"You don't want a book; they're not very interesting"

[Hulababy]

That was the sad comment I overheard, among others, in ELC today.

I was in there today, looking at books for DD, as they were in the sale. DD is 3y 4m and she adores books. She literally has hundreds of books, of varying types. And she will sit and read to, or will read to herself/her dollies for ages at a time. Books have been a big part of DD's life since being weeny, and I hope it will stay like this.

However, there was a couple in there with their little boy, who was maybe 2 or 3. He was quite tall/big, but not talking much - so maybe the former. Anyway, he was onbviously being bought something for himself, and he had the choice of what he wanted. The little boy started to look at books, but his arents (both sadly appeared to agree with each other) made this sad comment.

"You don't want a book; they're not very interesting"

The little boy was originally quite determined to keep looking at the books, but his parents were having none of it. They rubbished his comments about the books And finally guided him off to look at toys.

Just felt sad about it. Books are really big in our house, and feel that the little boy is being asked to miss out by not being encouraged when he shows an interest.

[wilbur]

I'm trying to imagine what my childhood would have been like without books. Doesn't bear thinking about - no Daddy reading a chapter of The Hobbit each night, no torch under the covers to read some pony book when I didn't even like ponies that much. I can only hope ds and dd feel the same way. (I did find dd perusing a wine catalogue with great interest earlier today as her book had fallen behind the sofa - made me )

[lucy5]

Sorry hula, I got so caught up in thinking about my local early learning, I forgot the little boy was interested. I'm so frustrated that I havent got access to decent bookshops, that I fume about elc everytime I think about it.

[Hulababy]

We are quite lucky here Lucy - we have a big Waterstones and the children's section is pretty good. And they pretty much always have some form of special offer on like 3 for 2, etc.

[loupylou]

My dd and i love books, one of our weekly outings is to the library to change hers. The librarian knows her even though she only 2.8. i love books too, just have to find the time to read something more grown up!!

[popsycal]

v sad especially when one of the biggest hurdles in primary school iw getting boys to like books and reading

[mummyhill]

No wonder we have such huge literacy problems if there are parents out there with that attitude. I was taught to read by my grandfather before i went to school and he was told off by the teachers because it put me ahead of my peers and made their life difficult. We have soooo many books in our house we could start a library. DD (3.5) has her own book case in her room which is full off books and she brings them to us to sit and read together and is starting to recognise some basic words. I am affraid i would probably of put my oar in and upset that little boys parents by asking them to buy the book and spend some time reading with the lad if he was showing an interest as it will help him so much in later life.

[bobbybob]

Lots of my friends don't think a toy is any good if it doesn't make lots of noise when you press the buttons.

My suggestions of making a shop out of old packets, peeling some veggies and chopping them up and making playdoh seem very quaint to some of them.

I am amazed how many of them go to the library without their child - "it's quicker!" We often read 5 books there and then take another 20 home.

[mummyhill]

I hate noisey toys i would rather buy 6 tea sets and loads of old clothes from a jumble and let the kids use their imagination which is all the better for being introduced to books at an early age. I like being able to turn the telly off and cuddle up with dd and a book and am looking to do this with bump.

[Hulababy]

Don't get me wrong, my 3yo DD adores her toys - noisy and non noisy, plastic and wooden, bought and made. She'll play for ages and ages with them, and they do help develop her imaginitive play.

But life with no books I just can't imagine not encouraging books and reading. DD adores cuddling up on the beanbag with a huge pile of books next to her.

Infact yesterday at a friend's (Katzguk's) house DD and Katz's DD sat upstairs on a chair, snuggled together reading books for ages. They were so quiet up there, but evidently having a lovely time.


I'm afraid I am not the type to say anything. Besides anything I am too scared they'll turn round and hit me!

[lucy5]

The other thing that ps me off about living in this part of Spain is no access to a library, I used to love going with my mum andd loved g3oing with me even thou99gh she was little///. Sorry dd is helping me type, alot of my Spanish young students dont read at all when they are littleand are not read to but put in front of tv or given those awful disney books.

I miss
bookshops
Libraries
Second hand books.

Buying off the internet is just not the same, I need to browse touch, smell what i'm buying. Sorry rant over.

[Pruni]

Message withdrawn

[mummyhill]

There is nothing better than rumaging through a second hand book shop you almost allways come away with a treasure. My problem is that i shoud really have a cull of my books as they are taking over the house but i cannot bear to part with any of them and read them from cover to cover time and time again.

[lucy5]

when I moved to Spain I did have a cull of books but still managed to bring 16 boxes with me. The removal guys, kept moaning ," oh no not another box of books", poor blokes I did give them a big tip.

[Blackduck]

I can't buy a book I have to buy books (plural...) - I had a friend who justify this behaviour by saying 'they get lonely in the bag on the way home'....

Ds loves his books too......thou' doing Dear Zoo EVERY morning can pall a little...

[motherinferior]

I always think I don't have that many books - and I admit, to my shame, that there are times when I'm just too knackered to read to the Inferiorettes even at bedtime [shame].

And then I look round our house and realise, well, that you can't actually see the walls for books.

[Catbert]

My MIL buys nothing BUT books for DDs!!! She was so proud when at only 18 months, DD1 shouted "BOOK!" at her when she had stepped through the door, and when presented with said item, DD1 took it and told MIL to sit down, and then did that toddler backward walk to sit on her lap so she could read it with her!

She is a member of a book club, and says she cannot resist buying a childs book whenever her catalogue comes!

She was always proud of her own DSs love of books, esp. my DH who was avidly reading Lord of the Rings at 7.

[Blackduck]

I have a bedside table which is actually a pile of books.....

[merglemergle]

On the up side, maybe in a few years he'll be like Matilda?

[fisil]

Hula, that's sad .

This'll cheer you up - regularly ds1 (2 1/2) says "pleeeeease can we turn the telly off and you read me this book. ... Pleeeeeeeease?"

I heard once that the average number of books owned per household in the UK is 6. We have several thousand books here. Does that mean that dp and I are supporting a few hundred houses with no books at all?

[Lizita]

Can't believe it. Books are huge in our house too. DD would prefer to be read to than watch telly, too. And if i'm busy she'll sit herself down and read to herself! (She's only almost 2, she knows the stories by heart and will speak out the main words on each page!
That poor little boy.

[pixel]

This thread reminds me of a time I was in W H Smith and a little girl was asking her mum for a book. The reply was "You don't want that, you've got the video". I thought then that she was missing the point a bit!

[LunarSea]

I'd heard that stat too fisil - and we've also got enough books to mean that there's a small town somewhere with none.

[Blu]

Possibly the deeper sadness in this story is that the parents themselves are non-litrate, and are frightened of having to read to their child, or confront theri own problems. Hopefully he will catch up at school.

[Blu]

ahem, that would be 'non-literate' - just to show that I have a smidgeon of literacy