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We all know that our childhood and adolescent experiences can shape our adult personalities and characters. Adults frequently exhibit mannerisms and patterns that are remnants of their past: if a woman has fond memories of childhood camping trips, she will likely continue to find comfort and peace in nature; if a man grew up on the music of his parent’s generation, he’ll probably listen to the same genre and style of music throughout adulthood.

But just how early do we start being affected by our experiences and circumstances? How early do we begin exhibiting the consequences of unstable environments? How do these types of situations manifest themselves later in life? And what are the implications of this data?

Mental health in early childhood

Mental health problems and their symptoms as they pertain to adults and even teenagers are often discussed and heard. However, far less visible is the significance of mental health in early childhood. Serious behavioral issues are often chalked up to a simply undesirable personality, rather than symptoms of a larger problem. In fact, significant mental health problems do exist in young children – attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder”¦ But due to the unpredictable and uncertain nature of all children, it is difficult for even professionals to diagnose, let alone for the average parent or caretaker to perceive. Still, mental health problems in young children must be addressed, as they pose greater risks as the child matures.

Copyright: ISchmidt

So what is the cause of mental health problems in children?  

Certainly, genetics play an important role in determining whether a child will exhibit issues. However, genes are not the only cause. Contrary to popular belief, genes are only blueprints. They contain instructions, but those instructions can be affected by the experiences and circumstances that children endure.

In the first few years of a child’s life, the brain develops at an incredibly rapid pace. Between 700 and 1000 connections are formed every second in the brain during this time. However, these connections are reinforced by experience and repeated use, and weaker bonds are soon broken once pruning begins, which is when the brain discards connections that seem irrelevant to increase efficiency. As such, experience and genetics play equal roles in determining the mental health of children.

Early childhood plays a critical role in building the foundation for lifelong good mental health

The experiences of a child’s first few years shape the architecture of the brain. A child’s relationships with parents, caregivers, teachers and peers are especially significant in providing a strong basis for later behavior, be it good or bad. If the child’s environment is strong, these relationships will provide a buffering effect when he or she is forced into a stressful situation. However, if he or she is surrounded by significant adversity, such as domestic violence or parental substance abuse, the child’s biological response to stress will become overactive, and he or she will be especially susceptible to mental health problems.

Copyright: CandyBox Images

When a child is in a persistently traumatic environment, a form of stress that is especially destructive, called toxic stress, begins to damage the architecture of the brain. This is due to the damage caused by long periods of high stress levels when biological stress response systems are activated for extended amounts of time. These adverse experiences predict the emergence of both physical and mental health problems later in life, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as depression and anxiety. Furthermore, toxic stress also damages the child’s cognitive, emotional, and social development, impairing his or her ability to learn and relate to others. If left untreated, this will continue to develop, leading to abnormal hormone levels that can affect school readiness and later academic achievement, as well as elevating the risk of the emergence of physical and mental problems in adult life.

It is incredibly important to diagnose and treat mental health problems early

Fortunately, the certain actions when taken early can mitigate the damaging consequences of early childhood toxic stress. It is incredibly important to diagnose and treat mental health problems early, as it is both easier and more cost-effective to alleviate these issues when spotted early. Symptoms of potential mental health problems do not always become disorders, and these disorders can be prevented by providing access to the right combination of appropriate, high-quality care. Though the children who are most at risk of developing mental disorders – ones that grow up in poverty or are plagued by domestic strife – are often those that have the greatest difficulty accessing the services they need, it is possible to protect the children living in such threatening environments. Indeed, it is frequently necessary to focus on the needs of a child’s caregiver when trying to meet the needs of the child. By coordinating services that focus on the entire scope of the child’s environment, we can mitigate the dangers of destructive environments to ensure the long term mental health of the child.

Copyright: Iakov Filimonov

The implications of this information are incredibly significant. By reducing the onset of mental health problems in early childhood, not only will we be increasing the quality of life for a number of children, but we will also be targeting the roots of substance abuse and other problems that pervade society. Early childhood mental health is an immensely important issue, and preventing its manifestation could make a huge positive impact on our society.

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In 2007 Novak Djokovic founded the Novak Djokovic Foundation which has been achieving great things ever since, helping the  youngest get the access to preschool education.

For Novak, early childhood education and development  has  always been the most important field into which he felt the need to invest. In his eyes, a child who receives a quality early childhood education has  a chance to return strongly to any challenge and to become a winner in any field.

