Reading With Toddlers Points to ‘Less Harsh Parenting’ According to New Study

It’s well-known that reading with your toddler helps their development, sparks a passion for books at an early age, and prepares them for school. Did you also know that it helps with your parenting? In a new study from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, researchers found that parents are less harsh on their children later on in life, when they read together early in life. The study also found that this shared activity can decrease hyperactivity and attention problems in children. 

The study: Early Shared Reading Is Associated with Less Harsh Parenting

The study, published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, sought out to go beyond what researchers know about the correlation of reading with your child and their behavior. More specifically, the behaviors of the parents two years later. The study included 2,165 moms and children pairs. First, researchers had parents read to their children when they were between the ages of one and three. They then circle backed to these families when the children were a few years older, ages three to five. What they found was that families experienced “less harshed parenting.” Researchers also reported that children exhibited fewer disrupted behaviors.

Books versus e-Books

e-Books may be some people’s way of growing their library, but according to science, you may want to use paperback books when reading with your toddler. JAMA Network explains that children are less engaged when adults read to them on a tablet. In their investigation, Parent-Toddler Social Reciprocity During Reading From Electronic Tablets vs Print Books, researchers looked at 37 parent/toddler couples. Parents and kids were videotaped reading paperback books than transition to an e-book. Once looking at a screen, toddlers exhibited social ques to suggest they lost interest in the activity. Regarding how e-books play a role in parenting later in life is unknown, but researchers have a pretty good idea that paperback books are the proper “tool” to use when reading with toddlers. 

Getting into a routine

If your goal is to become less harsh of a parent later on in your child’s life, setting a reading routine will help you to do so. Manual Jimenez was the lead researcher in the Rutgers study. Jimenez says, “For parents, the simple routine of reading with your child daily provides not just academic but emotional benefits that can help bolster the child’s success in school and beyond. Our findings can be applied to programs that help parents and caregivers in underserved areas to develop positive parenting skills.” Life gets busy, and it can be hard to forget to practice reading with your child. Read Brightly suggests the following to help maintain a routine:

• Begin before your child is born
• Make storytime interactive
• Schedule family reading time
• Expand your reading material
• Read anywhere – and everywhere
• Take the conversation off the page

Stick to a schedule and visit your library for paperback books for every stage of your kiddo’s life. In 2019 libraries were more popular than movie theaters, so you’ll want to go and go often to be sure you get the books you’d like to read!  

Reading with your child should be a memory that you cherish. After all, it won’t be long until they can read by themselves! Reading is good practice for the mind to strengthen your memory. Find out all the other ways you can improve your memory with our Maximizing Memory course. This course will cover practical techniques to help you remember what you read and memorize key information. Click the link to find out more today!