Back to school, back to storytime
The days are getting shorter. And that means our social media feeds are full of adorable, heart-wrenching “first day of school” photos. This time of year is bittersweet for children and parents. It’s all transitions and new (or renewed) routines.
The new school year always feels like a new beginning. It’s a time to re-focus on what is important. Finding that quality time in the melee of life can be difficult. It’s impossible to do all the things, all the time. Yet, it is reasonably possible to do one thing, most of the time. So for September, I’m making my one thing to re-instate our two-picture-books-a-day routine.
The great thing about reading is that accomplishes several things at once. Reading is a way to spend quality time together, help children process their day, stimulate their cognitive and social development, improve their sleep and even sneak in a cuddle or two. All in just 20 minutes.
You may be thinking... “Reading, of course I read to my kids!?” Yeah so do I. But sometimes I don’t. Sometimes those summer niii-iiights got away from me. And… I have a real confession now. Sometimes, I just can’t face reading the Peppa Pig book with the sound effect buttons for the one hundredth time (snort snort).
For storytime to stick, it needs to be fun for you and your kids. So here are five "hacks" to make storytime part of your back to school routine.
1) Take turns reading. If you are co-parenting, each of you can read one story a night. Or let your child have a turn. Younger kids can “read” by explaining what’s happening in the illustrations or reciting the words they’ve memorized.
2) Rotate your bookshelf. Sometimes having some fresh material can make all the difference. And if you read two stories a night, let your child pick one (a.k.a. Peppa Pig) and you can select the other book based on what you will actually enjoy – maybe it’s a childhood favorite, a story that makes you laugh, or a book with awesome illustrations.
3) Don’t be a slave to the page. It still counts if you don’t read every page. Use the story as a prompt to talk to your children. Books can be a great way to help children understand their emotions and create a safe space for their questions. For example, Jory John’s “Good Egg” has been a great way to show my daughter she doesn’t need to tell others (including her parents) what to do. Results still TBC but at least it’s a start.
4) Read a good-morning story. It may seem counterintuitive to the usual panic of the morning rush, but reading first thing can help kids keep calm and focused during “getting ready” time. (Caveat: depends on the morning and the kid).
5) Start bedtime 20 minutes earlier. That is a tough one. But if you manage it, your little ones get a few extra minutes of sleep and you get a few extra minutes with a well-earned glass of wine.
Do you have tried and tested storytime tricks? I'd love to hear them in the comments.
Before you go... if you’re looking for a fun new book to read with your children, check out my book, Catch That Cheese! A Pixie Spice Adventure in Rome. It’s one-part travel, one-part cooking and a pinch of pixie magic. Exclusively available at www.pixie-spice.com/shop/catch-that-cheese.