Aaargh! Toddler won't let me read to her

[queenofthepirates]

Every time I try to read to my 19mo she rips the book away from me and closes it. I've tried reading from a distance whilst she's in the room but wondering if anyone has any nifty tricks to get her to calm it down and let me read to her?

Developmentally everything else is fine, babbling away and lots of words but I'm a bit worried.....

PS, tonnes of books around the house so she can pick them up any time she wants

[HolyAutumnGoldBatman]

Chillax

Pick your battles

She doesn't want to listen to a story at the moment, she'll discover books when she's ready.

[ClapTrap]

I agree with Batman, no need to worry. Don't make it an issue and she will come to books when she is ready.

Have you got some lift the flap or noise books that she can explore independently? We had a selection of these types of books alongside story ones. Our DD really loved these books and these booksaround the 18 months stage.

They are highly interactive, tactile and fun. Your DD can explore them independently or with you. Maybe you could open one when she is nearby, but don't read from it, just touch it, lift the flaps and say things like 'oh, that's funny or what a surprise, I didn't think I would find a frog there.' Pique her interest and she may come over and explore the book with you. Make it fun, informal and leave it for a few months if she really isn't ready yet.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Just chat to her lots and sing songs then. My dd was the same at certan points when she was a toddler, she now has a reading age well beyond her years. Your dd will not suffer if you are interacting with her. Just buy books that others have recommended that she can play with on her own.

[JackThePumpkinKing]

Normal. We didn't read much to DS until he was about 2 because he would chew the book, mash it to bits, etc.

Try some of the board books with flaps and look through then talking about them, rather than reading to her

[exoticfruits]

Don't push it. Wait until she is ready.

[Casmama]

She probably doesn't understand what you are reading so is getting bored. My ds was the same but now 3 he loves stories and has for ages.

[sh77]

Same here with ds who is 20 months. I am not worried at all as his vocab is coming along brilliantly. Buy picture books so that you can both relate ds's new vocab to the pics. Tk maxx does some fab and v cheap box sets. These are the only books he likes atm. I am sure my parents never read to me and i did ok. There seems a lot of pressure to read to babies.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

The pressure to read to babies is related to readiness for school. So only ,shortly important with in our own society, therefore parents who interact well with their children have no need to push stories to young babies who are just not ready. Interaction and responding to your children along with having a good priority of their needs and an emotional availability is far more important to children's development. I think the readiness for school in the u.k over the next few years will take a whole new focus that is more in line with other European countries, where exploration is key.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Really not shortly damn ipad.

[sausagesandwich34]

I used to sit on the sofa while DD was playing and then very animatedly read a book out loud to myself -obviously enjoying myself

curiosity soon got the better of her

but I didn't even attempt stories before 2, we looked at counting books, vocab books etc

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

A great tactic to get her interested in what you where doing, prompting interaction. Interaction can be archived in other ways, like being down on the floor showing an interest in what she was doing. Either way interaction is archived and that is the important aspect.

[queenofthepirates]

Thanks for the positive messages everyone-we have so many books in the house she's got no shortage of stuff to pick up. I guess I'll let her take her time and come to me.

[crackcrackcrak]

Make up a story and tell it to her?

What about the books with buttons to press for sounds?

Maybe she is struggling to focus and she's just not ready.