Do you value reading to your baby? I’ve got to admit, when Lincoln was really young (0-4 months) I didn’t really see the value or benefit in reading to Lincoln. I still kind of feel that way about his first 4 months of life, but around that time I really began to enjoy reading to him and did begin to see the value in reading. I was shocked to find out that reading alone could help teach my son about communication, listening skills, and could help develop strong study habits when he got older. Lincoln’s favorite book is “Guess How Much I Love You?” I can recite the entire story by memory… seriously; we read it every single day. I love my Little Nutbrown Hare!
In doing some research from Kidshealth.org I learned that reading aloud:
- teaches a baby about communication
- introduces concepts such as stories, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way
- builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills
- gives babies information about the world around them
I know there are tons of places you can take your kiddos for story time, book clubs, etc; however one of my most favorite places to go for story time is Pottery Barn Kids at Barton Creek Mall at Mopac and Capital of Texas Highway! We get out of the house, mommy gets to shop, Lincoln gets stimulated by all of the other children, I get to see the all of the fun new stuff at the store (Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving décor, Christmas traditions, books, toys, decorating ideas, etc), and the best part about Pottery Barn’s story time is I get a stamp each time I go and when I reach a certain number of stamps I receive a discount! It’s a win-win if you ask me. Pottery Barn’s Story Time is every Tuesday from 11-11:30 am. All of the kids pile back into the girl’s nursery section of the store and sit around on the floor waiting for one of the associates to begin reading. Usually 2-3 books are read for the kids.
When I first started going to their story time, Lincoln didn’t really understand what was going on but he loved watching all of the other children. Now that he’s getting older and understands books and stories, he loves story time at Pottery Barn Kids! If you’re looking to get out of the house AND stimulate your child’s brain go to Barton Creek Mall, park at Nordstrom upstairs (they have THE best bathrooms), check out the women’s section on your way to story time, hit up Pottery Barn’s Story Time, and grab yourself a well deserved pair of shoes on your way back out through Nordstrom. It’s free (unless you shop), it’s fun, AND it’s educational!
Wesley and Lincoln January 2011
Uncle Cody gave Lincoln his favorite book. Love You Forever!!