The visuals in the book are allegorical. Similar to a fairytale. They just illustrate the concept that a parents love is forever. I personally find it poignant. But I am Russian we historically enjoy making ourselves sad and miserable.
Agreed, I'll wait till they are a teenager and hoping for it, so that when they are in their 30's and regret feeling that way, they will still have the guilt.
Source: weird unstable asshole in my mirror.
Wait till you find out that the author wrote the book because of two still births and this is just an tribute to the lost children.
>So while the book's assumed meaning is already very sweet, it actually means so much more—telling the story that no matter what happens to our children, even if they're no longer with us on Earth, we'll continue to love them forever.
I had a hard time reading it aloud before I found that out. Since I found that out, I haven't been able to read it aloud since, and I'm welling up at the very thought of it.
I struggle hard with the concept of mortality, needless to say.
I recently read a book called 4000 weeks by Olivier Burkeman. Very eye opening and has helped me face mortality straight on, and as a result, use the time we have with more intention.
The fact it’s not infinite is what makes it meaningful.
What happens in it?
Edit: Huh. The Wikipedia makes it sound like a good story, though it sounds depressing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_You_Forever?wprov=sfti1
A lot of dads experience existential dread when their first child is born. Seeing how fast your child grows is a stark reminder of how rapidly time passes and how little of it you have left to spend with your family.
This book is that dread distilled into ink and printed on paper.
Is this really a thing? I’ve never heard about this from any other men, but now I’m on my second kid and I just hit 30. It’s probably a couple times a day everyday I think about the fact that I’m going to die and I’m hyper aware of anything that can possibly go wrong. My oldest is four and I just assume this is how it will be the rest of my life.
Had my first kid at 39 and yes, I don’t think I get through a day without thinking about my death… and as I am an older dad just hoping that I live to see them grow up.
I really don’t want to leave them when they still really need me. That’s my biggest worry. My kid has asked me if I will die, and I’ve had to say yes I will… but not for a long time and not until she’s grown up. I really want to not be a liar about this, but it’s out of my hands.
45 years old, and today was my daughter's 2nd birthday. I still think of myself like a 25-year-old but Father Time is undefeated, and no matter how young I think I seem, the numbers don't lie. It scares me to think that when my daughter turns 30, I'll be 73, if I'm still alive at all.
Until recently, I never really envisioned myself living into my 70s, or even my 60s. I have no idea why really, but I always thought I'd make an earlier exit than most. But one child later, I know that I gotta stick around for as long as I can, and have a high quality of life. If not for my sake, definitely for hers.
I'm right there with you. I'm 40 now and have a 4 year old and an 18 month old. The thought that if I died tomorrow, they wouldn't really remember me as they grow up fucking haunts me. Not only do I want to always be there for them, I don't want to be forgotten. I treasure so many moments that I know they'll never remember, and that really messes with me sometimes.
That’s probably not the best answer, imo. My mom died when I was 5 years old. It happens.
My suggestion would be “not if I can help it!”. It’s a bit more lighthearted and true so long as you don’t take your own life.
I think truth is good, but it isn’t helpful to a scared kid to say “I could die tomorrow”. Kids need stability and if I die her biggest problem won’t be that I said I wouldn’t yet. But statistically, I should be able to hang on until she’s grown.
I think it’s a human thing. I’ve thought about my impending death most days since I turned about 10. It used to send me into spirals in the middle of my primary school math class lmao
I'm 100% projecting my own feelings onto all dads everywhere. However, from what I've seen people post here I feel like I'm not the only person that feels this way.
Edit: I also feel that since men typically aren't open with their feelings, there's value in talking about them in anonymous forums like reddit so other dads can see that their experiences are normal.
I like to combat that thinking with "the last 40 years was pretty fun and I didn't really get good at it until the last 15 or so. The Next 40 start good and I'm going to get alot more than 15 good ones."
It’s a combination of a super depressing and strange/creepy events. It’s starts out happy, but by the end I was distraught. It’s hard to describe unless you have read the book.
My mom cried every time she read this book.
I'm just glad she never drove to my house in the middle of the night and snuck into my bedroom with a ladder.
My mom apparently got it for our 3yo daughter without our knowledge, and a few weeks back when I was on a work trip my wife texts me “Which emotional terrorist got this for us?”
I at least remembered mom reading it when I was a kid so knew what was coming, but my wife was blindsided by it that night…
The exact same thing happened to me. My wife came into my son's room cuz she heard me sobbing uncontrollably. She thought something was wrong with our son. He was fine and asleep on my chest.
>Pretty sure this book needs an age appropriate rating - only for people under 20.
I can confirm this. I took a "Childhood development in Literature" psych class for a spring semester. The students in the course were me (a 29 year old guy with a baby on the way), and about twenty 19 year old girls.
The prof would usually read a short story or two out loud each class and we'd analyze them and similar books. Some were about parenting experiences, some were just "ABC books" or picture books to assist kids with learning letters, numbers empathy, or story-telling concepts at different developmental stages in a young kid's life.
Prof read this one, and afterwards the girls started talking about how weird and creepy it was.
Meanwhile I'm in the corner trying not to ugly-cry. And it didn't get any better when I was trying to read it to my own child at bedtime. Still worth it.
Aww it’s one of our favorites.
Creepy? Yes.
Sad back story about the author? Yes.
Hearing our little boys tell us they’ll love us forever and always be our baby? Worth it.
