As a parent you probably read your kids bedtime stories like I do. What you may not realize is how important bedtime stories can be. Reading together is an important element to your child’s success in reading and creativity, but this is also a time in which you and your child can spend enjoying each other’s company, and sharing your love for one another. It is a process in which many special memories are created that involve you and your child, as well as a time when children can pay special attention to the story, the characters, the plot, and the lessons that can be learned from the story that they are listening to. Here are some information on the importance of bedtime stories.
Bedtime Stories – Make them a Daily Routine
One of the reasons that the importance of bedtime stories is often highlighted by professionals who work with children is that it offers an opportunity to establish a daily routine. Parents and children often live extremely busy lives. There are many responsibilities that must be attended to throughout the day, such as work, school, chores, errands, extracurricular activities, homework, cooking, and similar types of events. Once the day has calmed and is approaching the end, children and parents alike can be comforted by the fact that they get to spend a little quality time together. In addition to this, children need to have some sort of daily routine in their lives. Why not making it reading an intriguing bedtime story?
Bonding with your Child
This is from personal experience. Being there for your child when you start and end the day is a great way to help build a closer bond with your child. As you work to spend time reading a bedtime story with your child, it helps create a unique bond between the two of you. As you read the stories, you can engage in open discussions about the characters that are part of the story, the places in which the stories depict, how the characters interact with one another, the problem and the resolution of the story, as well as any important lessons and values that are expressed in the story. This is a great time to hear the opinions of your child, and for them to hear yours. You can just enjoy a simple conversation while getting to know your child and teaching them your expectations on their behavior and words.
Reading Preparedness
The importance of bedtime stories includes the fact that it assists in reading preparedness. This is especially true if you read to a young child in their toddler years. It is during these years in which the brain is developing and growing the most. Children should be exposed to as many books, words, and sounds as possible so that they will develop into masters of reading and comprehension. By listening to the stories that you read, children can see and hear important sight words, learn how to pronounce appropriately, and expand their vocabularies. All of these elements are absolutely essential to ensuring that your child becomes a successful reader when they reach the appropriate age for this particular milestone in their lives.
Comprehension and Logic
When children are exposed to bedtime stories and other types of literature throughout the day, it helps them develop comprehension and logic skills that are important to both the communication process and the development of educational skills. Children learn the components of a story, they learn how to predict events that happen in a story, and they learn how to recall events in a particular sequence about stories that they have heard. They can also learn how to make sense of real life situations through the means of imaginative and entertaining characters. By helping your child in the area of comprehension and logic through the means of bedtime stories, you are providing them with a skill set that will be beneficial all through their educational career.
Communication
The importance of bedtime stories also includes instilling important elements of communication in your child. We all communicate through written word, verbal methods, listening, and body language. Reading helps instill a higher sense of confidence in a child that is learning how to communicate effectively. Not only do the actual stories assist in raising awareness to communicating with others, but the conversations that you have with your child about the stories that you share together also helps in this area. You will find that the vocabulary that your child uses advances and that the descriptive phrases that they use to describe what they feel, think, and what to express to you become more in tune.
Morals and Values
Most of the books and stories that are classified as appropriate for children contain important morals and values. These morals and values often reflect how people should treat themselves, how they should treat others, and what is truly important in life. As parents, we expect our children to know and understand our moral expectations that we have for them, and the ways in which we feel that they should act. Considering that their minds are in a state of continual growth at a young age, it is often difficult to explain to them these expectations and the impact that they have on ourselves as well as others. However, a story brings these expectations and explanations to life in the eyes of a child.
Summary
As you can see, the importance of bedtime stories is more than just sharing a cute story. There are many advantages to sharing this time with your child. The advantages that you have been introduced to here include the following:
1. Daily Routine
2. Bonding
3. Reading Preparedness
4. Comprehension and Logic
5. Communication
6. Morals and Values
Take advantage of the importance of bedtime stories and incorporate them into your child’s life – you will both be glad that you did!I know I charish every moment.
Kevin – More4kids
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Greetings! I’m Kevin, the founder and chief editor of More4Kids International, a comprehensive resource for parents worldwide. My mission is to equip parents with the tools and insights they need to raise exceptional children.
As a father to two incredible sons, I’ve experienced the rollercoaster of parenthood, and it’s these experiences that drive my dedication to making More4Kids a trusted guide for parents. Our platform offers a wealth of information, from time-saving parenting hacks to nutritious meal plans for large families, and strategies for effective communication with teenagers.
Beyond my professional role, I’m a devoted parent who champions the concept of an abundance mindset in raising resilient, successful children. I’m committed to fostering this mindset in my own children and am passionate about inspiring other parents to do the same.
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Great article. It summarizes exactly what I’ve been experiencing myself in my own life at first, and then with my own children. Let’s keep reading more and more to our kids!