Do You Read To Your Children?

Picture from Pixabay

Today is International Read To Me Day and hearing that brought back so many wonderful memories.

I remember my kids, freshly bathed and tucked in, eagerly awaiting a story. I don’t think anything else created such closeness as those times.

There’s a 10 year gap between my son (Jacques) and daughter ( Michelle), so I had special story times to spend with each. Although Pinocchio was a particular favorite, Jacques enjoyed just about any story. That meant I could read a different one every night.

Michelle on the other hand, would sometimes fall in love with the characters and insist on the same story every night. It usually lasted only a few nights but I remember the time when it was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Night after night she would refuse to listen to anything else and this lasted and lasted. I can’t remember how long exactly, but I know by the time we moved on to a new story I was ready to feed Snow White a poison apple!

Thinking of those story times bring back so many wonderful memories and I’m extremely grateful that I could do it.

Both kids turned into prolific readers and Michelle is an accomplished writer. I would like to think that our bedtime story times contributed to this.

How Did International Read To Me Day Start?

After it was discovered that adult literacy is a worldwide problem, The Child Writes Foundation did some research. They found that children who grew up being read to, developed a love of reading. So, to encourage people to read to their kids, ‘International Read To Me Day’ was born.

Picture from Pixabay

Reading is an enjoyable way to pass the time but it has many more benefits. It improves vocabulary, helps develop cognitive function and promotes creativity. You will not only be building a closer bond than you can ever imagine, you’ll also give them a major brain boost! It will also leave you (and them) with fond memories.

I know the main focus is to encourage children to become readers, but it doesn’t have to stop there. There are many elderly people whose eyes are failing and who can’t read anymore.

Celebrate International Read To Me Day by reading to your children or anyone else for that matter. If you really don’t have anyone, read to yourself or your pets.

Remember to appreciate that you can!