Destroying books

My kids love books. They love to sit in your lap and read all about dogs or trucks or ducks or whatever is on the page. They have favorite books that they toddle across the room with, and will often sit happily by themselves flipping pages.

So it really frustrates me when they sit down with a book and start deliberately, methodically ripping out pages or tearing off the spine.

Why are they destroying something they love so much? I try to stop it when I can, but that has not prevented a growing collection of books without covers, without binding, without pages.

They are not insane (at least I hope not). They just are not seeing the big picture. Reading a book and tearing it apart are two fun, but unrelated activities, and they are simply unaware that tearing a book today prevents it from being read (at least as easily) in the future.

Yet again, my kids teach me something. Temporary gratification today can mean no joy tomorrow if I am not seeing the big picture. My actions have consequences, and not always what I intend. So keep the big picture in mind, and be careful not to tear up your joy.