To thank the guy whose gf thought he shouldn't be reading to his DS(12)

[WhitePhantom]

Following a thread a while back where a guy's gf was annoyed about him reading to his DS, aged 12, I got thinking about how much I used to enjoy reading to the kids.

So I suggested to DD(13) that I read Lord of the Rings to her. I've read the book before, but I read far too fast to take it in properly, and we have watched the films together, but she has never read the book.

So now when she goes to bed I lie on the bed with her and read a few pages to her every night. We're both loving it, and it'll probably take us a year or more to get through it.

I can't remember the name of the poster who got me started on this, but just want to say thanks to him! (and his gf )

This is such a lovely thread, thank you OP!

But might I enquire - WTF with the g/f of the other eading-thread poster?
What was meant to be 'wrong' about him reading to his DS?

reading-thread poster!!

@messolini9 apparently he was 'too old' to be read to... the general thinking on that thread was that she was jealous of that special time they spent together.

I bought Terry Pratchett's Johnny books to get DS1 (12) started on TP. But he couldn't get into it so I started reading the first one with him instead. However, he's just started high school (Australia, so school year starts end of January) and he's a bit meh about reading anything "for fun" at the moment - I'll wait til he's settled down a bit and we'll start it up again.

He took ages to get through the first Harry Potter book as well - but then something "clicked" for him and he finally finished it and powered through the next 2 books very quickly - he's on the Goblet of Fire now but that's also on pause in this transition phase.

I have a lovely memory of my son being off school when he was fifteen and he lay on the couch with his head on my lap and I read Harry Potter to him and rubbed his back. Every time I thought he was sleeping and I'd stop, but he'd say, "Oy," and I'd start up again

Ds is 16 and his dad still reads to him every night, ds 'forgets' to read otherwise, and it's been great for introducing him to books that he'd probably not read himself, and means they can discuss themes as they go. They're currently reading Catch 22.

SchadenfreudePersonified
You are never too old to be read to!

Hear hear! My DH reads to me every night we are both home and go to bed early enough; we choose a book by an author we like, or that one of us read and remembers liking long enough ago to have forgotten the details, and he tries to do a chapter a night. (At the moment it's one of Mary Stewart's later books, Stormy Petrel, which I read when it came out but haven't seen since and don't remember in any detail, and we're both enjoying it a lot.) It doesn't want to be an Important book, but anything light-reading type is a good way to relax after the day is over.

Gordon Bennett @WhitePhantom!

Bet the g/f got her arse handed to her by proxy for that here.
Thanks for satisfying my nosiness :)

Partner and I read to each other. Ages 42 and 55. Who sets the age limit??

When I was ill in hospital my mum read some Shakespeare sonnets to me. (Age 15)

Bless her I don’t think she had a clue what she was saying but she knew I loved them and it was the only book I had in my bag.

I read to my DS and he's almost 12. We're on Philip Pullman at the minute. I do it as the kids are bilingual and we live abroad and their only English is through me. DS in particular understands spoken English but struggles to speak much of it, his other langauge dominates as he's surrounded by it, so the reading is to help boost his English a bit. I don't know if he understands what I'm reading but he's hearing the word cadences and hopefully it'll help in the future.

He reads on his own too, but in his other (stronger) language. He's really enjoying the witches in translation no so might try some Roadl Dahl (we've done Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

This thread has reminded me of a lovely book I read a few years ago - The Reading Promise: 3,218 nights of reading with my father by Alice Ozma. It's a memoir centred around Alice's father reading to her every night from when she was 9 through to her going away to university. I thoroughly recommend it!

PSA for Audible and audiobook fans - you can borrow audiobooks through your library, with the BorrowBox app (look for it on app store, it's a green box symbol). Free and supports your library - double win!

I still read to my DCs too. They are 9 and 11. My favourite books to read out loud are the William books by Richmal Crompton. I used to read them as a child and they are hilarious. The vocabulary is challenging so I thought it best I read them and explained the words, but they can now read themselves and love all the stories, but they still love me reading to them too.
Currently reading Amber Spyglass with DS11 and just finished The Secret Garden with DD9. She didn't enjoy the Secret Garden (neither did I...very tedious) but we preserved as we thought the story would improve but it never did!

Aw, some lovely stories here!

Yes, @messolini9 she really did - people were suitably outraged!

DH doesn't read books at all so no chance of him every reading to me - should I ltb??

Awww this has reminded me of lovely memories of my late dad reading the hobbit to me when I was about 9. DS is only 3 so we read books that he enjoys at the minute but I plan to read the books that are maybe one step beyond his reading ability as he gets older, but that he would enjoy.

@NoSquirrels thanks for the hint, that's great!!

each night when my preteen and I read together my teenager snuggles up to listen as well.
I absolutely love it.

I read to my 11yo ds while the power was out on Sunday. Curled up in a heap in front of the fire.

Then he taught me how to play a game on his VR headset- before the batteries failed

I still remember my dad reading Lord of the Rings with me when I was 9 or so. My mum was away in the week at uni, and I don't think he knew what to do with me every evening, so we took it in turns to read bits out loud. It lasted the best part of a year.

DH doesn't read books at all so no chance of him every reading to me - should I ltb??

What ... WEIRDO did you manage to fetch up with here Phantom?

Yes, you should deffo LTB.

Oh no - hold on - Audible.
Cheat on the illiterate sod with Audible. That'll fix him.
Hope he gets jealous AF. Choose one with a REALLY sexy voice, obvs.
Who know, DH may even get hooked into a storyline & get The Bug

Love this! I’m currently reading the 5th Harry Potter to / with ds(13). We hold a copy each, I read most of the text, but he voices the characters.. He’s an amazing mimic, so I can just picture them speaking.

Reading aloud and being read to is wonderful - my husband and I sometimes get in bed and read to each other, it’s lovely!!! He read me the Hobbit over the course of a couple of months, and we do read with the children too of course!

There's something rather satisfying about reading to older children. Younger children .. it can get a bit tedious (esp when they want the same book again and again) but when they got older and the books get more complex it's marvellous.

I'm reading Chamber of Secrets to 8yo DD at the moment. I reckon I'll be reading to get for a long time, her comprehension level is way above her reading level.

I also started reading to DS (11) again recently after a gap as he liked reading himself. He finds it relaxing and he's usually asleep after a chapter or two.

Great bonding experience and as PP's have said, the books are much more exciting now!