When to Start Reading to Baby

Many adults can remember a favorite storytime book they had as a child. And now as a parent, you likely want to share that special experience of story time with your children. Between the benefits of cognitive development and the magic of watching your baby’s imagination stir, you may wonder when you can start reading to your baby.

In this blog, we’ll answer some common questions about when to start reading to your baby and how your Tushbaby Carrier can help make this experience even more comfortable for the many stories to come.

When Should You Start Reading to Baby?

Benefits of Reading to Babies

There are many benefits that come with reading to your baby. Pick up your favorite storybooks and get to reading to enjoy benefits like…

Promoting cognitive development for baby
Early learning of language skills
Calming a fussy baby or helping put baby to sleep
Extra bonding time for parents and their babies
Teaching baby to be engaged and lengthening their attention span

The Tushbaby Carrier can be used during story time to help promote bonding, keep snuggles comfortable, and provide your back and arms with additional support. With the adjustable waistband, any family member can use the Tushbaby carrier, including Dad when he wants to enjoy story time too. After all, dad bonding with baby is equally as important as mom’s bonding time!

Simply strap your Tushbaby high and tight above your natural waist and use it in one of the four carrying positions to provide your baby with a comfortable front-row seat for story time. With built-in lumbar support for you and a plush perch for your little one, no story time will need to be cut short due to back aches, pains, or arm fatigue. Use one arm to keep your baby supported and the other to read their favorite story. Story time can be experienced sitting, standing, or walking with the Tushbaby all while promoting proper posture. For the wearer, Tushbaby can help maintain posture and minimize aches and pains thanks to its streamlined design that equally distributes weight. For the baby, Tushbaby offers a plush memory foam-lined seat that promotes healthy hip growth in babies by keeping their hips in the “M” position. Tushbaby is full of benefits from health benefits to practical benefits, the Tushbaby lives up to its reputation.

Need to feed in between stories? Get even more use out of the Tushbaby when you use it for breastfeeding support.

when should you start reading to baby

When to Start Reading to Baby

Extra snuggles, quality bonding time, and an opportunity to promote cognitive development? Sounds like story time is a win for all, so you’re probably asking: ‘when should I start reading to my baby?’

Good news: it’s never too soon to get lost in story time and snuggles with your baby. Ultimately, the decision is up to you to choose when to start reading to your baby. Some parents choose to read to their babies while they are still in the womb, making book shopping a part of their pre-baby bucket list. While your baby will have differing levels of interaction as they develop, incorporating reading and story time into your routine will be beneficial at any stage.

For many parents, storytime becomes a part of the bedtime routine. As we mentioned, reading to your baby can help relax and calm them in preparation for drifting off to sleep. Because babies begin to recognize and are comforted by the sound of their parents' voices, reading is just one of the handy ways of getting baby to fall asleep.

Reading by Age/Stage

Now that we’ve covered the benefits, let’s answer the next common set of questions, when do you start reading to babies and what does story time look like?

Birth-6 months: From birth to six months of age, reading to your baby may involve minimal interaction. As we’ve mentioned, babies can begin to recognize their parent’s voices as early as one month old, which can have a truly calming effect. Reading to your newborn is a great way to promote calmness when you have a fussy baby or are lulling your baby to sleep.
6-9 months: As your baby starts to hone new motor skills, everything may suddenly become a toy. Don’t be surprised if the book you picked becomes something for your baby to throw around or play with. It’s normal not to get through the story without your baby grabbing at the pages. Now is a good time to use textured books with fun flaps to promote your baby’s engagement with the book in a different way! At this age, you’ll likely begin to have a teething baby, which means that book may very well end up in your baby’s mouth. Chewing on objects and hands is just one of the signs your baby may be starting to teeth. Keeping a pacifier handy in your Paci Pod can ensure your baby has something clean and soothing to chew on, keeping the book's pages out of their mouth. The Paci Pod easily clips onto the Tushbaby Carrier, belt loops, and other convenient locations that allow you to keep a paci clean and handy.
9-18 months: By now, your baby is likely starting to become more interactive with your books. They may start to get curious, point to various objects, and even start repeating words or sounds as they reach their developmental milestone of talking and saying words. As your baby begins to speak and develop their vocabulary, this particular age range is even more instrumental in promoting cognitive development through reading.
18-24 months: By 18-24 months, you may have reached a point where your baby is now fully engaged and sitting through story time. They’ll likely begin to ask questions and go back and forth through the story. While it may not mean you get through the book in one sweep, these interruptions are encouraged and an excellent way for babies to stay stimulated, engaged, and learn as they enjoy a story with you.
24-36 months: Parents, don’t be surprised if your 24-36-month-old has a favorite story book and insists you read it every night (or every hour). At this developmental stage, toddlers can thrive on a good routine. And when they like something, they may really like something. This includes books, characters, foods, etc. Know that by reading to your toddler, even if it’s the same few story books, you’re creating a wonderful foundation of love for learning and enhanced communication skills for their future.

Reading activities for babies and toddlers

We’ve covered when you can start reading to your baby. Now, let’s review how you can make it a fun activity and incorporate it into your routine for your baby or toddler.

Make it fun and silly: Don’t be afraid to be theatrical. Make the funny noises, use character voices, and make reading time fun for you both. Nothing is more therapeutic than baby giggles! Plus, your baby will begin to mimic your sounds, which is a great way to promote language development.
Take a trip to the library or bookstore: Use your love of reading as an excuse to get out of the house and socialize. Take a trip to the library to enjoy story time or allow your baby to pick out books themselves. Using your Tushbaby Carrier and its five roomy storage pockets can make any outing with your baby or toddler more convenient. Plus, it can create bonding opportunities while enjoying a story at home or in public.
Connect interests with stories: Find books that help your baby expand on something they are interested in. If your toddler seems to be fascinated with the worms in the backyard, pick up some books that allow them to learn and read all about their favorite little worm friends.

Your baby’s life is perhaps the best story of all time. . . cherish every moment front-row by keeping your baby close. Shop Tushbaby today!