Speaking of his childhood and his success, he always stressed that he owes everything to  his family. Because of their belief in him, their trust, love and support, and all the hard work they invested in him, he made his biggest dream come true – he became the world number 1 in tennis.

I want to help other kids as well to learn from my example that many things are possible if we only believe in ourselves and work hard to fulfil our dreams. While I’m still young and have a lot of people’s attention, I want to start building my philanthropic legacy. I want to share the focus that is on me with the work my foundation does and help as many kids in Serbia as possible. Through education, they too can be part of our collective effort to decrease poverty and social exclusion.

Novak Djokovic at the Third “Friendship Games” on Zlatibor, October 2015

Novak shared one of the experiences in his philanthropic work that touched him and moved him to put even more efforts into making preschool education available for as many kids as possible:

I met Erhan in one of the kindergartens built by Novak Djokovic Foundation. It was his first week ever in a preschool. He was sitting in a corner playing. He was alone there and I came up to him. I asked him what his favourite book was. He just looked at me. I asked again and then he said: “What is a book?”

As much as this experience startled me it made me more determined to help children have access to the benefits of Early Childhood Development regardless of the social and economic status of their parents.

But it is not only about building kindergartens.  

We should make sure that every child, particularly those coming from poor families, get access to quality education early in their lives.

We should make sure that every teacher is well-trained to give them good education.

We want to reach these goals in Serbia and beyond, working together with the World Bank.

This August, Novak Djokovic Foundation and the World Bank partnered up with a goal to promote Early Childhood Development in Serbia and abroad. The joint “Early Wins for Lifelong Returns” initiative combines the Bank’s deep knowledge and programs on early childhood development with the power of Novak Djokovic’s commitment to bring sustained attention to the social and economic benefits of early childhood development (ECD) programs for children around the world. In Serbia, the World Bank – Novak Djokovic Foundation initiative will work together with the Serbian government to level the playing field for young children from poor and disadvantaged families.

Novak Djokovic with kids during Friendship Games, Oct 2015

Currently, less than half of children in Serbia, aged 3-5 years old, go to preschool. This number is even more startling in the rural areas, and in the poorest households (only 9% of children attend preschool), and informal Roma settlements (only 5.6% of children attend preschool).  Addressing this problem has far-reaching consequences for breaking the cycle of poverty and enhancing Serbia’s long-term competitiveness and labor productivity.

Every child has a right to a dream. In every life, this dream can be different. To be a doctor, to be an engineer, or maybe to be a tennis player. But to make a dream come true, a child needs support from early years. My life tells the story that if you have the support you need as a young child you can achieve your dream.

Fulfilling dreams starts with Early Childhood Development and that is why it is so important. Early Childhood Education is the beginning for the lifelong learning which helps us acquire skills to be good doctors, excellent engineers, or world number one tennis players.

Working together, the World Bank and Novak Djokovic Foundation aim to give every child an opportunity to make dreams come true.

See the video in which our Founder shares his views on the importance of investing into Early Childhood Education:

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Summertime rhymes with playing outdoors, picnic in the park, or daytime at the beach. It also rhymes with countless surveys and articles about the “end of childhood”, and why children no longer play outside, but rather spend hours in front of the TV screens.

For example, a quarter of children spend less than half an hour outdoors each day, a 2012 survey from the National Trust has found. According to their research, more than half of seven to twelve year old children spend less than an hour a day outside, while almost nine in ten children have never taken part in outdoor activities such as climbing trees, exploring a cave, using a map or building a den.

This contrasts with the 1.000 parents and grandparents surveyed who spent an average of two hours and 34 minutes outside each day in their youth. More than half of grandparents (53 percent) spent more than three hours a day playing outside when they were aged seven to 12, compared to six percent of children today. Finally, the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, said that only one in five British children is “connected to nature.”

As a result, The National Trust launched its 50 things to do before you are 11-and-three-quarters campaign to “connect the cotton wool generation with nature” by getting 200,000 children to play outside this summer. The campaign organises more than a thousand events and activities over the holidays to encourage families to get closer to nature.

“Outnumbered” star and supporter of the campaign Hugh Dennis, told The Independent:

My most treasured childhood memories are of being in the outdoors so it’s a sad thought that kids today aren’t enjoying the experiences which we remember so fondly. There are so many simple delights to be had – and it doesn’t have to be a chore or ordeal to do either. Back gardens can be as much as a treasure trove for kids as the seaside or a local park.

