Reading together

I have vivid memories of being read to in my childhood. My sister and I would snuggle up on either side of our mum as she read aloud books that are still among my favourites: The Secret Garden, The Magic Faraway Tree, Matilda and more.

This happened well after my sister and I could read by ourselves. In fact, the three of us would often take turns and Mum would close her eyes for a quick rest when she wasn’t the one reading. I now realise how hard it is to summon the patience to read a chapter to the kids after working all day. Yet this memory of my mum taking that time out to read stories with us is one of my most cherished childhood recollections.

Reading aloud when our kids are little is an ingrained parenting tradition. It conjures images of cosy moments on the couch, contagious toddler giggles laughing along to the funny dialogue and seeing your small one’s eyes light up with the wonder of beautiful illustrations and magical stories.

We know it’s never too early to start reading — some parents-to-be even start reading