Childrens Book Event: Memories and Importance of parents reading to children

 

So far I have had posts on authors first memories of reading to authors favourite childhood reads. Today's post is on the authors opinions on the importance of reading with or too your children and their memories of their parents reading to them.

 

When I was younger I remember my mum reading bedtime stories to me. There did tend to be a few arguments over who got to pick the book as I had a younger brother and sister to compete with and they usually got to pick the book. LOL But I loved it. I loved that my mum sometimes made stories up for us and told us them. I think it is great for parents to read to their children or even sit with them and let them read to you. It does of course help with learning but its a great bonding moment between parents and child. When I have children of my own I look forward to reading to them and have them read to me, I hope they are all little bookworms like me :)

 

Check out some authors opinions on the importance of reading with children and there memories of their parents reading to them. Then leave me a comment below!  Do you read to your children? Do you think it is important to read to them? Do you have memories of your parents reading to you?

 

"...we always had reading time! My mother was a reader, so, she would sit with me and read quite a bit.  I think nurturing that love is very important! It is a bonding tool that is also educational. Amanda from Lettersinsideout.net

 

" Yes, my parents read to me all the time.It’s absolutely vital, not only for encouraging reading, but for developing their language on a fundamental level (especially rhymes!) and providing them with the tools to deal with an increasingly complex world. And speaking as a parent, it’s some of the best time you can ever spend with your child." Oisin McGann, author

"I remember my mother telling us traditional fairy tales as she was ironing. The smell of ironing still reminds me of stories. My father used to make up very exciting stories, they could be quite scary at bedtime but we loved them. Reading to children wasn’t as common as it is now. It’s a wonderful activity for parents and children, great for their relationships and for discussing or raising issues of things in a slightly sideways manner. So if you want to talk about bullying or loneliness or a fear, you can find a not-too-raw territory for that in a book. "Childrens author & Illustrator Mary Murphy "

My mother, every Christmas Eve, would read it “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and it was the only time she would read aloud to us, so it was a BIG DEAL. Even after we were much older, we still clung to this tradition. I think reading to your kids is very important. It builds vocabulary and exposes kids to places and stories to which they would not otherwise be exposed. It builds well rounded kids, and I’m all for that!" Anne Tibbets, author "

I’m a firm believer in bedtime stories not only for the bonding aspect but because it encourages a love of stories that can only lead to a love of books. Of course it only works when it’s not perceived as a chore but, rather, as something that parent and child both enjoy." Author Bob Burke

 

"My dad used to read us bedtime stories using a stuffed animal as a puppet. My sister and I called the stuffed animal “Hole-in-the-Head Dog”. I do think it’s important that parents read to their children. It not only invites kids to use their imagination and gives them one-on-one time with their parent, but it also introduces how important language is in our society. "
Victoria Scott is a YA writer represented by Laurie McLean. Her debut book will be, THE COLLECTOR: A DANTE WALKER NOVEL (Entangled Teen, March 2013). Victoria has a master's degree in marketing, and lives in Dallas with her husband. When not writing, she can be found grubbing on cotton candy and snuggling obese cats. You can cyber-stalk Victoria online on her website or on Twitter

"One memory comes to mind in particular. I remember being very young and we were holidaying in an old beach house belonging to my aunt. My sleeping arrangements were on an upper bunk bed in a tiny spider infested room. There were spiders on the ceiling above me and I couldn’t sleep, so my parents read a book to me. It completely took my mind away from the spiders and I slept fine.
My parents, mother in particular read to me at bedtime when I was small… I loved it.. Having a story read to you by a parent is something that stays with you forever. I read to my children at night, and it’s a very special time we spend together…." Author Joe OBrien
 

"I can remember being maybe three years old and being snuggled up in my bed with my mom, reading Goodnight Moon, Are You My Mother and A Fly Went By. These were my favorites, and I can still hear them in my mom's voice. These nightly reading sessions couldn't have taken more than 15 minutes, but they left me with a warm and settled feeling going to sleep. A zillion years later, I take a book to bed with me, reading quietly to myself to end the day. I think that kids learn more about your values from how you spend your time than what you say.Being read to every night also taught me just how important books were to my family. My mom was an extraordinarily busy person, and the idea that she broke the frenzy of the day to read to me left me with the feeling that reading was as important as food or a bath." Author Annabel Monaghan

 

 

"I was the youngest of three so I remember my sisters reading to me, as well as my mam and the baby-sitter! Reading to your children is a HUGE gift of time and attention. They may 'forget' the details as time passes but research has shown that it is a big bond-builder between parent and child. Watching TV with them just doesn't compare." Author & Ilustrator Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

 

 

"I don’t, and I do, is the answer. I don’t remember them reading to me specifically, but I do strongly remember a teacher, Mrs. Bowman, at about 8 years old reading to us extensively - complete books by Roald Dahl etc. I loved being read to.   I’m not a child development expert, and I’ve never been a parent, but I would think it would be essential to get a child to become a lifelong reader to start as early as possible, in a safe enjoyable environment. If the child can learn to enjoy it early, they are more likely I imagine to continue to enjoy it, to seek it out, and continue to develop as an independent reader, as well as a independent thinker, and a curious searching human being. Reading isn’t just about entertainment, but about exploring and thinking through ideas about the world around you. It could be science, or fantasy, romance, or finance. Being a reader gives you the most freedom to access the full spectrum of human ideas.
 
I personally am coming to the unoriginal conclusion that “the story” form is the most sophisticated form of human expression. Not for everything, like science experiments or tax forms, but story can capture the mysterious element of existence in a way exposition or essay or a teaching text book cannot. I think there are valuable insights we can pass on as individuals, about life, to others, through story, without the barrier of individual experience. In other words, we may not all have answers, but most of us have clues. And we can pass on those clues, through creating stories that reflect that moment of realization or recognition that we are tantalizingly close to an answer, and leave it up to the reader to pick up the trail, and use their own experience to reinterpret and evolve their own view of existence.

Make sense? I really don’t think there are any final answers to questions, just strings of questions going off forever. You know, one question leads to another... stories are the critical connection to the path, not the destination. So much teaching is about answers. Fiction can have as many questions as answers. And that’s good I think. I could go on...." Micheal Emberley author & illustrator

"My parents always read stories to me and my sister and two brothers at bedtime. It was part of our routine at night. I think it is extremely important for parents to read to their childre. It helps family bonding as you are spending time with them and it is very rewarding to see them enjoying the books and having a special time of the day to read. " Wendy Murdoch (A local librarian)



If you have missed any of the posts for the event you can check them all be clicking the banner along the top of the blog to see all the posts. Great interviews, guest posts and giveaways!