March 19th celebrates International Read to Me Day. This one hits close to home for me since I work at a library and love reading. Today is a great time to read to and with your kids or even pick up that book that’s been left on your nightstand for way too long.
The day was founded to promote the importance of reading to kids. It also promotes writers, the love of reading, and literacy education worldwide.
International Read to Me Day was originally created by the Child Writes Foundation to help encourage an increase in adult literacy. My husband and I are huge proponents of reading to our kids. My daughter has aged out of being read to but still reads for enjoyment every night.
Although my son is perfectly capable of reading independently, he loves to have my husband or myself read a few books to him at bedtime before he curls up under the covers and settles in with his book before bed.
The day we brought our daughter home from the hospital was the first day we read to her, and we haven’t missed a day of reading with our kids in the past 11 years. I can’t stress enough the importance of reading to your kids and its benefits. Not only does it help foster a love of reading and early literacy, but it is also an amazing bonding time between child and parent.
It’s a great way to learn more about your kids’ favorite titles and share some of your favorite subjects with them. My kids have many of my childhood books (thank you, Mom and Dad!), and I am forever grateful to hold onto those special memories and pass them on to them.
I get it if reading to your kids is not part of your everyday routine. Families are busier than ever these days. But maybe try to carve out a specific time of the day to sit and read for 20 minutes. Bedtime works great, as reading is a good way to help wind down the day and relax little bodies and minds for bed.
