Parents have been telling their children bedtime stories since the beginning of time. Those of us who were lucky enough to have our parents read to us or make up bedtime stories still carry (and cherish) those memories today.
There are hundreds of children’s books to choose from, but today’s parents are spending less time telling stories and more time rushing off to bed. And if you’re a divorced dad (or in the middle of divorce), you don’t have too many opportunities for story time.
In the busy modern world, it can be difficult to find time to read to your children, but did you know there are several advantages to making time for this important activity? Here are six things you didn’t know about bedtime stories.
1. Stories Reinforce the Bond with Your Children
Children grow in the blink of an eye. Before you know it, your little one will be running, playing and exploring new things. Reading gives your family a time to slow down and enjoy quality time together.
Bedtime stories suddenly become family time, fun time, cuddle time, and a time to share your values. But it also becomes a time for listening – an important life skill and one that enhances your bond as a family.
2. Stories Prepare Your Children for the Future
Humans have been telling stories long before we could write them down. Each one had a moral – or life lesson – meant as a way to help listeners prepare for the future, or lead their life a certain way.
Reading stories to your children can also help them prepare for the future. Whether it’s tales of the first day of school, troubles with friends or important life milestones, stories help children visualize the future and serve as guidance on what to do if they find themselves in a similar situation.
These stories can also help ease the stress of unfamiliar and new situations. For example, telling a story about the first day of preschool may help ease your child’s worries about her own first day.
At the same time, stories also help children prepare for school. Nursery rhymes help kids learn to understand and appreciate the sounds of words, and gain a better understanding of the alphabet.
3. Stories Enhance Communication and Logical Thinking Skills
Reading aloud to your children improves their communication skills through the interactions of characters in the books and their own engagement with you during story time. Stories encourage children to express themselves and relate to others in meaningful ways.
Children are better able to grasp abstract concepts, use good judgment, apply logic to everyday situations, and recognize cause and effect when parents read to them.
4. Stories Encourage Reading
Reading to your children at an early age gets them interested and excited about reading. Kids view books as an indulgence or fun hobby instead of a chore. A love of reading often leads to a love of learning, which will help your child succeed in school and later in life.
5. Stories Improve Imagination and Listening Skills
Whether it’s tales of monsters, giants or a talking trees, stories ask children to use their imaginations. At the same time, they hone their listening skills, an important life skill that will help them succeed in school and as an adult.
6. Stories Improve Your Child’s Vocabulary and Reading Skills
Your child may not be old enough to read just yet, but the stories you tell are serving as a good model for how to read. From pronunciation to pace, reading stories to your children gives them the essential foundation for fluent reading in the future.
Echo reading, where you read a sentence and your child repeats it, helps build on this foundation by boosting your child’s reading confidence.
Children also learn new words through the books you read, which expands their vocabulary and will make reading less challenging in the future. Nepali language lessons with Ling App is a fun way to teach your child foreign words.
Whether you’re the custodial or non-custodial parent, it’s important as a father to make bedtime stories a priority. Reading articles from sites like https://mommyexpectations.com/ to your child not only improves their intelligence, but serves as an important time for bonding.