To think 11 years old is too old for a bedtime story?

[Faerie87]

I have a feeling that DC is trying to stay up late and wants a story read to them in bed!

OH thinks there should be no age limit, I believe it’s too old and should stop at around 7yo?

I just want to know what other people think.

I'm a teacher, and frequently read to my sixthformers

and I am an adult, and still enjoy audio books myself

A story is better than the simpsons 🤦🏼‍♀️

Obviously she is NOT too old for a cuddle and a bedtime story. It's a comforting thing for her to do at bedtime.

Well done to your DH and shame on you!

I read to dh too and when i was a teenager i used to read to my mum - bless her, always stories i chose, she was very good about it! I love reading aloud. If money and time and location and life in general was no object, my preferred career would've been a bard

There's an age limit on story?

No age limit!

Pick something involved and fabulous and work through it gradually together, night by night. Why wouldnt you?

My Ds s 11 last summer we read a whole series of books . Reading a chapter each . It’s the one thing I remember from last summer

Agree she’s trying it on, but with a good tactic!

I love bedtime stories. My DH even reads to me on occasion and I read to him too.

Ds is 12 and we’re reading a book together at bedtimes. He reads a few paras out loud and then I do. I like doing it with him. He won’t want to do it very soon

I still read to my almost 13 year old. Not every night and only if he's ready for bed in good time - or he'll try to use it as a delaying tactic. He loves reading but reading together gives us the chance to read more challenging books he wouldn't choose to read on his own and it means he's still learning new vocabulary. Sometimes he'll read a few pages to me. I love it. It's the only time I get to snuggle up with my almost teenager. I'm making the most of it while it lasts!

Definitely no age limit - reading and enjoying stories is something I’d hope to encourage.

Presume DH takes his turn to read too.

One of my great pleasures was a bedtime story, my half siblings are 12 and 14 years younger than me, I was still having my own bed time story until the youngest was born, but even coming home from uni, I'd quite often get my 6 year old brother come find and say mums about to start the the story do you want to join us, and we'd read a chapter of Harry Potter or whatever together, it was 20 minutes of time together.

I used to stay with a family for school holidays etc, and at Christmas, we'd read a chapter of the Christmas carol a night all of us, the parents, the teenage kids and me (at the time under 10) again it was just a peaceful time before bed, the telly was off.

Sharing stories is nice.

I stopped having bedtime stories when I preferred to read to myself. It must have been 5/6 but I remember us all reading as a family when my younger siblings were able to take a turn reading a chapter of a fairly grownup book, and I would have been in secondary school by then. A chapter a day in turns is quite a nice way to read a book, I think.

This isn't actually about bedtime stories, it's about being a soft touch over negotiating staying up later.

Sounds as though until your 11 year old and your DH both grow up a bit bedtime needs to be a fixed time without negotiation.

I initially came on to say I still read to all my kids together - age 13 down to 7. There are things they wouldn't read themselves which I read to them, especially older "classics" but also modern things that catch my eye. We're a bilingual family and I read to them to keep their passive English vocabulary growing because they go to school in another language.

Nope, they're only too old when they don't want one any more.

YABmassivelyU! Why would you do anything to discourage a love of reading and literature in your children?

My son was ill when he was 15 and he lay on the sofa next to me and I rubbed his back and read the first Harry Potter to him for hours. It was such a comfort read and for both of us the back rubbing and the reading aloud made us think of his childhood and it's one of the loveliest memories.

Please indulge them, my mum decided I was too old at 11 and just stopped, I remember crying myself to sleep that night I genuinely thought my mum didn't love me anymore. Looking back now I still feel sad about it.

BTW, dh used to read to me in bed when I was pregnant,

I'm currently pregnant and we are half way through the Paddington omnibus!

YAB massively U! I still read to my 7 year old and hope to for many years to come (she does read to herself too).

I have a feeling they’re trying to stay up late = they want to spend time with you.

I like being read to and I’m 40 My Dad and I often relax with a glass of sherry and take turns reading short stories or poems out loud. It’s something I’d like to continue with my own DC regardless of age.

Yes they want to spend time with you. Soon they won't. Read them the book.

Didimus or with The Simpsons.

Probably more that she wants to stay up late watching pre teen TV, at which moment spending time with the parents holds no appeal and also want to spend time with parent having a story.

The problem is that upon being offered either/ or OP 's child is choosing TV, but then trying to renegotiate after having had the extra TV time and have the story too

It's a bit "I love you soooooooo much - buy me a pony!"

The negotiations need to stop if the DH can't be consistent, otherwise all that's actually happened is half an hour of TV before the story is being snuck in under cover of being instead of a story when story happens anyway.

Don't offer either / or and just say no to extra TV time, or just move bedtime back an hour and do TV then story.

Cut out the renegotiation/ bargaining / emotional blackmail section happening every night