My favorite part of my night as a little girl was when my mom and I would read a story together. Although I hated the actual bed time part, I loved spending those extra few minutes with her and my favorite story. These days, the bedtime routine seems to be a thing of the past. Parents work late or kids would rather play their video game for twenty more minutes instead of reading a book. Here are a few reasons why we should bring back the bedtime story:
Encourages Reading: The bedtime story is obviously a great way to get your child reading. If he or she is young, read a book that he loves that also uses repetitive phrases that they can say with you. If he is older, take turns reading a page from a chapter book he enjoys.
Creativity: Bedtime stories also boost your child’s creativity. Reading these stories can help your child to retell them and add to their own ending.
Language Development: Reading stories every night boosts your child’s vocabulary. Exposing him to language in the stories will help him to understand and use what he is hearing.
Calming: Playing a game or looking at a bright phone screen keeps your child’s brain awake and does not help him to fall asleep. Being read to or reading will calm him. There is no bright light stimulating his brain, and he will become more relaxed making it easier to fall asleep.
Bonding: Parents and children can spend those last few minutes of the day enjoying something together. Not only can you and your child read before bedtime, you can talk, or sing nursery rhymes. No matter the age, children love to spend a few extra moments one on one with their parent.
Bring the bedtime story back to life and back into your family traditions!
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