To not want to read really shit books to my baby?

[CooCooCaChu]

I've got an eight month old baby. We've got lots of really basic baby books. You know the kind, red circle on one page, blue triangle on the next. Or the endless 'that's not my ...'.

I find it incredibly boring to keep going 'oh look, this is a cow. Moooo.'

If I don't read these basic books, will she miss out on something important developmentally? Or can I skip straight to things with more of a narrative so I don't feel the need to stab myself in the eye just to create a bit of excitement?

Yabu you need to spend hours reading 'here is a car, brum brum'
Yanbu read something more fun, your baby will probably enjoy it more anyway

My son really loved the "can you say it too?" Books by Sebastian Braun. They are repetitive but they have big flaps that babies can lift and the pictures are nice so that I enjoyed them much more than some other ones. Also there's lots more going on the page for you to point to.

Julia Donaldson's tales from Acorn wood are quite sweet and have an actual story. They're very simple but at least it's something that has a narrative so you don't just feel like you're repeating the same 1 line again and again (and again and again). I would say that 8 months you can also throw in some picture books aimed at older kids.

A visit to the book shop or library?

Read both. The single word type books 'cow goes moo' are for there to learn objects and associations, a proper story introduces the rhythm of narrative. Both are essential.

DD is now 15 and I still find myself walking round looking for my keys and going "Those aren't my keys, they're too small" when I find DPs

We did have 'this is not my...' books and I too hated them with passion (DH didn't so they were his 'domain'). I love Rachel Bright/Jim Field books and am never bored reading those (dd is 3.5). I also read her B. Potter books since she was a baby... Did not notice any adverse impact - if anything she has a good vocabulary and loves books.

My kids favourites were the bastard hairy mcclary from donaldsons fucking dairy series, oh how I longed for the that's not my ..... shite

Make it funner. Do different voices for each character

10 little fingers still make me well up after all these years, its just so lovely 😭 ❤️

I knew my DH was a keeper when we went camping with DS about 3 years old. In all the madness of packing for our weekend away, we had forgotten to pack any bedtime stories for DS. DH took the map book as a prop and recited The Gruffalo off by heart!

And how could I forget that greedy bastard caterpillar?

Reading at this young age is about joint enjoyment. If your baby doesn't enjoy the It's not my....books then I can see why it's a bit dull for you.
She'll soon start to interact more with books which will open things up for you.

Oh man....I'm getting wistful for the toddler days and sharing books.

That's so cute!!!

I always read books I can be animated with.
10 little pirates
don’t call me sweet
where the wild things are
paper dolls

anything with a sing song way of talking.
been reading those books since she was born.
she did like the touchy books but the real world provides all the touching input she needs.

I think reading is more about engaging, one on one time, looking at the pictures and making it fun so they enjoy reading too.

Join the library and have a never ending source of a wide variety of books! We go weekly and always have though I know its popularity has declined. Stick with books for as ling as possible and skip all tech and tablets until they are well through the early stages of primary school! It makes a massive difference to a child's language and reading skills which in turn makes everything else much easier!

My kids loved the repetition of the simple books. They would narrate them along with me , long before the could read. That was cute.

And I don't believe it matters what you read, it all exposes your little one to language and words etc. My two still laugh about how I used to change "The tiger that came to tea " words to make it less misogynistic, e.g. Daddy wasn't the only one who went out to work, Mummy didn't always have his tea and slippers ready for him when he got home erc

I once saw a mother at the hospital reading snail on the whale to her very very young child who had a nose tube. He was wrapped up next to her chest in the sling and he was so content and really enjoying the book. May have been around four months old One of the loveliest things I've ever seen.

What I was supposed to finish off with was I think he enjoyed that more than what I imagined he would a simple book in that given moment. So definitely mix it up :)

Ah, I hear you but I also remember loving these books because it was something to do with those babies, that somewhat entertained me too (let's face it, a lot of baby-rearing is dull...) I have so many infant books that I loved dearly... Meg and Mog, each peach pear plum, the book with no pictures, Elmer books, there's an ouch in my pouch, ancient 1970s picture books about environmental destruction (eg Mole), countless amazing books aimed at making your time with your kid bearable, sometimes magical. It's something to share with your kid.

Having said that I don't think there's anything wrong with reading adult content to your kids, and if you can do in good spirit then great: guilt is the enemy of pleasant parenting. But also ultimately you've had kids and you need to build a relationship with them based on doing a few things.

It's nice to read simple stories to your baby so they can start to mimic your vocalisations.

If you just want them to hear your voice, read what you like. I read my eldest a few Agatha Christies when he was tiny.

Agree that the short ones are merciful. We're on some chapter books now and my god some of them are tedious.

I started reading The Tales of Acorn Wood by Julia Donaldson to my DD when she was tiny, and she literally grew up with them. They are so simple, but with a definite story, some rhyming and repetition, flaps to lift. Postman Bear was a particular favourite of mine.
She is 13 today, and loves reading on her own now. We did pass on many books once she grew out of them, but we will always keep these as special.

Read whatever you like at this stage, but the short simple books are good when they're a bit older - better than reading a long one for the 15th time in a week. I especially hate most rhyming books - urgh the trite ungrammatical doggerel drives me mad - give me a that's not my any day!

When I was on Mat leave with both mine I just read aloud to them the book I happened to be reading at the moment. Figured it killed two birds with one stone and increased their vocabulary. Now they are older I just hold my nose and read the rubbish baby books, I actually like the not my xxxx books as they are nice and short so cut down the bedtime routine! My baby likes any books with flaps to life up. As boring as it is keep on with it though. My oldest is in the top reading set in reception and flying through the books…I’m convinced it’s because she was surrounded by books and we read to her loads as a baby so it pays dividends later on. Although it is boring 🙈🤷‍♀️

I don't disagree with you, I was thinking the same when my little one was that age, but now at 17 months that's the ones he prefer because he can join in.
I used to read proper stories when he was 9 months, now he won't let me. He wants to turn the pages, recognise animals or symbols and get obsessed with the same damn pages over and over again...!!! We are actually buying more boring books because we're tired of reading the same ones each night.

It's a phase and we will go back to stories later!

I got collections - the Julie Andrews poem collections, mother goose nursery rhymes. There were plenty that were new to me and plenty that were fun and quotable. LAZY ELSIE MARLEY!