How Reading Classic Books Can be a Powerful Form of Self-Care {for kids and adults!}

Sneak peek: Many of these best classic books for children cannot only enrich our kids’ lives but ours too. Exploring how reading can be a form of self-care for us and our kids.

The best classic books for children are ones that draw you into a story that has meaning and depth. For me, this often means these books are identifiable because they are the ones I actually like to read too. In this way, reading books to my kids has taken on a whole new meaning. Here’s how…

One of the challenges of being a parent to young children is the fact that it is often hard to do many of the relaxing recreational activities you once enjoyed. As I’ve progressed through 10+ years of stay-at-home motherhood, I’ve found that one partial solution to this problem is to try to combine your interests with something your child can do at the same time. This is no big revelation for many of you; seasoned parents are pros at this. This is why jogging strollers exist. Parents get to exercise, the child gets to go for a fun ride. Similar things can be said for hiking carriers, bike carriers, etc.

This approach is a bit more tricky when you consider more sedentary pursuits like reading, writing or meditation. While I haven’t mastered doing all of these with kids around, I have made strides in recent years by reconsidering the idea of reading some good classic books for kids.

Related reading: Classic Books for Babies that Boost Brain Development

When our kids are young, most of us read to them often (or we should). The benefits of reading to kids are well-documented. We know that books play an important role in child development. You’ve probably all heard that kids who are read to:

• have better vocabulary
• have stronger reading skills
• score higher on academic tests

What you may not have considered, however, is that reading to children is actually a form of meaning-making too. My two favorite parenting authors, Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson describe this so well in a recent article,

“In sharing reading with our children, we are directly teaching them to use language to narrative life, to put words together to describe the unfolding events across time and how their inner mental life works.”

Isn’t this lovely! By reading with our kids, we are giving them the vocabulary for their emotions and a way to understand their life, both the good and the bad parts. This idea was kind of revolutionary to me.

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A New Form of Self-Care: Reading Classic Children’s Books

This idea makes me look at reading in a whole new way, especially reading many of the best classic books for children. Many of us enjoy reading solo or with our kids but sometimes find it hard to fit into our day. This approach to reading makes me consider that reading is really a form of self-care, for both us and our kids.

If this is the case, then how can we find ways to use reading as both a way to connect to our kids, but also something we do that’s relaxing for us? In other words, can reading serve as both self-care for us and benefit our kids as well?

Related reading: New Books to Help You Become the Parent You Want to be This Year

I think part of the answer to this dilemma lies in careful book choice. We have all gone through stages with our kids when all they wanted to read were the exact books that we can’t stand. You know the ones I mean–the corny books with plenty of potty humor or the ones with such a simplistic, mundane storyline that you want to toss it out the window. If we want to pursue reading with kids as a form of self-care, then I think we have to come to terms with balancing book choice between our kids and ourselves. In other words, sometimes mom or dad gets to choose the book. My boys sometimes get ruffled when I say it’s my turn to choose the book, but once we are into it, they are usually happy with my choice.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of some of the best classic books for children that parents actually enjoy. Hidden within the pages of these books are meaningful lessons, poetic language, beautiful illustrations and heart-touching lines that any parent will be glad to read. I’ve often found it surprising how many really meaningful and touching ideas I’ve experienced by reading really good children’s books. Some of these are true classics, while others are more modern-day reads that are sure to become classics. Let these books take you back to your own childhood and serve as a few minutes of self-care for YOU. Plus, your kids will enjoy them too.

What Books Should Every Child Read? {that adults will love too!}

 One of my all-time favorite books! I re-read it to my boys recently and it, once again, almost brought me to tears.

This book of quirky, fun poetry is another childhood classic. I’ve read it as an adult and I’m still impressed with its unique style. My boys enjoy it.

When I read my first William Joyce book to my oldest son, I knew I was hooked. I’ve loved all his books that we’ve read together. The stories are meaningful, the phrasing lovely and the illustrations unique and beautiful. You might also like his series, the Guardians of Childhood which feature the “backstory” of childhood favorites like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Really lovely and imaginative.

A true classic among classics! Simple stories that tell important ethical lessons.

 Another great, imaginative story that kids love. Both my boys took to this story in 1st-2nd grade and re-read it and acted it out at home.

 I will always have wonderful memories of reading this to my boys. They both enjoyed the clever rhyming and finding the little cricket on each page.

 When you think of Roald Dahl, most people think of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is a favorite in our house. Good for a good belly laugh any day of the week.

Unlike the Disney version, these classic originals have a simple depth of meaning and beautiful prose language that is hard to resist.

Want a printable version of this list (to take to the library perhaps)? Sign up below to download this list (PLUS I added a few extras just for you 🙂

Enjoy reading these wonderful books with your kids!