Benefits of Reading Bedtime Stories to Children
“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world” - Philip Pullman.
Today’s children are addicted to electronic gadgets and thus many of them are known to suffer from various developmental and behavioural problems. Parents must help their children develop healthy routines. Bedtime routine is one of the most important things that parents must focus on. Bedtime stories are known to improve the bonding between parents and their children and improve the quality of sleep among children as well. Studies reveal that when parents and caregivers interact verbally with children—which includes reading to them—kids learn a great deal more than we ever thought possible’.
Therefore every parent should start reading to their children from a very young age, even before they start going to the nursery school. Some of the major benefits of reading bedtime stories to children are:
Improve the Bonding with Your Child
When you read stories to your child, you spend a lot of time together and explore the various mysteries together. This strengthens the bond between you and your child. Everyone is too busy managing their home and work and people seldom get time to spend with their children during the daytime. So a bedtime routine helps you spend some time with your child.
Encourage Intellectual Development
Bedtime stories are written to improve brain development and create a sense of reasoning in children. The more you read to your children, the more they get to learn. Bedtime stories also enhance your child’s language skills. It is important that you make the reading session as interactive as possible. Ask simple questions and help your child find answers to them. Choose books with lots of colourful pictures and visual illustrations.
Improve the Attention Span
We often complain that our children have a very short attention span but that is because they are more addicted to gadgets and T.V. By reading to your child every night, you can help him/her improve the attention span and build a healthy routine.
Aid Imagination and Creative Thinking
Bedtime stories stimulate imagination in children and help them with creative thinking. For instance, if you are reading about Rapenzel, you can ask your child, ‘do you think someone can have hairs as long as Rapenzel?’ or if you read about Rumpelstiltskin, you can ask, ‘Do you think anyone can weave gold out of jute?’
Finally, bedtime stories help children calm down and go to sleep without any trouble. Parents often say that reading stories in a monotone help children fall asleep quickly. So whether you have a newborn or a toddler, it is important that you start reading to them as soon as possible. Children who have the habit of reading from a very young age are also known to perform better in school because they have already started developing intellectually. Children who read every day have a better vocabulary and that helps them express their feelings better.
Reading is an important skill and every parent must read to their children every day.