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AIBU?

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Original poster

How old is too old for a bedtime story?

171 replies

Yabbers · 15/02/2019 21:05

We had a discussion at work about bedtime stories. My colleagues who have children the same age as mine say they stopped bedtime stories a few years ago. DD is 9 and loves me reading to her before bed (and I love it too) Occasionally if bedtime is late we don’t do one, but she really hates not getting one.

My colleagues say she is too old, but in my view if it’s something we both enjoy I’ll do it as long as she asks.

How old were yours when you stopped, is anyone still reading to older children at bedtime?

OP posts:
parrotonmyshoulder · 15/02/2019 21:30

My best friend used to read aloud to herself and boyfriend until they had children! He had never liked reading and really enjoyed hearing books he’d never have tried himself.

My 9yo DD cannot (will not attempt to!) sleep without a chapter or so. She reads well herself and is always with a book, but needs the togetherness of being read to. I’m enjoying re-reading childhood favourites and discovering new books too.

SovietKitsch · 15/02/2019 21:31

I was still reading to one of mine occasionally at 13 - he has dyslexia and it was one way to access books he could never have read to himself. I’m totally baffled that anyone else thinks it’s their business to say it’s too old at any age!

ivykaty44 · 15/02/2019 21:31

I get audio books on line from the library and listen

user1494050295 · 15/02/2019 21:32

My partner was reading to our daughter aged 9 and I was listening too. Really lovely.

anniehm · 15/02/2019 21:34

Dh was still reading to mine once they were onto teen fiction - he bought the hunger games back from a business trip long before anyone had heard of it ! They must have been 12/13 when it dropped off but even then he read the occasional book eg hg Wells was a favourite

anniehm · 15/02/2019 21:35

Ps I'm listening to a story now - but read by Stephen Fry!

DownToTheSeaAgain · 15/02/2019 21:36

Never.

My mum who is 84 sometimes reads to my DC and me

TeaMeBasil · 15/02/2019 21:37

You're never too old.

I'm 41 and thoroughly enjoy audiobooks lulling me off to sleep, what's that if it's not literally someone reading you a bedtime story?

Ps, Stephen fry is the best at it, what a voice Smile

TeaMeBasil · 15/02/2019 21:37

Anniehm - ditto Smile

Herja · 15/02/2019 21:38

Never too old. My grandad regularly read me bed time stories until I was about 13. He stopped because I was going to bed later than him. He still read them to me occasionally until I left home. My late boyfriend read me bedtime stories, or made them up for me every night; if I wasn't with him, he read to me via video call as I fell asleep. 9 is definitely not too old!

blackteasplease · 15/02/2019 21:39

I'd love someone to read to me too! At 40..
.

Beeziekn33ze · 15/02/2019 21:40

Yabbers. Ignore your colleagues, their children may be missing out something that they would still enjoy. There are some lovely positive reactions on here. Just go on enjoying sharing books with your DD, an enjoyable time together before she goes to sleep. GD was still enjoying the Hetty Feather series at 13 in spite of her cousin telling her she was a baby to be read to. Her cousin may have been envious as she had never been read to much.
SiL loved reading Dr Seuss books to his baby son and did all the right voices. One evening the story included a shout which had sleepy son jump out of his skin and howl the house down. After that it was only read earlier in the day!
All of us who drift off to sleep after an audiobook are still enjoying being read to.

Pinkbells · 15/02/2019 21:40

We still read to our two (11 and 8) every night. Nowadays they are longer books like Skulduggery Pleasant for the 11 year old or Roald Dahl or David Walliams books for the 8 year old. They read to themselves as well, so bedtime does take a while but I love that they enjoy books so much.

fedupntired · 15/02/2019 21:43

I'm 45 and I listen to a bedtime story every night on audible ....

fedupntired · 15/02/2019 21:45

I'm 45 and I listen to a bedtime story every night on audible ....

RichPetunia · 15/02/2019 21:46

Never too old Smile

SchadenfreudePersonified · 15/02/2019 21:47

I'm 65- I still like an audiobook, or the radio drama stories before I go to sleep.

It's just lively.

As demented has said - they'll tell you when they are ready to stop having stories.

In the mean time - both of you enjoy it!

Haffdonga · 15/02/2019 21:48

We stopped when the dcs could read fluently themselves faster than I could read aloud too them and wanted to get onto the next chapter.
Thanks JK Rowling.

BertrandRussell · 15/02/2019 21:48

When they want you to stop.

DramaAlpaca · 15/02/2019 21:48

I think I read bedtime stories to my three until they were at least 11. It was a lovely part of our day & it was a bit sad when they stopped wanting stories. Eldest DS, who's 25, still talks about the books we used to read together.

Haffdonga · 15/02/2019 21:48

to them fgs

arethereanyleftatall · 15/02/2019 21:50

Cuddling and reading is nice, but I don't do it every night any more (dds 8. & 10). I mix it up, firstly because I like time to myself as well, but also I think it's important that they read to themselves as well, for their spelling.

BertrandRussell · 15/02/2019 21:50

And even after we stopped having regular bed time stories, we still read aloud when we were camping. DP is an excellent reader aloud- we all enjoyed it. We’re camping at Easter and the dcs will be 22 and 18-I suspect he will be called upon.......

masktaster · 15/02/2019 21:51

My best school friend and her dad used to read together at bedtime right up until she went away to university. I don't know if they still do when she visits home, I've never asked.

BertrandRussell · 15/02/2019 21:51

“I think it's important that they read to themselves as well, for their spelling“

That’s really sad!

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