Why are bedtime stories good for our children? A famous quote by Albert Einstein is: "If you want your children to be smart, read them stories. If you want them to be smarter, read them more fairy tales."
Read more about How to encourage children to read more books.
4 Books that make perfect gifts for kids and teens
I'll love you no matter what by Debi Gliori from €7.58
The little backwards grumpy little fox thinks no one loves him. A sweet and beautifully illustrated story that helps show our children that love never ends.
The Yellow Bird by Olga De Dios from 8,33 €
The little yellow bird may not be able to fly, but the cheerfulness, stubbornness and help of his friends will make him spread his wings and discover the world! A special story that inspires passion for life and hope for the future while highlighting diversity and the value of sharing what we have with those around us
The Last Black Cat by Eugene Trivizas from 11,60 €
The story of ruthless persecution and bitter betrayal, the story of the last black cat that everyone tries to exterminate while she is determined to survive in this wonderful book that manages to bring together humour, emotion, despair and hope in a manifesto against racism, xenophobia and superstition.
Who killed the dog at midnight by Mark Hunton from 11,62 €
In this book we get to see the world through the unique eyes of the hero and narrator, a strange young man who knows too much about mathematics and too little about people. He likes to make maps and blueprints, loves detective novels and the colour red. He doesn't like yellow and brown, can't stand to be touched and can't tell lies, but he decides to unravel the mystery of his neighbor's dead dog and gets involved in a search that leads to his long-lost mother.
Reading is a fun activity that most parents enjoy sharing with their children, even when they are babies and seem to understand very little.
It has been scientifically proven that listening to the sound of our voice as we tell a story and while we talk builds a unique bond between parents and children and facilitates their development. This helps them to become more mature, enrich their vocabulary from a very early age, develop their imagination and hopefully grow into intelligent and happy adults.
In fact, research shows that children who listen to and read fairy tales daily from the age of three are much less likely to develop psychological disorders than children who listen to or read them less frequently. This is why more and more places with storytelling for children of all ages are appearing in cities like Zurich. We can easily find them all on Momizen.
7 Ways in which reading stories helps children become smarter
Strengthen the imagination
Einstein's words help describe the power of imagination and that children can create anything they want in their minds: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is more important than imagination. Imagination surrounds the world." By opening the door to this limitless world whenever needed, children aim high and without fear of being held back. When they imagine a story, a struggle, or a goal, they envision the achievement of achieving it and thus experience their potential to accomplish new things.
To distinguish the world around them from their own
As much as fairy tales help them build stories in their minds, the repetitive content of a story describing life very different from their own helps children understand the world, countries, different personality traits of other people, animals, seasons, etc. This enhances their adaptability and their ability to assimilate knowledge in the future.
Learn to love the good side
Usually when children hear a story, they identify with the hero. So while good always wins in the end in most fairy tales, they learn indirectly to distinguish good from evil and identify with the good side of the story, right down to the familiar "and they lived happily ever after". Thus, the moral values within them are greatly reinforced.
To discover problem solving
By listening to a story where a main character faces adversity and successive events bring twists and turns in the lives of the heroes, children understand that there are solutions to all problems, that we do not let anyone define our lives and that with courage and patience, problems can be solved. This develops their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
To overcome their own fears
In fairy tales children hear about dragons, about evil witches, about monsters. They may be scared when they hear them, but the very fact that they lose in the end shows them that there is no reason to fear monsters, since even the most fearsome "enemy" can be defeated.
To prepare for future challenges
Fairy tales often talk about adult problems. It may sound too early to express it even indirectly, but just the fact that they hear that the world can be a bad place, that there is jealousy, envy, spite and heated arguments between people makes them more prepared to face similar problems in reality.
Strengthen dialogue and critical thinking skills
Through storytelling, many questions are generated in their minds, which prompts them to ask more questions and a dialogue (silent and in their minds sometimes) is started that enhances their critical thinking.
These are all reasons why we all want to be parents and read as many stories as we can to our little ones.
