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Bored of Reading to my Toddler

155 replies

NoKusuAllowed · 24/06/2025 10:11

Hi all! My 21-month old is sharp, eloquent, and loves reading. Unfortunately, as she's a toddler, she also loves repetition, and for around a year has been insisting that I read the same books over and over and over, such that it drives me insane. I used to oblige as I wanted to foster her love of language, but even though we rotate our 70+ books regularly, and I've recently implemented a 'read twice' maximum for each book at a time, I still can't help but cringe and be visibly irritated when she brings me the same ten-page, (once charming) dull-as-dishwater folio that she brought to me an hour ago. Or being bored to tears of a book I've just rotated back in after the first re-read, having had months away from it.
I've tried reading her some of my books with limited success, but, understandably, she's not as interested in that, so it's not a viable substitute.
I want to keep reading to her, but I don't want to continuously buy new books from the charity shop, and the frequency of my boredom means that I can't rely on the library unless I want to walk there several times a week, which isn't really feasible. I also don't want to put her off by involuntarily groaning whenever she approaches me with a book. Does anyone have any advice? Many thanks in advance!

OP posts:
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MarioLink · 24/06/2025 11:54

I find some picture books flow easier and are easy to sort of read aloud whilst being zoned out and not noticing! Also some are shorter and even have some pages with no words. We put these towards the front of the shelves! Some books are hellish to read on repeat for example Red Fish, Blue Fish

NuffSaidSam · 24/06/2025 11:58

Get a Toniebox to share the reading load with.

Let her watch YouTube videos of people reading the books she needs on repeat.

Record yourself reading them (or get friends, Grandparents etc on board) and create a video library for her. Or if you're anti-screen just do audio recordings.

Go to the library (or various different libraries) once a week and bring a stash home.

MercyChant66 · 24/06/2025 12:04

You'll blink and find yourself reminiscing about her favourite childhood books with a teenager. Annoyingly, they sometimes don't even remember the ones that you can still recite fully from the top of your head!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

PrincessASDaisy · 24/06/2025 12:29

I’m a nanny and very selective with the books we borrow from the library. Rhyming books are my favourite, they sound more enjoyable and are also great for aiding their memory. And I like books with stories that are a little bit wicked or have a twist to keep it fun.

Authors I enjoy (apart from Julia Donaldson) are Jeanne Willis, Tony Ross, Janet and Allan Ahlberg, Jez Arlborough and Nick Sharatt.

I avoid Tiger Who Came to Tea, Bear Hunt and Hungry Caterpillar like the plague, along with the Mr Men Books. Dull and tedious.

Luckily there’s lots out there!

Takesomeofit · 24/06/2025 12:34

I always thought I’d love reading to my children but it is tedious with the toddler especially. She has very firm ideas about which books are acceptable and unfortunately these would not be my first choice.

DS is four and it’s more enjoyable with him, but it is hard as he asks endless questions throughout the book, even when he knows the answer. He keeps asking how the dogs chasing Hairy Maclairy will escape (they all get stuck) and I said their owner would get them out. Every page I am asked how the dog will get out and have to answer the owner will get them. It doesn’t help it’s at bedtime when everyone’s tired anyway!

PlasticAcrobat · 24/06/2025 12:36

I actually think your restrictions on repetition are way too severe, OP (the rotation of 70 books and the 'read twice' maximum, etc). Repetition is an intensely important part of a toddler's benefit from being read to. A huge part of the comfort, and the sense of growing mastery, that they receive from it. Not to mention a vital tool for learning.
It's just like the repetitive movements of a baby as they learn basic muscle control, or the repetitive babbling sounds that precede speech. You really do have to lean into it.

EducatingArti · 24/06/2025 12:46

Something I've found helpful is to focus on the toddler rather than the book. Look at the expression on their face, their anticipation about what comes next, the fact that they are wanting to connect with you/sit on your lap/snuggle up to you. As much as you can, make it about connection and relationship rather than the fact that you are reading "That's not my fairy" for the seventh time today.