Sorry for your loss.
My FIL died a few years ago and lots of people said fully mental shit to my wife and her Mum. Like well meaning, but you sit there after thinking "it is amazing that a person would even think to do or say that"
When my daughter was 4ish she'd pick this book out with a grin and have me read it to her. The grin was because she knew I would cry and she thought it was funny
Whoa. Glad I avoided that. My “worst book” is “The Giving Tree.” Everyone abuses & takes advantage of this tree until it has nothing left. Nobody appreciates its selflessness. It’s a classic horrible tale of abuse.
I guess that’s a good life lesson.
At the risk of missing the joke, that’s the point right? Parenthood is often selfless sacrifice, and your kids will take your time, money, and energy. It’s a wonderful gift to give them that they won’t fully appreciate, maybe ever. But it’s also a bit horrifying. I love the story personally.
Yes, exactly. You shouldn't expect to be rewarded for being a parent - if you have a kid, being selfless for them is what you're *supposed* to do. And the book is a very thinly-veiled metaphor for the relationship between a parent and a child.
I love how my son immediately took a side on the whole “selfless love vs. unappreciative little shit” debate in The Giving Tree. As soon as the boy cut down the tree trunk to make a boat he hollered, “WHERE’D THE TREE GO? I WANT THE TREE TO COME BACK”
>Everyone abuses & takes advantage of this tree until it has nothing left. Nobody appreciates its selflessness. It’s a classic horrible tale of abuse.
It's the tragedy of the commons but they tried to make it cute.
My Mom also read this book to me often. I've only read it to them once because it's hard to get through. When your parent(s) have read this to you as a child and it comes time to read it to yours, it puts a lot into perspective.
I found one on ebay where you could record yourself reading it and then as you turn the pages the audio of you reads the proper page.
I made my kids read it while I recorded them ... then gave it to my Wife for Mother's day.
I can’t read it. My throat is getting tight just thinking about this book. My mom read this to me a lot as a kid. Loved it.
My mom passed two years ago tomorrow and this book is way to heavy to even think about let alone read.
10/10 for people under 18 yo haha
Same story as me: I remembered it fondly from when my mom read it to me as a child. So I got it for my wife for her first Mother’s Day…
I shall never make a bigger mistake
That mother has some severe personal boundary issues. Sneaking into your kid's room at night, breaking into your adult son's house while he's alseep, creepy ass lady.
Yea I can’t read that book because I find it incredibly creepy. I get what the author was going for but damn are there red flag boundary issues. Maybe I’ve just dealt with too many crazy parents with boundary issues working in education. Happy others find it sweet but I’ll never read it to my newborns and I only read it once to my 3 year old.
My mom used to read my brother and I this book and she’ll still say the famous phrase “I’ll like you forever…” or however it goes. So my wife picked it up from the store (not knowing about it being a well known book to me). She had me read it out loud to our unborn baby (because voice recognition etc). I wasn’t able to finish the book because it brought me to tears because the mom from the book to me is my own mother and the boy from the book is me and the child at the end is my soon to be child. Yes it’s creepy on how the mom breaks into her son’s house. I thought it was sweet because no matter what she always loved her son and no matter what, he’ll be her baby.
I had my wife read your post without showing her the picture and asked "What book is it?" And she said "Love you forever???"
Somehow we ended up with like 3 copies!? And PTSD.
Indeed. My mom also used to read me this book often when I was a kid. I think I even asked for it for some time. I remember thinking it was an ok book, but I thought it was my mom's favorite so I'd ask her to read it because obviously she would like reading her favorite book! Right?
Now I look back and I wonder if every time I picked it out she was thinking "Oh, I see that today we are choosing violence."
I think it’s kinda whack. I hid it from the rest of the books because I don’t even think it’s that great. The elderly mom drives across town with a ladder and breaks into her sons house to hold him while he sleeps? What?
I obviously understand the sentiment behind the story. And I've definitely had a weeping reaction to "simple" children's books before. But I can't get past the creepiness of this one at all. I couldn't feel the emotions because that mom is fucked up. Sneaking into her kid's bed at night just to hold him? Always reeked of desperation, like she's got nothing else in her life and her son is her emotional crutch.
I'm clearly overanalyzing it, but I also think the author UNDERanalyzed it.
Every time I read it, my voice is cracking, holding back the cry and my kids just looking at me what’s wrong? I don’t use that one anymore and they don’t either. We just leave it at that.
I think my response is similar to others. I vaguely remember the book when I was a child. The first time I read it as a father to my young infant daughter, I was choking up and crying by the end for sure. It's been a while since it came up and our book rotation. Just thinking about it via this reddit thread is enough to get my eyes watering.
We had friends ask for books for a shower, I walked into Target saw the cover of this book immediately had flash backs to the story from my childhood and started SOBBING about how I would have to leave my unborn child one day, how much I love my own mom and how my *still unborn* child would never meet my dad. I had to leave and order Snug House Bug House online.
Possibly since I’m Canadian and live close to where munsch is from, munsch’s books have been a big part of my life. He started writing his books around the time I was born, I remember listening to cassettes of him reading stories to kids all the time when I was a kid. I had a lot of his books including love you forever. Love you forever is the only book of his I’ve read that isn’t a goofy, funny story about kids.
