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Original poster

What age did you stop reading aloud at night to your dc?

74 replies

Southerngal5 · 07/02/2022 21:18

My dc are 10 & 8 & I still read aloud to them for around 30 mins a night, they get an hour of reading time then before lights out. Just wondering what age people generally stop?

OP posts:
KittensTeaAndCake · 07/02/2022 22:29

@Minniem2020

Around 10 for DD. I used to love it, the end of the day all snuggled up with no distractions. I was hoping to do the same with DS(3) but every time I start reading he turns the pages over and says "the end"Grin
Oh that is funny, bless him 😆
HamCob · 07/02/2022 22:35

DS10 likes to snuggle up to DH and listen to a bit of an audio book before bed. They've been through the Harry Potter books and have just started the Hobbit.
The audio books work better as DH isn't the best reader of stories (he doesn't do the voices etc!)

deeplyrooted · 07/02/2022 22:37

I really miss it. Ds could read much faster by the age of 8 and was too impatient to sit and listen anymore. Dd took a long time to read independently and went through a tricky phase where she would lose the motivation to read for herself if I read to her, so I eased back. She was ten.

I hadn’t anticipated ever stopping Sad

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merryhouse · 07/02/2022 22:38

I don't remember.

We never actually read "a bedtime story" - we'd read to them in the evenings (and the afternoons, and the mornings...) and then it would be bedtime.

S1 was a fluent reader quite early (read LoTR at 8, read the Quirinius Governor of Syria lesson in church at the same age) and didn't seem to require being read to once he could do it himself. S2 was a bit later. Probably stopped between 5 and 7? Certainly no older.

They're both at A Top University now: S2 has a reading-heavy course and mentioned that he might not want to read to relax just now, S1 is STEM and still likes to read hefty fantasy tomes.

I don't remember my parents ever reading to me. I'm the 4th of 6 and picked up the skill quite early (my sister read Heidi to me and I was reading along by the time they got to Frankfurt). I suppose it's possible they might have done it earlier, but we didn't have any Baby Books in the early 70s.

Clarabellawilliamson · 07/02/2022 22:41

Mine are still little, so they still get read to every night. You know when they get older and you do it occasionally, and they usually read to themselves- do you just read a random chapter of the book they are reading? Or do you read something different? How does it work for you?!

Thesearmsofmine · 07/02/2022 22:47

@Clarabellawilliamson

Mine are still little, so they still get read to every night. You know when they get older and you do it occasionally, and they usually read to themselves- do you just read a random chapter of the book they are reading? Or do you read something different? How does it work for you?!
I read a separate book to my dc. We have a book that we read together and all 3 of them read to themselves in bed too.
Smileatthesmallthings · 07/02/2022 22:49

I have very fond memories of my mum reading to me while I was a teen - maybe up to about 13. I was an avid reader from really young but still loved being read to. She used to read the books she'd want me to read but I wouldn't be inclined to pick up on my own, and she had a knack of stopping at the cliffhangers.

MintJulia · 07/02/2022 22:51

About 7. By then he read himself to sleep. All I had to do was nip in, move the book and turn off his light

I still do Smile

OhNoWhatYouGonnaDo · 07/02/2022 23:09

Really interesting thread. I was an early reader and my mum stopped reading to me fairly early because I preferred reading alone. I enjoyed having space and privacy to think about what I was reading - I wouldn't have enjoyed being read to when I was more than about 8!

My children are still preschoolers; I find they engage much better if I read to them earlier in the day, so we don't do a bedtime story. I read them at least one story most days, but usually at lunchtime or in the afternoon. Perhaps as they're getting older I should try to shift it later.

massiveblob · 07/02/2022 23:30

About age 8.

massiveblob · 07/02/2022 23:31

@RoseMartha

About 7 because they could not care less if I read to them or not and would get up and wander off until i was reading it to myself. So I gave up on it.
Not just me then 😂 they'd rather just read themselves
Strokethefurrywall · 08/02/2022 00:21

Never with DS1 (10), occasionally with 7 year old. DS1 has no interest in stories and would rather read Guinness book of records, dS2 loves books but generally reads his school books when he gets home.

I found reading to them a chore which is ironic seeing as I’m an avid reader. But I was free reading at 5 and I hated being read to, I needed to see the words to make the pictures in my head.

