LeapReader

[whenhenshaveteeth]

Hey, not sure this is the right place to post.

Do you think a 3 year is too young to use a LeapReader? I'm not trying to push my child into reading really, I'm just looking for ways to occupy him. It's a long story but DS2 is a pain in the evenings and I'm at looking for ways to make things easier.

His room communicates with his brother's (6) and he keeps asking to sleep with him, we tried but all that happens is that he keeps him up until 9pm or worse reducing him to tears with tiredness.

We've tried explains gently, rewarding with stars and smarties,ignoring things hoping it would get better, being angry, taking toys away etc. but nothing works. He shouts and bang on the door with rage even though he's tired.

I don't want him to play on a device all night of course but I'm thinking that perhaps allowing him to play quietly with something he likes and more "exciting" than train sets etc., might make him see the attraction of bed time and that because he usually is tired in the evening, he will fall asleep more quickly than getting into a frenzy about having to go to bed.

So, we've got a LeapPad already that his brother got ages ago and when I was looking at games suitable for his age (he'll be 3 in a month), I came across the LeapReader, which I thought might work better since he's starting to get interested in letters.

I know there are 2 the normal one from 4-8 and the junior one from 1-3 but the latter looks really babyish and since he's about to turn 3 I'm thinking could be a waste of money. However, I need something now not when he turns 4 so if the LeapReader is going to be too advanced for him I don't want that either!

Aargh! I'm finding this really difficult! Bed time is filling me with dread. Pre- kids I use to watch Super Nanny (just because) and wondered how some parents could cope with such horrible children, surely they had to be more strict/talk to them differently etc.

Now this is me, being tortured by a 3 year old!

[Barbeasty]

We got DD a leap reader when she was 3 and she's enjoyed the music and stories you can download for it. Our 2 year old enjoys using it for music too.

Then as the older DD has started to read it's really come into its own.