As a parent who is regularly on the road away from my daughter, I’ve learned to embrace technology to stay in touch when I travel. Normally, I’ll travel with a couple of books, and I’ll leave copies of the same books at home – at bedtime, I simply use a speakerphone and we’ll both read along in the same book.
A new online service called “A Story Before Bed” takes that principle, and moves it online. You start by purchasing a book, then you use a webcam and microphone to record yourself reading.
When it comes time for your child to be read to, he or she sits behind the computer, and watches mommy or daddy read to them.
Books cost $6.99, and the current selection offers almost 60 different titles. It is hard to argue with anything that helps keep you in touch with your kids, especially if it is something as important as your nighttime reading routine.
The only downsides are the price, and that you’ll need to sit your kid(s) down in front of the PC for them to read the book. You can of course bring a laptop into their bedroom if you have one. As I mentioned, the price is a little steep – kids books from the local book store are usually about $3.99. Of course, one major advantage of this service is that you don’t actually have to be available for bed time, something that is quite handy if you are dealing with a time difference.
(Via: Downloadsquad.com)