Reading With Your Kids
I’ve always loved books; even as a baby, if my mum is to be believed! She claims it started from in the womb when she would read to me every day, and continued to do so every night before bed until I was old enough to read my own books myself! And I’ve always taken pride in being a bookworm, even now!
When I had kids, my love for books was definitely something I wanted to pass down and cultivate – so we did exactly what my mum did with me, and started reading to them every day even while they were inside my belly! I’m glad to say that it seems to have worked! Our oldest son LOVES books and reading, and our toddler also seems to be following suit! We’ve always had reading as part of our bedtime ritual (2 books plus a devotion or Bible story), and when he got old enough, our 2-year-old started demanding his own separate 2 books and devotion rather than joining in his brother’s and having a combined story time.
Is it time consuming for us? Yes, but there’s just something so special about reading with your kids. It’s more than just a calming part of the bedtime routine — it’s a moment of connection, imagination, and presence in the often-hectic rhythm of family life. These moments invite us to slow down and be still while sharing something simple but beautiful. It doesn’t matter if they’re little and on our laps trying to grab or turn the pages prematurely, or cuddled up beside us as they learn to read independently – these moments matter.
Reading with your kids doesn’t have to be grand or perfect to be powerful. Whether it’s 10 minutes in the morning or a quiet bedtime ritual, it’s about presence, not performance. These moments matter because they stay with them (and with you!) as powerful, meaningful memories – intimate moments where the world pauses and you’re simply with them as you learn, wonder, and grow together. After all, reading is one of the best ways to help your kids grow and develop. Not only does it nurture their imagination and curiosity, but it can also help with their emotional and social awareness. Each story helps their minds to expand and see a world beyond their own while teaching them how to navigate the world around them.
It’s never too late to start, so I’d love to encourage you to start a daily reading ritual with your kids if you haven’t already got one (and trust me, you’ll be grateful for it once school starts)! And don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be long and it doesn’t need to be perfect. I know life is busy and some days you may barely make it through a page, but that’s ok! There’ll be days where it’s the opposite and you’ll be reading the same book 10 times in a row (I can’t tell you how many books we know by heart now because of this)! The important thing is reading consistently. And it helps if they see us enjoying reading too!
To help get you started, I’m just going to share some of our favourite types of books:
Anything Dr Seuss – “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!”
Anything Julia Donaldson – The Gruffalo is an obvious classic, but all her stories combined with their movie adaptations are always hits in our household!
Books with poetry/rhyme in general – always fun, easy to remember, and so good for early language development!
Classics – from Paddington to The Hobbit, classics and family favourites must be passed on!
Books that reflect what’s happening around them and can spark conversation – books about feelings/emotions, stories with morals they can learn from, characters they can relate to, etc.
So here’s to the wrinkled, torn pages, the well-loved board books, reciting from memory, and getting corrected when you skip a page! And just remember, at the end of the day, the magic is in simply showing up – you’re giving them your time, your presence, your voice, and lasting memories of moments that matter.
