How We Fostered a Love of Reading in Our Children

This post has been sponsored by General Mills. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Books are hands down my favorite gift to receive for my kids. For AJ’s first birthday we included a list of books we’d love for him to receive from anyone wanting to bring a gift, in lieu of toys. Even now that the kids are getting older, I cherish their books from every age and stage of their reading journeys. Some are sentimental because we read them to them as babies. Some bring back feelings of pride because they learned to read with them, and others just signify the sheer number of books they’ve read at such young ages, which is an accomplishment we’re very proud of as parents!

We helped foster a love of reading in our kids by making it something they looked forward to at a young age. Time with mom and dad before bed, filled with hugs and kisses. We’d use accents, act scenes out and take turns using our imaginations to finish stories in our own way – a game we coined “Pass the Story”. The truth is it can be an expensive and space-consuming hobby, collecting books. The kids get tired of reading the same books, or their interests or skill levels change and you have to buy more. That’s why we love EPIC and want to share a little more about it with you! We were introduced to the award-winning digital platform through the kids’ school a couple of years ago. Through EPIC millions of families have instant, unlimited access to thousands of books on endless subjects. Whatever our kids need to read about for school or want to read about on their own, we can find it on EPIC! 

With Asia being in kindergarten and at the beginning of her reading journey, we were so excited to see that the General Mills Sesame Street® Cereal box at Dollar General has the cutest, most engaging story on the back for her to practice her reading on. Right now when you buy one box of Sesame Street Cereal at Dollar General you’ll earn 2 months of EPIC free! Visit www.openbooksforall.com to get your EPIC subscription now!*

And here’s why;

I’ve found it’s easiest to get my kids to do things that are good for them like learning activities if it doesn’t make them feel so isolated. Meaning instead of telling them to go their rooms and read, for example if we hang out on the couch or at the dining table, they’re more apt to do it without whining or feeling like they’re being punished. So getting her to read about some of her favorite characters while eating one of her favorite foods was a breeze! Doesn’t hurt that her and AJ loved the Sesame Street Cereal, they couldn’t stop eating the cinnamon flavored letters, with and without milk, which we were all for because it delivers key nutrients for their growing bodies like fiber, calcium, vitamins D, E and iron!

With no colors or flavors from artificial sources, Sesame Street Cereal is a great choice for a quick snack or meal for the kids, helping them get key nutrients many kids ages 2-5 fall short on. When you grab a box at Dollar General during the applicable dates you’ll also get a 2 month subscription to EPIC, giving you and your kids access to over 40,000 books for children ages 12 and under. Shopping at Dollar General is always a great way to save, but this makes a trip there a must.

What are some ways you’ve gotten your kids to read? I know with all the things competing for our kids’ attention these days from gadgets to video games it can be hard to get them to read. Don’t be discouraged if your kids are reading as much as you’d like them to. Remember to mix it up and give credit for reading in all forms. Whether it’s a traditional book, on a digital platform or in an app. Comment your favorite kids’ books below, I’d love to learn of some new ones we haven’t read yet!

*Purchase Period: 3/5/21 – 4/16/21. Submit receipt for redemption code by 4/30/21. Code valid thru 5/14/21. For full Terms, visit https://openbooksforall.com/en-us/rules