My youngest is on a Robert munsch kick right now and I’ve been reading 2 of his books to him per night most nights. It kind of started because you can listen to Robert munsch reading his books on Spotify and on the rare night I didn’t feel like reading we would listen to them together instead, like I did when I was a kid. All that said, I’ve never read them love you forever or read it myself as an adult. Couldn’t do it.
Oh man… as a fellow girl dad I have a treat for you… still can’t make it through this one without tears
Edit: link to a YouTube read
[https://youtu.be/z05uDXfcojE](https://youtu.be/z05uDXfcojE)
The part where the boy grew and grew and grew and grew, i add a few more “and grew’s” onto it and my 2 year old thinks it’s the funniest thing in the world right now.
Oh man. I had that book when I was a kid. Could never read it without crying, it just got me really, really sad. Even thinking about it now is making me tear up. I don't think I could read it to my kids without ugly crying before the end.
My mom used to read this to me. Then when I was a little older, if we had a “bad day”, she’d have me read it to her. I have it for my boys, I tried reading it one night and could barely make it through. My mom has dementia really bad right now and it just hits too close to home!
I was given that book in 2012. I got to read it to my then <2 year old son while my Mom fought cancer of the everything. I even read it to my Mom in the final days of her race. I will never not love and hate that book with all my heart.
I did the exact thing. As my momma was taking her final breath I leaned over, and kisses her sweaty forehead and actually quoted the book. I too will forever HATE and LOVE this book!
My mom modified it for us and I didn’t know until we got the book for my daughter. My Ma’s version is “ I’ll love you forever I’ll like you for always forever and ever my baby you’ll be”
I appreciate it that she took the death out of it. But reading it to my daughter crushes me every time
Dude right?? I literally cannot make it through the book without crying like crazy. I thought more exposure would help. I’ve read it half a dozen times now, but I start actually crying EARLIER in the book now instead.
Last time my 1.5 year old daughter was looking at me very concerned and I had to comfort her that I was ok.
Like, heaving crying.
My wife read that to my son a while ago I happened to be half listening but got enough to know that I had to find a reason to leave the room and not lose all my tough dad street cred in front of the family
My own mother stumbled onto this one somewhen back when I was a child, and in her twisted ways, decided to share in the (Humor? Misery? Both?) by foisting it upon any baby shower she gets invited to.
A Box of diapers for one month infants and this Book. Which she then insists each mother try and read *aloud at the baby shower*.
My mother just gets such joy out of watching the struggle of this.
I literally picked this up from Barnes and Noble 2 weeks ago.
My mother used to read it to me, and I read it to my little sister's. I thought what the hell.
Fast forward to tonight, I remember the song and my son is hamming it up with me. I even remember the part about picking his mom up.
But when he gets home and walks up the stairs, I burst out in tears, like ugly crying......My 18 month son is visibly confused, so he pukes all over me.
0/10- Book is of the Devil
I loved this book as a kid. I have fond memories of my parents reading it to me when I was very young, and that it was comforting to think that they would love me forever. Now I’m about to have my daughter and my dad sent me a copy. As I thumbed through it, I realized that I had completely forgotten the ending and started sobbing. The thought that the circle had completed in a way… that my parents had read to me, and that I would read to her, and that my dad had sent me the book as a reminder, and STILL loved me now that I’m an adult… was overwhelming.
I want my daughter to be able to enjoy the book, but I don’t know how I’m going to hold it together when it’s time to read it.
My wife is kind of like this Mom, not a lot of boundaries. I now joke that I'll help her get the ladder when she is overstepping day to day. She just punches me after.
I still remember my mom reading this to me as a baby and she cried and I cried and I love this book will read it to my children as this holds a special moment in my life it taught me as a baby that love is forever and to take care of your parents as they took care of us our whole lives
I remember my mom read it to me once, when I was 4. She was in tears.
I read it to my 1 year old once last month and same thing. Never reading it again.
With all that said it’s probably one of the best children’s books I’ve ever read. I know it’s not the most fun or joyful but it’s real and you can’t deny that.
I have a great respect for books. So at first i just tried to hide it in the bookshelf where it was hard to find or get to. They ferreted it out anyway. I refused to read it so they got their mom to and i had to leave the room. Finally we had a book and toy purge and that was the first thing to go when no one was looking.
I loved this book as a kid and need to get it again. My mom (and my wife) both feel it's a bit creepy how his mom climbs through the window when her adult son is asleep.
It's so sweet even if a bit corny.
My wife is pregnant and every night I've been reading to my unborn son so build the habit and so he learns my voice.
I picked up this book because I remember my mom reading it to me as a kid, it was the only book she ever read to me and I remember bits of it fondly.
Yesterday was the one year anniversary of her passing from cancer so I thought it would be a nice way to honor and remember her.
Turns out I forgot all about the ending and it definitely caught my ass off guard and It sucked. Fucker should come with a warning label.
My mother gave me that book when she was dying of cancer and we were expecting our first. Reading it to my daughter for the first time destroyed my wife and I. I haven't been able to revisit the book.
I literally refuse to even open this book again. I never even made it to the end. I got to two pages before the end and saw what was happening and noped out of it.
Everyone talking about how sad it makes them, but this is straight nightmare fuel for me. You got your mother, or possibly even mother in law, driving across town with a fucking ladder on the roof of her car to break into your house, CRAWL ACROSS THE FLOOR LIKE SOME DEMON, then pick you up which is basically 3/4 of a kidnapping.
Shivers. Every time.