Helen Meech, assistant director for outdoors and engagement at the National Trust, added:

The memories made as a child stay with you forever, and if outdoor places are part of these memories then hopefully children will grow up wanting to protect these special places for years to come.

The end of childhood?

One question remains though. [tweet_quote]Why does the fact that children no longer play outside is a synonym of “the end of childhood?”[/tweet_quote] Do you agree with that? The reality is that our societies have created a climate of obsession with children’s safety and have regarded parents as irresponsible for allowing children to be independent outdoors. Some parents have been accused of gross negligence if not criminalised for letting their offspring live an independent life.

So we now have a contradiction between children’s freedom and children’s protection where letting them outdoors contradicts the social climate. All these reports and articles do not take that reality into account nor the loss of enthusiasm from parents for outdoor play. This is a shame as the best way to protect children is probably to nurture their independence, creativity and sense of adventure. Don’t you think that children need to experience and interact with the world around them in order to learn about themselves, to develop a sense of responsibility and strategies to deal with risks and unexpected events?

Does too much security mean less freedom?

Most importantly, being outside is simply good for your child’s mental and physical health. Exercising is key for their growth and as they are under increasing pressures to perform well academically, being in a park or by a pond could relieve them. It is also good for the planet: spending time in natural places will encourage children to grow into environmentally-friendly adults, who will cherish their childhood memories outside and will hopefully spend more time in nature.

On another note, I should add that today’s society has greatly evolved and children cannot be expected to act and play in the same ways as previous generations. It is important not to rely on technology and new gadgets but one cannot simply ignore these either. So it is a matter of finding a healthy balance and compromising with your kids.

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What other pros and cons do you see? Would you agree that too much security is less freedom?

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How many parents feel safe at letting their children play out in the streets, go to the local shop or park by themselves or go off for the day with friends? There are just so many dangers: traffic, predatory strangers, getting lost; as a result children take part in these activities less and less. These are human fears – we don’t want our children to be abducted or hurt so it makes sense to take that extra precaution right? The problem is that this attitude creates its own set of issues. Many children end up never having had the chance to take risks or make decisions. It is the parents who are assessing the risks and removing them but if children never have the chance to learn how to do these things for themselves, they will never learn to manage risk for themselves. Surely this is a more dangerous position to be in. There are also consequences for the mental health of children and young people especially if they never feel independent or in control of their own lives.

Photo credit: Martin Gommel / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Outdoor adventure activities are one excellent way of teaching children these skills of confidence, independence, resilience and risk management. Of course this needs to be done in a carefully managed way – getting lost in the mountains or going climbing without the correct equipment is no laughing matter but these activities prepare and teach children, in a physical way, about the importance of independence, responsibility and preparation encouraging them to be problem solvers. Not only that but they push children outside their comfort zone and give them a bit of adrenalin which invigorates them in so many ways. Additionally and as importantly, adventure sports also teach children that they need the support of their team mates to be successful and that they have to work together for things that they may take for granted in day to day life. Here are some examples of great activities:

Photo credit: simpologist / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Camping: This is a cheap way of getting closer to nature with a range of options to suit everyone of all ages. From popping up a tent in the back garden, to using a site with well-developed facilities, to wild camping miles off the beaten track, the opportunities are endless. From being up early, to spending the days being busy and active to evenings round the campfire and ghost stories by torchlight, children love going back to basics seeing themselves as intrepid adventurers. Get them involved with the jobs from setting up the tent to cooking, water carrying and washing up. It will be all part of the fun for them. They will soon see that if the work doesn’t get done, those essentials for day to day living such as food, water and shelter are compromised leaving them cold, damp and hungry.

Photo credit: adwriter / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Climbing: Great to push children outside their comfort zone and to build team work. This can be a great way for children to build self-esteem and face their fears doing something that they thought they couldn’t. There are also lots of indoor climbing centres now which are a great way to get started and introduce you to those who organise expeditions in the local area.

Photo credit: Kevin Conor Keller / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Walking: This can be such a great lesson in patience and persistence and something that everyone in the family can do to spend time together regardless of skills or fitness levels. Even if you live in an urban environment there are some wonderful walks to be had, perhaps along a canal or river. It can also be a great lesson in navigation. Get the children to pick the route and get gloriously lost (it helps if you as the adult still have a good idea of where you are and how to get back!). This can also provide children with a chance to learn what to do if they get lost for real. Out in the countryside there can be nothing better than a good day out in the hills. What a sense of achievement after a long, hard climb to see the view from the top and the countryside around. The only thing that can make it even better is if you have a picnic to enjoy!

