Read Your Children A Book Before Bed, Don’t Let Them Watch TV

There is nothing more therapeutic and comforting than putting a child to sleep by reading him a book. The listening experience is also essential for them to be able to dominate reading skills. Thanks to the sound of our voice, we are able to transport children to a fantastic universe made of adventures, in which their brains find calm and a clear invitation to continue dreaming happily in their sleep.

Francesco Tonucci is a well-known Italian pedagogue who has concentrated all his work on the study of the cognitive development of children. According to this expert, a habit as simple as  turning off the TV and reading a book to your children is tantamount to creating the great readers of the future. It also helps to bring children closer to some values ​​that will make them freer, more curious and, of course, worthy heirs of the teachings of the best books.

Although it is true that sometimes we are tired and that, at the end of the day, it is easier to gather everyone in front of the television, do not forget that your children’s childhood is very short and the best time is always “now”. Take advantage of every second and every moment, make them your accomplices in front of a book, let sleep take them in your arms as you reach the end of a story. You will see that, one day, they will be grateful to you …

An open book is a speaking brain and a listening mind

When we are dealing with reading, one of the problems we often have with children is that many approach books out of school constraint and not for pleasure. However, it doesn’t have to be. A good reader first approaches those oceans of words in childhood, out of sheer curiosity and with a slight sense of defiance.

A simple gesture like giving them the opportunity to choose their own readings always gives excellent results, but it is even better to assume the role of model to imitate. According to Tonucci, in fact,  there is no better toy than a book and there is no more correct habit than encouraging children’s listening skills by reading them a good book.

To understand this better, we invite you to consider some aspects on which to reflect.

The benefits of reading in peace

Thanks to a study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics , we learned of an important fact: children between the ages of 2 and 6 should not watch TV or use electronic devices for more than an hour a day. Then, from age 7 to 12, parents should try to limit that time to 2 hours per day.

According to this research, prolonged viewing of the TV or computer screen could develop an attention deficit problem in children. This is explained by the fact that the frontal lobe, still immature in children of this age, becomes overloaded by electromagnetic waves.

Letting your children fall asleep while watching television is by no means a healthy habit, even if we do it often ourselves. We are talking about education, pedagogy and, above all, child health, so instead of making them fall asleep in front of the TV or tablet screen, it is important to put in place the good art of a relaxed reading.

• It does not matter if your children have not yet learned to read and write or if they have already started to get the first results in this field. Just sit with them on the bed and read them a story to gain enormous benefits for their neuronal and emotional development.

• Quiet reading increases blood flow to the brain, which is a source of well-being for the child, as well as a rewarding well of calm that is perfect for the last moments of the day.

• The area of ​​the brain that is stimulated the most in the listening process is the prefrontal one, which is essential for the development and improvement of many cognitive processes in children: from concentration, to imagination and more complex reasoning.

Reading your children a story or a book with exemplary messages or moral reasoning can improve their empathy and respect for their fellowmen. Believe us, it’s really worth it .

Read in peace: a bond of affection between parents and children

Read to your children with pleasure, without fearing that it is a waste of time or thinking that you have many other things to do. Allow time to stop and imprison you, let the emotions of the book you have chosen envelop you and your voice captures the hearts of the little ones.

No gift can ever overcome the moments of reading together, those imaginary places where dreams, adventures and mysteries let their imagination run wild, while their breath is satisfied little by little, sleep comes and, in the end, they simply give up.

Reading in peace at the end of the day is a beautiful way to educate their minds and give their brains a chance to mature with balance. Books are a legacy that is passed on from parents to children and nothing should ever replace them, much less television or new technologies …