Another thing that can help is book rotation. If you have 70 books, why not put most of them in a box and only have 20 to 25 out at one time. Every week , swap for a different set.

pharmer · 24/06/2025 12:57

Go to the library

Takesomeofit · 24/06/2025 12:58

pharmer · 24/06/2025 12:57

Go to the library

I’ll be honest here, I’ve never really had a successful library trip with either of mine.

And before I am accused of stunting their development - I’m not; we’ve read widely, consistently, explored all the nursery favourites and more besides but at the library we never have any joy and so I’ve pretty much given up.

Ariela · 24/06/2025 13:01

It'll pass - and then you'll miss it (well not quite, I won't miss the Jolly Christmas Postman) Before you know it she'll want to read to you (and that's just as excruciating, but again just a short phase)

DancefloorAcrobatics · 24/06/2025 13:02

Get a children's poetry book!
It's one book of toddler choice and one poem your choice ... worked a treat with mine until they got some favourite poems! 🤦🏻‍♀️

motleymop · 24/06/2025 13:07

FanofLeaves · 24/06/2025 11:08

I can read the same books on autopilot, doing all the voices, to my toddler while still using a compartment of my brain to think about what’s for dinner/a film I enjoyed/what jobs I need to apply for 🤣 it’s a real skill. I’m a nanny too so reading a lot of books repetitively is just part of my life.

it is very good for language and development though, the repetition and the cause and effect and expression and vocabulary etc etc so that’s the bigger picture.

Edited

Ha ha - same! I'm not a nanny but have two small children. I can think about other things whilst reading and doing all the voices 😃
Whilst a bit tedious, I'm happier sitting there with them than supervising their mad gadabouts and providing the slave service!!

motleymop · 24/06/2025 13:12

Takesomeofit · 24/06/2025 12:34

I always thought I’d love reading to my children but it is tedious with the toddler especially. She has very firm ideas about which books are acceptable and unfortunately these would not be my first choice.

DS is four and it’s more enjoyable with him, but it is hard as he asks endless questions throughout the book, even when he knows the answer. He keeps asking how the dogs chasing Hairy Maclairy will escape (they all get stuck) and I said their owner would get them out. Every page I am asked how the dog will get out and have to answer the owner will get them. It doesn’t help it’s at bedtime when everyone’s tired anyway!

I turn the questions around now and ask them what they think the answer is.

Takesomeofit · 24/06/2025 13:13

He still asks, though. He knows what the answer is 9/10 times but I’m sort of … done talking by bedtime!

motleymop · 24/06/2025 13:19

Yes, mine knows what the answer is and I felt like maybe she wanted to be the one to say it so I just ask her back. Works quite well as she feels happy with her clever response 😀

motleymop · 24/06/2025 13:20

Her:How will Bitzer Maloney escape?
Me: How do you think he'll escape?

stargirl1701 · 24/06/2025 13:22

I can still read from memory the books that were read incessantly at that age and DD1 is heading to secondary school after the summer. It’s an important stage. Don’t disregard it. You’ll soon be on to the next stage of reading.

NoKusuAllowed · 24/06/2025 13:23

Wow, thanks everyone for so many replies, suggestions, and empathy! I'll try to reply directly to a few when I have a moment but for more context:

I read all kinds of books with her; lift-the-flap, like the popular bunny hunt books, counting books, like 'Little Houses', Usborne poetry, knights of a the round table stories, The Library Lion, Sophie's Hat, How Does It Work? Monsters and Beasties... 'Her' books are books aimed at children one to eight years old, roughly speaking, though the older ones are usually fact or fairytale books so they still have lots of pictures. She likes predators and anatomy a lot, but not as much as 'Where's Mr. Unicorn?'.

Her speech is fantastic, and she will read most of the books alongside me, or quote them if we say a word that appears in one of them (for example, our neighbours are having work done, and when I explained to her that the loud noises were power tools, she rattled off three pages of a construction book I rotated out two weeks ago). She absolutely refuses to read to me, though will pick up and read the book herself if I'm too busy. We do all the book variations (how many butterflies can you see? What colour is Mouse's jacket?), and she really engages by asking about things she doesn't recognise, or pointing out things that she does, be that letters, nouns or saying "Oh no, Crocodile sad", "Mouse fell over, he sat on thistle!".