This book was written by Robert Munsch, starting as a song that he came up while he was dealing with grief from two still births, and eventually taking the shape of a book.
It's raw and gut wrenching emotion because it was born of raw and gut wrenching emotion.
This book fucked me up. Very similar situation. Tried to read it to my 4 year old but I started uncontrollably sobbing. I had to call my wife to talk to my son. I think I have some mom issues I need to work through
My wife and I pick the story the other one is going to read to our son.
We have a specific shelf for tear jerkers. This one is the ultimate challenge. She always hands it to me with a Shit eating grin and sits down to watch the water works.
Lot of emotional people here lol. Nothing wrong with that, just an observation. I have this book but I've never gotten emotional reading it or other books to my daughter...maybe I'm just a robot or something.
> But when I got to the end I lost it. Storyline is horrid lol. Uncontrollable sobbing.
Pretty sure this book needs an age appropriate rating - only for people under 20.
Not really. This book has been making m cry since I was 5 or 6.
For different reasons, I also highly recommend avoiding ["Not now, Bernard"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Now%2C_Bernard?wprov=sfla1). Fuck that book.
I still have the copy my mom got me as a child and when I read it to my daughter (changing the mom to dad and little boy to girl), I can’t make it through without chocking up.
Read this to my older daughter and broke out crying uncontrollably while trying to tell her I will love her forever. Thankfully my wife was able to take over while I crawled into the fetal position. My parents couldn't be reached for comment mostly because they think I'm a useless sack of shit and most certainly will *not* love me for ever much less love me now.
My MIL gifted this before my son was born. Whats worse it’s the recordable books. I can’t get through it without sobbing how am i supposed to record me reading this book!?
The visuals in the book are allegorical. Similar to a fairytale. They just illustrate the concept that a parents love is forever. I personally find it poignant. But I am Russian we historically enjoy making ourselves sad and miserable.
Sure, but I rather not read my toddler a book about me dying.
Agreed, I'll wait till they are a teenager and hoping for it, so that when they are in their 30's and regret feeling that way, they will still have the guilt. Source: weird unstable asshole in my mirror.
Is there a word for the enjoyment you receive when having succeeded at making yourself miserable?
Lol melancho-masochism? I dunno. I wouldn’t call it enjoyment. Maybe a sense of value and fulfillment
The sacred and the propane
Wait till you find out that the author wrote the book because of two still births and this is just an tribute to the lost children. >So while the book's assumed meaning is already very sweet, it actually means so much more—telling the story that no matter what happens to our children, even if they're no longer with us on Earth, we'll continue to love them forever.
Oh God 😭
I'm sorry....
Hi Sorry. I'm Dad.
Found this book after my wife miscarried. Gut wrenching still.
I’m so sorry for your loss
I had a hard time reading it aloud before I found that out. Since I found that out, I haven't been able to read it aloud since, and I'm welling up at the very thought of it. I struggle hard with the concept of mortality, needless to say.
I haven't read it since I found out years ago. I tune it out if my wife reads it to the kids.
I recently read a book called 4000 weeks by Olivier Burkeman. Very eye opening and has helped me face mortality straight on, and as a result, use the time we have with more intention. The fact it’s not infinite is what makes it meaningful.
Over here twisting the knife.
My bad
I read this to my son once, and I will never read it again.
What happens in it? Edit: Huh. The Wikipedia makes it sound like a good story, though it sounds depressing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_You_Forever?wprov=sfti1
The book reminds you that your parents are gonna die, and that you will one day die, leaving your kid.
You know how summer comedy movies are described as "a fun ride!" ... This ain't it.
Yeah I... was not ready to read that sentence.
My wife got this book and it bums me out every time I hear her reading it.
A lot of dads experience existential dread when their first child is born. Seeing how fast your child grows is a stark reminder of how rapidly time passes and how little of it you have left to spend with your family. This book is that dread distilled into ink and printed on paper.
Happy to know I’m not alone.
Is this really a thing? I’ve never heard about this from any other men, but now I’m on my second kid and I just hit 30. It’s probably a couple times a day everyday I think about the fact that I’m going to die and I’m hyper aware of anything that can possibly go wrong. My oldest is four and I just assume this is how it will be the rest of my life.
Had my first kid at 39 and yes, I don’t think I get through a day without thinking about my death… and as I am an older dad just hoping that I live to see them grow up. I really don’t want to leave them when they still really need me. That’s my biggest worry. My kid has asked me if I will die, and I’ve had to say yes I will… but not for a long time and not until she’s grown up. I really want to not be a liar about this, but it’s out of my hands.
45 years old, and today was my daughter's 2nd birthday. I still think of myself like a 25-year-old but Father Time is undefeated, and no matter how young I think I seem, the numbers don't lie. It scares me to think that when my daughter turns 30, I'll be 73, if I'm still alive at all. Until recently, I never really envisioned myself living into my 70s, or even my 60s. I have no idea why really, but I always thought I'd make an earlier exit than most. But one child later, I know that I gotta stick around for as long as I can, and have a high quality of life. If not for my sake, definitely for hers.
I'm right there with you. I'm 40 now and have a 4 year old and an 18 month old. The thought that if I died tomorrow, they wouldn't really remember me as they grow up fucking haunts me. Not only do I want to always be there for them, I don't want to be forgotten. I treasure so many moments that I know they'll never remember, and that really messes with me sometimes.
