BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — For many children, their parents reading a bedtime story is a part of their routine.
"It does a lot for a child's imagination," Kevin Truelson with the Kern County Network for Children says, "It helps them learn, obviously. I think in the early stages, especially zero to five, it's for them to hear those words, see the words on the paper, and listen to words they might now understand that come from adults."
In April, reading to children means more to the Kern County Network for Children. They're promoting reading more to your children as a way to reduce child abuse in Kern County.
Every night in April at 7:15, Truelson says the network will post a different bedtime story on their Kern County Network for Children Facebook page.
The thirty days are broken down into different themes: adventure, Dr. Seuss, trolls and love. Truelson dresses up as different characters to encourage children's imaginations. His daughter even makes special appearances to show how much children enjoy being read to.
"Cause I love reading books, cause y teacher always reads me books at school," Kennedy Truelson gushes.
Kennedy says she likes her daddy's bedtime stories and thinks it could help other children around the county. "Cause they can learn how to read by themselves," Kennedy says.
While the focus of this month's bedtime stories is on child abuse prevention, it also is helping parents create a lasting bond with their children.
"It's good quality time, you know nurturing, parenting for the parents to sit down with their child and spend quality time with them," Kevin Truelson says.
And it's that nurturing, bonding time that the Kern County Network for Children hopes will bring Kern County families close and reduse preventable child abuse.
