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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

At what age did you establish a bedtime reading routine?

27 replies

thisxgirl · 18/02/2010 18:32

DS is almost 7 months and I read to him here and there (obviously I understand he has no concept of this yet but the pictures are something for him to look at and I know how important it is for him to be exposed to a wide vocabulary) but we don't do it every evening before bed.

Of course there's no harm in doing it from birth but a friend of mine looked at me like I was slightly mad when I said I might add a bedtime story to the evening routine...

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threetimemummy · 18/02/2010 18:35

About 6 months, with DS1. We used to do dinner, bath, stories, milk and bed. With DS2 (they are only 18mths apart) the routine was already established so i just continued. The boys no longer have milk but ever since we started we have all snuggled up in bed and read before sleep. I just keep adding children into the mix!! LOL

allaboutme · 18/02/2010 18:37

I started with DS1 about 20 months when he went in a bed as nice to snuggle up in bed for a story before going to sleep I think. Too tricky in a cot!
Ds2 joined us from about 1yo but he doesnt listen every night, he isnt able to sit and listen quietly yet! If he gets noisy, he gets put to bed and DS1 has the story alone.
I'd stick to reading in the day time when he is wide awake and able to enjoy it more until hes a bit older, maybe nearer 2.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 18/02/2010 18:45

I played classical music to mine when I was feeding them before bed.

I'm sure other people would look askance at that too, but it was just to introduce a routine and make me them feel relaxed.

So, if if he likes it and it doesn't excite him, then no harm, I'd say.

nikki1978 · 18/02/2010 18:49

Not until they were about 2 and a half and stopped turning pages randomly while I was reading or getting bored and buggering off

They both love reading now but I couldn't be bothered when they were really young as it seemed more hassle than it was worth tbh. If yours sit there and listen then go for it.

BelleDameSansMerci · 18/02/2010 18:49

At about three months, I think. At one stage DD was having three short stories a night. Now she's lucky if she gets one

I used to leave a CD of the sound of waves breaking on repeat, all night, in her room to create a sort of "white noise" so she wouldn't be woken up by noise from outside too. Anything to keep her asleep!

Jamieandhismagictorch · 18/02/2010 18:50

Conversely, I wouldn't assume it will instil a love of reading ......

lovechoc · 18/02/2010 19:30

4 months old. very young, and he didn't understand a thing at that age, but he enjoyed listening to us reading the story I suppose. he's now got a book obsession! lol

FaintlyMacabre · 18/02/2010 19:35

I had thought that I would read DS a story every night from birth, before kissing him goodnight and watching him self-settle in his Moses basket. I was possibly a bit optimistic about that.

We would look at books together from about 8 months as part of a bedtime routine, but it was only when he was about 16 months that I managed to read him a story all the way through (Hairy MacClary). Now he is 2 he loves stories and has about 3 a night.

nickytwotimes · 18/02/2010 19:38

Ds was about 18 mths.

No harm in doing it from any age imo. Your ds will just enjoy the interaction and I know ds enjoyed looking at/eating books at that age.

BertieBotts · 18/02/2010 19:38

I read a lot to DS during the day but not at night as he doesn't sit still and listen to it or seem to get relaxed by it at all - so not much point yet IMO. He is 16 months. I will do bedtime stories when he is older but as I said when it is something he will sit and do quietly, the idea is just to do a quiet activity together before bed I think! He doesn't ever do anything quiet so the closest we get is looking out of the window for a while and then saying goodnight to the street.

NellyTheElephant · 18/02/2010 19:45

Around a year they started to show real interest - usually board books to start with to avoid torn pages and the 'that's not my.....' series which were absolute favourites when tiny. They seem to like repetition when very little so just a couple of board books go a long way, a bit dull for me though - same ones over and over again! At around 13 months DD2 would get the book 'Cock-a-moo-moo' from the shelf and slap me with it until I read it to her.... again and again and again..... I think I must have read it every night for about 2 months.......arrgggghhhhh!!!!!).

DS (currently 10 months) usually potters around in the bedroom like a bull in a china shop while I'm reading the girls' stories but he tends to grab at the books and tries to eat them so is often put to bed. In a couple of months I will start doing a board book specifically for him at story time before moving on to the girls' books.

Dysgu · 18/02/2010 19:57

We have read to both DDs from very young - practically since bringing them home from hospital (but both stayed in NICU for some time before that).

Now DD1 (aged 3) has stories with me and DD2 (aged 13mo) had stories with DP most nights. Both love books and would move into the library if they had the option!

Conversely, DNiece was never read to as a baby or a toddler as she seemed to have no interest - she is now 6 an a pretty avid and competent reader, well above average for her age - so not sure that reading to very young children necessarily leads to a love of books, or the inverse - we just all love to read in this house.

Do it if you all enjoy it.