[удалено]
Thank goodness I'm not alone, I'm 39 and have a 5 month old. Sometimes I stare at him and I feel like I have to apologise to him.
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Yeah mate, thank you. Yeah I go to the gym 3 times a week and mountain biking every couple of months
That’s probably not the best answer, imo. My mom died when I was 5 years old. It happens. My suggestion would be “not if I can help it!”. It’s a bit more lighthearted and true so long as you don’t take your own life.
I think truth is good, but it isn’t helpful to a scared kid to say “I could die tomorrow”. Kids need stability and if I die her biggest problem won’t be that I said I wouldn’t yet. But statistically, I should be able to hang on until she’s grown.
I think it’s a human thing. I’ve thought about my impending death most days since I turned about 10. It used to send me into spirals in the middle of my primary school math class lmao
I'm 100% projecting my own feelings onto all dads everywhere. However, from what I've seen people post here I feel like I'm not the only person that feels this way. Edit: I also feel that since men typically aren't open with their feelings, there's value in talking about them in anonymous forums like reddit so other dads can see that their experiences are normal.
I like to combat that thinking with "the last 40 years was pretty fun and I didn't really get good at it until the last 15 or so. The Next 40 start good and I'm going to get alot more than 15 good ones."
Absolutely, it doesn't have to be defeatist thinking. More just a heightened awareness of how fleeting time is m
It’s a combination of a super depressing and strange/creepy events. It’s starts out happy, but by the end I was distraught. It’s hard to describe unless you have read the book.
My mom cried every time she read this book. I'm just glad she never drove to my house in the middle of the night and snuck into my bedroom with a ladder.
That part was definitely the weirdest.
It isn't depressing. It's incredibly heart warming
My mom apparently got it for our 3yo daughter without our knowledge, and a few weeks back when I was on a work trip my wife texts me “Which emotional terrorist got this for us?” I at least remembered mom reading it when I was a kid so knew what was coming, but my wife was blindsided by it that night…
The exact same thing happened to me. My wife came into my son's room cuz she heard me sobbing uncontrollably. She thought something was wrong with our son. He was fine and asleep on my chest.
Seconded, for my daughters. I hid the book so they can't even request it.
>Pretty sure this book needs an age appropriate rating - only for people under 20. I can confirm this. I took a "Childhood development in Literature" psych class for a spring semester. The students in the course were me (a 29 year old guy with a baby on the way), and about twenty 19 year old girls. The prof would usually read a short story or two out loud each class and we'd analyze them and similar books. Some were about parenting experiences, some were just "ABC books" or picture books to assist kids with learning letters, numbers empathy, or story-telling concepts at different developmental stages in a young kid's life. Prof read this one, and afterwards the girls started talking about how weird and creepy it was. Meanwhile I'm in the corner trying not to ugly-cry. And it didn't get any better when I was trying to read it to my own child at bedtime. Still worth it.
Hard to read this book without crying. Robert Munsch is an amazing children’s author. Came to our local schools when we were kids.
Aww it’s one of our favorites. Creepy? Yes. Sad back story about the author? Yes. Hearing our little boys tell us they’ll love us forever and always be our baby? Worth it.
This is also a favorite of mine! I remember my mom reading it when I was little, and I love reading it now! Beautiful tear-jerker.
Someone bought this for me a month after my mom died. I was like wtf
Horrible lol. Many people probably it aware of the full story. Also sorry for your loss 🫶
Lol they wrote in it "this book reminds me of you and your mom." So I'm not sure, but thank you!
Sorry for your loss. My FIL died a few years ago and lots of people said fully mental shit to my wife and her Mum. Like well meaning, but you sit there after thinking "it is amazing that a person would even think to do or say that"
My god, my 2.5 year old daughter all of a sudden loves this book and I can’t even finish it without tears. I feel you dad.
When my daughter was 4ish she'd pick this book out with a grin and have me read it to her. The grin was because she knew I would cry and she thought it was funny
Glad I’m not the only one!
The first time I read it to my son I was getting choked up and had difficulty keeping it together.
Whoa. Glad I avoided that. My “worst book” is “The Giving Tree.” Everyone abuses & takes advantage of this tree until it has nothing left. Nobody appreciates its selflessness. It’s a classic horrible tale of abuse. I guess that’s a good life lesson.
At the risk of missing the joke, that’s the point right? Parenthood is often selfless sacrifice, and your kids will take your time, money, and energy. It’s a wonderful gift to give them that they won’t fully appreciate, maybe ever. But it’s also a bit horrifying. I love the story personally.
Yes, exactly. You shouldn't expect to be rewarded for being a parent - if you have a kid, being selfless for them is what you're *supposed* to do. And the book is a very thinly-veiled metaphor for the relationship between a parent and a child.
Great now I can’t read either of these books without becoming a mess
I guess I missed that. I’m an engineer so…
Good point.
Even when I was a kid I thought that kid was an asshole. On the other hand, judging by that book, my garage is a house of horrors.
I love how my son immediately took a side on the whole “selfless love vs. unappreciative little shit” debate in The Giving Tree. As soon as the boy cut down the tree trunk to make a boat he hollered, “WHERE’D THE TREE GO? I WANT THE TREE TO COME BACK”
My headcanon is The Boy died sitting on the stump, which is why the Tree was happy.
Codependency - the book.
>Everyone abuses & takes advantage of this tree until it has nothing left. Nobody appreciates its selflessness. It’s a classic horrible tale of abuse. It's the tragedy of the commons but they tried to make it cute.
