Children’s Books are Important!

At the very beginning of this blog line, I spoke about the importance of the content of children’s books. I pointed out that many children’s tales which we innocently tell our children are actually highly un-educational and rather pointless. I also cited several examples to illustrate my point (as you may recall, Hansel and Gretel got particular attention). Consequently, I have been faced with the dilemma of many young parents who find themselves searching for books of appropriate content for their young children. Similar concerns have risen regarding movies for children but as we do not own a television and the computer is intended for work this is usually not an issue (we do indulge the little princess with an occasional DVD on the computer- rarely more than once a week). I believe in good and responsible education from the start and thus children’s books are perceived to be a vital tool for for achieving such goals.

The Youngest Ages

Although every educator and most parents will agree that the youngest ages of the child are the most vital for their education and development, they will also likewise agree that a child can have his upbringing spoiled and his development warped at any age. Thus keeping a careful eye on the books being read and their effects on the child are both vitally important. At the youngest ages, this is determined mostly by the parents and their behavior. As soon as the child is old enough that books can be read to him their content becomes something plastic that as parents we must mold to the best of our ability. In order to illustrate my point, I will bring some examples. These will star in my next blog entry, so if this sort of thing interests you and your child’s education is of value, by all means, bear with me!