A Goodnight Story

The most essential form of learning is associative learning with classical conditioning. We have all experienced this learning intermittently in our lives. The environment in which we are raised defines how an individual might be conditioned in their life. As an extremely young child I was read to every afternoon before a nap, and every night before bedtime. My grandmother would rarely miss reading me a bedtime story. Reading to me as a child established a notably special bond that I have with my grandmother. This was a momentous time of the day and night that was always anticipated on by the both of us. It made bedtime especially relaxing and pleasant and has now been a ritual that I have practiced throughout my entire life. Reading before sleep is an experience that I have passed down to my children and grandchildren as well. I will continue to read every night before bed for as long as I am capable. The comforting memory of my grandmother’s voice as she read to me has had an impact in my life throughout the years.

What I have learned from this experience is that reading before bedtime can generally create a particular bond between people. It is further known to be extremely relaxing and stimulating for sleep and aids in building confidence and self-esteem in a growing child. I learned to relish reading at an early age and I continue to relish reading today because of what my grandmother has implanted by reading to me at an early age. The ritual of reading before bed time made falling asleep much more lucid for me. Before long I found myself not essentially able to sleep without reading first, and that is still true to this day. Reading at bedtime is a form of relaxation and comfort in my world. It was how I was...

... middle of paper ...

...that it has created between my grandmother and me. This is a bond that can never be broken or taken away from. It is the same bond that I want my children and grandchildren to feel as well as experience and perhaps pass on throughout generations to come. Reading to a child is one of the most fundamental skills that a parent or loved one can offer a child. It can help to expand a child’s mind and give children the drive to want to read. However, the values of today’s youths are often lost because of the lack of quality time that a parent spends with their children. Reading is one of the most incomparable ways to bond and spend that quality time with them. Our ambitions as parents should be to structure our children to become confident and goal-orientated citizens. That is what I have experienced as a result of my grandmother reading to me as I grew up.