Bringing up kids and doing it right is difficult. Parents and significant others are just humans, wonderful carers doing their best.

We often talk about the best way to prepare children for their lives, and what will help them best.

When reading and books are part of children’s lives, part of their routines, and the love they are shown on a daily basis, children begin to associate reading with pleasure and happy emotions. It doesn't really matter what they read, as long as it does no harm and your child enjoys it. They will gain from reading. Let me count the ways!

Reading creates building blocks for Literacy. Literacy is a key, essential skill that unlocks many pathways to learning, whether academic or practical. I once taught a child of 17 who was illiterate when she came to me. She had difficulty finding things in the supermarket because she did not understand social sight words - common words that most people take for granted. She had never attended formal school, and her sole experience in life was caring for her widower father. I taught her step by step by creating age-appropriate learning materials from scratch. She was with me for over a year. I saw her transformation from an anxious little girl to a woman who had confidence that she could navigate the world! After she left my class, she came back to see me and proudly showed me an engagement ring. She has also landed a job! Literacy is a life skill that is not an option. You owe it to your child to read to them, and when they are able to read for themselves, to encourage a love of reading and books.

So what else does reading do? Well, it creates empathy. Children learn social skills, and the ability to put themselves into another person’s shoes. Empathy is something that is underestimated in this world of analysis. But a good listener is a good conversationalist because they can read the messages behind what someone is saying and respond with compassion and understanding. Children’s books with rich characterization and a colorful, natural conversational style are memorable to young children, and help them cultivate their communication skills.

Moreover, reading expands the mind, and in particular, the imagination. As Einstein suggested, the imagination is far greater than a knowledge bank since it is all about the ability to think laterally, to create, and invent. In life, we often have to adapt our approach and improvise, even in our everyday routines. For instance, what if an item in a recipe is missing from our cupboards or fridges. What do we do? We improvise! Invention and improvisation help us navigate difficulties and challenges with a Can-Do attitude.

Children’s books, of course, should do something more than simply entertain and should have educational value.

What else do children’s books do? They promote curiosity. Again, drawing on Einstein, we all know that cleverness is more often than not developed by a passion for inquiry, and we can stimulate this passion by showing children a world that is bigger than the world with which they are familiar.

Reading books that “go beyond” allow children’s minds to expand, they develop new vocabulary, and we know that our capacity to think, to perceive, and to express our thoughts depends directly on our stock of words.

In this “get by” culture why do we short-change our kids, and why are some people content to leave education to teachers and schools alone? This is like putting your child’s destiny in the hands of a stranger or at best, trusting that destiny to someone other than yourself.

Children's lives are precious! In these troubled times, we can encourage friendship with others by encouraging children to read with us at home. Sharing stories with siblings and peers will help create bonds between children, and they will learn that friends often have similar interests and tastes.

In addition, diverse books, which celebrate differences, for instance diverse cultures, will teach children mutual respect and understanding, so essential to build a better world. Happy World Book Day!