Reading to 14wo

[HKat]

Should I be doing this?? I chat to her about nonsense when she's awake (which she responds too!) but I'm not sure if I should be reading stories etc? If so, any book recommendations? I should add that (touch wood) she's sleeping ok at the moment - well, from last feed at about 11pm til about 6.30am...

Only if you want to! I'd get books with a view to things she'll enjoy in a few months' time, 'that's not my penguin/tractor/bunny... etc.', and lift the flap ones like 'Dear Zoo' or 'Where's Spot'. If you have a library near you, you could go and get some different books to try, for free.

Its nice to share books with them at this age, not reading books but board books with shiny bits and crinkly bits and mirrors and stuff.

There's no 'should', but if you want to, then great. The baby board books with stimulating pictures might go down well, although you could equally get away with reading her the latest Heat at this age! I think the important thing is that you enjoy it, and that will convey itself to her.

Thank you very much for the replies! DD is my first and it's fair to say I know NOTHING about kids do am constantly worrying I'm failing to do everything I should! She does like being talked too, and as she is also grabbing things left right and centre then those recommended books seem like a great idea, thanks!

Sounds like you're doing everything right.

Pascha, thank you very much :)

There's a really lovely book called iirc 'Babies Need Books' which is all about reading with a bay. It's probably a bit old fashioned now (I had it when dd1 was born and she's 17 now!) but if you can track down a copy I'd recommend it. And yes to the library.

A baby not a bay - dratted keyboard.

I used to talk to my dd ALL the time! In the supermarket, doctors etc when it was just us two. Sure people used to think I'm mad! However, I like to think that this has contributed to her above average for her age speech and language skills. Maybe not I don't know but sometimes it's nice to have someone to talk to who doesn't answer back!!
I think stories are a good idea and songs :-)

Just start with a nursery rhyme book - your DD will love listening to your emphasis and rhymes and seeing you smile as you say the words. If you're going for picture books, go as bold as possible for the pictures not incipid Beatrix Potter type colours.

I remember reading the Very Hungry Caterpillar to DS when he was six months old - I opened the page (spoiler alert!) where he turns into a butterfly and DS beamed at the bright picture, and the page after with brightly coloured squares. He really liked the colours.

Yes absolutely read as much as possible :) ds started having his bedtime story from 12 weeks old ( now at 3 it's a major 3 stories, 3 songs routine lol)

ours loved baby boo I'd recommend it!

You could include it in any night time 'pattern' (hate the word routine )

Our favourite books at that age were:
Peepo
Each peach pear plum
Stripy Horse (time for bed)
Max and Milly (time for bed)

They're short and rhyme. DD used to react to certain pages as she got older.

Peepo and Each Peach Pear Plum are brilliant! We have much loved board book versions of those that all my dcs have loved. One of my own first books was Each, Peach

You want something short and colourful or with lovely rhythm - which is why both those Ahlberg books are so great. They are so poetic.

Judith Kerr has done some simple Mog books which we like too. They come as board books. You really want the tougher the better at this point!

Absolutely keep talking to your baby. She is talking back. If you say something and then pause and she coos or wriggles or smiles or whatever, that's turn taking and that's the start of speech patterns.

She can join the library now and then you can get in to the habit of taking her and picking books as and when you want. A library ticket is one of life's essentials imo

Agree maples

DD now gets books out of her toy box, crawls across the floor, stands up against the sofa (not walking yet) and gives it to me to read. Then just beams when I read out loud as she turns the pages. Too cute for words (until its like the 10th time in 30 minutes re reading the same 5 stories )

some here

I forgot about We're going on a bear hunt! That's great.

I also used to make little books for my dds, with photographs of them and of family members plus words/sentences. They loved looking at/listening to those.

I read to my dd from day one and I found that she really enjoyed books that rhyme. I noticed that particular books calmed her down. There was a time when she was about 6 months when she would start to cry and I could quieten her just by reciting 'Shark in the Park'. She also loves 'What the lady bird heard', 'Normal the slug with the silly shell' and the Charlie and Lola collection. At 12 months, she now will pick up a book, bring it over to me and shout 'book' until I read it! She has a few picture books and they have helped her to learn to say different words and sounds, ie I ask her 'what is this?' and she will say 'cat' and then meiow. Reading to your child is very good for encouraging language skills but more than that, it is brilliant for bonding. It always amazed me that a 6 months old a baby could show a preference for a book, dd went through a stage of crying at 'The fish who could wish' so I stopped reading it and started 'Shark in the park' at which point she promptly shut up. It took me a couple of days to
realise I was being manipulated into reading her favourite!

Thank you so much everyone, I'll get a selection of the above and get going! :)

We started bedtime books from (very nearly) birth - these were (and are) sometimes books for older kids that we'd read part of each night. Now DD has board and cloth books, often with touchy bits or flaps, some from the library. She loves these and at 9 months regularly crawls/wriggles over to the book shelf. Fortunately the library arn't too fussed about babies eating their books etc. I suspect she's already inheriting her parents' reading addiction!

I have read to DD since she was just a few days old, she has a selection of 'her' books which are easily reachable and more than a little chewed the usbourne look and say books are our favourite. Then she has some books which are longer, rhyming stick man and Alfie, then I have my much older books such as Richard Kipling, Penelope lively, Susan cooper, Joan Aitken, Tolkein, Alison Uttley, Beverly Nichols, John Masefield which I read a chapter or two of each night while she settles in her cot.

DD still however refuses to talk, despite my efforts, she does love story time though and it gives me a chance to wind down as well after a long and sometimes stressful day.

I talked and read to all of my children loads from birth. They have all talked early and been good readers. I cant say that their language skills have been a result of that but I'm sure it didn't hurt them. Reading is a nice way to fill some time and will hopefully instill a love of books and reading :D