Dh is also a cricket fan (and scientist in a very dull field) and he also struggles not to bang his head against the wall in despair.

I almost yearn for the days when it was 'Wobble Bear Says Yellow' every night (nearly, but not quite )!

Do they really grow out of it? DS1 is 12, although he does slip in the odd "during the war..." now, (instead of the debate about Ringo over Michael Angelis), DS2 hates Thomas, but I think if DS3 even shows half an interest DS1 will be well in with it, his engines are safely wrapped in the loft... (though he's old enough to read the bedtime stories so all is not lost)

I was lucky in that DS2 and DS3 didn't like them.

They are so boring.

I hate them.

Only 'daddies' are allowed to read them and even he who can watch cricket for 6 hours finds them dull.

I lost our compendenum of thomas (in the charity shop bag, so apologies to anyone shopping in Helped the Aged and was forced into buying it, there were about 457 of the most dull stories posible.

I am a bad mother.

I feel your pain having 3 boys -the oldest is 16 , the youngest is 4 and is Thomas mad!

so thats 14 years of Thomas

with no time off other than a brief period with DD who had no interest!

My DS1 was the same-he adored them all (and there are a lot in the series!)I never took to them, but used to read them over and over again. I am glad that I did because I came across a tape recording that I made when he was nearly 4 yrs talking about Stepney and the Bluebell railway and it was so sweet! He was discussing it so seriously and even after all these years (he is now an adult)you can hear the sheer pleasure in his voice. I think he grew out of them before he was 6yrs-looking back it wasn't long, although it seemed it at the time! I used to steer him away from them in the library but we always went home with at least one!

Thomas addict here too. I am gobsmacked that at 2.2 he knows ever train on the back of the books off by heart. At least you get a variety of books though. DS has lots of books but only ever wants Gordon every night. DH doesn't help by shouting Gordon's alive! each time making it more exciting....

Hmm fatjac, I might mourn the passing of the time and my boy growing up, but I'm not sure that I'll regret posting . It's not that serious.

AvengingGerbil.

Not at all (not what I was expecting to reply to a bonfire on a sunny day being inconsiderate to the neighbours title!)

What is worse, your DS will grow out of them in about 18 months time and will never want anything to do with them again. You may be thinking 'this is worse?' - but it is, because he will forget all about them, but you will spend the next twenty years with full recall of the difference between a tank engine and a six-eight wheeler, why James is conceited, and Toad is too humble. You have been infected...

Burning is too good for them.

It will pass all too soon then you will really regret posting such things