty soon, we were adding more and more to the reading of this simple tale, and ever since, it has become a family tradition.  My kids, even the teenaged ones, know that we are in for a good time when Henny Penny is on the schedule for the night.

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend Day 6 of The 12 Days of Fatherhood than to record a reading with my two youngest children, so that later on, when I am not around, they will still have this memory to revisit.

Enjoy!