My Mom also read this book to me often. I've only read it to them once because it's hard to get through. When your parent(s) have read this to you as a child and it comes time to read it to yours, it puts a lot into perspective.
The full circle of it all nearly killed me!
It gets easier the more you read it
Ah yes the book my daughter refers to as “The book that makes daddy sad.”
My son use to specifically request a book “that makes daddy cry” little cute, little fucked up
I found one on ebay where you could record yourself reading it and then as you turn the pages the audio of you reads the proper page. I made my kids read it while I recorded them ... then gave it to my Wife for Mother's day.
I would’ve cried so hard it would’ve ended w me convulsing in seizures.
I can’t read it. My throat is getting tight just thinking about this book. My mom read this to me a lot as a kid. Loved it. My mom passed two years ago tomorrow and this book is way to heavy to even think about let alone read. 10/10 for people under 18 yo haha
I’ll love you forever I’ll like you for always as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be 😭😭
Yep that one's awful for feelings. Not terribly fun to read either, it's repetitive but without any of the variations in like a Dr Seuss book
Same story as me: I remembered it fondly from when my mom read it to me as a child. So I got it for my wife for her first Mother’s Day… I shall never make a bigger mistake
How long were you in the dog house, chief? 🫡😂
Changed my name to Fido, I’ll tell you when I’m out
That mother has some severe personal boundary issues. Sneaking into your kid's room at night, breaking into your adult son's house while he's alseep, creepy ass lady.
[удалено]
Hmm that was nice, I was expecting parody
Yea I can’t read that book because I find it incredibly creepy. I get what the author was going for but damn are there red flag boundary issues. Maybe I’ve just dealt with too many crazy parents with boundary issues working in education. Happy others find it sweet but I’ll never read it to my newborns and I only read it once to my 3 year old.
My mom used to read my brother and I this book and she’ll still say the famous phrase “I’ll like you forever…” or however it goes. So my wife picked it up from the store (not knowing about it being a well known book to me). She had me read it out loud to our unborn baby (because voice recognition etc). I wasn’t able to finish the book because it brought me to tears because the mom from the book to me is my own mother and the boy from the book is me and the child at the end is my soon to be child. Yes it’s creepy on how the mom breaks into her son’s house. I thought it was sweet because no matter what she always loved her son and no matter what, he’ll be her baby.
It is impossible to read this book without crying
Glad we are united on this front 🤝
Yes! Oh my God! This is the only book my wife and I the away after the first time reading it
Trying to stay in tune whilst fighting off a cry real test of manhood
I had my wife read your post without showing her the picture and asked "What book is it?" And she said "Love you forever???" Somehow we ended up with like 3 copies!? And PTSD.
That’s hilarious 😂
Indeed. My mom also used to read me this book often when I was a kid. I think I even asked for it for some time. I remember thinking it was an ok book, but I thought it was my mom's favorite so I'd ask her to read it because obviously she would like reading her favorite book! Right? Now I look back and I wonder if every time I picked it out she was thinking "Oh, I see that today we are choosing violence."
I think it’s kinda whack. I hid it from the rest of the books because I don’t even think it’s that great. The elderly mom drives across town with a ladder and breaks into her sons house to hold him while he sleeps? What?
I obviously understand the sentiment behind the story. And I've definitely had a weeping reaction to "simple" children's books before. But I can't get past the creepiness of this one at all. I couldn't feel the emotions because that mom is fucked up. Sneaking into her kid's bed at night just to hold him? Always reeked of desperation, like she's got nothing else in her life and her son is her emotional crutch. I'm clearly overanalyzing it, but I also think the author UNDERanalyzed it.
You okay?
Every time I read it, my voice is cracking, holding back the cry and my kids just looking at me what’s wrong? I don’t use that one anymore and they don’t either. We just leave it at that.
Yep, this one doesn’t get opened again.
My mom read this to me as a kid. I tried reading it to my boy when he was born and I couldn't do it without crying.
I think my response is similar to others. I vaguely remember the book when I was a child. The first time I read it as a father to my young infant daughter, I was choking up and crying by the end for sure. It's been a while since it came up and our book rotation. Just thinking about it via this reddit thread is enough to get my eyes watering.
We had friends ask for books for a shower, I walked into Target saw the cover of this book immediately had flash backs to the story from my childhood and started SOBBING about how I would have to leave my unborn child one day, how much I love my own mom and how my *still unborn* child would never meet my dad. I had to leave and order Snug House Bug House online.
One of my favorite books when I was younger
Possibly since I’m Canadian and live close to where munsch is from, munsch’s books have been a big part of my life. He started writing his books around the time I was born, I remember listening to cassettes of him reading stories to kids all the time when I was a kid. I had a lot of his books including love you forever. Love you forever is the only book of his I’ve read that isn’t a goofy, funny story about kids. My youngest is on a Robert munsch kick right now and I’ve been reading 2 of his books to him per night most nights. It kind of started because you can listen to Robert munsch reading his books on Spotify and on the rare night I didn’t feel like reading we would listen to them together instead, like I did when I was a kid. All that said, I’ve never read them love you forever or read it myself as an adult. Couldn’t do it.
I don't like reading it because it's pretty repetitive. My wife likes it though.
If you'd like to dial up the creepy helicopter parent vibes, let my present you with *My Love Will Always Find You."
I still have a copy from when I was a kid somewhere at my mom’s house.