TurtleAnn · 18/02/2010 20:02

Mine is way too excited by books to use them at bedtime. He crawls for books and is trying to climb the bookshelf, he sits with me and turns the pages (10-months). It is so cute he hasn't a clue that the pages are conected and tell a story, he just loves the Mummy time.
I will probably get into the bedtime reading routine when he understands the stories.

VeryHungryKatypillar · 18/02/2010 20:10

At about 3 months... I was so excited about being able to read all my favourites again!

DD is now 22 months and absolutely loves books. My old Topsy and Tims (circa early 1980s.. so the old illustrations, not new ones) are her absolute favourite

Galena · 18/02/2010 20:25

At about 3 months we began reading at night to DD and she seemed to hate it - until we began reading the same book every night. We've now read the same blinkin' book every night for about 6 months, but it calms DD down when we start. I also have an IPod with speakers in her room with classical/instrumental music on repeat, which she has on for an hour at bedtime as she feeds/falls asleep.

During the day we read other books. After the evening meal now we're reading through the Mr Men library.

pranma · 18/02/2010 23:21

dd started reading to hers from about 6 months.They first enjoyed the 'Thats not my.....'books as she rubbed their fingers over the textures.Then be 8/9 months lift the flap books and just this week baby[1next week]has begun to listen to a 'proper' story.He likes 'Hairy Maclary'.His brother 3.5 has two stories a night and really loves his books.

PavlovtheCat · 18/02/2010 23:28

DD from about 6-8wks when she started to have some semblence of routine for bed, we just included a story and it has always been.

DS from newborn as he is mostly there for DDs bedtime story kicking his little legs in delight at laying in her bed and hearing me speak while she fusses him! (he is 11wks!), it will be part of his own bedtime routine when he starts one properly. As it is so late that he settles i'll be damned if i am going to do two whole seperate bedtime routines he has his story at 7:00pm regardless of his 10pm bedtime!

jamie i played classical music to DD when i fed her at bed time too! Now, DS gets the lovely sound of bejewelled in the background while DH plays! I will start that again, thanks for reminding me of that

notcitrus · 18/02/2010 23:35

I read a book or two a day, but not at bedtime. Someone asked me around 9 months what my bedtime routine was and I went "change nappy, put in grobag, give blankie to baby, put in cot, turn light off". At 17 mo it includes a small bottle of milk and snack, followed by toothbrushing.

He's always been unpredictable with sleep but very happy to go to bed around bedtime. And will sleep anywhere as long as he has his blankie, which I admit I encouraged.

mrspoppins · 18/02/2010 23:46

Hi...we read from about 6 months...just board books and nursery rhymes. Both were great readers by 3...go for it!

mrspoppins · 18/02/2010 23:50

mind you we also encouraged the eldest to do lots of sporty stuff when she was younger and from about 8 she has hated all sport whereas the youngest didn't roll over til after her first birthday but is a right little tom boy so I don't guarantee you budding authors!

PavlovtheCat · 19/02/2010 10:35

The thing i found with bedtime stories is that no matter what happened in the day, especially when i was working, i would get to spend 20 mins or more with my DD reading to her and as she grew older with her.

tulip27 · 19/02/2010 10:41

At about 2 months. We had a lovely lady from the library come to talk to our baby group and she said that reading books with rhyme and repetition will help then to speak, recognise words and increase their vocabulary. My ds is now 5 and in reception class. We still read 2 books a night. He has spent this half term writing his own book( he decidied to do this himself) and I am amazed that he realises he needed a beg,middle and end to his story. He is top of his class for reading and writing too. Not sure if the reading at night helped this or not but it does seem that it may have.

myweeangel · 07/02/2011 23:26

At just a few weeks old we started reading to our dd and now, at 16 months, she LOVES books. Will sit and turn pages, naming everything in the pictures for ages. Much prefers it and concentrates for longer with them than any toy.
Love reading myself and definitely want to minimise TV exposure to maybe 10/15 minutes a day maximum, so delighted by this apparent interest.
We loved all the "That's Not My..." books too (cheap in Tescos!)but would have to highly recommend our favourite at the minute - "Tabby McTat" by the author of "Gruffalo". DD seems to love the rhythm of the poetry and names everything in the fabulous illustrations.
Definitely think her vocabulary is all the better for so much exposure to books.
Happy reading everyone. Or tearing pages. Or eating covers. As long as those books are loved! :)

myweeangel · 07/02/2011 23:29

VeryHungryKatyPillar - Topsy and Tim memories, must hoke them out! If irretrievable, are they widely available?

Orissiah · 08/02/2011 11:04

Right from the beginning, really. I started reading her books because the only way she would feed would be to lie flat on her changing mat distracted by the book I was holding above her face and reading to her. It was the only way she would not fuss while feeding!! Fortunately it instilled a love of books in her so we continued when she stopped fussing around feeding. Around 7 months she started crawling to her books herself, taking them off the shelf and leafing through them for 10 mins or so by herself. At 2.5 years old she adores books and spends ages on her own leafing through them.

So, ime it's never too early!

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