Canoeing/Kayaking: Again this is something that can be done both in the city and the countryside or at the beach and each different environment can provide such rewarding paddling. This is a chance for children to pick up skills quickly and feel independent on the water. It is also a good chance to learn about water safety and rescue. These can be sports for all ages and abilities as canoes can have a number of paddlers and can be lashed together for extra security; kayaks can come as tandems as well.

With all outdoor activities, think about what suits your and your family in terms of location, budget and interests and above all think about what level is suitable for your children. The last thing you want to do is put them off by forcing them up hills in the driving snow when they are miserable. There is a fine balance between pushing them outside their comfort zone and pushing them so hard that they are put off for good. Think about ways of motivating and encouraging children who are getting tired or impatient: a treasure hunt for local flora and fauna or games such as hide and seek en route which is always a winner.

Photo credit: Kevin Conor Keller / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The ability to assess and manage risk independently is one of the most important skills we can give to our children to enable them to make wise decisions when we are not there hovering over them. Yes, there will be scraped knees and bumps and bruises along the way but the benefits for both their physical and mental health are so wide. Instead of encouraging children to “˜be safe’, encourage them to think of what they would do if things went wrong. This will teach them to manage fear and become problem solvers rather than problem avoiders. Hopefully too they will develop a lifelong love of the outdoors.

What are your children’s favourite outdoors adventures?

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At the primary school, for example, it’s possible to promptly find out and overcome different students’ disturbances.

Common problems (but not always recognized) that young students face concerning learning disabilities, are often confused with laziness and low motivation.

A few weeks ago, we wrote about ADHD, which appears in childhood, especially at school, and which is a particular learning deficit.

Fortunately, learning disabilities aren’t just neurological or sensory disorder and they do not prevent children from living a wonderful life. For example, they can study everything they want!

When we talk about learning disabilities at school, in the majority of cases, we have to remember that the expression “learning disabilities” sounds more scary than the deficit actually is.

Learning disabilities concerning school generally come out in reading, writing and/or math. Students with LD are smart like everybody else, but sometimes, their brain is “wired” differently (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities.htm).

Which are common types of learning disabilities at school?

• dyslexia is specific learning disability in reading
• dyscalculia is a learning disability in math
• dysgraphya is a learning disability that affects writing

The distinctive feature of this category is specific. The disturbance involves a particular part of ability (for example reading), and brainpower is not undermined.

How can we recognize dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphya?

The first signs of these common types of LD can be recognised in preschool: “the alarm bell” rings when a baby shows a slow linguistic development.
The best way to give strong support to LD children is to guarantee preschool!

Photo credits: www.dyslexia-matters.com.au

Preschool signs of LD may be:

• difficulties in visual attention
• difficulties in recognizing symbols (logo for example)
• if you say a word to an LD baby, it will probably have problems in repeating this word
• they are probably not able to repeat nursery rhymes

Thanks to early teaching, at the end of the first primary school year we can see if a student has:

• difficulties with the association of grapheme and phoneme
• difficulties with syllables in reading and writing

Students with scholar LD:

• read and write slowly (they often invent a word when they have difficulties in reading, using the capital letter (example Animals, an LD Student may say Age)
• are often not able to understand and manipulate numbers
• do not interpret symbols (musical notes, operation signs etc.)
• have difficulties with foreign languages
• do not memorize particular terms
• have difficulties when they have to listen and write at the same time (for example to take a note during a lesson) have problems when they have to read out loud or in copying letters and words

What can parents do?

• Mom and dad need to remember that their son/daughter is “unique” and not “strange”. An LD child needs different learning styles.
• The first thing to do is to get as much information about LD as possible.
• Parents should look for a diagnostic evaluation and they have to talk about LD with school teachers.
• At home, mom and dad can replace a book with an audio tape, video and, if they can, with a computer.
• Give their child an audio register to playback lessons at home.

What can we do at school?

• LD tests
• use computer and free software created for LD students
• teachers must not emphasize LD students’ mistakes
• LD student should not be obliged to read out loud and to write on blackboard
• school can increase the value of oral teaching and oral evaluations

What can classmates do?

