When did you start reading to your children?

[MooseBreath]

Just that, really. At what age did you start reading to your children either during the day or for a bedtime story?

DH and I are both avid readers and I want to get into the habit of reading every night before bed, but is there any point with a baby? FTM here, due in less than 2 weeks!

From a couple of weeks old, but I was preparing my thesis for printing so I read him that 😂 DC2 from day 1 as I was holding her whilst reading to DC1.

A week or even earlier with younger ones. They were held whilst we had book hour for all of us.

Almost from birth (about 2 days' old or something I think).

When they were born

Really early too like many here, but from my very (un)scientific study -with a sample size of 3- I don't know if it made them interested in reading. I now have one avid reader and 2 who never read unless it's for work. I do know it fostered closeness and we enjoyed it at the time so I don't regret a second of it.

About 2 days old!!!! I used to read him articles from the financial times!!!! 😂

As soon as I came out of the haze of those first 5 days or so.

From the day she came home from hospital (about a week old). I didn't really know what else to do with her! MIL had given us so many books pre birth, so had lots to read. DH just used to read to her what he was reading (Monty Don’s book ‘Nigel’ if I remember rightly!).

She’s 3 now and still loves books. Would happily sit and let me read 30 books in a row!

I have read to my DS from day 1 onwards. It's an excellent habit to get into, for both parents and children, and a great way to spend time together without any pressure. Infants may not understand the story, but they like being close to you and hearing your voice.

Day 5, in NICU. I was pretty much alone next to his incubator day in, day out. Dp deferred his paternity leave until ds came home. I had literally nothing to do so took a taxi to the hospital every morning and read adult books from my kindle to him. The nurses probably thought I was nuts. He's shown no interest in Chick Lit though so no harm done

Pretty much immediately. Eldest was in NICU so we used to read him Wind in the Willows and Beatrix Potter through the little porthole in the incubator. Chapter books are good for newborns because they don't care what you're saying, they just want to hear your voice. Picture books from when they start to be more 'awake' between sleeps and feeds.

The day after she was born. 9 weeks prematurely in the NICU. It was an important way for us to bond.

I started with Enid Blyton when I was about 7 months pregnant.
Also attempted classical music as it's supposed to raise their IQ. (Coincidentally she is extremely musical and talented - doubtful due to Amadeus while in the womb however).

When dd was actually born haha, things fell to shit, and I genuinely can not recall the first time reading to her. She loved books though.

3 months or so, touch and feel books at first, story books from 6 months

A few weeks old, the "That's not my" sensory books. Although he also did listen to a lot of murder mystery on Audible throughout my pregnancy

DS (15mo) now chooses books above any other toy, he loves them.

When they were tiny babies
Often read to them whilst I was feeding and then it got set fairly quickly into the bedtime routine. We don't do a nightly bath so it's our every night thing to slow the day down.
Bought things that were nice to read aloud for me not baby baby books - so hairy McCalary & Julia Donaldson or my childhood favourites
And then expanded as they got older
Both adore books and we have a lovely collection so we don't have to repeat to often (although sometimes there is still an obsession for the same book)