should I be reading to ds and if so how on earth do I get him to sit still long enough?

[HeadFairy]

I've always wanted to do bedtime stories with ds, and I know reading to him is really important, but he's such a physical child sitting down to read is really hard, he pulls the book away, wriggles around and tries to run off. Even in the evening after his bath when really he should be tired he's a live wire (luckily turning the light off is like turning a switch off on him and he always goes to sleep really well). Should I just perservere? Has anyone else tamed their child to settle for a bed time story?

Headfairy I don't think reading to them makes them loves books, its you setting an example and him seeing you read for your own pleasure which is more likely to make him want to read.
As I said earlier my dd 11 was never read to because she was more interested in everythng else going on around her and basically she was always (and still is) a fidget bottom, yet she has read over 70 books in the last 2 terms.

DS1 is the same at 18months and just runs away with the book. hes more receptive during the morning so he gets read to them. TBH i dont think the time of day really matters so much as introducing children to books. we have a bookcase in DS1's room that he has access to all the time and he often takes one out and just sits and looks at the pictures (usually upside down!)

We read books to DD (now 4)from her being tiny. She always sat and enjoyed her story - maybe even from 6 months or less. What a shock when we got DS! He's 2.2yo now and he only just stopped closing the books whenever we tried to read them. He was only interested in the mechanics of the book - never the story. He watches the CBeebies 'Fun with Phonics' progs we Sky+ for DD and he loves them so he's got a mania for letters now, and recognises loads. He now wants to look at books to spot letters, which is great and we do, obviously, actively encourage it - but it's still a bit sad that it's impossible to read a story to him. Don't think it's our technique as it worked for DD. Think maybe some kids just take longer to connect to the idea of a story. I'd take heart from many of the posters who say he'll grow into it. I hope mine will! DHT's suggestion sounds like a good way to get him involved, but I don't think it'd work for DS - he's got his own agenda for books (and most other things)and it just doesn't seem to overlap with mine!
[hides from kids, tearing hair out! ]

Just seen ChristyWhisty's post and I totally agree. Most of the big readers I've known have been the kids of big readers, which doesn't bode well in our house as I don't even have time to read the electric bill at the mo! The keenest family of readers I know hardly own any books either so their big reader kids haven't grown up with a multitude of books around them either. They're just big library users.

We used the "Thats not my ..." series of books which have touchy feely areas and are (most importantly) short! When he out grow them we used the learning to read section. Only read for as long as interested, if you make it a chore he will never settle. Stop just after when he gets bored and attention wonders and they will evenually learn to sit. We now have book monster who only sits to have a story - forget the rest of the time