How do bedtime stories affect children? (5)

As a child, every night before bed one of my parents would relate a story to my sister and I as we lay tucked up in bed. Dad would tuck us in so that our legs looked like a mermaid's tail and Mom would give us a kiss, then story time would begin. My mom used to read us stories, I remember the first time we were read a "big girl's book", Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. My dad preferred to tell us stories of his childhood or stories that he would make up on the spot.

I love to read and have since I was about 8 years old. I wonder what it was that made me love reading so much. Do my parents have anything to do with it? Was I influenced by their example? Does reading bed time stories strengthen family bonds? Does reading the scriptures? Do family stories strengthen a child's character? Why do children want to know about their parents' childhood so much? What makes reading so appealing or unappealing?

I plan to write my research paper for my writing class on these questions. I want to know what affect story telling has on a child. If anyone has any opinions on it then please comment! I emailed my grandparents to ask if their parents loved to read. Maybe it's inherited (though just skipping dad!).

Thought for the day: “No book is really worth reading at the age of 10 which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of 50 – except, of course, books of information. The only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would have been better not to have read at all.” (C. S. Lewis)

Granny reading us The Magician's Nephew 

by C. S. Lewis.