There’s no doubt about it, every Aunt wants to have a special relationship with their nieces and nephews. The person they look up to, the one that they will grow to love and admire. It is natural and you play a bigger role then you can imagine in their lives. Children are naturally drawn to an Aunt. It is important that you also look at being a mentor in their lives from the get go.  This probably sounds like a bunch of psychological babble but it’s the truth. It is important to also be a mentor in their lives, someone for them to look up to and learn from. Parents will appreciate your relationship even more and give you freedom with the children if you instill behaviors that are favorable.

Every parent wants to get their children hooked on reading and you will definitely be helping the children by also reiterating this message. The great news is that your book picks will most likely turn into their favorites before the ones their parents pick.

Start Early, and keep at it…

Getting children books can start as early as they can see and sit and listen to you. For the infants and toddlers in your life focus on bright and fun looking books. These need to be interesting to the eye. At this age it’s all about the visuals. You probably remember some of the classics that you read as a child and everyone has a favorite. The reason they are still around and classics is that they are very appealing to people of any age. We never seem to grow out of the early books that were read to us. They bring us warmth and some fond memories. That is what these will do for your nieces and nephews. Even at these early stages, sit with them and read out loud. Go through these books with each and every visit and bring by special new books to add to their collection. When you read aloud with the child, make sure you use very expressive looks and make special sounds. They will appreciate it and learn from your excitement.

Once they are around 3 to 6 years old, they will still have a high interest in the illustrations but they will want to associate pictures with words now. This is where you will find more interactive books will be a big hit. As you introduce these books, keep reading these aloud and before you know it they will be repeating words with you.  During these reading sessions you will be building special bonds with them that will last a lifetime.

Between the ages of 4 to 6 years the story line will be important to them. Try to focus on purchasing books that they can relate to. Stories that integrate everyday life events will be a huge hit.

Quality time and quality books

Once your nieces and nephews head off to school, they will need books that are fun but still reinforce learning and help improve their reading. Keep in mind that each and every child is an individual and special in their own unique way. The more quality time you spend with them will enable you to be more qualified to pick the right books that they will love and read for years. Knowing your audience and having some helpful tips will help you with becoming a mentor in a child’s life through reading.

This relationship will flourish and you will know as they get older what books they will be drawn to. You can even start reading books together and meeting up to discuss them at a later date. The point is to start early and keep working at it. They will love you for it and always remember their Aunt, their mentor who read to them from way back when…