Our environment is riddled with hazards to our health: toxins in our produce, antibiotics in our meat, and pesticides covering our lawns. In an effort to keep our children strong, we enroll them in sports, stock our fridge with organic milk, and keep hand sanitizer at the ready. We do more today to keep our children healthier than ever.
There may be one weapon missing from your arsenal of illness-fighting routines — books. Researchers studying the effects of reading on our health have discovered reading more may add years to your child’s life. A 2016 study by Yale found people who read for about 30 minutes a day live, on average, two years longer than those who do not.
Here are five surprising benefits to reading more:
Build brain muscle – Just as our bodies need exercise, we must also exercise our brains. Aging leads to a decline in memory. Reading not only helps stave off weakening of our brain muscle, it can help us grow brain muscle. After just six months of daily reading, researchers found weak spots in the brain were repaired. According to Haskin’s Laboratories at Yale, reading a book engages your child’s brain in a different way than watching movies and TV shows. Reading forces your child to create images of their own, requiring much more brain power than viewing alone. Next time you are tempted to turn on the iPad for your child, offer up an engaging book instead.
Build relationships – Cuddling up with your child and a good book does more than form a parent-child bond. Reading helps your child be empathetic to others, which is essential to forming strong relationships. Books boost their confidence and self-esteem, and reading about self-assured characters can motivate children to expand their social network. Kids and teens find a safe space in books to tackle tough issues like bullying, depression, and grief. Books can chart a path through difficult phases of development and periods of loneliness and social isolation.
Sleep – Is it a struggle to wake your child in the morning? If your child or teen goes to bed with a television, computer, or cell phone in their room, you may want to reconsider. Exposure to electronic devices can make it harder for your child to fall asleep and sleep deeply enough. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) has found diminished sleep to be associated with behavior issues, irritability, obesity, and depression. Teens require even more sleep once they enter puberty, some up to two additional hours. The AAP recommends turning off all screens 60 minutes before bedtime. Reading during this time can help your child unwind and relax.
Increase earning potential – Reading 20 minutes a day is something you can take to the bank. Just 20 minutes of reading with your child daily exposes them to more than 1.8 million words per year, giving them a leg up academically. Children who lack basic literacy skills upon entering kindergarten are more likely to drop out later, which can have a negative impact on future career options and earning potential. According to the Tennessee Children’s Cabinet, every year you read aloud with your child, you increase their average lifetime earnings by $50,000.
Reduce stress – Adults are not the only ones stressed in today’s world. Our children are often overscheduled with school and sports and extracurricular activities, which can lead to stress. There are many ways to unwind and reduce stress, but reading is one of the best. Reading a book can relax your child and lower their heart rate in just six minutes. When your child is upset, reading a book can reduce their stress by 68 percent, more than even listening to music or taking a walk.
While reading more may not cure clinical depression or land your child their dream job upon graduation, books are a prescription worth trying. Reading the latest New York Times blockbuster may be just what the doctor ordered!
Jennifer Boren is the lead library media specialist for Collierville Schools and blogs at bookjabber.wordpress.com.