by Daphne Berryhill

If you’ve been invited to a baby shower in the past five-ish years, you’ve probably heard of the “bring a book instead of card” trend. Picking out a book is the easy part. Everyone has their old favorites. And anyone can find a new one. Figuring out what to write inside is trickier; it feels so permanent.

Children’s books are timeless and treasured. So it makes sense this trend took hold. Preparing for a new baby with a little library put together by friends and loved ones — how perfect is that?

The benefits of book sharing

Besides the fun, most people also know that exposing kids to books during early childhood helps prepare them for learning of all kinds. But the benefits of shared reading extend beyond school readiness.

A 2020 study in Developmental Psychology looking at 6 to 18 month olds, found benefits for parents too. These included reduced stress and enhanced bonding.
A 2021 study published in Pediatrics found that shared reading has social emotional benefits for preschool age kids.

Of note, these studies were limited to small, urban populations. But I know for me, shared reading really helped ease the long and exhausting days of early parenting. Whenever I felt tired, bored, or worried, I’d grab a pile of books, cuddle up, and read with my little one. Afterwards, I felt calmer and more connected. And usually they did too.

Here we’ll share our best advice for growing page-turning memories with your little one. Then we’ll ask an expert — a local librarian — for some advice and book recs.

Book sharing advice for parents and caregivers

Books are a core part of the Kindermusik curriculum. Each kit contains a book to take home and each class devotes time for a story. Below is our parent-to-parent advice to help grow your reading relationship with your child at home.

Go ahead, read it again

Kids love repetition. Especially babies and toddlers. It’s common to end up rereading the same book again and again, until it’s memorized, word for word. Authors know kids love repetition too. That’s why so many books have repetitive text. What’s more, pediatricians specifically recommend repetition when it comes to reading, because it helps with learning. But don’t worry. Just when you don’t think you can’t read that same book one more time, they’ll move on to something new. And then, you’ll miss it.

Expand their day-to-day world

When one of my toddlers heard how apples grow for the first time, he didn’t believe it. “Apples don’t grow on trees. They come from bowls,” he insisted. In his little world, that made sense. He didn’t remember seeing an apple tree, but he usually saw a bowl of apples on the counter. Young children are very literal, and only know what they see in their day-to-day world.

That fall, we took him apple picking and then he saw first hand where apples come from. But that’s not possible with many things. Books are one of the easiest ways to expand your child’s view of the world and all of its wondrous possibilities.

You pick, I pick

Two of my kids loved dinosaurs. I mean LOVED dinosaurs. I’ve learned more about dinosaurs than I ever wanted, and it’s safe to say that I even became a tad bit fascinated with them too. But, ALL the time is a lot. So, eventually I tried out a book reading rule: you pick the first book; I’ll pick the next.

To be honest, it didn’t always work. And when it did, the ratio was more like 2:1. But in the end, we read more than just dinosaur books. And like me, they became at least a tad bit interested in things they initially had no interest in.

Get books off the shelf

Most baby or toddler books take several minutes to read at most. So it’s usually pretty easy to incorporate book sharing into your normal routines, especially if you have books within reach during those times. Some good places to have books nearby include:

Diaper changing table
High chair or potty chair
Your favorite spot to cuddle with them
Entryway bench
On the go: car seat, stroller, diaper bag or backpack

But until you know they won’t rip or try to eat the books, keep them out of their reach. Just in case.

Follow their lead

Depending on the age of your child, “reading” might look very different. With babies, you might only be able read a few pages, or simply look at a few pictures with them before they’re bored or overstimulated. And that’s normal. Just follow their lead. Abrupt endings are okay.

A child’s personality can also affect how you share books with them. Some kids ask more questions, are more interested in pictures, or need to move around while you read to them. Following their lead will keep reading fun. And that’s really the point at these very young ages.

Keep in mind: If you have concerns about your child’s milestones for how they interact with books, discuss it with their healthcare provider. Most of the time it’s nothing to worry about; kids develop at different paces. Getting help early is best if needed.

Stand them up to show them off

Libraries and bookstores know that simply standing books up makes them irresistible. At home, I’ve noticed that books are more likely to get read when their beautiful book covers are in view. So think about all the places you can display books: shelves, benches, counters, end tables. Books also add some cheery décor that can easily be changed with the season. Plus, if you borrow them from the library, they’re totally free.

Beyond the bedtime story

Research shows that bedtime rituals help promote healthy sleep in children. Book sharing is an important part of this routine. But there are other ways of connecting with your child before bed: singing, praying, talking. Anything that involves closeness and communication can help a child transition to sleep.

There may be advantages to reading at other times too. One recent study found reading books several hours before bedtime promoted better learning than bedtime reading. So don’t worry if you’re too tired on some nights for a bedtime story. The best time for shared reading is anytime it’s enjoyable for the both of you.

Ask the local librarian: Brittany Gitzlaff

Now let’s hear from an expert. A librarian of course. We recently talked to Brittany Gitzlaff, the head of Youth Services at Waunakee Public Library. First, we asked for advice on getting the most out of sharing books with little ones. Then we asked for some book recs. Because we’re always looking for something new — and maybe you are too. Here’s what Brittany shared: