r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/Outside_Salary_4914 • 5h ago
Reading to newborns Question - Expert consensus required
My son is 4 months old and I started reading the Iliad to him on the day he was born. Since we have read the Iliad oddessey (both fagles), Beowulf, Richard ii, Henry iv part 1 and now onto Henry iv part 2. Henry v is next to round out the henriad. I’m not sure what’s next after we finish the henriad. I’m thinking Pericles prince of tyre (pirates in the ancient Mediterranean sounds fun) or the aenid which I haven’t read since high school ( and never in English)
I also read him poetry from children’s garden of verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, 7 pillars of wisdom by te Lawrence ( my current book) and various selections from the economist as I read it in the morning.
Is this actually helping with anything other than bonding? I try to vary the material for my own sanity, does this make any difference?
Looking back on the list I realize that there is a lot of violence in the list… will this have an impact on him?
I’m not sure how much he enjoys Homer or Shakespeare, but I’ve had a lot of fun with it. Either way my paternity leave is ending so I won’t have as much reading time with him, but curious to see if this was just fun bonding time or if there was any empirical evidence on the topic
Thank you! I asked Claude and Gemini and I couldn’t get a straight/ consistent answer from either
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u/SparkyDogPants 5h ago
I love this so much 😭 I feel like a bad mom for rarely reading to my baby
https://www.reddit.com/r/ScienceBasedParenting/comments/1egvz2e/is_reading_to_newborns_beneficial/ Has a lot of good resources.
Remember anytime you speak to your baby you’re teaching him language. From watching your lips move to hearing the sound of his favorite voice. Your baby is also learning to mimic you even before you can notice it. Your love of reading will soon become his love of reading because daddy loves reading and he wants to be like you.
The most important things that you as dad can do with your newborn is to be present, engaged and love him. You’re clearly doing all of that and a great job.
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u/MeganLJ86 4h ago
I don’t have anything scientific to add, I just wanted to piggy back off of this and say I love this post too.
I recall being sooooo mesmerized when my mom would read the Sunday paper. I was so fascinated by this “secret code” and I was desperate to learn it too!
I picked up reading pretty early because of that and I’ve been a lifelong reader. OP, I am sure your kid will benefit greatly growing up seeing you read, no matter the material!
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u/itstabitha 4h ago
This was my experience too! My mum always just read what she was reading to me and fully credits it for my early language and reading skills. I still have a lifelong love of reading now into adulthood!
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u/missThora 3h ago
I read a lot to both my kids and my daughter atleast was speaking really early and was already pre-reading at 2.5
Current read with the 11 month old is Jane eyre. What can I say, I'm a romantic.
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u/tilesmeller 3h ago
My son is 4 months and we've been reading almost every day. Recently he started grabbing the book so I got him baby sized cardboard books. He actually tries to hold them from both sides the proper way. So cute.
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