Effects of Bed Time Stories on Kids | Benefits of Bedtime Stories | Child Psychologist

We live in the country of Nani & Dadis, where bedtime stories have been an important part of our daily routine. The fairies & the princess, the North Pole star, the tales of Veer Shivaji Maharaj, Panchtantra, have been part of our lives and dreams. Who can forget the lovely memories of the summer vacations, our fights with our cousins to sleep next to our grandmoms and listen eagerly to those bedtime stories?

a

The benefit of Bedtime stories:

1. Developing Concentration Skills: Reading a bedtime story develops the concentration skills of the child. It increases their focus and enables them to stick to an idea or a concept. It is an effective tool for developing the interest, their likes, and dislikes, and helps them to form a better image of themselves in their mind     
2. Developing Speech: It is a great way of developing speaking skills. Communication is an important part of our lives. Through stories, they learn to develop and enhance their speech. They learn to express their feelings and emotions, needs, desires, and pains.
3. Building Vocabulary: It is a Whole New World when a child is born. “Though there is not a fixed age when to start reading a Bedtime story,  it is sooner the better”,  says a Child Psychologist at My Fit Brain. Many mothers start talking to their kids as soon as they enter the third trimester of pregnancy. This is the time when an unborn child has developed its basic sensory organs. In fact in context to the Indian society, a child starts learning in the mother womb, after all, we all have heard the story of  brave Abhimanyu
4. Developing Memory: Reading bedtime stories helps to develop the brain and memory of the child. Reading a small story from as short as a few sentences to a few pages gradually develops their memory and retention power. It enables us to understand what frequency of repetition is required to make them understand a day to day activities, their strengths, and their weakness
5. Bonding of Parent-child Relationship:  When a child is born, a mother is born too. Talking, communicating with your child through these bedtimes story is a great idea to build a strong relationship with your child. A three-month-old baby starts reacting to your expressions, tone of voice. Enacting bedtime stories gives every parent a chance to build a quality relationship nurture the parent-child bond.
6. Relieving Day’s Anxiety: Our lifestyle and jobs demand a lot from us and take a toll on our physical and mental health. And reading those stories to our little angels relieves us from a lot of stress. With our children and the fairytale, we see a whole new world of imagination and Magic
7. Inculcating Good Habits: Developing good habits and manners is a tough task for every parent. The Monday morning blues along with the tantrums of our kids raises our Blood Pressure. But by reading these bedtime stories, we can inculcate in them the good habits we have always wanted them to learn.
8. Teaching Good Moral: It is an effective way of developing good manners, habits and moral in your children

Top 8 Books for kids:

• Panchatantra: This book is a collection of small stories with animals as their main characters. It is available in Hindi and English. The language is simple and each story gives a moral
• The very hungry Caterpillar: It is a classic with lots of colourful and engaging illustrations. It is a book which has been in preference for a long time. It keeps the reader and child engaged and teaches days of week and time
• Dear Zoo: It is an interesting story in the form of lift-the-flap format. It is one of the most preferred read, especially among toddlers or preschool kids.  Children love to look for their favourite animal as the flip through the pages
• Ten little Finger and Ten little toes: It a picture book often famous among two to three-year-old. It shows babies from different countries and cities having a chubby set of common feet and toes
• The Essential Collection for Young Readers:  While discussing children’s books, missing out on the famous children’s book author Ruskin Bond would be a  mistake. The Essential Collection for Young Rehildredaders is a collection of stories, set in the foothills of the Himalayas. The stories like The Blue Umbrella, Tales from childhood, are a part of this book.
• Grandma’s Bag of Stories: It is a book by the best selling Indian author Sudha Murthy. It is a collection of stories as being told by a grandmom to her children. The cook is engaging with colourful illustrations. it is mostly recommended for five years old or above.
• We are Going on  A Bear Hunt: It is for children above four years. It is the story of a Family going out in search of a bear through the woods, river, and caves. It is a beautiful picture book with engaging illustrations and is a famous read among Families.
• Each Peach Pear Plum: It is a classic picture book famous among families. It introduces its young readers to several characters from traditional stories. This book is especially recommended for three to five-year-olds.

Reading aloud, enacting, role play, modulation of tone are a few ways to make reading more effective to your children. Stories are a great way to strengthen the bond between parents and children. In the end, I hope the information given above helps you in making I would say stories are an inseparable part of our lives.

In case you are still facing any problem in bonding with your kids or any parenting issues, you can consult our Experts at My Fit Brain. They will guide you with Techniques and ways to mend your relation and made your relationship better with your children.