When’s a good time to introduce books to your baby? As soon as they are cleaned up from the labour room Image may be NSFW.
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Really, its never too soon. Its not that they will really know that the thing in your hands is a book or for that matter that those hands are yours…or even that those are hands. But everyone knows that the baby already recognizes the voices of her mom and dad and that the baby likes to see bright colours and that she is learning new words and intonations of speech everyday. You put all of that together and what do you get? Dad or mom reading out to the little one! Read. Just read anything!
Image may be NSFW.
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And here’s a little secret. If you like me sometimes find yourself running short of ideas on how to entertain the baby ( come on admit it, some days are long, verrry long!), there’s nothing like picking up a bright-shiny picture book and letting loose your inner actor/singer (you know the one that lurks in the shadows and jumps you in the shower or on a long boring drive back home from work). I guarantee that the baby will be happy and you’d be surprised how much fun (and talent) you have.
The benefits of being silly are seriously undervalued, my friend!
Any book bright and sturdy is a good start. One with BIG images in primary colours are great. Babies don’t really care two hoots for Disney characters or intricate illustrations. So don’t even bother. You don’t need too many books either. Buy a few. Keep it simple but keep it consistent.
One more thing- you know how parenting books and websites tell you to read to your child at bedtime, “make it a nighttime ritual” etc. ? That’s all great, if you can do it. Bedtime reading doesn’t work for us always. We read to N anytime, anywhere. Usually first thing in the morning while we take turns reading the newspaper, or in the car on a long journey, in the afternoon after lunch before her nap, in the park…you get the drift.
Here’s a list of books that have worked for our family. Our baby loves them and we love these books for all the joy they bring us. They stop her tears in seconds and when she sees her favorite book she throws her hands up in pure joy making our hearts leap. We’ve been reading to her since she was three months old and now at eight months she recognizes sentences from the books so if we mouth them when she’s fussy, she just stops and listens, listens really close.
I hope you and your baby enjoy some of these gems.
1) My Car by Byron Barton : This bright and colorful book tells the story of Sam who loves his car. Simple illustrations and even a twist in the tale at the end make this my kid’s favorite.
2) Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown : This book has been around for over 60 years and is a classic. It has color as well as black and white illustrations in sharp contrast. The scale is pretty awesome too as the child learns to say Goodnight to everything, from the moon to the young mouse and toy house.
3) The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle : This book has so many things to learn from and laugh about. There are days of the week, numbers, kinds of food…all packed into a simple story of caterpillar who over ate till he got a stomach ache.
4) Where is Baby’s Belly Button? by Karen Katz : A lift-the-flap book, this one is a peek-a-boo favorite. Baby discovers feet, hands, belly button. The illustrations are big and colorful.
5) Dinosaurs by Byron Barton : Another book by Byron Barton with different kinds of dinosaurs. The colors again are very attractive and bold.
Oh and if you need any more convincing about reading to babies, check what the ‘mother’ of all baby care websites has to say here.
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