The Importance Of Reading A Bedtime Story
Much more than cultivating a habit, what we do when we put our children to bed and read a bedtime story is to provide them with a secure and stable structure.
Thus, we make them feel important, we also promote self-esteem and give them the tools they need to face everyday situations.
Reading a story to children before bedtime is one of the routines we incorporate almost automatically. They love this moment that makes us feel connected and connected, thus creating an intimate space to end a busy day.
You will be surprised to know that this simple gesture is one of the most important ones you can have with children, especially between the ages of 2 and 4 years old.
At this stage, children need to feel secure because of the amount of fear they face. And bedtime story is one of the best ways to do that.
Because reading a bedtime story is a healthy habit
The routine
Children need routines, mainly because it gives them security. They are getting to know the world and everything is constantly changing. So when they can anticipate what’s going to happen, they relax.
After playing comes bathing, dinner, washing hands, brushing teeth, bedtime story and sleep. These rituals allow them to relax and sleep better.
they feel loved
The simple fact that you reserve exclusive time to spend with them is very enriching for both of you. That’s why it’s important that you forget about your cell phone or all the pending tasks you have during the minutes you spend with them.
Hearing your voice, feeling you around and noticing the intonation you give to each part of the story makes the child feel embraced, loved and important.
Without a doubt, reading a story before bed is the best way to add the finishing touch to a day full of adventure.
Helps process experiences
Throughout the day, children face many situations that are new to them. Maybe they had a fight with one of their friends at school or felt uncomfortable for not understanding what the teacher said, among many other possible situations.
Your little world grows by the second, but that’s not always easy to assimilate or digest.
Therefore, when they hear a story, they can see themselves reflected in it, thus identifying some of their fears and insecurities and learning from the protagonist about the tools to face them.
Hence the importance of choosing stories appropriate to the child’s maturity level. In addition to age, each child develops in a very different way and this must be respected. Stories, therefore, must be able to convey clear and positive messages in a simple way.
It is not necessary for you to keep explaining what is happening. Trust the children and they will absorb the part of the story they need in each moment. This can even be therapeutic. In this sense, you should never force what you are assimilating from your environment.
A cognitive booster
Although it is a time more linked to the emotional part and relaxation, listening to a story before bed will always make them know new words, forms of expression and will favor the growth of their language skills.
In addition, you will work on the child’s ability to maintain attention, to follow the thread of a story, and to understand it from beginning to end, all while giving free rein to the imagination.
It is relaxing
A good story is the ideal way to end the day. Children associate this time with bedtime and naturally begin to lessen their agitation.
Choose stories with a happy ending. Also, make your voice soft, try to dim the light, and always do it with them in bed. You will find that this way it is much easier to incorporate healthy sleep habits.
Always the same story!
Don’t be surprised if your child asks you to read the same story before bed several times. As we said, children feel at peace and secure when they are able to anticipate, to know what is going to happen.
Knowing all the words you are going to say helps to put their minds in order, as well as everything that happened throughout the day.
Also, the way we learn is through repetition. Children discover something new each time you read this story. In this way, they integrate new words, experiences and relive the emotion they felt the first time they heard it.
don’t forget the limits
Our children need to feel loved and protected. Boundaries, in turn, are how they realize that we love them and that we are taking care of them because they still don’t know what they need in each moment.
So if you said you were going to tell only one story, stick to that agreement. In that way, you’re teaching them to keep their word and also that they can trust that when you say something, you keep it.