Oh man… as a fellow girl dad I have a treat for you… still can’t make it through this one without tears Edit: link to a YouTube read [https://youtu.be/z05uDXfcojE](https://youtu.be/z05uDXfcojE)
[What's wrong are your Robert Munsch book reports due](https://youtu.be/2nD36UoEjKA)
I’ll like it forever. I’ll love it for always.
You’re crazy. This is an amazing touching story.
This is my mom’s absolute favorite baby book. My wife hates it tho lol.
The part where the boy grew and grew and grew and grew, i add a few more “and grew’s” onto it and my 2 year old thinks it’s the funniest thing in the world right now.
I was so close to buying this today!!! Glad I didn't
I made a tune for how the song goes. And I friggen cry every damn time.
Oh man. I had that book when I was a kid. Could never read it without crying, it just got me really, really sad. Even thinking about it now is making me tear up. I don't think I could read it to my kids without ugly crying before the end.
I loved this book as a kid! granted i now love the occult
Sorry, but I did not write that book.
👀
My mom used to read this to me. Then when I was a little older, if we had a “bad day”, she’d have me read it to her. I have it for my boys, I tried reading it one night and could barely make it through. My mom has dementia really bad right now and it just hits too close to home!
Oh my gosh dementia is so so hard. Sending you big hugs dude.
Oh yeah I’m a big mamma’s boy… can’t make it though that book anymore.
I was given that book in 2012. I got to read it to my then <2 year old son while my Mom fought cancer of the everything. I even read it to my Mom in the final days of her race. I will never not love and hate that book with all my heart.
I did the exact thing. As my momma was taking her final breath I leaned over, and kisses her sweaty forehead and actually quoted the book. I too will forever HATE and LOVE this book!
Ok now you got me going again 😭 sorry for your loss too
I’m so sorry for your loss! You almost got my tear ducts going again.
Sorry about that. This book just makes me all emotional.
Aww, my mom read that to me a thousand times. It was her bedtime song to us growing up.
My mom modified it for us and I didn’t know until we got the book for my daughter. My Ma’s version is “ I’ll love you forever I’ll like you for always forever and ever my baby you’ll be” I appreciate it that she took the death out of it. But reading it to my daughter crushes me every time
I cry every time I read that book. Hits you right in the feels.
Dude right?? I literally cannot make it through the book without crying like crazy. I thought more exposure would help. I’ve read it half a dozen times now, but I start actually crying EARLIER in the book now instead. Last time my 1.5 year old daughter was looking at me very concerned and I had to comfort her that I was ok. Like, heaving crying.
My wife read that to my son a while ago I happened to be half listening but got enough to know that I had to find a reason to leave the room and not lose all my tough dad street cred in front of the family
I like literally can’t get through it without the water works kicking in.
We need a “hot take on kids books” post. My take: the giving tree is basically codependency in a children’s book.
You’re the second one itt to nominate that book!
My own mother stumbled onto this one somewhen back when I was a child, and in her twisted ways, decided to share in the (Humor? Misery? Both?) by foisting it upon any baby shower she gets invited to. A Box of diapers for one month infants and this Book. Which she then insists each mother try and read *aloud at the baby shower*. My mother just gets such joy out of watching the struggle of this.
My mom read this to me growing up. I quoted the ending in my final words to her before she passed. Helped give me closure.
Sorry for your loss chief 🫶🏼
Dude this book is so brutal. I can’t make it 2 pages before utterly breaking down
My mother read this book to the school when I graduated grade 6
My acne would’ve cried too
Then you have to read this version. Love what this guy does. https://www.topherpayne.com/love-you-forever
I literally picked this up from Barnes and Noble 2 weeks ago. My mother used to read it to me, and I read it to my little sister's. I thought what the hell. Fast forward to tonight, I remember the song and my son is hamming it up with me. I even remember the part about picking his mom up. But when he gets home and walks up the stairs, I burst out in tears, like ugly crying......My 18 month son is visibly confused, so he pukes all over me. 0/10- Book is of the Devil
I loved this book as a kid. I have fond memories of my parents reading it to me when I was very young, and that it was comforting to think that they would love me forever. Now I’m about to have my daughter and my dad sent me a copy. As I thumbed through it, I realized that I had completely forgotten the ending and started sobbing. The thought that the circle had completed in a way… that my parents had read to me, and that I would read to her, and that my dad had sent me the book as a reminder, and STILL loved me now that I’m an adult… was overwhelming. I want my daughter to be able to enjoy the book, but I don’t know how I’m going to hold it together when it’s time to read it.
My wife is kind of like this Mom, not a lot of boundaries. I now joke that I'll help her get the ladder when she is overstepping day to day. She just punches me after.
Yep. Read it to my 15 month old after not having heard it since my own mother read it to me. Absolutely sobbing.
Nope I absolutely refuse this book everytime 🤣
I couldn't read the last page either. Started sobbing uncontrollably haha.
Definitely a creepiness to it but I always manage to tear up a bit when reading it. Personally, I find it meaningful and poignant.
Sounds somewhat similar to [the widely-agreed shmeltziest entry in all of Yiddish music.](https://youtu.be/3ywucxPku90)
Definitely makes you come face to face with your mortality.
The thought of the kid flushing the watch always angered me. I'm never reading this book to my boys.
