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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

what age was your child when you started to read stories to them at bedtime?

36 replies

tinseltree · 11/12/2004 18:20

just interested to know........

OP posts:

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Batters · 11/12/2004 18:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hulababy · 11/12/2004 18:26

Again, from very very young. TBH I think it was from the very beginning when I started to read to DD. Even if it was just to read aloud the book or magazine I was reading. And we had baby/toddler books in the house from birth and looked at them adnd talked about the pictures from the outset too.

I love having books about so probably bought them more for me than DD to start with. But DD is now 2.5yo and she loves her books.

MistltAeroAndWine · 11/12/2004 18:28

About four or five months. They're both total bookworms now! Ds2 is now getting into the swing of it too.

happymerryberries · 11/12/2004 18:32

Oh, very young, a real baby. Dd joined the library at about 6 months and it was way before that. Ds from birth realy, since he was always on my lap when I was reading to dd.

KatieMaChristmas · 11/12/2004 18:45

From when she was a bump....I found reading aloud calmed and soothed her (& me)

TracyK · 11/12/2004 18:54

ds is 9 mo and he just wiggles on my lap and tries to rip the book/magazine. should I perservere - or wait till a bit older - or is he just a little hooligan??

Slink · 11/12/2004 18:57

When i was pg i read alot of true crime books love them, but when dd was born read to her all the time while feeding,bedtime. I am now going to read a few pages from the Quran every night.

DD now 3.5yrs prefers books than tv FANTASTIC

wickedwinterwitch · 11/12/2004 18:58

From about 2 I think. But we still read a story or chapter every night and he's 7 now.

TheHollyAndTheTwiglett · 11/12/2004 18:58

DS from a very young baby .. probably about 4 weeks

DD is just bringing herself up

bonymerryxmas · 11/12/2004 19:00

Very, very young -almost from the start - I even used to read to dd when she was still a bump! We still have a bedtime story (she's 6.5) and she is an avid reader herself with a reading age of 10.5

Carameli · 11/12/2004 19:43

I started really young, like some others here about 4 or 5 months. She really loves books and even points to the words when she looks at them on her own. I also think its really sweet that when she looks at a book by herself she just chatters away as though she is telling a story. My mum says that she hear us telling the story to thinks that this is what you should do and is copying me.( dd is 14mnths now) Have to admit I only read short stories as her patience can be quite limited at times so Mr Men books tend to have me looking at the pictures and making up a story pretending to read the text:-)

lockets · 11/12/2004 19:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

charlie95 · 11/12/2004 19:49

started this summer, ds aged 3.5 yo then. but only did it then cos he was just taking an interest in stories. whereas previously was not interested. loves them now and all part of the bedtime routine!

mishiclaus · 11/12/2004 19:51

hi
i started when ds had a set bedtime so around 8 weeks....he loves his bed time story while he snuggles in

NomDePlumPudding · 11/12/2004 20:02

We started when DD went into a big bed, about 2 months ago, she's 2y 4m

Original poster

tinseltree · 11/12/2004 21:12

thanks for the replies - dd is 13 weeks, and i was wondering if i should be reading to her, as i would like to, but obviously dont think she would be taking much in, and my dp thought it was hillarious when i told him and said i was being stupid! so you have all made me feel a lot better, and i will start tomorrow when i put her to bed!!

OP posts:

galaxy · 11/12/2004 22:00

From about 3 months old. She's a real bookworm now with weekly visits to the library, at least 3 stories a night (and storymakers of course). She's 25 months now.

Spamhead · 11/12/2004 22:35

Started DD at about a year. She still loves books. DS does not sit still when we are reading, although he he has now started to sit with us at story time a bit. Must confess I have not gone out of my way to sit and read to him alone yet, but he is begining to show an interest in books, so at nearly eighteen months it may be time to start.

What I learnt from DD is that if you get them excited about books as fun things from an early age, they retain that interest throughout childhood. DS can' read yet (she's just turned four) but she does want to, and makes up stories from the pictures.

jamiesam · 12/12/2004 00:13

Have read to ds's on and off since they were very young - ds2 getting benefit of my reading 'intended' for ds1.

Have found it really important for them to have books/magazines which were 'theirs' and they could trash/draw on etc. Then found it easier to withdraw nice books which they were threatening to trash without feeling like mummy no fun.

Incidentally, our local libraries are keen to get kids in as babies - assume this is the same nationwide. As well as free books, no fine on late return, cheap video hire (naughty but we all do it), no fine for trashed books - since they accept that children will from time to time, they also run baby sessions which are great for social time, and just getting them comfortable in that space...

kinderbobsleigh · 12/12/2004 01:56

bedtime stories from about 6 months, but books right from day one whenever he was in the mood. Asks for books by name now (or whatever is on his favourite page) but has no idea what the TV does. As I love peace and quiet, long may this continue.

bloss · 12/12/2004 02:07

Ds was simply not interested in books (except for one particular book) until about 14-15 months. And he never liked them at bedtime. I think he doesn't find it relaxing - more engrossing. And at that age he was just too tired at bedtime. From 15-18 months he started to really enjoy books and we would read them every day, but not at bedtime.

Ds is now 4.5 and dd is 2.5 years and we only settled into a bedtime story routine about 6months ago. Neither of them were interested in books at that particular time of day until then.

merglemergle · 12/12/2004 06:06

Ds is 15 months and we still don't read to him. He will "read" to himself-upside down, going "uh...u...da!". Also, if he wants to play the recorder or piano, he sometimes goes and gets a book and "reads" the "music" from that.

We never read at bedtime cos he's never really slept!

But he has no interest in being read to. I think he sees books for their interactive value. I don't think he has much interest in stories yet. Doesn't know what the tv is for either.

Dh and are are both very into reading and read in preference to watching tv so we kind of assumed he'd be the same. I would LOVE to read stuff to him. He just wanders off if I try.

My only concern is that his development in many ways is like my younger brother's-very into puzzle solving, other people (LOVES dollies!) etc, and late on talking. My brother then turned out severely dyslexic and dyspraxic, and did badly at engineering degree (for which he was ideally practically suited) because he just couldn't pass the written parts of the course.

But my god, he's 15 months old so I will stop worrying!

hoxtonturkey · 12/12/2004 08:10

ds has always been surrounded by books. we have looked at them every day practically since he was born. official bed time stories probably started when he was 2.5, though we still read more during the day.

FrostyTheSurfMum · 12/12/2004 21:10

At about 12 months, when the bedtime book replaced the bottle (which she wasn't drinking). She had a brief phase of not going down at bedtime and I realised it was because I'd stopped giving her the bottle and she wasn't having a cuddle and calming down time. Introduced a book instead and hey presto! Well, most nights anyway.

eidsvold · 12/12/2004 21:40

almost from the time thwy were born if I remember correctly - seems like it anyway. dd1 loves books and loves being read to as well as reading herself.

TraceyK what about just using those card picture books....and just look at a few pics.

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