I know that I get frustrated really easy. So, it has been a very hard journey for me to learn how to control that frustration when reading with my 5-year-old. Don't get me wrong, it's great that we do this. It's when she decides to just give up when she gets to a word she doesn't know that I start to get frustrated.

Case in point. The other day, she wanted me to read her a few books. Something we do nearly every day with her — being myself or her father. So, I decided to change it up. I told her that I was so excited for reading time that day because I wanted her to read to me. I was very enthusiastic about it and she went along with it ... at first. I chose a very simple and easy-to-read book and asked her to please read it to me. She read the cover, then the title page — even telling me that it was the title page and that her teacher had taught her that — but it was at the first full page when she gave up. She is good about sounding out the letters until she gets the word out, but the word "snowflakes" was really long and she said she was done and that it was time to play "class." She didn't even try to sound it out. I told her I would say the word and she could continue. Nope! That's not gonna work this time.

Frustration sets in with myself and her. I asked her to please try to read the book to me and that I would help her with any of the words she has trouble with. That did not even come close to making her change her mind. She didn't even want to try to read another book. I don't know what I did wrong that day, but she wanted no part in reading a book by herself. She just kept changing the subject. Every time I asked her to just try again, she told me that I never do anything she wants to do. What!? Really!? I did not show her how frustrated I was, I simply told her that when she decided to play nice, I would come back and play with her. Then Daddy steps up and goes to have a talk with her.

He brings up an example of not giving up: Soul Surfer. She has seen the commercials for it so many times that she pretty much knew what it was about. The little girl surfer was attacked by a shark and she lost her entire arm. He told her that she never gave up and for that reason, she was still surfing today. That is why she is to never give up on anything ... even reading. After that little talk, she came back to me and just asked that we play "class" and not read books. I told her that was fine, but we will try again.

I will try again. TRY, try and try until she begins to understand that it's fun to read, not just being read to.