Why is it Important to Read to a Baby?

There are many reasons it's important to read to a child, but what about a baby? Do they really get anything out of being read to? They actually do. 

Here are a few things they get out of reading:

• It's important because they love the sound of your voice. 
• It helps the reader to bond with the baby.
• The baby starts to learn words when they make the connection with the pictures and the words. Reading builds vocabulary. You may not know they are getting anything from it, but they are. Kids understand words before they can speak them.
• Many books for babies sound be tactile. Bath books are great and so are fabric ones. Let them put them in their mouth. 
• If you have an older child, let them read to the baby in the family. They not only will bond with the baby, but also will become better readers themselves.

Want to win a book series?

Natural Baby Mama is giving away this book series by Scholastic.

I See Me

I think it's so important to read to your kids. It doesn't matter what age they are. They love the attention and they are learning while you read.

• Start out with fabric or bathtub books with they are tiny. You need the book to be durable.Your baby is going to grab, rip and drool on the pages. 
• Move on to board books as they get to be early toddlers. They still need a book that is durable. Toddlers are not very careful and drop things a lot.
• Later you can get to paper books. 

Personalized books help children to connect to what you are reading. I See Me! is great site that is full of personal book options. Right now if you order a book, you get 16 free Valentines to go with the book purchased.

My Organized Chaos is giving away Who Loves Me? This is a great book for siblings. You can add more than one name!

Reading!

My boy's have always liked being read to! I remember being in the hospital with my oldest {who is now 5} when he had a staph infection at 7 months. We sat in the rocking chair and read books, sang songs, nursed and rocked. We did those things over and over again.

When my youngest came along, my oldest child was then 2 1/2. I nursed my younger child and still read to my oldest. It was a way to bond with both of my children at the same time.

Mom Spotted is hosting a great reading giveaway. Hallmark has offered one Mom Spotted reader a Recordable Storybook!  

Reading stories is a great bonding tool! Recordable books help children bond with family members that they may not see very often. They can hear the voice of a grandparent that is out of town, or if the child's parents are separated; it's such a special way to keep the absent one present.

Sibling's Role

• I was really nervous about what to expect with a newborn baby, and having a toddler at the same time.
• With nursing it wasn't so bad. My oldest, Mica and I did a lot of reading. We read, while Isaak nursed.
  
• I showed Mica where the spit up rags were, and he'd get me them when I needed one.
• Mica was pretty apprehensive when it came to his new baby brother. I had to teach him how to touch Isaak softly.
  
• He tried giving him his binky when Isaak was old enough to take one. Mica would put it in Isaak's mouth upside down. Isaak didn't seem to care.