Cuddle Up And Read

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Cuddle up and read.

As I’m embracing my word of the year, I’ve been reflecting on which simple activities bring me the most joy.
To learn more about this, please read my earlier blog post: https://learningisawayoflife.com/word-of-the-year/.

I was reminiscing back to when my oldest daughter was born, over 20 years ago. As a new mom, one of my favorite things to do when she was quietly sleeping in her swing, was to sit next to the swing, cuddle up and read.
As I was thinking back to when I was a child, my fondest memories involved going to the library, coming home, and retreating to my bedroom where I would cuddle up and read.

I’ve been experiencing some serious vision difficulties these last few months, which have made reading impossible for me. I’ll be having multiple surgeries this month, with the hopes of restoring my vision. I had a successful surgery in December and am now able to see some. I am looking forward to being able to cuddle up and read a good book soon.

Until recently, I’d never realized just how enjoyable of a pastime reading is for me.

While my children were growing up, my local public library offered a program called CARE–Cuddle And Read Everyday.
I signed up right away!
I’m not sure I remember all the specifics of the program. I know that the purpose of the program was to encourage parents to read to their young children every day.
After having completed a set amount of minutes of reading, the child was given a book.
Although my children were too young to appreciate it at the time, these early years of taking time to cuddle up and read were laying the foundation for a love of books and literacy.

All 4 of my children, including the young adults, love reading. It is seldom that any of them leave the house without a book in hand.

Benefits of reading to young children

I know that reading to a young child can often feel pointless and frustrating. I assure you, however, that doing so is beneficial to your child.
Not only is the time you choose to cuddle up and read to your child forming a special bond between the two of you, but it is also helping your young child to feel safe and secure.
Your child’s social, language and listening skills are being enhanced at the same time.
Plus, taking time to cuddle up and read to your child promotes a love for reading in your child, which is the biggest indicator for future success for your child.

Once a child can read on his/her own, as parents, we often spend less time reading aloud to them. However, making the time to cuddle up and read with older children is just as important. Continuing to read aloud to a child can help spark their creativity and transport them into another world.
If your child no longer enjoys being read to, just cuddling up together on the couch, each reading your own book, can be rewarding. Plus, modeling your own enjoyment of reading will encourage the child to read more.

With the winter season upon us, this is a great time to set some time aside each day to cuddle up and read with your child. Trust me, the memories made during these moments will last a lifetime.