How old is too old for a bedtime story?

[Yabbers]

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?

Our 15year old has only just stopped being read to, but we still read to 13yr old and 11yr old most nights.

The advise I would give is to make sure you are choosing appropriate books, don't go too young or they will associate it with being childish (and boring for you too). If you can read books they don't have the confidence to tackle on their own that builds vocab and sophisticated plots - we often talk about what we thought would happen next, or why a character would do that etc. With our eldest we were reading adult books (he loved Bill Bryson), classics (Sherlock Holmes, 3 men and a boat,).

As long as the reading material is engaging for you both, keep it up.

DC (13) and I still share some reading every night despite her being an avid reader. It's a bit of time we can settle and I can catch up with what she's up to. We'll keep going as long as she wants.

A Monster Calls broke me!!! Beautiful but sweet Jesus!

I can’t wait to start reading Harry Potter books or Ronald Dahl books or David Williams to my son. A chapter at a time at bedtime - I’ve probably romanticised it in my head but that’s what I want when he’s older.

I eventually asked my mother if I could read my own book in my room instead of having a bedtime story with my younger sibling. I might have been seven or eight, maybe? My mother has never really let me hear the last of it. So I'd say kids will probably decide for themselves when they're ready to drop the bedtime story, and please please don't make a big deal of how hurt and rejected you feel when they do.

I used to read the Harry Potter books to my brother. This went on until i left for uni when he was 13.

I'm in my 50s and I still listen to an audio book set to run for half an hour as I fall asleep. As does my dd (11). I would read to any family member who wanted it. Whatever age they were.

She'll let you know when she's had enough. It's a lovely thing to do and 9 is absolutely fine.

I think you take their lead. I'm still reading and mine is 12, she looks forward to it, me too. Happy to read until whenever.

I'll read to my daughters when they're 30 if they want me to.

How sad people think there's an age limit.

I'll stop when they want me to

At Christmas time about 10 years ago I was in Waterstones sitting on one of the sofas with a book.

Five kids from my Year 11 class came in, told me they were fed up of Christmas shopping and could I read them a story. “Errr no?” I said. They asked again and I relented. They found a story and all sat round me on the sofa and I read it. It was a sofa kind of round the corner from the main part of the shop. Anyway. They weren’t taking the piss and they sat there quite contentedly listening to the story and looking at the pictures as I read.

They would have been 15 or 16 and in a group (2 girls and 3 boys) from an ordinary mixed comp. It was odd but nice. They then went on their way. I’ll never forget that.

Never too old for a story.

Radio 4 has book at bedtime broadcast - so never too old!!! I often read a book to my Guides when I take them on holiday - settles and calms them all before bed.

My DDs were around 11 and 9 when they said they didn't want me to read to them any more. I miss it, it was a nice cuddly thing to do. It meant they were exposed to books they might not have fancied reading on their own or been able to read.

Our eldest is 11 and I'm reading Northern Lights to her at the moment. All our kids read lots and I think it's my job to read the more challenging books so I always choose the book, not DD (she can chose the books she reads herself).

While you both enjoy it, carry on!

It was the best part of the day for me, so I was sad when my children didn't want it anymore.

I read them books that they found difficult to read themselves. Once they felt that they could read anything, they asked me to stop.

I still like being read to by DH.

I love bedtime stories. We've always done it since he was too young to know what a story was. Went from picture books to chapter books when he was around 4 (my father's dragon, Enid Blyton etc.). Now he's 6 he's reread lots of the books we read to him a few years ago back to us. It's lovely we get to enjoy them twice and he'll read books to his younger siblings at bedtime too. The stories we read to him are usually too difficult for him to read himself (at the moment we're on a wrinkle in time) but he loves the story. It's such lovely family time.
I'll only stop when he refuses to listen to the stories anymore.

@gokartdillydilly Peter Pan! How on earth did you explain the fairy orgy comment to your kids?

Never too old. It is a great chance to share a book that is a little older than their reading ability, or a subject that you may want to discuss.

Forever if they want to! Reading aloud is not just for children! I love listening to audio books and dramas or stories on the radio. DS is 12 and still loves me reading to him. He also reads on his own. We're reading Watership Down at the moment. Not every night but a few times a week. Sometimes I read poems which he loves as we have some good anthologies. He enjoys a good rendition of The Highwayman or a funny Michael Rosen poem. No such thing as 'too old' *for stories.

I still read to my siblings whenever I spend a night with them. They love it. I have a chance to assess their understanding of what they are currently reading and if I feel like it I ask them to write a short review of the book.
Or a quick summary.

Never too old. I find people like your colleague so annoying. Sticking their beak in and making judgemental comments about something they really have no reason to be invested in. I remember reading somewhere that the actor Samuel West loved that his parents, Timothy West and Prunella Scales read to him at 15! He went off to study at Oxford so it didn't exactly damage him.

Stopped with my eldest at about 11 but only because I have younger ones that I was reading to. I do kind of miss reading with my eldest. I might suggest we start up again.

Timothy West and Prunella Scales read to him at 15

Oh that must have been a real treat!

never too old.what makes being read to too oldas a limiting thing.as long as the age increases so does her being able to do these things on her own then whats the problem.
if they mum came to me now and we still had the time and notion for all that id love her to read to me.
my uncle reads to my aunt every night from their favourite books because they like to enjoy it together.or listen in bed to audio books.
what a bunch of miseries.

Reading/being read to is one of life's simple pleasures. Why stop before you have to?

DH and I were very ill in short succession of each other a few years back and reading stories to each other was an amazingly soothing thing to do. We still do it now in times of upset. It's a different experience from reading by yourself, you go slower and can cuddle up.

Another one here who finds it sad that some people stop reading to their kids just because they have learnt to read themselves. My daughter went for a sleepover aged 6 and was appalled that there was no reading at bedtime.

Mine read on their own a lot but we still share a book as well sometimes. My eldest is 12 and definitely prefers me to read when she's feeling stressed/tired/under the weather.

Also as others have said it's a good opportunity to read books that are more advanced or grown up than the ones they choose. My 12 year old will still happily read Tom Gates, but we read stuff like Noughts and Crosses together. At the moment we are reading A Man called Ove, which is a grown up book but so lovely.