Guest post by Jenny Silverstone at Mom Loves Best
Reprinted from The Ultimate Reading Guide For Your Child
Before your baby is even born, you might receive some baby books from your guests at your baby shower. It might seem a bit premature to think about books for a newborn — after all, they can’t even support the weight of their own head yet, let alone read a book.
But, even when your baby is a newborn, it’s a great time to introduce reading. Here are some of the reasons why (source):
- It gives you another bonding opportunity for snuggles and interaction.
- Your child will be preparing, even when they don’t know it, for reading on their own someday.
- It can help your baby develop language skills.
- They’ll pick up on a variety of emotions.
What To Expect
Obviously, since your child can’t understand your words yet, you can read out loud anything you want to — it can be a great time for you to catch up on your reading! They’ll be listening to your tone and seeing your expressions and still be experiencing the benefits.
Your baby won’t be ready for you to read War and Peace, but you can still get in some quality time. You’ll just want to make sure it isn’t a long reading session, and frankly, as a new mom, that’s a luxury you probably don’t have time for anyway. Shoot for a few minutes of reading at a time (source).
If you want to read material you’re hoping your baby will find a little more entertaining than whatever it is you would have been reading before having a baby, you can pick out some colorful board books that might attract your baby’s eye. Be prepared however for them to pretty much ignore the book for a couple months if you start reading to them while they’re an infant.
Pro Tip:
To allow your baby to safely explore their book with touch, you should considering buying a cloth book instead of a board book. If they put that one in their mouths and start slobbering on it and chewing on it, it won’t last long. My baby tried to use my favorite baby book as a chew toy and it wasn’t long before I had to throw it away!
About the Author:
Jenny Silverstone is a professional writer, editor, and most importantly, the loving mother of two. Jenny created Mom Loves Best to help the other moms like her who are struggling and trying to do their best but feel totally overwhelmed.
Check back next week for more great tips from Mom Loves Best!
