Do some children go to bed without stories?

[IlanaK]

I was just wondering about this tonight. It is an integral part of the bedtime routine of my 4 year old, and even my 1 year old has just started having stories before bed. My 4 year old looks forward to it so much. In fact, it is the ultimate sanction to take away one story for bad behaviour (he gets three stories each evening).

Do your children go to bed without having stories? And if so, why? I am not criticising anyone, but am curious if everyone does it.

Mine have one ocasionally.

Mine do, but when they do ask me to read them a story I will, then and there, would never say no. The reason is because by 8pm I just want to have some peace and quiet.

My 16 month old won't sit when he's tired for a story... he gets all moody, he has dinner, milk, change, teeth brushed and bed. I read him a story before his afternoon nap, and at any quiet times I find in the day...

sometimes they do, but mostly they don't.

My dd has never, ever been to bed without a story. Like you, IlanaK, having a story taken away for bad behaviour between bathtime and bedtime is the ultimate threat.

I am not suggesting that people don't read to their kids at other times of the day too - we certainly do. I was just curious as to whether it forms part of every child's bedtime routine. I have visions of every British child across the country all sat down with their books at the same time

Yes my children go to bed without stories.
My older 2 are past this stage and DD3 is to pooped to enjoy stories t the end of the day, however she has plenty of stories read during the day when it's just "our time"

Mine don't get a story. It's not something i ever started. When my DS was 1 and probably would have had a story i was heavily pregnant with DD. After she was born i was too knackered to start!! They dont miss it because they've never had it, we do read altogether sometimes, but DS isn't very bookish, and DD would rather read her own!!

mine love their bedtime stories - dd (3) has four books and some made-up stories and often songs/nursery rhymes...it's also the ultimate sanction to take one away. ds (10 months) has been having stories since 6 months and loves them. He is too tired sometimes though so just sing him songs/nursery rhymes.
love reading to them - my fave time of day.

My kids choose a book each every night - though since being pg that has waned on occasion when I am counting the seconds to sitting on the sofa with my feet up.

We used to read to our dd when she was younger, but now she wants to read the story herself and turn the pages (she's only 2) so not a long of reading goes on......

Oh yes every night the book of the moment is Are lemons Blue? But last night she made me read Be careful santa as well, seemed so wrong in the middle of summer.

we have had be careful santa a few times recently aswell. odd, because they werent very interested at xmas. we have calming video, then story and hot chocolate. ds1 can stay up until ds2 falls asleep cos they share a room and he reads to himself in that time.

during ds2s three year check the hv gave him a book which he promptly threw on the floor. after a few attempts at getting him to read it she gave up and asked me 'does he know what to do with it?'. i was totally confused, how could he not know what to do with a book? she said she saw plenty of kids at three who had never used books at all, didnt know you turned the pages etc. very sad

My childrren (3&5) have them most nights. We have a Mr Men or Little Miss book (they chooses one each) before bed and they have longer storries in the day.

Message withdrawn

All three of mine have a story each before bed and they sometimes listen to each others. DS (6.5) now has chapter type books with no pictures so I tend to read to him on his own. They then get 10-15 minutes to look at books in bed.

I won't read them a story if we've got in late, I'm rushing off to college or we've had a hideous day and I need space and a glass of wine .

my dd doesn't get a bedtime story. we read plenty of books during the day when she pays more attention to it. she's usually too exhausted to follow a story when she's going to bed.

Nope, i read books in the afternoon, on the sofa. Just before bedtime is the only family time we get, it only lasts 20 minutes, I'm not wasting time messing about with books. That can be done at any time of the day.

One of the reasons I had children was to read to them in bed.

I don't usually they like to look at books by themeelves and was fed up of getting interuppted every second word.

I have just started to do it (dd 21 months) I always imagined I would read her a bedtime story even when I was pg but didn't know if she would really understand or sit still long enough.

She really enjoys it (although I am unsure if she thinks it's just a bedtime delaying tactic) and my hv who I saw last week really encouraged it as she thinks it will help to bring on her speech.

Ds1 is 5. He loves books and stories in the daytime but doesn't want them at bedtime. Instead he has a small wind-up radio so that he can listen to relaxing music for 20 minutes while he drifts off to sleep.

Ds2 is 2.5yrs and has only shown an interest in books for the past week or so. He doesn't understand stories at all but likes to point at the same pictures over and over.

aloha

classic middle class mnetters post

(although I agree it is lovely )