Reading Bedtime Stories for Your Kids
Our hectic lifestyles andcareers do not spare much time for us to do innumerable tasks. Apart from the lack of time among elders, children these days also experience and get to spend very less time with their parents. Talking about the relationship of a mother and a child, more than 80 % of the mother’s feed their babies by turning on the television or put them to sleep by turning on the radio. Parents have developed such techniques in order to get an instant response by their child in every chore.
- The reason behind this contemporary trend is that both the parents are working and hence have very less time for their families and children. Studies denote that both the parents spend just 8-11 minutes interacting genuinely with their children. Not just in interacting aspects, but the studies have also proved that very less attention is paid to the child’s food and the parent child relationship.
- Habits such as engaging the children in video games, turning on the television while eating and paying very less attention to them has and will lead to disastrous problems. The busy life has completely faded away the concept of bedtime time story telling by the parent. It is evident that less than 20 % parents read bedtime stories to their children. Reading a story to your child has various benefits; few are as follows:
- One of the most important aspects of reading a story to your child is that it strengthens the relationship between a parent and a child. Taking time out of your busy schedule will make time for you and your child to interact and read out things to him which he likes. This will make the bonding stronger.
- Creates affection and love towards each other. When the child is warm and snug in his/her bed, they wouldn’t want to go to sleep if they’re getting time to spend with their parent. They’re too tired and would like to restore themselves at the end of the day. Story telling is one of the best options. Apart from that a child would desire to get a warm hug, a kiss or a mark of appreciation by the parent.
- Reading a bedtime story to your child is one of the best options to improve your child’s language and concentration skills. Since a bedtime is a peaceful time which gives your child enough time for peaceful thinking and being attentive, you can read out a story or two to improve the child’s skills. It also improves their vocabulary skills.
- Children are creative and would like to listen again and again trying to learn new words. In fact in many instances they try and memorise the stories. They learn various things when the parent recites the story with emotions and usage of vocabulary. As they learn new words and ideas they tend to use them in their daily conversation.
- Parents reading out stories to children also help their child develop motor skills along with physical and mental skills.
- It is always better that the child should be asked to hold and read the story aloud. Holding the book while lying down will help the child to manage the weight of the book and turn pages without tearing them. This skill helps them further to manage their educational books and maintain them as well. They also learn how to balance and coordinate with the book and the focussing capacity develops.
- Children are often curious to know more and more about every little thing and also have high capability of creativity. The moment they listen to new words and try understanding the meaning of it, they try and pronounce/repeat the words slowly and would like to hear themselves challenge themselves with the pronunciation of new words. This further develops the movement of their lips, mouth and their tongue.
- Bedtime story telling sharpens your child’s memories as he/she tends to memorize it and is enthusiastic to learn more. This also creates a mind-set among children that reading is a pleasurable activity.
- When a parent takes out his/her precious time to read out a story to the child, the child realises the importance and treasures the wealth of reading and is zealous to acquire more information. A child is never bored reading books if the parent inculcates the habit of reading since childhood.
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