• – classmates of an LD child can write on his friend’s diary homework
• – classmates can read out lessons after school, and LD students can repeat the lesson without reading

Are learning deficits terrifying pathologies or gifts?

Problems are always gifts if we treat that in a good way. During my research I found out inspirational stories and I wanted to share with you a book called “The Gift of Dyslexia“ written by Ronald D. Davis.
Many successful persons are affected by LD but it doesn’t prevent them from realizing their dreams!

Children with LD can live “happy days” like the popular TV idol Fonzie, acted by Henry Winkler, who is also a great writer and he has dyslexia as well!

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• Developing motor skills: Drawing helps a child practice holding a writing tool, using hand-eye coordination and developing the muscles in their hands and fingers.
• Developing patience and concentration: The world is a busy place and drawing and coloring allows the child to focus on an activity that needs to be completed. Children learn to stay engaged with the activity until it is done.
• Allowing a child to relax: Drawing is therapeutic for a child and allows them to relax and put their emotions on a piece of paper.
• Recognizing colors: Coloring introduces brightness and shades to a child, helping them recognize the differences between them.
• Showing self expression: A blank piece of paper is a canvas for a child and allows them to express themselves through shapes and colors.²
• Giving a sense of achievement: “Look what I did!” a child will say when they’re done. They completed an activity and feel proud of it their work.
• Bonding time between parent and child: Sitting down to draw with your child is a great way to spend quality time with them and create a masterpiece together.

Drawing and coloring doesn’t mean a child needs a fancy coloring book with pre-set lines and numbers. The activity can be done with a blank piece of paper, an old newspaper or even a wall. If you have computer accessibility, there are also numerous web sites that have free resources, such as Crayola³ and NickJr⁴, with wide varieties of printable themes that all children will enjoy.

A colored pencil, crayon or marker and a blank piece of paper will go a long way for a child. Let them spend some time drawing and coloring. The activity will help them grow and will give you a piece of art to display proudly in your home.

Do your children draw? Are the walls of your house sometimes scrawled with drawings of giraffes, little flowers, clouds or sun? Do they prefer to paint with crayons or colored pencils? What are the favorite motifs that your kids love to draw?

Tell us, we’d love to hear about your experiences.

1 http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/funding_resources/default_005.asp
2 http://www.voicesofyouth.org/en/posts/let-s-draw-together—–the-advantages-of-drawing
3 http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/
4 http://www.nickjr.com/printables/all-shows/coloring-pages/all-ages/index.jhtml

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There are so many activities a child can pick, according to his or her abilities and preferences. However, it is debatable what sports activities are available for people with disabilities and what importance they have for their development? Parents of the children with special needs often prevent them from playing some sport, usually because they are afraid that the children will fall, hurt themselves or may not be able to meet the challenges.

These children rarely have the opportunity to ride a bike, use climbers and thus explore their limits. Caring about his/her safety is an essential part in every child’s upbringing, even though it can easily turn into overprotection. In order to protect their children from potential harm and danger, parents often deny games and activities that are important not only for children’s biological system, but also for strengthening their self-confidence and self-esteem. Furthermore, such activities are very important for them in order to socialize with other children with disabilities.

If you asked me who is the best swimmer in my opinion, I would not think twice. My answer would be – my brother Luka. As it took him a lot of time to start walking, his leg muscles were weak and daily walks were not sufficient physical activity. When we went to the seaside for the first time, he was not so thrilled with the idea of swimming. Instead, he would sit with my mom in the shallow water and listen to the sound of waves. The next summer we gave him swimming armbands and helped him swim. He was absolutely delighted with it. He was turning round and round in the water, trying out new things, and he even dived a few times. When we returned home, he asked us to fill a bathtub for him so he could continue enjoying in the water.

Having realized how much swimming meant for him and how calm and relaxed he was in the water, our mother immediately started inquiring about the swimming programs for children with special needs. Then she started taking him twice a week to the swimming lessons. At first he swam in a small pool along with the babies. Then he moved into a deeper pool in which he had to learn how to float. With each training, he was becoming more and more nimble. He was like a small fish.

In the beginning, he was quite stubborn and did only what he wanted to do in the pool. It was hard for him to accept mother’s suggestions. Water made him feel free. He swam. He dived. He enjoyed. One of the things we noticed was that his breathing technique was just amazing. All instructors were surprised by his ability to keep his breath under water for such a long time and to breathe in a correct way at the same time, as if he had been taught how to do so.

