The value of reading to our kids is reinforced by the growing body of research on the topic, but did you know that it is good for the parent too?  Recent studies published in the journal “Pediatrics” found that reading aloud was significantly beneficial to children and their parents.    The studies assessed the parents as well as the kids and found that reading aloud appeared to strengthen parents’ feelings of competence, improve the quality of their relationships with their children and even reduce parental stress or depression.