Reading Bedtime Stories – Top 10 Benefits

I started reading bedtime stories 27 years ago, when my first child was six months old, and I'm still going strong! I still read a children’s story or two to my youngest, my 10 year old daughter (almost 11) at bedtime every night we are home and neither of us have an outside activity. This bedtime story ritual continues to be important to both of us.

Here are the top 10 reasons I think reading children’s books aloud, especially at bedtime, is an important, even necessary, activity.

10. I love the chance to connect at the end of the day, and sit close together, even with a child who doesn’t always like to be touched or cuddled.

9. Reading bedtime stories can lead to a wonderful no-pressure opportunity to talk about life’s little, and big, issues as story characters run into challenges and solve them successfully, or not.

8. I'm able to share some of my own experiences and wisdom effortlessly and without preaching when they relate to that night’s bedtime story.

7. Help your child build his or her vocabulary – encourage asking if there’s a word he or she doesn’t understand. Keep a dictionary handy to look up words together if you have trouble explaining the meaning, or if you don’t know what something means either! (The other night, we had to look up the word “auk”.)

6. Reading stories without pictures stimulates imagination as there are no visuals; the picture has to be formed in your head from the words you hear.

5. Reading picture books, on the other hand, is a great opportunity to compare various artistic styles and mediums. Even at 10, almost 11, Sharlee and I often alternate between chapter books and picture books.

4. Reading a chapter book teaches delayed gratification – sometimes we have to wait for what comes next. What child doesn't need help learning that lesson?! Reading is a painless way to teach it.

3. Today the experts tell us that, for better sleep, kids (and adults too for that matter) should have at least a half-hour of no screen time (no TV, no computers, no video games) before bed. Reading bedtime stories to them especially fills the gap for those kids who no longer know how to entertain themselves; it can also get them hooked on books and one day they will happily read to themselves before bed if you are busy and the TV has been turned off.

2. “Leaders are readers” and developing the reading habit begins at home – you are giving your child a great advantage for life’s later years.

1. And finally, and sometimes I think – no matter how important or essential reading is to future success in school, in work, in life – the most important reason of all for reading bedtime stories is that for that half hour you are all your child’s, a chance for him or her to feel they are indeed loved, cherished and a priority in your life. How important and priceless is that sense and knowledge for a child to have in the midst of our busy multi-tasking lives? I don't think it can be measured.

P.S. Need some ideas for your reading bedtime stories time? Check out our reviews page. More reviews are coming, and will be posted soon.

SBI!