Children are influenced by and imitate world around them. While a steady diet of violent cartoons may have a detrimental effect on children's development, carefully chosen stories and books can have a positive influence on children, sensitizing them to needs of others. For example, books can encourage children to be more cooperative, to share with others, to be kind to animals, or to respect natural environment.

READING CAN ENHANCE CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SKILLS.

Although reading is thought of as quintessential solitary activity, in certain circumstances reading can be a socializing activity. For example, a parent or grandparent reading a story aloud, whether from a traditional printed book or from an ebook, can be a great opportunity for adult and child to share some quiet, relaxed quality time together away from rush and stresses of business of daily living. They share a few minutes of precious time, plus they share ideas that are contained in story. In addition, older children can be encouraged to read aloud to younger ones as a means of enhancing their relationship.

At school or at a library story hour, books can bring children together and can be part of a positive shared experience. For some preschoolers this may be their primary opportunity to socialize and to learn how to behave around other children or how to sit quietly for a group activity. Make most of this experience by encouraging children to talk about what they've read or heard.

READING CAN IMPROVE HAND-EYE COORDINATION.

It may sound funny, but ebooks can be a way for children to improve their fine motor skills and their hand-eye coordination, as they click around a childfriendly website or click backward and forward buttons of online story pages. They may also be picking up valuable computer skills that they'll need in school and later in life.

READING CAN PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH PLENTY OF GOOD, CLEAN FUN !

I've saved most important point for last. Reading can provide children with endless hours of fun and entertainment. All of pragmatic reasons above aren't at all necessary to justify reading's place in children's lives. Stories can free up imaginations and open up exciting new worlds of fantasy or reality. They allow children to dream and may give them a good start on road to viewing reading as a lifelong source of pleasure; so read to your young children every day. Inspire your older children to read. Give them access to plenty of reading material that they'll enjoy and discuss it with them. Sample everything - traditional printed books and ebooks on Internet, classic children's novels and fairy tales, as well as more modern stories.

If a child wants to hear same story over and over again, don't worry about it. Children take comfort from familiarity and predictability of a beloved story that they know by heart. There's no harm in that. Reread old favorites and, at same time, introduce your children to new stories. Your child's mind and heart have room for both.

SO READING REALLY DOES MATTER AFTER ALL!

There are so many ways in which reading continues to be both a vital skill for children to master, and an important source of knowledge and pleasure that can last a lifetime. Nurture it in your children. Make most of all resources that are available and waiting for you: printed books, online books, magazines and so forth. Encourage follow-up activities involving creative writing skills and arts, as well, so that your children can reflect upon or expand on what they've absorbed and, at same time, develop their own creativity. As you help your kids appreciate magic of reading, you'll find that there's a whole wonderful world full of children's literature out there that YOU can enjoy too.

©2004

Things you should not say.

It was probably for best. At least it happened early in pregnancy before you really got attached. It was God’s will I understand how you feel. Even if you have had more than one miscarriage, you may not know how she is feeling. It was only one miscarriage. I know a friend that had such and such miscarriages and she has children now. It was nature’s way of getting rid of defective chromosomes. At least you have one child I don’t understand why you are so upset. Maybe you should consider adoption, not having children. Don’t not talk about it. Don’t avoid her. Don’t try to cheer her up. She probably doesn’t want to be cheered up and by doing this you are not acknowledging her pain.