to think bedtime story is overrated?

[Laquitar]

We read but not every night.
Some nights they are so tired. Wendsdays is one of them, they 've done 2 schools they 'll come home in an hour very tired.
When we read we do it for the pleasure.
What about you?

[DanZZZenAroundTheTreeAgain]

why have they done 2 schools laquitar?

[SauvignonBlanche]

Never!
But DH reads to them every night without fail, hell would freeze over before there was no bedtime story.

[IWantToBeAFairyWhenIGrowUp]

We read bedtime stories to our DD every night, she wants them, its cosy winding down time before bed.

[Bucharest]

On the few times dd has had no story because she's been a little cah, she's taken hours to go to sleep and I've felt awful.

If nothing else, I firmly believe it instills the love of books and reading. No bad result for 10 minutes of yawny borey Gruffalo-ing.

[MiasMARY]

Every night !

On the odd night they don't get a story they get sung to.

Dh and I take it in turns :)

[Laquitar]

Dan, english school plus dh takes them to Greek school every wendsday eve and saturday morning. Plus swimming and music on other days. I think its a lot but thats another thread.

[Callisto]

I think you are being unreasonable. How can reading to your child when he/she is snuggled up in bed be overrated fgs? And 2 schools?

[Laquitar]

Does it have to be night, every night, to install the love of books thu?

[FooffysFestiveShmooffery]

Every night. DS is 8 and practically eats books. Would be very upset if he didnt get a few pages of Harry Potter or whatever. It's DS and Mummy time and we value it. I also firmly believe it contributed to his love of books and fascination with vocabulary.

[DanZZZenAroundTheTreeAgain]

I have to get used to being called Dan with my xmas name! lol, kind of like it, must change my name more often. At first though, I don't realise who is being spoken to.

Ok well I think English school followed by Greek school is fine but reading to them afterwards is not overdoing the educational thing, it is time for them to doze off, just relax and listen to your voice and the story. So I don't think you have to worry that reading to them on top of music, sport, Greek school is overwhelming them IYSWIM, it is not more school

[WanderingInAWinterWonderland]

Hardly ever . I often forget but we do read often at other times.

[Callisto]

DD adores bedtime story. That in itself means it is never a chore for me or DH (we do alternate nights).

[Laquitar]

Callisto, many dcs in london go to 2 schools, Greek, chinese, indian community....Why 'fgs'?

[5DollarShake]

I put DD (4 months) to bed and DH puts DS to bed and reads him a story every night as part of his bedtime routine. It's not really seen as a trial, or something that needs to be skipped.

[DanZZZenAroundTheTreeAgain]

it doesn't have to be every night if you cannot manage it/it doesn't suit. It won't stop them developping a love of books either IMO. It is just a nice cosy routine which helps promote a love of reading in a stressfree way.

[SleepingLion]

YABU.

Bedtime story is one of my favourite parts of DS's routine and now he's older, I am enjoying revisiting old favourites or discovering new books with him - we are reading Inkspell at the moment and we are both really enjoying it.

[Schulte]

My mum used to sing to us instead of bedtime stories. It's quicker. Stupidly, with my DDs I have got into the habit of doing both story and singing and now I can't get out of it

[LoveRedShoes]

No way - it is lovely to have bedtime stories, but what is really going to happen if you don't do them every single night? Nothing. As long as they have them most nights and like them when they have them, they will of course be fine. if you feel bad, why not sing them a lullaby instead? Or invest in a story CD - my DS loves these on a night, as a change from reading a book. This is another case where mums/dads are made to feel guilty because they can't get everything done all day every day. You sound like a lovely mum!

[Laquitar]

Thanks Dan.
I typed Dan again

Callisto just seen that 'fgs' wasnt regarding the school. Sorry ignore previous post.

[Laquitar]

Oh i prefer singing

[DanZZZenAroundTheTreeAgain]

I'm getting used to it, quite like it, sounds strong and masculine

I do read every night usually but I admit that some nights I am really keen when dd announces that she'd rather just keep reading the books she is currently reading to herself until light out.

So I can understand how you feel. It is not every night you feel full of energy and enthusiasm for it.

[JustKeepSparkling]

DH & I love books and love reading.

DH is away a lot.

I'm pg and tired (DS2 an early riser).

So DS1 does not always get a story at the moment. Some nights i just cannot face for the 1000th time.

We have started, well he has really, an 'oral story' when he makes up another chapter of his imaginary story, requires very little from me other than, 'uhuh' 'really?' 'and then?'

It is more about the 'ethos' in the family IMO, routines do not have to be stuck to religiously, but an understanding that books/reading are loved & worthwhile is good :)

[IWantToBeAFairyWhenIGrowUp]

Does it have to be night, every night, to install the love of books thu?

We read at other times, but DD likes the wind down snuggle of reading her bedtime stories. I've always done it even when she was newborn.

I love books any time of the daya though.

[LaWeaselMys]

See, I don't understand Reading to newborns.

They're either asleep, crying or having milk.

How are they supposed to look at the book??

It wasn't until DD was nearly one that she space in the evening to physically fit a book in she was so sleepy when she had milk.

I just read in the afternoon, it makes no difference!

[magicmummy1]

We read most nights, but skip it sometimes if running late or if dd isn't in the mood. Having said that, stories aren't limited to bedtime in our house either - we read at all times of day. :)

Skipping the odd bedtime story certainly hasn't done dd any harm - she was a free reader from reception and adores books of all kinds. As someone else has said, it's the ethos in the family which is important. We enjoy sharing books with our dd, and I have always been a bookworm myself. It never occurred to me that dd would be anything other than a reader, whether she has a story each night or not!

So op, yanbu. Enjoy the books when you can, but don't worry when you can't.