Influence

We have heard about the way parents shape a child's development. Well, it turns out that the other way round applies. The relationship is two-sided; parents and children shape each other.

No surprise then my daughter also changes the style of my holiday. Little did I imagine booking a ski resort before, not to mention taking a ski lesson myself. As soon as I knew our daughter's craving for skiing, I made up my mind that I'd better learn a knack for the sport, and take her with me on the chairlift.

The first thing I quickly learned during our Karuizawa family ski trip is the joy of influencing each other. As equally fascinating as zooming downhill, the private time for two of us talking with each other during the chairlift is precious. We talked about everything, but the best bit of conversation was how she thanked me for bringing her up as a bookworm. If anything, she wants us to be even more bookishly bookworm family. Like so many, many trips before this one, we have brought a truckload of books. The oldest one, in case you're interested, is The Naughtiest Girl Again by Enid Blyton, first published in 1940.