Sunday, October 24, 2010

Reading to your Children

Pest Jessica here with a parenting tip for today.  The tip that I have is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart.  The tip that I have is to take time to read with your child everyday.  I usually try to read for at least 20 minutes with my son each day.  We don't sit down and read for 20 minutes straight, but we read at least 20 minutes total at different times throughout the day.  I look forward to this time with my very active 12 month old, this is the only time that he is willing to happily sit in my lap or snuggle up with me.  It doesn't matter how young your child is, it is never too early to start exposing them to books.
 One of my favorite quotes, by Gordon B. Hinckley, says “Children who are exposed to books at early ages have scholastic advantages throughout their lives. Parents who fail to read to their small children do a disservice to them as well as to themselves. It takes time, yes, much of it. It takes self- discipline and planning. It takes organizing the minutes and hours of the day. But it is never boring to watch young minds come to know characters, expressions, and ideas. Good reading can become a love affair, far more fruitful in long-term effects than many other activities to which children give their time.”  I would challenge you to find a time to sit and read each day with your children.

2 comments:

Ramona said...

Excellent tip! I love this! I was much better with reading to my first few children then I am with my younger ones. This was a good reminder for me!

Laura said...

As a former teacher, I can't stress HOW important reading to your little ones is! Great tip Jessica!

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