Navigating the uncertain situation of a global pandemic over the past year has been a struggle for most of us! For parents with young children, COVID-19 has tough lifestyle changes in terms of childcare and homeschooling. While kids and parents are no doubt looking forward to socializing again, spending more quality time with our families has been one of the biggest positives of staying at home.
In particular, reading stories with your children is an ideal activity when you’re trying to keep yourselves entertained. With busier schedules, it can be difficult in normal times to fit in reading sessions with your little one! Since most of us are spending weekends and evenings at home at the moment, there’s plenty of opportunities to sit down and read together. Here are some of the benefits of incorporating story time into your pandemic routine!
Story Time Enhances Your Child’s Literacy Skills
With children being taught from home for some time over the pandemic, it can be harder to keep on top of your child’s reading skills. Dedicating some time to reading a story together can ensure they are getting the practice they need! The more children read, the more advanced their reading level will become, greatly helping them through their elementary school years. Even just 20 minutes a day is enough to see improvements!
Cures the Pandemic Boredom
While enhancing reading skills, reading a story together is a fantastic way to cure any boredom while staying at home! Reading together is such a fun activity to get involved in together if your usual activities are getting a bit repetitive. Even more, personalized story books made especially for your little one make story time even more exciting! Your child will be able to see themselves star in the story alongside heroic characters, and they will feel much more involved in the adventure!
Give Them A Break From The Screens
Tablets and other devices are ideal for keeping children entertained, but spending too much time glued to a screen isn’t healthy! Setting aside time to read a story with your child gives them a break from online activities and television, and gives them the in-person interaction they might be missing.
Improves Your Bond
There’s no better way to enhance your bond with your child than by reading a fun story together! Creating time for reading stories will make sure you’re getting to spend quality time with each other in your home. Story time is also a memorable activity your little one will look back fondly on when they’re all grown up, so make the most of your chance to sit down and read together while you can!
Story Time Is a Mindful, Distracting Activity
If your child is struggling with not seeing their friends and taking part in extracurricular activities, reading a story with them is an ideal opportunity to take their minds off any sadness and frustration they might be feeling. They can focus on reading the story and meeting the characters on the pages, engaging solely with the adventurous tale in front of them! Reading can be a calming way to soothe worries and will no doubt improve your child’s mood.
