Do bedtime stories still work?

[JayGardener]

is it just in movies or do kids actually love bedtime stories? If yes, what kind?

Of course they love bedtime stories.

Depends on their age and interests (and parents interest as you are reading them).

What books do you have already?

I’m sure there is good evidence for them working on a number of levels. Encouraging love of books and reading. Emotional and psychological boosting. Transitioning from busy and sometimes difficult day to another mental state, helping sleep.

Yes, kids love bedtime stories.

I voted YABU to even question it! Children love stories full stop- bedtime & every other time. You're doing them a huge disservice if you don't read to your children.

They won't respond out of the blue, it needs to be a constant in their life. My 3DC were read books from the moment they were newborns, so developed a love for them. It takes time to build that love. They also won't like every book, they'll have favourites & also not care much for others. Which is why visiting the library with them is crucial - free & lots of choice. I believe the right book, read well can excite any child- even up to teens.

I really can't get my head around why a parent wouldn't be reading to their child.

Yes, of course they do.
Depends entirely on the age of the child and their likes/dislikes as to what to read.

And exactly as PP said, bedtime stories are part of the calm transition to bed. At best they plant lovely ideas in their little heads to think about as they drift off.

2 of mine have ASN & the stories worked as well as any other child.

Yes my 5yo loves a bedtime story, her favourites are:
Smartest Giant in Town
Paper Dolls
Mummy I Love You
The Dancing Tiger
The Smeds and the Smoos
Tabby Mctat
Silly Goose
My Pet Star
The Star of the Zoo

Yes. Worked for me, worked for dh. Worked for DD. Both parents need to read, and should not be a chore. Builds love, confidence and affection. Helps with developing a well adjusted child. Encourages reading in later life.

As a teacher I read aloud to children from 4 -12. One of our upper school teachers ran a reading club after school and regularly had nearly 40 children (bearing in mind it isnt a big school so this was a significant proportion of the department) and if I'd pop in to borrow something I would regularly see them all completely captivated by her storytelling. Quite often I'd stay too, truth be told!

I'm thinking of starting. One is 8 and the other 12😅
Is it too late

You never read to them as babies, toddlers etc?

I can confidently say there are a lot that don't but I'll definitely start.😅
I'm hoping our bond will be stronger

It’s pretty late, yes but better late than never. You’ll need to find a book they can both enjoy together as you’ll be reading chapter books not Julia Donaldson. What books did you enjoy at their age?

I am intrigued as to how you got thus far without stories at bedtime.

Yes of course they still work. Take a look at the Cbeebies bedtime stories for some ideas of books, or even better go to the library with your children. Some mine loved were:
On Sudden Hill
The Girls
The Boys
Where The Wild Things Are
Little One I Knew You'd Come
The Miffy books
Oliver Jeffers books
Dr Seuss books (not my favourite!)

Those were some of the best times. I do still read to my 11 year old every night, but obviously not picture books!

Mine are in their 30’s now and still have fond memories of their bedtime stories, that lovely time cuddled up in bed, sometimes I used to make up stories too.
My daughter is already reading little stories to my 5 week old granddaughter. She’ll love just hearing her mums tone of voice at that age.
I guess you could try, but the 12 year old might think you’ve gone a bit mad ..

I'll try them
Thank you 🙏

Reading to your kids is so important on so many levels.

Just read your update! Not too late. At those ages go for chapter books. My 11 year old is read to every night. We're reading the Percy Jackson series. In the past we've done Harry Potter, but I let her choose. We've even done some Enid Blyton (she loved the Malory Towers and St Clare's series) . The Narnia series was also a big hit.
Have fun.

Yes my DC love a bedtime story, it’s part of their routine. They get upset if they’ve gone to bed late and there’s no time. Younger DS likes one or two short stories with pictures. Older DS likes one or two chapters from a novel. I really enjoy reading them. My DM read me a bedtime story until I was 13, then we moved house and they just stopped.

Wow. Just wow.

Bedtime stories are fundamental to learning in my opinion. Read to both of my children until their reading got to the standard where they would read to themselves. Every night from about 18 months to 9 years. My 9 year old reads Harry Potter for 30 mins before going to sleep and I read to my 7 year old on nights he doesn’t read his school reading book. On a typical night he will ask me what words mean, we’ll chat about the story, the characters, the pictures etc. We read the same books a few times so when there is a word he can’t read I.e Galapogus Islands, but the third time he can’t read the word himself.

Another thread talked about Year 4 kids not knowing what the word velvet meant - they would know a simple word like that if they are read to a lot.

The books mentioned by Dramatic sound like books for a younger audience than 8 or 12. Her children are younger than yours.

Why don’t you ask the children to choose a book they would like to hear? Or if they aren’t big readers at the moment and can’t decide, you could get a selection from the library. The librarians should be able to advise.

I would suggest avoiding ‘issues’ books (the kind of book that mainly seems to be about educating children about fostering, homelessness, alcoholism etc rather than being a good, entertaining story) and stick to fairly lighthearted themes by good writers, at least to begin with.

What do you mean by "work"?
Getting to sleep or becoming lovers of books?

I just know my favourite is Alice in wonderland and The wizard of Oz. I love stories like that. Although I didn't really do bedtime stories like that majorly because we don't do that in the family but I'm want a more... Opened relationship with my kids

And can people please stop being horrible to someone who wants to start reading to their children. You’re not coming across well.