Reading: First Steps with Baby
Do you love reading and wonder how you can pass on your passion to your children? Let's first ask ourselves the question:
Why is it so important to instill a love of reading in our children?
There's no age limit for learning... And thankfully so 🫶
We learn every day, and reading develops imagination, curiosity, and vocabulary. Moreover, reading promotes concentration and stimulates critical thinking.
Discover our 4 stress-free tips to share your love of reading with your children.
1/ Introduce them to books from a young age
Baby's first months are rich in discoveries. From 6 months, baby uses all their senses; they observe, touch, taste, listen... This is the ideal time to introduce them to the book as an object. You can surround them with books that they can look at, touch, manipulate... or add books to their toys so they understand that it's a fun object. The more books you present to them, the more essential they will become!
You can also read them short stories or imagine them with our soft fabric activity book. Little ones also like repetition and will be happy to hear the same story several times.
2/ Create a dedicated reading space
Have you ever thought about creating a dedicated reading space in your home?
A small, comfortable, and cozy corner with cushions, a blanket, soft and subdued lighting... where you and your child will feel good.
This can be a small corner in your child's room, or if you don't have the space, mom and dad's bed included in the evening routine.
The important thing is that your child associates it with a place of relaxation and escape. It will then be easier for your child to fully immerse themselves in reading if books are accessible and a specific place is provided for good concentration.
3/ Create a routine
It's important to create routines in baby's daily life. One of the most effective ways to introduce your child to reading is to integrate it into their routine and make this moment with you or not a calm and privileged moment, both comforting and entertaining.
It's generally easier to include it in the evening routine. Let your child choose the book if they're old enough, get comfortable, use your softest voice, and start reading. Show them the words and pause for a moment on the illustrations and characters.
Add emotion to it; the characters will only become more endearing, and your child will be even more enthusiastic and want to know more!
Make them actively participate in the moment and the reading, even if they can't read; this will stimulate their interest, and they will be the ones asking for the next stories.
Always offer this reading time but don't force your child; reading must remain a pleasure so that it doesn't later become a torment!
4/ Show and tell them about your readings
What better way to spark their imagination than to tell your child about your favorite readings, your memories, or the stories that have made an impression on you?
We all have favorite books that marked us in childhood; for me, there are several, like White Fang or Le Grand Meaulnes; these are books I sometimes like to reread and have kept in my library. Remember to tell anecdotes sometimes related to a book: "Agatha Christie's books are your grandmother's favorites... She has the whole collection!", "Grandpa kept his Tintin comics; he received an album every Christmas..."
Also, remember to introduce them to various media: comics, graphic novels, novels, musical books,... are all supports that will allow them to develop their imagination.
As you'll have understood, there are tips to instill a love of reading in children. Be yourself and, most importantly, enjoy sharing this special moment with your child.
Go for it 🤍
