To be sad about my toddler's complete lack of interest in books?

[WaitingForSunday17]

Dd is just 2 and won't even sit for two pages of a book. When ds was her age one of his favourite things were books, he'd sit with them himself for quite a while.
Dd just has no interest at all. I've tried all different sorts of books, the only vague interest she's had have been in photo ones with just different pictures of things to find as she can 'read' those herself. If I get a story book and try and read it to her she says 'no, I read it' and takes it off me. Then turns a couple of pages and dumps the book and goes off in search of something else to do.
Books with moving parts or lift up pieces not a hit. Pop up books or books with sounds not a hit. Normal books with very short stories not a hit. Books with plenty of rhyme and repetition not a hit. I've tried getting a book out in the evening before bed and trying to use it as calming down time but she just isn't interested.
Basically she hates books and it makes me sad.

She's only two. She doesn't hate books, she's just not interested in them yet.

My DD was the same at 2, she preferred to rip the pages out to reading them! Now at 3 she would happily sit for hours reading stories.

Hates books? She’s just two. Calm down.
My two year old was like this and now at 5 he’s a great reader. There are so many interesting things for a two year old. Focus on what she does enjoy.

How old is your son? Read aloud to him and she may start to take an interest if she's not specifically included but may wander over if it seems interesting. If your son is too old, read picture books aloud to yourself expressively and she may come over. But take the pressure off her- don't force books on to her.

Ah don’t worry OP, she’s so little. My DD once told me she hated reading I was very sad as I love books, but now she’s 10 and has to be stopped from reading under the covers with a torch!

Would your ds read to her?

I really wouldnt worry. Go with her strengths. Can she calm herself with movement, maybe music?

My DD likes books but at nearly she is not interested in them before bed as she is too manic. If she likes the ones with photos then get a few more of them.

Does she know that you read books? Does she see them around and do you talk about books that you are reading?

Does she have a current interest? My DD currently likes robots so we are going to the library to look for robot books.

Please don’t worry. My Ds showed zero interest in books until he was nearly 3. Then suddenly he wanted me to read to him all the time - and now he’s 7 and we’re working our way through Potter together, and he loves it. Just leave lots of books around, encourage her to look and let her see you reading to your older one, and when she’s ready she’ll want to listen.

my daughter was like this. At four she still usually asks to perform a show instead of a bedtime story. I have been so used to bonding with DS over stories that it is a shock to have a child who is less interested. What she does love is music though. She won’t sit for TV or a book but she will sit transfixed through a long classical music concert. Similarly she has learnt vast numbers of songs and choreography.
The key I think is to find their thing, what captivates them. Even if it means having a “ballet lesson” from a a 4 year old when you would rather just read them a story

(We do read stories sometimes now, and this morning her brother read to her for an hour while I slept, but we just don’t sit and go through piles do books like I used to with her brother)

What she likes to do is look at all her shopkins and identify them on the leaflet that comes with them. She will do that for quite a while!

Ds2 was like this after ds1 was a bookworm. I can't even count on one hand at the age of 14, five books he's read!
Since year 6, he has constantly been 'achieving well above average in English' and is on the 'talented and more able register' for English in school. So don't worry it really means nothing!

waiting I went through a painful few weeks when my son just wanted to read the Pokemon encyclopaedia

How about seeing if there are any books about shopkins?

Argh shopkins books!! I'd have to tell her the name of each one.
Ds used to like the Star Wars encyclopaedia and my heart used to sink when he appeared with it for his 'bedtime story'.

He is 8 now but still likes being read to. It is a good idea to read to him and see if she comes and listens. She does essentially want you BE him so that could work.

I've found it! The perfect book.

Seek and find shopkins.

Can you write a book about her? Take photos to illustrate it. Ask her what might happen next at various points in the story so that it has her input?

Modes of transport is DSs thing...our version of a bed time story is him telling me ‘boat’ ‘train’ ‘bus’ ‘ice cream van’ out of his 1000 things that go book.

I think those first 100 transport/food/animal picture books are great for this age so they can ‘read’ to you.

(I also like reading my DS his book of nativity story because every time he sees St Joseph he shouts out my DBros name, it really cracks me up for some reason)

My DS was like this and in complete contrast to my DD who adores books and always has done. We have books all over the house and he really wasn't interested. He started school in September when he was just 4 and now adores reading and loves sharing books with his sister, who kindly helps him with his homework.

It just took him a little longer. You may find books are not their thing at all and that's ok, there are plenty of other ways to gain information.