The benefits of having children that love to read

While Harry has been interested in books since he was just a few weeks old, it took Mia a lot longer to become interested in reading for pleasure. But over the last year or so I've been looking on proudly as she has blossomed into an avid reader, currently working her way through the Harry Potter books as well as picking up a few easier books on the side. I love watching my children read, and it's inspired me to make reading more of a habit for myself as well. So I thought I'd share some of the benefits I've found of having children that love to read, and I'm sure many other parents can relate to them!

* Having a child that enjoys reading makes waiting around for things much easier - the waiting room at the doctor or the dentist, hanging around while one child is doing an activity or while waiting at the station or airport.

* Books make easy gift ideas for birthday and Christmas, or just as a treat or a reward.

* Reading is a great way to calm down before bed, and I now leave my reading children to put themselves to sleep after I've said goodnight (with an eye on the time - they'd read all night if I let them!)

* I get more time to read myself as we can spend time reading together.

* Books inspire places to visit and means that they gain more from it - for example we had a brilliant visit to the Getty Villa in Los Angeles as there was a Percy Jackson themed audio tour - my son's current favourite series.

* Busy and potentially overwhelming situations, like large family gatherings, are much easier for a child to manage if they can disappear into a corner with a book.

* Books are a way for children to learn about the world, not just geography and history but also about relationships with others and how the adult world works.

* Reading is a great way to develop and improve vocabularly, and I love hearing children mispronounce a word and knowing that it's one they learned by reading.

* Sharing the excitement of a new book released by a favourite author.

* Seeing a child's creative writing style developing and seeing how it's influenced by what they've read whether that's the storyline or language used.

* Reading is a great way to learn more about subjects that a child is interested in.

* I love it when my child tells me a fact about something that I don't know which they've learned from a book.

* Reading opens the mind to different perspectives and different ways of seeing the world.

I love watching my children's faces when they are completely absorbed in a book, the giggles that escape when they read something funny and the concentration as they reach a tricky part. I'm so glad that they've both turned out to be total bookworms!

Photo credit - Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Title image credit Ben White via Unsplash.