ROCKINGHAM – It’s never too early to read to your child, especially if you want little Jacob or Madison or Emma or Jackson to become a reader later on.
That’s the message that Debbie Knight, children’s librarian for the Richmond County Library, will share with new parents and parents-to-be at the Wednesday, Aug. 8, Pregnancy Fair hosted by FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital.
“I started reading to my child the minute I found out I was pregnant,” Knight says. “If children grow up in a reading household, reading is part of their life. You become a reader, and your children become readers.”
When the baby arrives, Knight advises, keep reading, even while nursing or cuddling. Start out with basic cardboard books and then graduate to feel-and-touch and scratch-and-sniff varieties. Just make sure that the books you share with your child are always age-appropriate.
The important thing is “hearing the voice,” Knight says. “This is how you develop readers so they will always be readers.”
Knight will be among a variety of presenters and vendors who will participate in Richmond Memorial’s 2012 Pregnancy Fair, which is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 8 in the hospital’s cafeteria. Others will include photographer Jimmy McDonald, who will give away a free photography session; First Choice Chiropractic, which will offer “mom massages”; and Tony Anderson of Farm Bureau, who will talk to parents about insurance for families.
Belk, Walmart and numerous vendors of child care services and products will be on hand with gifts, gift cards, gift certificates or other giveaways to share. And, as always, there will be plenty of information on how to prepare and care for a newborn.
“Our aim with the Pregnancy Fair is to educate moms regarding how to be prepared for bringing their infant home,” says Nicole Eteo, R.N., Richmond Memorial’s director of Women & Children’s Services. “We will offer tips on bathing, diapering, swaddling, car seat safety and many other topics. We will also offer tours of our Birthing Center in hopes of giving moms some comfort in knowing where they will be and what they can expect when they arrive at the hospital.”
There is no charge for attending the Richmond Memorial Hospital Pregnancy Fair, and light refreshments will be served. New as well as expectant parents are invited to attend.
For more information on attending or on being an exhibitor, call (910) 417-3735.
FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital is a division of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital.
