When I watch my child enthusiastically page through one of her favorite books, full of wonder and awe and I think to myself that I need to get more books into her hands. I then realize that building a library collection for her maybe one of the biggest gifts that’s I can give her. Well, of course, right up there with love, kisses, and support.
Emilie Buchwald once said, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” And this, my dear wonderful parent, is where you jump in! Couldn’t be truer right? There are many great benefits that your child will derive from diving into books. Below are just a few:
- Reading is a good way to exercise your child’s brain. It does this by constructing and reinforcing brain connections.
- Want to improve your child’s attentiveness? Get them to read. Reading often will allow them to sit still and focus for longer portions of time.
- Greatly improves language and vocabulary. Children absorb things around them all the time, and reading allows them to learn new words, sentences constructions and how to use them effectively.
- A wonderful way for your child to cultivate their imagination. Reading allows your child to imagine the characters and what they could possibly look like. It allows them to paint a picture and engage with the characters.
As you can see, there are many critical benefits to your child getting into the habit of reading. So instead of leaving it to chance, or leaving it to the school system, take the power into your own hands. Take the initiative and invest in your child and create a BUDGET for their books!
Create a nice collection for your child. Buy new books, buy used books. Go online to sites such as www.amazon.com, buy them at your local markets. Buy boxed sets as well, they tend to be more cost effective. Keep the books flowing into the household so that you create an amazing library for your child.
You think you don’t have the money? Hmm, how about, wrong! Think of all the things that you spend your money on that are nice-to-haves and not must-haves. All the pizza days, spa days and nights out with gals. You can reroute some of that money into your child’s wellbeing.
It’s important that you don’t look at this as ‘doing them a favor’ or ‘losing a bit of your money’. Nope, not at all. You are loving them enough and supporting them to the best, well-adjusted children that they can be. That’s it, building and curating a library for them gives them an added advantage in life. So this makes it a no-brainer right? We I certainly think so too.
Frank Serafini once said, “There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” As time goes on, you will fill their library with timeless classics that they too will learn to love for years. These same books can be passed on to your other children, borrowed to family members, a kiddie’s exchange book club could be started. Mix up the collection with activity books, reading books, joke books, drawing books, you name it!
In a nutshell, a book budget should always be part of the family budget. Right up there with vegetables and toothpaste. The benefits of a reading child outweigh the benefits of a movie night anytime!