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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think bedtime story is overrated?

52 replies

Laquitar · 08/12/2010 18:26

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?

OP posts:

magicmummy1 · 08/12/2010 19:27

laweasel, I read to dd from a very early age, and I remember that by the age of three months, she would get wildly excited at the prospect of a book. Her particular favourite was a book about some ducks - little arms and legs used to flap like mad at the sight of it! :)

snowflake69 · 08/12/2010 19:30

Me or her dad read stories most nights to our daughter most nights but not if she is too tired or I cant be bothered.

I work at a nursery that my daughter goes to though and probably read about 10 books a day there! Sometimes when I get in I cant face any more kids stories.

panettoinydog · 08/12/2010 19:37

I'm not sure what you mean by over-rated.

I suspect you mean that you don't enjoy reading - or feeling that you have to read - a story every night. And so if you are not enjoying it then it is an over-rated experience?

Jojocat · 08/12/2010 19:38

YABU - We both read to our children every night. It is a lovely way to end the day.

cat64 · 08/12/2010 19:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

notquitenormal · 08/12/2010 20:05

I don't read to DS(2.9) at bedtime.
He doesn't want me to.
As soon as he sees his PJs all he wants is to go to bed to sleep and woe betide anyone who tries to delay him (Go away now Mommy, it's sleeping time!)

I was a bit put out about it at first, but we read at other times. It's not a big deal.

Bingtata · 08/12/2010 20:14

YABU to say it is overrated, YANBU not to choose to do it yourself. We read lots at bedtime and other times, but we love books in our house. Whatever suits your family.

GrimmaTheNome · 08/12/2010 20:16

My DD would say YABU

She's 11 and I still read to her every night, like SleepingLion. Currently on the last of the Swallows&Amazons series, I'm really enjoying it because I've forgotten the plot.

If she's not in bed by 9:30 she'll get a poem instead of a story chapter.

But, if its not a beloved ritual in your house, do whatever suits you and your DC. If they are overtired they may well prefer some singing (mind you, I have only just stopped having to do that every night too!)

On the matter of reading to small babies - I didn't read to start with, I recounted fairy tales (e.g 3 little pigs with lots of huffing and puffing) - the oral storytelling tradition preceded the written one after all, it develops an ear for listening and you have both arms free for cuddling.

ArentFanny · 08/12/2010 20:21

Definitely not overrated.

We read to both DC's every night, they refuse to go to bed until we do.

lal123 · 08/12/2010 20:24

DD is 7 and every night she gets read to and then we have a wee chat - it's great. When she was little she had a story and then 2 songs, but she's realised my singing is crap! Looking forward to starting to read to DD2 - shes only 14months at the minute, so just gets put in her cot and goes to sleep herself .

Reminds me - when DD1 was 3 or 4 she used to insist we read to her in the toilet if she was having a poo - lovely

everlong · 08/12/2010 20:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JustKeepSparkling · 08/12/2010 20:53

I have now been reminded of reading to DS1 whilst he sat on the loo

we also have songs for loo too

LisaD1 · 08/12/2010 21:27

WE read to DD2 every night, she will not settle down with out it (she's 3), one reads story and one does dinner, works well for us.

DD1 (11) reads by herself for half an hour or so at bedtime.

I think it's nice for them to be interested in books and to have that time with us reading to them (used to read DD1 a story each night too bus she now prefers to read herself).

Can't remember my parents ever reading to me.

cakewench · 08/12/2010 21:35

I read to him every night, bar a few very rare occasions when I've got a paper to write.

Yes, it's sometimes boring (he's still little so the stories aren't too interesting) but he lights up at his favourite parts and that makes it worthwhile. Also, I just think it's a time I should enjoy, as soon enough he'll be old and not at all interested in having his mummy read him a story...

Meglet · 08/12/2010 21:39

yabu.

Bedtime story is one of the fews bits of parenting I'm good at and enjoy. I get all 'Jackanory' about it.

I started at 6 weeks .

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 08/12/2010 21:46

DH and I are both bookworms. I read to DS every night, except very very occasionally. Tonight he didn't get one because he went into a complete meltdown while we were getting his pjs on (he is 2.5) and went straight from hysterical to asleep.

We either sit in my bed, or I sit on the rocking chair in his room and he sits on my knee and cuddles my bump (am 25 weeks). It is lovely, cuddly, sleepy time and we both love it.
DH does the reading sometimes, although bathtime is him and story is me as a general rule.

We read at other times of the day as well, but he settles down and listens best at bedtime.

NonnoMum · 08/12/2010 21:58

I'm with OP.

My DDs share a room and have different bedtimes. The 5 year old has to slip into a darkened room and so we can't do a bedtime story.

My 2.6 yr old likes books during the day.

My 16m month will knock the book away from me if he is too tired.

I don't think they will grow up to be illiterate though.

Sisqinanamook · 08/12/2010 22:11

DS 4.2 would be devastated if we missed storytime even once, it's a lovely end to the day, admittedly by the time I can read the book without looking, I'm dreading bedtime and begging for a change

DD 17mo also loves storytime, she picks a book and plonks herself in my lap (can't be doing with leaning over the cot), once read she clutches it to her chest as she's popped into bed.

We never miss a night but I can't see it making much of a difference in the greater scheme of things!

mumblecrumble · 08/12/2010 22:35

Not overated but I do get annoyed when people seem SHOCKED that we never read stories in bed. We have our reasons - I am physically impaired and can;t hold a book in bed, and I;m so tired in the evenings. But pople are also shocked we don't bath her at bedtime either and do the whole 'bedtime routine.' thing

What annoys me most, and some above has eluded to this, is people thinking this means we don;t like books and reading... We ar book mad! And we read lots during the day.I also like that our DD (3 years) has her own bedside lamp and bookshelf next to her bed and she 'reads' to herself before switching her light off and snoozing.

Books are for life not just for bedtime!

Cleofartra · 08/12/2010 22:47

YABU

Getting into bed with my youngest and reading to him is my FAVOURITE part of the day. No matter how shit the day has been and how difficult ds has been (he's ASD and ADHD) we bond over a story at bedtime. I often lie there thinking - this is utter bliss.

Imarriedafrog · 08/12/2010 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Snorbs · 08/12/2010 23:01

My DCs get about 15-20min of book time each. It used to be every night since they were old enough to pay any amount of attention but now it tends to only be school nights as part of the bedtime routine. DD usually keeps a separate (from what she reads by herself) book for me to read to her but DS just likes me to read a chapter or two of whatever he's currently on. DD is 9 and DS is 12.

I know that it's not going to last forever but as long as they still want me to read to them I'm going to read to them. I think it's a lovely way to end the day.

systemsaddict · 08/12/2010 23:19

I don't think it's obligatory. My son had a bedtime story - stories - every night till he started school in September; but now he suddenly gets so tired he just wants to lie down in silent darkness with me sitting in his room, and finds even the noise of my voice really irritating. So we are not doing bedtime stories with him right now. And actually even before starting school it was often a difficult time, with the kids hyper rather than snuggly.

Lots of other books during the day, and he's doing really well with his reading, but no need to fetishise 'the bedtime story' IMHO.

Ladyofthehousespeaking · 08/12/2010 23:43

Yabu- one of my happiest memories of my dad is us two curling up to read the hobbit.

Lynli · 09/12/2010 00:16

Never ever read a bedtime story to DS.

When the two DDs were younger I would read to them every night, they would argue over who had the longest story, always want longer, wouldn't go to sleep without it even if we had been out later than normal. I vowed never again.

I read to DS at any other time of day.

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