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Original poster

What age did you stop bedtime stories?

138 replies

AmIreallyBeverly · 07/02/2023 12:58

We've always read a bedtime story. My daughter will be 13 this year and I still read her a chapter or two of a book before bed. It's very much led by her and she's started occassionally saying she doesn't want me to read. That's fine but I'll miss it when she no longer wants it at all. I won't necessarily miss the books though - she likes some nonsense!

What age did you stop?

OP posts:
Meceme · 08/02/2023 16:26

Return2thebasic · 08/02/2023 15:14

To ask everyone who's able to keep it going well into teen years: what if your DC want to jump ahead of the story that you are reading at 15 minutes/day rate? Would you let them read the book ahead and then carry on reading from where you left behind the night before? Or you start from where they stopped reading themselves?

I thought that was the biggest hurdle back then when we decided call it off, as DS didn't want to be read to in a slower pace than he could do himself.

We tended to have one 'together book' that I read aloud a chapter a night ( because we all wanted to follow the story) and my daughter read other books independently over the same period.

We were also fans of audio books on road trips. Wolf Brother while driving around the Highlands of Scotland was a particular favourite.

TotallyScouting · 08/02/2023 16:31

Haven’t read the full thread, so this may have already been suggested but I started buying my own teens books slightly older books that I had already read (Matt Haig’s adult ones proved a popular choice for my older boys) so that although we no longer read together we could discuss them at dinner and on car journeys, so that now they are mid teens we’re more like a book club now 😊

MrsBartlet · 08/02/2023 17:27

Return2thebasic · 08/02/2023 15:14

To ask everyone who's able to keep it going well into teen years: what if your DC want to jump ahead of the story that you are reading at 15 minutes/day rate? Would you let them read the book ahead and then carry on reading from where you left behind the night before? Or you start from where they stopped reading themselves?

I thought that was the biggest hurdle back then when we decided call it off, as DS didn't want to be read to in a slower pace than he could do himself.

Same as pp - we had a book that we were reading together and then they would have books that they were reading themselves.

Kentishbornknitter · 08/02/2023 17:30

We are reading JKR’s The Ickabog together. I am 58, DH is 64 and DA is 30! (yes he lives at home as he is recovering from cancer)

Wishiwasatsoftplay · 08/02/2023 17:50

i would just let them read on by themselves- put them in charge of ‘catching you up’ - great for summarising skills and reading comprehension- if they finish, set them the challenge of persuading you to finish it too- loads of ways to continue the conversation - it’s clearly that they are after if they are happy to read the books on their own too!

Sirzy · 08/02/2023 17:52

If Ds wants to read on he can, generally though at any time he has his bedtime book, a non fiction or two (his go to) and the book he reads in school on the go at any one time. The non fiction tends to be his solo reading go to at home

shockedballoon · 08/02/2023 18:32

redskydelight · 08/02/2023 12:16

It's not really to do with not wanting to read books themselves. It's to do with having a shared moment with a parent. It was quite common for me to read a chapter to my DC and then for them to read ahead by themselves (which is annoying when you have no clue what is going on because you only read chapters 2, 7 and 13).

The great thing about reading a book with your older child is that you can then talk about it - children don't necessarily read books with the same understanding as an adult and it can be fascinating to share opinions.

Otherwise just the act of sitting quietly with your child sometimes prompts a discussion about something entirely unconnected to the book. For us, bedtime reading was as much about the 1:1 interrupted time as it was about actually reading. Of course you can do this in other ways but this is a less pressurised way than the "tell me about your day" type conversations.

Show quote history

Spot on - it's not just about the reading but shared time. Often things will come up in a book we're reading that will trigger a chat about how life and people work, that sort of thing. Or we can just share theories about what's going to happen in an exciting story.

WeAreBorg · 08/02/2023 18:37

I still read to the 9 and 12 year old most nights, I don’t think it ever occurred to us to stop reading together. We have to read from two different books though, it was three at one point 😂

nokidshere · 08/02/2023 18:44

We used to do about 45 mins all together in our bed until they were around 13/14. However, from about the ages of 10 it was more about having chill time before bed. They sometimes read to us, often we did non-fiction stuff and they would test us (they loved encyclopaedias) or we did conversations about puberty/sex etc.

They read for a little while after that until they were around 15 but, sadly, neither read much at all now (if ever) at 21 & 24

kateandme · 08/02/2023 19:06

This does remind how you read aloud when you start don't you! And that moment it gets to the point the whole car on the way to holiday would end up shouting "in your heeeeaaaad" with a stealth kick from a sibling.😄 I think that was me with my first harlen coben book,bright pink "tell no one"???
Can't believe it becuae I dont think I could read aloud to myself now.
Me and my sibling eat 📚. Love them.

Daisybuttercup12345 · 08/02/2023 23:24

About 10. Certainly before senior school. The boys weren't interested in stories and the girls liked to read themselves.

BoxOfCats · 09/02/2023 02:12

I still listen to audio books at bed at night as an adult, does that count as bedtime stories? Grin

kateandme · 09/02/2023 07:17

BoxOfCats · 09/02/2023 02:12

I still listen to audio books at bed at night as an adult, does that count as bedtime stories? Grin

Yes now you say that. And that makes me want to do it!😁

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