Howmanysleepsnow · 08/02/2022 02:50

6 for my now 9yo, when he started to prefer discussing life, the universe and everything at bedtime to being read to. We swapped to a chat lying on his bed and then him reading a few chapters to himself.
7 with my 8yo because he decided he didn’t need it. He’ll sometimes read to himself, sometimes not.

Stompythedinosaur · 08/02/2022 08:33

@Clarabellawilliamson

Mine are still little, so they still get read to every night. You know when they get older and you do it occasionally, and they usually read to themselves- do you just read a random chapter of the book they are reading? Or do you read something different? How does it work for you?!
We have a "reading together" book that is seperste from the book they are reading to themselves.

In fact - there is a "reading with mam" and a "reading with dad" book. I'd be gutted to miss what is going on it my book!

Seeline · 08/02/2022 09:38

@Clarabellawilliamson

Mine are still little, so they still get read to every night. You know when they get older and you do it occasionally, and they usually read to themselves- do you just read a random chapter of the book they are reading? Or do you read something different? How does it work for you?!
Both mine were good readers - DD in particular was reading fluently at 5, but both still loved being read to. We just used to read a bit out of whichever book they were reading and then they would carry on reading to themselves for about 20 mins before lights out.

I eventually had to read the HP books myself after having read bits of them to 2 kids - I really needed to fill in the gaps!

I actually ended up doing the same technique for their GSCE texts, just to move them along a bit. Hard Times with DD was definitely 'hard times' - Dickens with a Northern dialect....

Blanketpolicy · 08/02/2022 09:39

I can't remember the age I stopped reading to ds(17), but let him read independently once he was actively engaged in books himself. There was no way I was going to read the whole series of Harry Potter out loud!

I loved reading to him and him reading to me, but ime with ds once he was started there was a time I needed to step back and let him freely discover books and his own imagination.

SartresSoul · 08/02/2022 09:47

When they were 8, 9 and 10, it was a couple of years ago. They all started reading to themselves in bed at that age although I did go through a spell of reading to them again at bedtime during the lockdown last year. 10 year old DS was reading treasure island at the time which is… tough to read Grin.

KarenTheGammonRemoaner · 08/02/2022 09:48

My ex boyfriend read Animal Farm to me once. One of my fondest memories. I was 19. I don't think being read to is ever redundant therefore I say do it as long as you can, until the day you die. Until they no longer want you to.

EllaPaella · 08/02/2022 09:56

I read every night to my 7 year old. Occasionally still read to 10 year old if he asks or he comes in and listens to his brothers story ( doing the Harry Potter's at the moment).
My older two boys both started to prefer reading to themselves around 9 and always had/have an hour reading before lights off.
All of them love audiobooks as well.

BogRollBOGOF · 08/02/2022 10:54

Still going at 8 & 11. The 11 yo dips in while I read to the 8yo, I did read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to him last year.

They are dyslexic and find reading tiring, so me reading is not only companionship but an access to books they would struggle with the stamina to read themselves.
I've got multiple copies of some Roald Dahls, so we're currently reading them together a book each and take turns. It's actually often the reverse of a stealth boast as the more advanced readers are less likely to be read to for longer than those who find reading more challenging.

I've a hazy memory of being read to when very young but was an independent, keen reader. There was less emphisis on reading beyond a child having basic literacy. I wasn't read to after starting school as I could already read chapter books.

rainrainraincamedowndowndown · 08/02/2022 11:07

Never really did at all. Maybe 2/3. Not interested in listening much, rather wanted to read himself.

It's weird, I don't remember my parents reading to me either. My parents were/are reading all the time. I love books and read all the time too, same for my dc.

larkstar · 08/02/2022 11:12

I read to my girls for the fun of sharing something together until they were 13 - then they just wanted to read more after I'd read and would take the book to bed and read more and then I'd not know what was going on in the story so - it faded out at that point. I still like to read to my wife in bed though! It's Bob Mortimer's biography ATM.

Clarabellawilliamson · 08/02/2022 17:44

Thanks for people that replied to me about how they do it with older children. I like the idea of having a copy of a book each!

ByMyName · 08/02/2022 17:49

I would hate for this to stop!!! I think it’s the DCs favourite time of their day. Dunno? When they move out? Grin

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