AIBU to refuse to read certain books to my DD?

[ElleDubloo]

DD (aged almost 3) wants me to read Frozen (the book of the film) multiple times every day, and also to sing the Frozen Fever book to the tune of Let It Go (it's horrendous). I've done this patiently for several weeks now. But I'm being driven crazy and starting to lose my self-respect. AIBU to just say no? Or am I being a bad parent, as parenting toddlers is largely about doing boring things to make DC happy...?

There are a few other really badly written books that she loves. AIBU to subtly get rid of them and repopulate the bookshelves with more wholesome classics?

DS reads by himself now (well he is 12) but when he was 2-ish we had Where's My Cow, which was lots of fun. The firstd 300 times.

But, those of you getting driven nuts by dire toddler reading, just wait till DC are at school and you have to confront the Oxford fucking Reading Tree with the totally incoherent and maddening adventures of Biff and Baff and Fucko and their magic keys.

Thomas the Miserable Moralistic Arse of a Tank Engine here. Carefully hidden down the back of the bookcase where it stayed for years, I just couldn't bear it any more.

The Disney books baffle me - many of the films are fantastic and very sophisticated, and increasingly quite feminist (well to an extent). Yet when they make books from them they are the worst, pedestrian, dull, sexist piffle, I hate them. I never buy them but we've ended up with a few. Thank god DD has now moved onto Roald Dahl.

Andrewofgg actually Green Eggs and Ham is one I don't mind reading over and over, even though it's long and repetitive. That and the Lorax and the Sneetches book. I salute Dr Seuss.

We do the, you choose one then I get to pick one. It helps a bit with the constant reading of the same book. I also go with "DD I'm tired of reading this book, please can we read something different?" Sometimes she agrees and some time she insists, if she insists I know it's very important to her. I think lying to your child about losing a book, especially their favorite one, is a bit cruel.

I liked Seuss too but enough is enough!

Did you know that he only used words which are spelt identically in British and American English?

I love Dr Suess, execially 'Too many Daves' but Fox in Sox is a bloody effort.

I also 'lost' all the miserable Thomas books..

Thomas bored the arse off me and DS.

I feel your pain OP. Some children's books are so awkwardly repetitive that they are almost impossible to read aloud - I just think "did anyone attempt to read this thing aloud before publishing it??"

Totally agree about Room On the Broom etc, so easy to read, just a joy really.

However I disagree with this "parenting toddlers is largely about doing boring things to make DC happy" - I mean I definitely agree that parenting can be boring. BUT I don't hesitate to say stuff like "I'm getting cold and uncomfortable, were going home now" or "I'm putting you down now, my arms are getting tired" or "no, I'm staying on my chair, if you want to play over here you're welcome". Stuff like that so that I don't feel I'm always putting myself out for my children, and they don't grow up pushing me around, if that makes sense?

I totally agree with ElleDubloo, Beatrix Potter stories are great! I bet your DD will love them! :)

Get the audiobook version! Saved me from years of dear old Thomas the Tank engine

Omg did Mog die in the end??

She did, livefornaps. She was very tired, you see.

You're lucky. DD2's current bedtime book of choice is Mummy Laid an Egg

You people complaining with your books, which are infact at least stories!

I have to read instructions to a game we don't even have! Over and over (ok so I refuse to read more than 2 pages at any 1 bedtime), and it makes no sense as, I repeat, we don't have the game! I did/do hide it and he hasnt asked for it for over a week so really I am hoping this is the beginning of the end

DM buys DD bloody Disney books every Christmas and birthday. Frozen, finding dory, trolls, Winnie he pooh....they are all really badly written and drive me potty. I want to lose them to the charity shop but I already did that with fucking Elmer the fucking patchwork elephant and DD still moans about it.

Now DD is learning to read I get her to read bedtime stories to me instead. Biff, Chip and Kipper is guaranteed to send me to sleep

Think yourselves luck! I've been a nanny for over 30 years and looked after cousins children before that. I love to read but I am so done with some of the children's favourites, most of them like the same books too.

Reading the famous five to my charge at the moment, loved loved loved them as a child and read them over and over. They are all the same, worry that the cousins won't get together over the holiday, yay, they can be together, uncle Quentin yells and aunt Fanny tells then to go off exploring, meet slightly dodgy characters early on, then discover a dastardly plot, foil the plot, get praised by everyone, the end! *

I have a 7 month old niece, bought all the same repetitive books of all my previous charges because I know how much they love them!!

*Of course there is lots of yummy food provided by Joanna and various kind farmers wives. Drinking water straight from the stream, Timmy always being on guard and/or hurt, George and Anne doing the cooking and cleaning (much to George's charagrin) and the boys doing mans work. Bored bored bored!

I'm another book hider.

lol @ mummy laid an egg.
That book makes me scared of space hoppers and clowns.

thomas the tank engine is the worst!

Seriously your only option is to replace with something less awful.

We have upgraded from Frozen to Moana and its been lovely.....

We also read swallows and amazons at the moment, but you have to swap the gender of most of the cast!

It always makes me smile a little when (in my version) the boys are doing all the washing up and cooking and fretting over getting their clothes too dirty. Oh and the youngest girl is super obsessed with getting her first real knife!

Oh my goodness yes!!! Lose them completely. Burn them!

Someone gave dd Hercules, the Disney version. That got lost pretty damn quick, and replaced by the myths and legends by Robert Graves, which at first I just told the stories of while turning pages, and then read to her properly.

I actually really dislike some books which are considered favourites/children's classics, e.g. We're Going on a Bear Hunt - what's the point in it?! Nothing happens in the story!

I don't mind the Very Hungry Caterpillar as it's a nice quick bedtime read but I am a bit fed up with my toddler saying "I'm STILL hungry!" after every meal, no matter how much he's eaten, I am convinced he's just copying the caterpillar

I haven't really made my mind up on the Julia Donaldson books yet.

Mine went through the Dr Seuss phase, all well until DD realised that Mummy making a total hash of one fish two fish every night was her favourite thing ever... it lasted for what felt like a lifetime of that one before green eggs and ham made a welcome return!

DD will relinquish a rubbish book if DH or I ask if we can take it work with us to read on the tube/on our break. As one of us is back after bedtime, this helps the sanity of the other!

Also designating some books as "daytime only books". DD loves Room on the Broom which I don't mind at all, but she has to act it out, with various cuddly toys playing the various parts. I am always the broom. This does not calm her down ready for sleep. Particularly now that's she's also got it in German (she doesn't speak much German) so I have to read, and translate as I go, while still being the broom.

@coloursthatweremyjoy Mog in the dark is the best Mog!

"But... this is a mouse dog bird house! With mousedogbird people. I can't eat mousesogbird food. THIS IS NOT MY HOUSE".

Much better than the one where she poos on Mr Thomas's chair!