That moment when your mother grabs a book and starts reading you a wonderful story until you fall asleep. It is a sweet and very familiar situation during bedtime. Now, that you are a parent to your kid or children, you want that same idea on how to tuck them to bed. Here are some tips that can help you select the right stories you would read to your little boys and girls.
Pick Books with Pictures
Stories for children must have photos. They are more interested to read and listen to stories with illustrations. Otherwise, this tradition before heading off to sleep would be too boring for them. Ironically, it may make them easily fall asleep. If that’s what it is, then there is no more narrating of stories. Your children won’t be encouraged to appreciate and read books if that will ever happen. And based on your childhood moments, every kid needs to experience the same thing.
Image Source: surfexcel
Select According to Age
Books vary in a few ways and they can be classified based on ages of target readers. Most books have age labels at the back. You must check that out everytime you select and before you purchase.
The attention babies and infants need is usually lots of colorful and friendly photos. There are books for this group of age that is most suitable. For older babies, such as 3 to 5 years old, they need to read books that are more educational. The contents should be for the development of their learning and character. It must be also something that can enhance their memory, improve speech recognition, and provide ambition and imagination. Older kids can be more about adventure but still with some moral values included.
Read Kid-Friendly Books
Not all stories for children are appropriate. Parents need to be very wise and picky in selecting the best stories. A book to read must be easy to understand, realistic or make-believe, and not scary or spooky. The things children hear or read from bedtime stories must motivate or promote goodness.
Choose Based on their Interests and Skills
Another factor of selecting a book is the interest of your kids. Do your kids love some specific sports, like football, baseball, or car racing? You must choose a story that really interests them. Also, it must be appropriate for their gender. There are stories that are more suitable for girls only, and there are books that are written for boys. In fact, it is better that you go to bookstores with your kids and have them pick books. Then, you just check and decide if the stories are suitable for their ages and interests.
Image Source: imgkid
Get Books with Brief Stories
When you give a bedtime story, make sure it does not take an hour for you to finish reading. Sometimes, kids love to hear a story until the end, because they want to find out what happens next until it is over. But you do not want to keep them up too late. So, have books that can be finished reading in 10 to 15 minutes only.
The essence of reading bedtime stories is that they will learn new things that can help in their development, upbringing, and character. It also provides a way to appreciate literature and interest in learning. Whatever stories you give to your kids, make sure that they will have fun at the end of the story. It must give them some goodnight sleep everytime they head to bed. Do not forget that this is also one way for you to spend some quality time with your kids.