We have letter/number blocks and beads that's she adores, and it has affected her drawing in that she only wants to draw circles and letters. She insists that I write specific words for her, and is very insistent that she wants the word, not just the picture, when I try to encourage drawing images instead. I've written the words 'Mum', 'Dad', 'Cat' etc. so many times in the past month that it could cover the walls of a padded cell and look the part.

When I say 'my' books, I should clarify that I have an eclectic but non-fiction oriented bookshelf, so that includes art books from movies and video games, Lots of myths and British folktales, lots of encyclopaedias and guides about everything from wildlife and plants to dinosaurs to Egyptian tombs to heritage crafts to the history of medicine - she just pulled my 'Maps of Middle Earth' book off the shelf before I started typing, and has shown a reasonable amount of interest in 'An Illustrated Guide to British History' as well as my current audiobook about the ethics of archaeology. I guess she likes the authors' voice more than the content though :P

Most nights my husband will read fiction classics for all three of us, things like Harry Potter, LoTR, or, currently, I, Robot. She likes drifting to sleep while he reads, assuming she's not too interested in pointing out letters she knows. Though this ritual often takes some tears because she'd rather read 'Belinda Goes for Gold' for the nth time instead.

We go to the library about once a week, having skipped recently due to illness. We do check out a few books every time we're there, but they mostly go untouched above the at-home favourites. She mostly enjoys running around the library and saying hello to everyone, so not much reading happens while we're there.

Apologies for the long post! I'm thrilled she's so interested in language, and I know just how lucky I am to be able to support that, as well as knowing how important it is for her to go through the same books over and over. I just wish there was a way to not be so bored; definitely a me problem!

OP posts:
Spidey66 · 24/06/2025 13:29

Not a mum alert but…. when I was a kid we were taken to the library a lot. My mum, in a bid to get us to read widely, told us that the librarian would not allow us to take the same book out more than once. It worked, and I believed it till I was in my 20s. (Ok that’s an exaggeration but certainly til about 12 or so).

you maybe reading the same book over and over while it’s on loan but at least you’ll know you’ll have a fresh lot every week or two.

edited to add….ive just seen your post above mine and you already take her to the library.

she sounds a great child btw xxx

PlasticAcrobat · 24/06/2025 13:31

Though this ritual often takes some tears because she'd rather read 'Belinda Goes for Gold' for the nth time instead.

Whose reading session is it? Hers or yours and DH's? Harry Potter sounds fine. It's a children's story. But wait a few years for LOTR and Asimov. Of course she will enjoy the purely human aspect of all being together reading, and the comforting hum of part-understood and incomprehensible words, but it would be even lovelier for her if you were reading stories she could follow properly

Coffeeishot · 24/06/2025 13:34

I wonder if you are expecting too much from her Op i know you said her speech is good perhaps you are seeing her a bit older more intellectual than she actually is ?

FanofLeaves · 24/06/2025 13:41

Though this ritual often takes some tears because she'd rather read 'Belinda Goes for Gold' for the nth time instead

sorry but this is mad. She’s tiny. What are you trying to prove here? Let her have the books she can follow and enjoy. You’re going to bore her to tears with those kind of stories and potentially turn her off reading for pleasure for life, which is presumably not what you’re intending.

It’s not a reading session for you. It’s a vital developmental step, for her. It all reads like some strange boast about how intelligent and intellectual you all are. She has YEARS ahead of her to enjoy learning, for goodness sake don’t foist it all on her when she just wants you to put a silly voice on and read The Cat in the Hat.

Spudthespanner · 24/06/2025 13:41

StMarie4me · 24/06/2025 11:38

Parenting isn’t about you. It’s about what’s best for your child.

This is a tiny blip in time. You need to change your approach or the next 18 years are not going to go well.

Basically this. That’s what kids do. They need to do it for their development.