Now Luka is very happy every time we go to the seaside. He spends hours in the water and it is almost impossible to get him out. This year, our younger sister and I have tried to do some acrobatics like the ones he did in the water, but it was too complicated for us. He made rings, dived, asked us to throw him into the water… He enjoyed so much that even huge waves did not disturb him. On the contrary, he liked when a wave splashed him.

Trainings in the pool 10 feet deep in the past few months certainly helped him become our little magician in the water. Recreational swimming had a significant impact not only on Luka’s health, but it also improved the tone of his muscles as well as his behaviour. The smile he has on his face when he is in the pool or sea – his favourite places for exploring – is priceless for us.

However, it was very important that my parents did not prevent him from doing what he liked in the first place. Otherwise he would have been deprived of the world he is now well acquainted with. That is the world in which he feels joyful and carefree, and in which he certainly fares lot better than any other member of our family.

Image courtesy of digitalart FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There is no doubt that physical activity has a positive effect on the development of muscular strength, bone density, endurance. However, the more important thing is that people with disabilities gain self-confidence through sports and recreational activities. The effort they invest in each training is something we need to think about every time when a barrier shows up in front of us, forcing us to give up. But, they never give up. People with artificial limbs, in wheelchairs, come regularly to practice, even though they face difficulties on their first step towards the pool. I will not forget a girl without forearms, who bravely climbed up the artificial rock, or the happiness in the eyes of the guys who managed to climb to the top after countless falls.

Sports and recreational activities are very important for the socialization of people with disabilities. At the same time these activities change the way the disabled people are treated; they help reduce discrimination, and more importantly, they instill self-confidence and esteem in them.

In our country there are many clubs for people with disabilities where various programs, workshops and competitions take place for them throughout the year. All of us, parents and family members of children with special needs, have to become aware of their needs and give them the opportunity to explore their limits and consider the possibilities of playing some sport, according to their abilities.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The fear for child’s safety when he/she is playing is always there, especially when it comes to children with some form of disability. However, given that regular physical activity is important for the overall health and socialization of children, parents should think about possibilities, and together with the child explore his/her limits and choose the best option. Smile on the child’s face after achievements and is something priceless. It is something that can motivate parents to include sports and recreational activities in the everyday life of children with special needs.

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Much like the protagonist in these stories who face a conflict, bedtime stories are facing their own issue: They’re dying. A recent study revealed a third of parents never read a story to their children at night and that 4 percent of children do not own a single book. Also, a 2010 UK study revealed 55.7 percent of primary school teachers have taught children who have never been read a story.

As bedtime stories are diminishing, so are the benefits the children receive from them. Reading to a child before bedtime is proven to boost academic achievement. As reading is introduced into a child’s daily life, they’ll have an internal motivation to read as they get older. Research found that children who read for fun are more likely to do better in math and English than those who rarely pick up a book.

Reading is essential in helping children develop as writers. Pie Corbett, a literary expert and former primary school head teacher, said:

Every teacher knows the best writers, the most proficient writers, are always readers. It not only gives children language, it also develops their imaginations.

Why are bedtime stories dying?

The majority of parents said lack of time and stress prevent them from being able to read to their children each night. Many also said their children prefer television, toys and computer games to books. But parents need to remember that this time with their
child is also about spending time together and growing together.

Bedtime Story, A picture by Gary Daly

Bedtime stories aren’t just for educational benefits. Most times, stories are perfectly crafted with an emotional life lesson that will be subconsciously instilled.  These lessons are relative to youth and adults like the following from some of my favourite childhood books:

• Where the Wild Things Are, Mauric Sendak: There are monsters in the world all around us, but you can take control of any situation you’re in, overcome the monsters, and return to a place that’s safe.
• The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein: We all grow old but we grow old together. We should be thankful for where we come from and where we end up.
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day, Judith Viorst: Things don’t always go our way but in the end, everything will be okay.

With so many benefits to bedtime stories, it’s our duty to make time for our children. These days there are so many ways to acquire stories – bookstores have large sections for children, libraries are often free and are overflowing with resources, and, thanks to technology, e-books and electronic stories are also at our disposal.

So the next time your child is getting ready for bed, remember what you did during your childhood (a survey said 91 percent of parents were read bedtime stories as a child)). Pick a book from the pile next to the bed and read your child to sleep.

I have so many memories of stories my parents read to me. What are some  of your favourite books from your childhood?

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