Giving Your Kids the Gift of Books

Books and a love of reading are two of the greatest gifts we can bestow on our children. I feel privileged to have grown up in a household where I was surrounded by books, and though my parents have now both passed away, this bookish legacy remains to enlighten my life each and every day.

Because kids are highly perceptive, instilling a love of books is not something you can simply fake. Just handing them a book and telling them to sit in a corner and read, is something they will immediately see through. Young kids especially, want to look up to and emulate their elders, so unless you embrace books yourself, you will never succeed in convincing your kids. Therefore, if you are one of the many who have lost the habit of reading over the years, this is the first thing you will have to put right. If you've barely picked up a book since you left school or college, get onto Amazon, get into your local bookshop or visit your library and get your own nose into a few decent books.

Children need to see you reading regularly, they need to be read to, and when older they need to be given space and time to develop their own reading skills. Teaching a respect for books, that books are something to be cherished and looked after, is also a value that will serve them well. This can be difficult with young children who just love to adorn any bare surface with their art work, but it is worth persevering with. I still have books in my collection which have lasted me for almost forty years; their personal value grows with time, and rewards the care I learned to treat them with at an early age.

In a world filled with plastic junk and computer games that dull children's natural wealth of imagination, it is more worthwhile than ever for parents to invest in the intellectual enrichment that good books can provide for their kids. Good quality children's books, by both classical and modern authors are plentiful if you take the time and care to do a little research, or ask for advice at the local library. Books are an investment in your children's future, and that investment will always be returned many times over. Surround your children with books, and let them see that you also enjoy reading. Some day in the future, they will almost certainly thank you for that gift.