As an adults, reading helps us put our problems behind us and relaxes and loosens our muscles. In contrast, reading a bedtime tale while cuddling with a parent lowers cortisol levels in children, improving their ability to unwind and focus. Reading bedtime stories to children has many benefits, including:

  • Promoting bonding and connection: When parents read to their children, they are engaging in an intimate activity that fosters connection and bonding. The shared experience of reading a book together can help children feel loved, valued, and secure, while also strengthening the parent-child relationship.
  • Enhancing language development: Reading to children exposes them to a wider range of words and phrases than they might hear in their everyday lives. As children listen to stories, they learn new vocabulary, sentence structures, and grammatical patterns, which can enhance their language skills and improve their communication abilities.
  • Encouraging imagination and creativity: Children’s stories often have engaging characters, settings, and storylines that can inspire a child’s imagination and encourage them to think creatively. This can help children develop their cognitive abilities, problem-solving skills, and artistic talents.
  • Promoting relaxation and better sleep: Reading a bedtime story is a calming and soothing activity that can help children relax and prepare for sleep. The quiet, low-stimulus environment can also help reduce stress and anxiety, leading to better quality sleep.
  • Fostering a love of reading: When children are read to regularly, they are more likely to develop a love of reading and a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. This can lead to improved literacy, increased knowledge, and enhanced cognitive abilities, as well as a greater appreciation for literature and the arts.

Overall, reading bedtime stories is a wonderful way to promote connection, learning, relaxation, and a love of reading in children. Whether it’s a few minutes each night or a longer session on the weekends, reading together can have lasting benefits for children and families.

3 Principles for Bedtime Stories

  • Choose appropriate stories: Simple short, interesting stories are ideal.
  • Best with both pictures and words: Babies can better understand the content with color illustrations.
  • Story time shouldn’t be too long: babies get impatient easily and may delay sleeping time.

A Baby Benefits More When Having Bedtime Stories With Dads?

Both mothers and fathers can benefit their babies by reading bedtime stories to them, and both parents can provide unique benefits. However, some research suggests that fathers may have a particularly important role to play when it comes to reading to their children.

For example, a study published in the journal Pediatrics found that fathers who regularly read to their children had a positive impact on their child’s language development, cognitive skills, and school readiness. In particular, the study found that the more fathers read to their children, the better their children’s language and cognitive scores were, even after accounting for factors like education level, income, and parenting style.

Other research has suggested that fathers may have a unique style of reading to their children that is especially engaging and stimulating. For example, a study published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology found that fathers were more likely than mothers to engage in “rough and tumble” play while reading, which was associated with higher levels of child engagement and enjoyment.

Of course, both mothers and fathers can provide important benefits to their children through reading and other activities. The most important thing is that parents take the time to engage with their children, foster a love of learning, and strengthen their relationship through positive and meaningful interactions.