HOW TO CREATE A READING CORNER

photo from Nayviah's room

Two words: reading corner! As a Mom and in creating designs for clients, I love when I get asked for a reading corner. There is something so magical about what happens over the years here; snuggles, night time feeds, those eye gazing stares with your little one (my favourite!) and lots of stories.

photo from Xavier's room

photos from Miles' room

There are really only only a few things you need to create a corner like the ones you see here.

1. A good chair is an essential in a baby room; this chair should be comfortable for whoever will be up during the night with baby and I always recommend either a pouf for a footrest or a chair with a built in footrest. Putting your tired feet up should be make as easy as possible.

2. A pillow! This might not seem like a necessity but a small pillow seems to aways come in handy for relieving a sore back or even resting baby's head.

3. A blanket is handy to have to cover cold toes or even to wipe up spilled milk in emergencies!

3. Somewhere to rest a drink / lip balm / cloth. This can either be a side table if you have the space or, as in Miles' room above, the window toy storage acts as a surface for a drink due to the low height of the chair, which in this case was the perfect fit for Mom.

4. A book shelf doesn't have to be big, in fact, even a floor basket would work if the walls above don't. The idea is that books are accessible and will therefore get pulled out and read regularly.

5. A dim light (optional). While some people think a night light or lamp next to the chair is an essential, I have found that many clients prefer to have a dimmer switch for the overhead light that they can turn off when they leave the room. Either way, some form of lighting is a great addition.

6. Last, but not least, books! Reading to your little one can start even before birth; we have read at all different times of the day throughout the years but it has always been a daily special pre-bed activity that we all look forward to. 

5 TIPS FOR ENCOURAGING READING WITH KIDS

"Reading aloud to young children is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory."

Bardige, B. Talk to Me, Baby!(2009), Paul H Brookes Pub Co.

1. Make reading fun: Reading should be fun! Sing through a book, visit the library, create a game, have your children make up the story. The words and pictures in books are the starting point - how you engage and bring the book to life is entirely up to you. We love using silly voices to portray characters or skipping the odd word and letting the kids fill them in. Use your imagination and let the little ones see you having fun too.

2. Make books relevant: Have you recently been through a change? Moving? A new baby in the house? Toilet training? School? We are so very lucky to have the range and selection of books on every topic available in multiple languages. We love introducing change through books.

3. Make books accessible: Hello book walls! Nurseries, kids rooms and play rooms all present the perfect opportunity to put books front and centre for children. Pick a central place in the home to store books and allow the little ones to have free access to read. I especially love book walls and book shelves with various heights to store everyday books on the bottom shelves and special books up high. 

4. Make reading a time for bonding: Although we love to read to our children throughout the day, the consistent daily reading time in our home occurs at bedtime. We let our kids pick 2-3 books each and we all sit together to read. I read, their Dad reads and now our 3 year olds are reading to each other and us too. Story time is such a precious time together and one of my most favourite parts of every day.

5. Make books a reward: We tell our kids that books are a treat. It's true! For good behaviour, birthdays, seasonal holidays,  try giving books! Our children love choosing books to give their friends and when our parents ask what the kids could use for birthdays and holidays, we always encourage books. It is a gift that continues to give long after the pages are closed. 

I love, love, love getting new book recommendations for our children. What are some of the most loved books in your house?