The Late In Life Writer: The right time to read to your baby

When the baby is newborn, we want to snuggle and kiss every minute.

When Mom gets her strength back, the fun begins! There are lots of pictures and visitors coming to greet the newest member of the family. If there are older siblings, they want to see their new brother or sister and vie for Mommy's attention.

Oh, let's not forget that when you do get home, there may be pets who will want to explore the new creature that has come to "their space". This new little person will make lots of sounds that may intrigue or even frighten toddlers and pets.

Things change every day. New schedules need to be established for feeding and diaper changes. Who will do the shopping? Neither laundry nor cooking will get done by itself!

So, when is a good time to sit and have some quiet time for reading?

This becomes even more important if there is an older child. Finding ways to make them part of that special time is important. Toddlers want to exert their independence, but do not want to lose their status as the "only child," up to this point. After all, they have been the King or Queen for a while! Asking them to choose a book to read makes them feel needed. Asking if they think their new little brother or sister will like to hear that story helps them to consider what "another" might like or not. You are helping them start to develop compassion and empathy. This is also a great opportunity to catch the older sibling being good and give them a little extra praise when they're feeling left out.

Hopefully, there may be some assistance from relatives for a while.

Grandma is often the helper of choice. Then again, Daddy may be able to be home. Help or not, Moms are the ones who make this all work. Let's make sure she is healthy and happy!

Okay, now back to the question of when... and why should reading be a part of a newborn's day? The answer depends on parents' views on the importance of education and understanding of the value packed into those minutes spent reading with a child. Developmentally, hearing comes before their eyesight can see words and pictures on the pages of a book. That little "munchkin" has been listening to Mom's voice starting around 18 weeks in the womb. Around the 6th or 7th month, they can start to hear sounds outside of Mom! Pretty amazing, right?

Do you know there is another way that babies learn through their Mom?

Sorry Dads, this does not include you. Read on... It is about the emotions that Mom experiences. There are chemical "messengers" that trigger physical changes in every person. These messengers include hormones, which are working to rebalance (homeostasis) every day during pregnancy and after. Baby feels this. Post-partum can be a difficult time. Mom will need some downtime without any demands on her... no diaper changes, cooking, laundry. Time to sit with feet up and, perhaps, a baby on her lap and/or a sibling snuggled alongside is the perfect time to share a story. Sometimes this should be Dad's job, and Mom can go feet up with some favorite music playing and a cup of tea.

Studies show the best time to start reading to your baby is during pregnancy.

Dads can read aloud, too!

This simple practice will increase your child's development in two ways: bonding and vocabulary, in the long run.

When I write, I am always aware of the developmental process in children. The years I spent working in Medical Pathology, followed by my training and practice as a Clinical Social Worker/Therapist, have taught me well, especially in doing family work. I write in such a way as to add educational and emotional IQ value to each book.

With that said, I hope you will consider my book:

Fiona and the Extra Special Invisible Gifts!

for ages birth to preschool.

This also makes a great baby shower gift!

Always remember:

If you want a child to succeed, READ, READ. READ!

This book is available on Amazon: