"Not now.
"Sound familiar?After a long day at the office or a day full of housework to do, finding the time (or even the energy) to read to your kids seems like a job in itself.
Being a parent is hard work! According to Parent as Teachers National Center, the first few year children learn more and at a faster pace than at any other time in life.
You help shape your child's future through the kinds of experiences you provide.
Your baby was born to learn, and as a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher.
So being tired from work doesn't seem as important as the time we set for our children.
Our kids are the products of the decisions we make.
So you might be thinking so what do I do to find time?Well here are a few helpful tips to try out at home.
Work out a schedule.
Just like your work schedule, set a time that is "story time" for you and your child.
Whether it is before dinner or before bedtime, make sure it is a consistent time where your child will expect to have reading time and stick to it!This will eliminate the "not now", and lessen the frustrations you may have to find the time to read together.
Alternate with your spouse or older child.
Who said you have to be the one to do all the reading work?It's actually beneficial to have multiple readers in the family.
This allows your child to have various reading experiences.
You are also showing your child that other people in your family can also read and not just yourself.
Pre-select your books.
It'll save a lot of time and your child can anticipate the upcoming story.
This prepares them to begin predicting, an important reading skill for early readers.
Read part of the book.
Read parts each day.
Reading is not about just reading the whole book, it's about sharing and enjoying a really good story.
If it means reading one page, but having a long discussion about that page, you are beginning to create a foundation around reading.
It's not about reading the words, it's about understanding and enjoying what those words say.
After all, reading does not need to be painful!
"Sound familiar?After a long day at the office or a day full of housework to do, finding the time (or even the energy) to read to your kids seems like a job in itself.
Being a parent is hard work! According to Parent as Teachers National Center, the first few year children learn more and at a faster pace than at any other time in life.
You help shape your child's future through the kinds of experiences you provide.
Your baby was born to learn, and as a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher.
So being tired from work doesn't seem as important as the time we set for our children.
Our kids are the products of the decisions we make.
So you might be thinking so what do I do to find time?Well here are a few helpful tips to try out at home.
Work out a schedule.
Just like your work schedule, set a time that is "story time" for you and your child.
Whether it is before dinner or before bedtime, make sure it is a consistent time where your child will expect to have reading time and stick to it!This will eliminate the "not now", and lessen the frustrations you may have to find the time to read together.
Alternate with your spouse or older child.
Who said you have to be the one to do all the reading work?It's actually beneficial to have multiple readers in the family.
This allows your child to have various reading experiences.
You are also showing your child that other people in your family can also read and not just yourself.
Pre-select your books.
It'll save a lot of time and your child can anticipate the upcoming story.
This prepares them to begin predicting, an important reading skill for early readers.
Read part of the book.
Read parts each day.
Reading is not about just reading the whole book, it's about sharing and enjoying a really good story.
If it means reading one page, but having a long discussion about that page, you are beginning to create a foundation around reading.
It's not about reading the words, it's about understanding and enjoying what those words say.
After all, reading does not need to be painful!