Reading & Experiences

Today I took my daughters to the dentist for the first time. Despite being very timid, they did amazing. No meltdowns. They opened their mouths. They even answered a question or two. I had to repeat it to the dental hygienist because their answers were barely peeps. They even said when we were going home that they liked the dentist! It helped that our dental hygienist and dentist are the nicest people in the world, but they have been around other nice people and had breakdowns. What was the biggest help in this success was reading Usborne First Experiences: Going to the Dentist a thousand times before our big day. They knew exactly what to expect thanks to that book and our discussions based on that book.

Experiences are prime reading topics. These topics can help kids prepare for the dentist, the orthodontist, the doctor, the zoo, a wedding, owning a pet, or even a vacation. Children are never too old or too young to read information on your upcoming events with you.

For example, you are planning a trip to Washington D.C. Check out books about the city from your library. For very young children you can show them the pictures and talk about the places you will be visiting. They'd love to see a preview. Once you get there, you'll be able to point out, "Look that was in the book!" For older children and teens, let them help you plan. You can look at travel guides and websites together. They will be more excited for your trip because they have some ownership of the plans.

Experiences are close to a child's heart, so learning about them will be too. Let's help each other. Comment below how you incorporate reading into your experiences.

Screenshot from Usborne Books & More