We go to the library once a fortnight and I rotate our own books at home too. There are too many so he has about a dozen or so at a time in his own bookshelf that are rotated every few weeks. He also has some of his favourite stories on Yoto cards so he can listen by himself.

But do I really want to read a book about trucks every night for weeks on end? No. He’s nearly 4 now though so I just say “we’ve read that one a lot and I’d like to read something different tonight” and that’s fine too.

OhHellolittleone · 24/06/2025 13:44

Have you got a yoto player? Get the books you feel are repetitive on yoto for her to listen to independently.

Spudthespanner · 24/06/2025 13:52

NoKusuAllowed · 24/06/2025 13:23

Wow, thanks everyone for so many replies, suggestions, and empathy! I'll try to reply directly to a few when I have a moment but for more context:

I read all kinds of books with her; lift-the-flap, like the popular bunny hunt books, counting books, like 'Little Houses', Usborne poetry, knights of a the round table stories, The Library Lion, Sophie's Hat, How Does It Work? Monsters and Beasties... 'Her' books are books aimed at children one to eight years old, roughly speaking, though the older ones are usually fact or fairytale books so they still have lots of pictures. She likes predators and anatomy a lot, but not as much as 'Where's Mr. Unicorn?'.

Her speech is fantastic, and she will read most of the books alongside me, or quote them if we say a word that appears in one of them (for example, our neighbours are having work done, and when I explained to her that the loud noises were power tools, she rattled off three pages of a construction book I rotated out two weeks ago). She absolutely refuses to read to me, though will pick up and read the book herself if I'm too busy. We do all the book variations (how many butterflies can you see? What colour is Mouse's jacket?), and she really engages by asking about things she doesn't recognise, or pointing out things that she does, be that letters, nouns or saying "Oh no, Crocodile sad", "Mouse fell over, he sat on thistle!".

We have letter/number blocks and beads that's she adores, and it has affected her drawing in that she only wants to draw circles and letters. She insists that I write specific words for her, and is very insistent that she wants the word, not just the picture, when I try to encourage drawing images instead. I've written the words 'Mum', 'Dad', 'Cat' etc. so many times in the past month that it could cover the walls of a padded cell and look the part.

When I say 'my' books, I should clarify that I have an eclectic but non-fiction oriented bookshelf, so that includes art books from movies and video games, Lots of myths and British folktales, lots of encyclopaedias and guides about everything from wildlife and plants to dinosaurs to Egyptian tombs to heritage crafts to the history of medicine - she just pulled my 'Maps of Middle Earth' book off the shelf before I started typing, and has shown a reasonable amount of interest in 'An Illustrated Guide to British History' as well as my current audiobook about the ethics of archaeology. I guess she likes the authors' voice more than the content though :P

Most nights my husband will read fiction classics for all three of us, things like Harry Potter, LoTR, or, currently, I, Robot. She likes drifting to sleep while he reads, assuming she's not too interested in pointing out letters she knows. Though this ritual often takes some tears because she'd rather read 'Belinda Goes for Gold' for the nth time instead.

We go to the library about once a week, having skipped recently due to illness. We do check out a few books every time we're there, but they mostly go untouched above the at-home favourites. She mostly enjoys running around the library and saying hello to everyone, so not much reading happens while we're there.

Apologies for the long post! I'm thrilled she's so interested in language, and I know just how lucky I am to be able to support that, as well as knowing how important it is for her to go through the same books over and over. I just wish there was a way to not be so bored; definitely a me problem!

This is all quite odd OP. It’s lovely that you’re excited about her interest in books. I mean, most kids are but yes, it’s lovely. I don’t know what the nightly ritual of reading adult fiction aloud to each other is about when she’s wanting to read her own books though.

Reading story books to kids is a very normal part of raising a child and you seem to be way overthinking it all. The list of what you have on your bookshelves is quite irrelevant, as is all the explanation of her letter blocks and drawing. You’re obviously very into your books and you are proud of your daughter. As I say, lovely.

Just keep reading to her and grit your teeth through the stories you’re bored off. There’s a hell of a lot more boredom coming your way, trust me.