Reading to your children

Stacey - posted on 01/24/2011

I'm lucky; my 2 year-old son loves books and has always enjoyed my reading to him. In fact, reading is one of the few activities in which he actually sits still!

My suggestion is to wait till your son is sleepy, and let him choose from a few books himself. Then sit him on your lap, and instead of reading the book to him, just look at and talk about the pictures in the book. Point to different things and talk about and ask him questions about them.

Also, make books a part of his daily life. Keep them out along with his toys so that he can pick them up and look at them whenever he wants. Let him see you reading your own books (because children love to mimic their parents). If he has a favorite cartoon, try to get a book that has the same characters in it. Perhaps find a book that is "active": has buttons to push to make noises, has pictures that "pop out", or has different textures that your child can feel.

Most of all, be patient. Don't force him to sit still for story time if he's not ready. Be encouraging and positive so that he associates books with enjoyment and fun and not something to simply be endured.

Ashley - posted on 01/24/2011

I have read to my children before nap and before bedtime since they were babies. At first they don't have long attention spans but by 2 years old they can sit for 10-15 minutes at a time (at least) and can often finish the sentences in the books. It's just matter of building up the amount of time they can stay engrossed in a book.

Sarah - posted on 01/23/2011

My 16 month old will pick out a book, run over to me, crawl in my lap & make me read it to him. I'll get about 2 pages in & he closes the book, gets down, and runs off. Hmmm... Sometimes he'll sit long enough for me to finish a short book, but most of the time I'll look through picture books with him so we can point to stuff. Board books are the best so there's no risk in ripping the pages out. A lot of times I'll let him wander around the room while I'm reading to him. I don't think 16 month olds have the ability to be still for very long lol.

Bonnie - posted on 01/23/2011

My husband and I have been reading to our kids since they were babies. I know what you mean though. It is difficult for me to get my 2.5 year old to sit for more than 2 minutes and listen to a story. I try to read shorter books more often and let him pick one that he really wants me to read. My 4 year old use to be the same way. I found by the time he turned 3 years old, it eased up and he was a lot more interested and attentive.

Krista - posted on 01/23/2011

Aw, thanks, Sara! That's so nice to hear!

Tracy - posted on 01/23/2011

I've read bedtime stories to both of my kids since birth. They love it.

Good Day! - posted on 01/23/2011

Krista said: "It's not as "warm 'n' fuzzy" as reading him stories, but it's certainly better than nothing, right?"

I'd say it's more than "better than doing nothing." I'd say that's fantastic! That's exactly what he needs!

Kathy - posted on 01/23/2011

Start with picture books. Sit on the floor and point to the pictures and oh and ah. Tell him what they are. ABC books. Magazines. Keep it simple and fun at this age. As he gets older and starts repeating what the pictures are, move onto books with a simple sentence on each page. Character books from their favorite tv shows. Then slowly move up as their skills improve. Soon he will be reading to you.

Donna - posted on 01/23/2011

Keep it short and do it just before he goes to sleep, so that he is quieter and more likely to hear you. Get your librarian to guide you in choosing appropriate books that won't take too long and will possibly get his attention

Krista - posted on 01/23/2011

Heh -- my 17-month old son does the same thing. I used to read to him in the rocking chair right before bed, starting when he was about 6 months old. It was a lovely little routine we had down. But now when I try to read, he wants to see what's next and flips the pages so fast that I can't even keep up with the story.

What I've done is bought a few board books (MUCH more durable than paper!) that just basically show pictures of objects and their names. He's at the phase where he points to everything and wants to know what it is. So we look at those books now instead, and he'll point to something, and I'll say what it is. And if he flips the pages backwards or forwards, or skips three pages, it doesn't matter. If he lingers on any one page, I'll elaborate. So instead of just "Ball", I'll say, "Ball. Round orange ball. We throw the ball." Or, "Kitty! Look at the nice, soft kitty. We pet the kitty very gently."

It's not as "warm 'n' fuzzy" as reading him stories, but it's certainly better than nothing, right?

JuLeah - posted on 01/23/2011

Read short kid friendly books ... a few pages to start, maybe the thick books with out real pages to be ripped. They idea is to get him interested, so make sure he is on your lap or next to you and looking at the bright colored pictures. You ask on each page, "Where is the duck?" or "What color is that truck?" ... "Can you find the ball on this page?" It will be more fun for him if he can play that kind of role .... and yes, you are correct. It is critical for parents to read to their children at least 20 minutes a day. If you want your child to become a strong reader, start them very young. Bathtub books are a lot of fun too.

Stifler's - posted on 01/23/2011

My son used to do it. He's getting into looking at the pics as a I read now though. I was reading books that were too long, try books that have like a sentence per page like Katherine said.

Sylvia - posted on 01/23/2011

I used to read to DD when she was sitting in her high chair eating breakfast -- captive audience :) I think she was younger then, though, because my mat leave ended when she was 13 months ... or maybe I'm remembering doing that on weekends? (She's 8 now, it's hard to remember exactly.)

You're not trying to make him sit still and listen while you read, are you? Because IME that's really, really hard for toddlers. (And BORING.) Will he let you read while he's busy doing something else? Or when he's in the bath? Or at bedtime when he's almost asleep? That's another thing we used to do with DD when she was a toddler -- read and nurse in bed. Actually reading and nursing worked really well on the couch, too, come to think of it. Have you tried that? :)

If ripping up books is a problem, try going back to board books, which are practically indestructible (DD used to chew on hers, and almost all of them survived!). Your local library probably has lots of them, if you get bored with the ones you have :)

Carolyn - posted on 01/23/2011

One thing is I believe you may have started to late. Reading stories to your kids should start as infants. Not only at bedtime either. Should start with short stories & picture books hard backs. Describe what your looking at not so much the words on the page. Get him excited about what you see, the tree how it's green, fish how they love the water, flowers how they smell that sort of thing. Things he can relate to. Then slowly put in the words as he gets more patients. Talk about things that he seems to like, trucks, trains, baseball, any activity he really likes. If he likes it to start he's more likely to want to hear more about it. Best of Luck

Angie - posted on 01/23/2011

Let him wander as you read to him. Sitting still at this age is difficult. Then allow him to read his own books. Just the exposure to books will be beneficial.

Katherine - posted on 01/23/2011

My 22mo does this if the book is too long. It has to be a REALLY short book. I mean like 3 words per page.

Heather - posted on 01/23/2011

Read to him at nap time and bed time. I do that with my 13 month twins. They are contained in their cribs and don't have any toys to distract them. While I read I have the book facing them so they can see the pictures as I read. Also pick something short enough to keep his attention and to finish before he falls asleep.

Good Day! - posted on 01/23/2011

16 month olds are never still are they! =)

Don't force him to sit still and listen. As he's playing, pick up a book and read it aloud. He's listening, even if it doesn't seem like it! You don't have to finish a book. That will come with time. And you don't have to actually read every word on every page. Just looking at pictures and "playing" with books is good for kids!

Also, I'd invest in some board books. He won't be able to destroy them! My almost three year old is JUST now getting to where we can look at paper books without ripping them. You'll use the board books for a long time, so it's well worth the money!