Reading a bedtime to your kids is what all of us parents aspire to do. We have been told how important reading to your kids can be and that it can benefit them but let’s face it, after you spent all day cleaning, cooking, and trying to keep up with the kids, it can be pretty tempting to put them to bed and call it a day. Some days that may happen but trying to squeak in some time spent reading to your kids at some point in the day can really help them with their growth and development.
For one, it is a bonding time for the child and for you. You get to snuggle up with your child and share a story with them. There is no doubt they will remember you reading to them regularly and the time you spent holding them close. It also helps with attention span and self-discipline. At first it might not be that picture-perfect scene of your child sitting still listening to you read them a book, more likely they will get distracted halfway through and be wiggling around and making it hard for you to hold the book. The good news is that they will learn! Eventually, they will start paying attention to you and the story and their attention span can increase.
Kids learn how to talk and they learn words from hearing adults and others talk. Reading books and stories to them is a great way to help them increase their vocabulary and also learn correct pronunciation and enunciation. This helps them develop better language skills and learn how to communicate with others more efficiently.
Academically it can also help a child because children learn by example. When your little ones see you pick up a book and read to them, they are more likely to the same thing. Reading to your children and showing them how to means they are learning and having the learning reinforced every time you make time for it.
If you miss a day it isn’t the end of the world but do your best to get in some scheduled time for reading with your kids. If you had a particularly stressful day with the kids ask your spouse to take on the bedtime story for the night. If you aren’t into a bedtime ritual, try reading a short book to them before they can watch a movie or TV for the day.
