During an uncontested divorce, family roles change as the marriage transforms into divorce. Children can be hard hit with a parent who was present during bedtime and now lives away from the kids. Anxiety levels in children can increase during this time as they realize the absent parent is not there to read them a bedtime story and tuck them in for the night.
Technology is making it possible for kids to connect with the parent who is not able to be present during their bedtime. Ebooks with voice and video features are quickly becoming a big hit with divorced parents. Kindoma has come out with eBooks which have a video chat feature.
A child and a divorced parent can virtually read a book together and hear each other as the book is read. If one person turns the page, the other viewer also has his or her paged turned too. If one of the users points to a spot on the eBook the other viewer sees a shadow of hand in the same area. In addition, the child and parent are able to see each other through a window in the upper part of the screen.
This technology still has a few kinks to work out. The turning of the page can be slow at times. Kindoma offers a free application for iPad users, which is available in the iTunes store. Users should be able to get about twenty-six free books, after that there may be a price added in the future.
Here are some reasons why bedtime stories are important when a parent has left the house after an uncontested divorce:
- Bedtime stories can help reduce anxiety and help the child re-focus on a positive world;
- Reading together helps cultivate a life learning passion for reading;
- Bedtime stories can help increase a child's vocabulary;
- Reading together may help increase a child's attention span because he or she wants to know what happened in the story;
- Having a set time for stories builds up reassurance and a sense of security through having a constant habit of reading at the same time each night;
- Bedtime stories can help increase a child's imagination;
- Reading together helps with social and emotional development;
- Asking questions as you read together helps them with their critical thinking skills; and
- Being virtually present during bedtime reassures your child that you are there for him or her.
Though your uncontested divorce may have caused a physical separation at bedtime, technology is making it possible for you to be virtually present. Keep in mind to make bedtime stories fun and light, this helps reinforce reading as a positive experience.
