Photo by Mikhail Nilov
Once upon a time, picture books fascinated every child. It has the power to create a meaningful bond with their parents. Let’s dig deeper into this fascinating connection.
Storytime is always a magical activity that children will always look forward to. The love for reading will always trace back to our bonding with our parents during childhood. Such is a crucial time for every child to develop and hone their cognitive and language skills.
Memories of parents reading to their children every night becomes a core part of their lives as they grow. That is why fostering that connection is necessary for your child to grow mentally and emotionally healthy, not just physically.
That is what author Caroleann Rice does in her Ladybug Children’s Book, which features a ladybug and a frog who is too occupied with being mean to other animals in their neighborhood. This is a book that parents should likely read to their children in terms of resolving conflict. Through the events in the book, parents can impart their personal experiences in conflict resolution to their kids.
The magic of reading together
During story time as kids, we naturally gravitate towards our parents, snuggling towards them while we get comfy listening to them to read our favorite bedtime stories. If you’re a parent now, your child should have the chance to experience the exact moment you had. And if you didn’t have the opportunity, this is a crucial time for you not to let the child experience the same loneliness.
Reading picture books aloud keeps them rooted, affecting their listening and breathing skills. They fixate their eyes on the adult that retells the story in the most engaging way possible. What makes this bonding time unforgettable is when you let them flip the page so they can feel the story unfold before their unassuming eyes.
With the help of picture books, children will thoroughly study the illustrations with great attention to detail. The visuals also add more depth to the story, allowing children to grasp what’s going on and what the characters look like. That way, you and your child can better describe and remember the characters and events.
What are the joys that picture books bring?
There are countless ways in which parents can add to the child’s preexisting joy. The magic of reading picture books together isn’t limited to the confines of your child’s bedroom. You can take them to other places like the public library, where there are events like reading sessions that both parents and children can join in. You can guarantee that it will become a highlight of their existence.
It enhances child development even further.
The adult reads the story, and the child sits down and listens. The typical setup can still be elevated through an interactive experience. For example, you can let your child read the words, training them to read the book at their own pace. And if they struggle, you can teach them as they go.
Reading is a slow-paced activity, requiring patience and understanding from the parents. After all, they can still not read particular words from the get-go. They haven’t mastered cadence and diction, so reading picture books together is time for them to master them.
Besides that, reading with your child also helps match their attention span since this is a time-limited activity. You can even gauge their thought process by how they perceive the stories they read, along with the accompanied illustrations.
A child’s experiences are validated through these books.
Young children have innate magical thinking, and what parents can do is get into that imaginary world with them. Because of that trait, they believe that anything can happen. However, they need more life experiences to understand other people. That’s where parents step in to impart basic knowledge of the world by reading picture books together.
Such activity can become a form of life lessons and deep talks that are watered down in a way they can understand. With children’s books, they offer a supplication of things like hope when the time comes that your children encounter challenges at an early stage.
Externalizing abstract concepts is possible with picture books.
The fact that these books cater to children who exist within the realm of magic and pure imagination is enough to imply vague concepts in their minds. For example, ‘The Ladybug And The Bully Frog’ by Caroleann Rice introduces a scenario where a man frog bothers other neighbors.
Children may be unable to point the finger at what bullying looks like, but they are indeed vulnerable to it early, so it helps that picture books ease them into it. Now as a parent, you’re responsible for teaching them how bullying is wrong and that they should stand up for other kids who their peers are bullying. And if they’re in a situation like that, letting them know they can ask for help is possible.
Your kids can grasp complex emotions and situations that their young minds can’t understand now. With your guidance, they can visualize how each feeling is represented in the books they read alongside you.
Final thoughts
The new influx of picture books for children indicates a brighter and better future for them to understand the world better. More importantly, they pick up positive traits they can apply to others because they learned from your example and how you delivered these stories.
Please make this a crucial part of their lives, and ensure they only experience the best connection with you. Create a lasting bond that brings you and your child closer together. Happy reading!
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