I am gritting my teeth with exasperation because DS1 no longer wants to read 'at home' books.

[lynniep]

I just want a rant really. DS1 is doing so well at school. He's surprised us in a wonderful way by taking to reading like a duck to water. We have lots of books at home for him to read, and bought him the DK Readers - the whole Star Wars Collection for Christmas (well some he will be getting for his 5th birthday next week) because he LOVES Star Wars and he loves these books.

We read with him at bedtime (he reads one or two to us, then we read a couple to him) We've always read to him but its been great watching him learn and be able to do it as well.

I'm just exasperated because he came home the other day and said 'I only have to read one school book because thats what everyone else does. I'm not reading anything else because I dont have to'.

We probed further and he's saying this because his friend has told him that his mummy and daddy have told him that they dont have to read other books. Just the ones the teachers send home.

ARRRRGHH!! I know I can't control the conversations of a five year old. It was just aLL GOING SO WELL!! I'm so irritated that the other kid has been told this. Its none of my business whether he reads anything else at home or not. I just wish he hadnt said that. I wish my DS1 wasnt so quick to believe his little friend. I wish he'd believe it when his own mummy and daddy say its up to us what we read and if we enjoy it then we should keep doing it.

GAAAAHH!!

ok rant over.

Oh he will change his mind. Have some fun books knocking around like 'Aliens love underpants'. He won't be able to resist asking you to read it to him and then you will catch him reading it himself!

Awwww, am sure he'll come back to it. I would leave it for a few days/week/however long and then say something like "no, of course you don't have to do it but it's a bit like watching telly (if you do that)/riding your bike/fun activity, you don't have to do it, but it's a really nice thing to do because it's fun." I would chill out a bit and not take 5 year old conversations too seriously, they say all sorts of things .

thanks guys. I know you're right. I think when he gets his new books next week he'll get back into it. Thinking about it I might introduce a reward chart and have it next to his bed, so if he manages a whole book he gets a star which will eventually lead to a present (this will only work if blinking DH stops buying him random presents anyway - thats a whole other rant LOL!)

Go for the rewards if you want, but I wouldn't make an issue of it- that'll put him off! I reckon leaving it a bit then as you say having some books he can't resist will get him reading again before you know it. A break is good sometimes though and they are still quite young. Think of the long road. DS here started reading in the summer hols, his choice, then didn't read anything whole autumn term of reception (they didn't have reading books then either). Then started again and had improved lots just from the phonics at school and time I guess. We've been doing lots at home each day like you but I think we might have a break soon.

I agree with Tgger -play it cool!

Of course, another alternative is to drip into general conversation about how sad it is that his friend's parents some people don't enjoy reading with their child, and what a shame that child some people are missing out on so much fun and so many exciting stories.

pleasedon't go down the reward chart/persuasion route. You're storing up a whole lot of issues.

Back off completely, FFS he's only 5.

Keep up with you reading to him at bedtime, and pick exciting boy-friendly books. DS1 is 7 and still loves us reading Harry Potter to him at night.

Once his confidence picks up, and he starts to read fluently, he'll be begging you to allow him to stay up a bit later and read on a bit by himself.

I'm with your son

hokay, will carry on reading to him and hope that his new books bring back his enthusiasm!

I would leave it, X's mum and dad are obviously much cooler than you this week but give it a few weeks and he will soon realise that the grass is always greener!

DD thought her friends mum was so cool as she taught her friend how to get ahead in reading and found her lots of extra books to her for tuition at that explore learning place, asked the teacher for 'special work' did extra projects etc. Then one morning her friend let it slip that that her brother was in big trouble as the rule in their house was to read/do some work thingy before they got breakfast. You could just see dd processing this notion, she was no longer impressed!

How about "telling" stories instead of reading them?