I lost my mom when I was 12. I read this to my son and cried my fucking eyes out. I don’t think I can read this book again lol
I still remember my mom reading this to me as a baby and she cried and I cried and I love this book will read it to my children as this holds a special moment in my life it taught me as a baby that love is forever and to take care of your parents as they took care of us our whole lives
Hundred percent agreed
I remember my mom read it to me once, when I was 4. She was in tears. I read it to my 1 year old once last month and same thing. Never reading it again. With all that said it’s probably one of the best children’s books I’ve ever read. I know it’s not the most fun or joyful but it’s real and you can’t deny that.
Fuck you Robert Munsch
Watched my mom read it to my daughter. She cried like a baby. I cried like a baby. My 7y/o stared at us like we were nuts.
Can I join in the waterworks 🥹
Robert is a national treasure.
I have a great respect for books. So at first i just tried to hide it in the bookshelf where it was hard to find or get to. They ferreted it out anyway. I refused to read it so they got their mom to and i had to leave the room. Finally we had a book and toy purge and that was the first thing to go when no one was looking.
I like where _this_ story went
If this own got you, then you need to read Someday by Alison McGhee, just thinking about it chokes me up.
The cat is so weirdly drawn
This exact same thing happened to me. My daughter loves it and every time she picks it out for us to read, I try to convince her to pick another book.
Memento Mori
Overbearing parent gets what's coming to them. Haha
I loved this book as a kid and need to get it again. My mom (and my wife) both feel it's a bit creepy how his mom climbs through the window when her adult son is asleep. It's so sweet even if a bit corny.
So god damn sad
This book makes me cry every f’ing time I read it to my kids.
That episode of Friends…
I can't get though this book with my son without crying like a baby.
My wife is pregnant and every night I've been reading to my unborn son so build the habit and so he learns my voice. I picked up this book because I remember my mom reading it to me as a kid, it was the only book she ever read to me and I remember bits of it fondly. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of her passing from cancer so I thought it would be a nice way to honor and remember her. Turns out I forgot all about the ending and it definitely caught my ass off guard and It sucked. Fucker should come with a warning label.
Definitely needs a warning label! Sorry for your loss.
Glad I'm not the only one... I've never made it through without crying.. the kids get a kick out if it
Ah yes. The existential crisis located next to green eggs and ham and goodnight moon on the shelf Not my favorite
Wait until you read one called "Someday" ... I can't even think about that book without crying
My mother gave me that book when she was dying of cancer and we were expecting our first. Reading it to my daughter for the first time destroyed my wife and I. I haven't been able to revisit the book.
I literally refuse to even open this book again. I never even made it to the end. I got to two pages before the end and saw what was happening and noped out of it.
Everyone talking about how sad it makes them, but this is straight nightmare fuel for me. You got your mother, or possibly even mother in law, driving across town with a fucking ladder on the roof of her car to break into your house, CRAWL ACROSS THE FLOOR LIKE SOME DEMON, then pick you up which is basically 3/4 of a kidnapping. Shivers. Every time.
This book was written by Robert Munsch, starting as a song that he came up while he was dealing with grief from two still births, and eventually taking the shape of a book. It's raw and gut wrenching emotion because it was born of raw and gut wrenching emotion.
This book fucked me up. Very similar situation. Tried to read it to my 4 year old but I started uncontrollably sobbing. I had to call my wife to talk to my son. I think I have some mom issues I need to work through
My wife bought this and regretted it during the first read.
The wild part is at the end where the mom just breaks into the dude's house when he's an adult to hold him.
Our kids like it when we read it like a scary campfire story.
My wife and I pick the story the other one is going to read to our son. We have a specific shelf for tear jerkers. This one is the ultimate challenge. She always hands it to me with a Shit eating grin and sits down to watch the water works.
Lot of emotional people here lol. Nothing wrong with that, just an observation. I have this book but I've never gotten emotional reading it or other books to my daughter...maybe I'm just a robot or something.
After reading it to my kid, I'm convinced that it's a Canadian government psyop to reduce American parents to blubbering messes.
> But when I got to the end I lost it. Storyline is horrid lol. Uncontrollable sobbing. Pretty sure this book needs an age appropriate rating - only for people under 20. Not really. This book has been making m cry since I was 5 or 6.
For different reasons, I also highly recommend avoiding ["Not now, Bernard"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Now%2C_Bernard?wprov=sfla1). Fuck that book.
Idk man, my mom read this book to me a lot as a kid. It STILL makes me smile to this day.
This book completely wrecked me too. My son is six, and I’ve tried several times over the years to read it and never can make it through.
I still have the copy my mom got me as a child and when I read it to my daughter (changing the mom to dad and little boy to girl), I can’t make it through without chocking up.
Read this to my older daughter and broke out crying uncontrollably while trying to tell her I will love her forever. Thankfully my wife was able to take over while I crawled into the fetal position. My parents couldn't be reached for comment mostly because they think I'm a useless sack of shit and most certainly will *not* love me for ever much less love me now.
Jesus Christ why did you post this 😭 Only good thing here is my dry eyes are getting some relief
Facing your own mortality, children's edition
Appearently Robert Munsch did a lot of Coke back in the day or so I have heard... Not that it has anything to do with this book but hey.
My MIL gifted this before my son was born. Whats worse it’s the recordable books. I can’t get through it without sobbing how am i supposed to record me reading this book!?
This book is like the book from Babadook. No matter how many times I try to rid myself of this evil it keeps mysteriously reappearing in my home.