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Parents Can Read Bedtime Stories From Abroad With New Site

by Caleb Johnson on November 5, 2009 at 08:28 AM

Growing up, there was no better way to ease into a good night of sleep than with Mom or Dad reading a bedtime story. But in today's fast-paced, mobile world, parents aren't always home to read to their children. According to Tech Flash, a new online service hopes to revitalize bedtime stories -- no matter how many miles might separate parents and kids.

For a fee of $6.99, 'A Story Before Bed' allows parents to record a video of themselves reading a story from the site's extensive library (from 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' to 'Hansel and Gretel'), and then syncs the video with a digital version of the book onscreen. All you need is a computer, a webcam, and a copy of Adobe's Flash Player. Then, the child (presumably with help from an adult) can log on to the site and have a story read to him or her. It's the perfect way for that grandmother who lives on the West Coast or that dad who's overseas on business to stay in touch with the youngsters. Don't worry that you're too old to figure this out, either. The site's developers, Jackson Fish Market, even offer technical support between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific Time.

It's not as good as reading 'Where The Wild Things Are' while sitting on the edge of your child's bed, but it's a lot better than the alternative for traveling parents. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some reading to do. [From: Tech Flash, via Kotkke, via A Story Before Bed]

Tags: bedtimestories, books, internet, kids, parents, reading, top, video, webcam

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