s/o: Do you read books to your kids every day?

wifeofadam · April 2014

@expatmama in the brag thread reminded me of a discussion I had with a friend earlier this week.

I'm the least patient person in the world at bedtime. Usually by bedtime it's been a long day and (this sounds terrible) I'm over the kids and ready for a break. I do the diapers, teeth, PJs, prayers, tuck them in bed, and all of that, but I do not read bedtime stories. My sister and my mother think I'm terrible for this, as they both always read at least 2-3 stories to each kid every night. I have no patience for that.

I justify it because with homeschooling, I read a million books to them throughout the day and we have scheduled family read aloud time. But I still sometimes feel negligent, like I'm SUPPOSED to be doing bedtime stories, too.

Do you read to your kids every day? Bedtime stories?

babywisher · April 2014

We read A LOT!! Ds has always loved to be read to or to read himself. Dd could care less. But we try. Dh will read 2 stories at bedtime. Before dd I would read A Bible story and 2 books each night. Now that dh does it all with him and I know they read A long time. I read at least 1 story to dd each night.

jesuisfatiguee · April 2014

We read a book every night at bedtime. Sometimes I end up skipping pages and sections if he's extra cranky, and I feel bad, but sleep takes precedent. I usually don't read to him during the day on the weekends or evenings before dinner, but lately he has been grabbing books and sitting in my lap (heart = melted), so of course I read to him then.

I think if your kids are being read to at all, you're doing a good job

holly321 · April 2014

We read throughout the day, but not at bed time. I tried with dd. She is the type to keep asking for one more to delay going to bed. It drives me nuts.

Puck1182 · April 2014

We read a ton most days. But the bedtime stories have kind of fallen off lately. We would get through half a book and then DD would start grabbing for my boobs, and by the time she was done nursing she was pretty much out. So our bedtime routine is just teeth, music and nursing now.

But she will make us read stacks and stacks of books during the day, so she's definitely not deprived of the reading experience!

ericalee27 · April 2014

For DS1, yes, every day -- it's a part of our bedtime ritual with him that we read 2 stories to help him wind down.

DS2 - eh. Sometimes we do during the day, sometimes we don't - but it's not a part of his bedtime routine. I still nurse him to sleep (FFFC?!)

wifeofadam · April 2014

DC2London said:

Jack also does a lot of reading on his own. So I might only read 3 story books to him in a day, but he will also read 2 or 3 books to me.

Isn't Jack three? He's already reading! Wow! Good job, Mama!

colinsfebmommy · April 2014

We read all the time, he LOVES books....I have resorted to hiding Brown Bear and this truck book for like a week so I can get a break from reading it lol

djm31012 · April 2014

DS and I read everyday but he LOVES books. We dont read at bed time tho its usually just while we are playing..he will grab a book and bring it to me, and he lasts about 4 pages then wants to play with the book himself. our nighttime routine includes an episode of bubble guppies and then a bottle in his rocking chair (we brush teeth before bottle/after bath...i know i know, but my dad is a dentist and said it doesnt matter.

Poppy523 · April 2014

My reading experience is a lot like DC with Rhys. I read two pages before DD tears the books from my hands so she can read it herself. I make her lie still for a story at bedtime...even if she doesn't want to...sounds endearing and sweet right?

kelly321 · April 2014

We go through phases. Some weeks DD1 will want to read every book in the entire world, and some weeks she doesn't wnt to read a single one. For quite a while we read Boynton's bedtime book that has 7 really really short stories in it. It was perfect, actually, because for a while it worked well as a threat when getting ready for bedtime (If you don't open your mouth and let me brush your teeth by the time I count to three, one story is gone). Starting with 7 stories, we could easily take a few away throughout the bedtime process. But then she got less interested in the stories and the threat became less effective. Now actually we've stopped reading and she doesn't seem to have noticed. When they're older I want to do chapter books as bedtime stories (a few pages every evening), but right now they're too young for that.

SidraJedi · April 2014

We do not do a bedtime story either. At the end of the day I am over it too, but I tried to do a bedtime story and apparently DD is her mother's daughter bc she is over it as well. At bedtime she is just ready to crash, having pushed herself to the limit. This may change when she weans but for now we do not do a bedtime story. -Although she LOVES the book Little Owl's Night!!!-

I used to read to her when we nursed. But at about 8 months when she started concentrating on walking and gaining some kind of independence she didn't want to just passively nurse and read. She only wanted to nurse to sleep or for thirst (which is still about 8 times a day :-S ) so no reading and nursing. Even at night it just keeps her up to read and nurse. She wants me to give her the boob and don't even look at her or touch her, just let her nurse to her heart's content and fall asleep.

However we read every day anyway. Since she started eating the books (teething with tooth number nine, an ongoing process for the last three months...) I have had to put the books away, but it is on my to-do list to read to DD daily so I pick out her two favorites (Baby Lit Dracula and Richard Scarey's Best Word Book Ever, which she has me read at least three times each) and one of her other books, different every time, and read to her until she walks away from it in pursuit of some other activity. Then I put the books away and mark it off my to-do list.

ally2011 · April 2014

My husband gets dd ready for bed, then reads to her and then I nurse her and lay her down(awake). That's usually all she is read to, but he reads several books. She loves books and they are a main toy. When I read to her she often says "dada". Ha.

cinnasugar · April 2014

We read three (short) stories to DD before bedtime as part of our routine. Doing three has been a blessing and a curse, but works as an incentive/discipline measure if she misbehaves during bath time...then we can take one away without having to scrap the whole reading routine.

I've been trying to read to DS before bed, but usually he would rather throw the book on the floor, so I pretty much read him a page or two as part of the bedtime routine, so eventually that will become part of his routine too.

singingsea · April 2014

We read a lot randomly and he's such a hot mess at bedtime we don't do "bedtime" stories. Maybe when he gets a little older.

wifeofadam · April 2014

Sagen said:

The boys room together so often times the older reads to his younger brother.

This is the case with my boys, too.

kleigh926 · April 2014

We do read everyday, but she doesn't often have the patience to get through a whole book. She brings over a book, sits for a page or two, and then jumps up to run around again. The ones we do read all the way through are very short ones with only one or two sentences per page ("baa baa! Lamb" etc.).

Justinlove · April 2014

Yes. I read to them daily.

Drea926 · April 2014

We've been reading bedtime stories since before he could appreciate it. I just really like
the ritual and it's my favorite part of the day. :-)

mishka29 · April 2014

We do one short book before bed. She gets pretty impatient if its too long. Other times she will bring a book to us, sit in our lap and let us read 1 page before she gets up and runs away.

sjames2 · April 2014

We read 1 or 2 short stories before bed every night (Goodnight moon or Mommy Hugs).
DD has about 20-30 little board books that we have had out with her toys since she was about 6 months old. She will grab them and bring them to us to read them to her. And we read them many times in a row. However, in the last 2 months they have become more of a teething toy than anything. So we have had to take them away. But it try to grab a few everyday and read them to her. I also love Dr Suess books and will read the nonboard ones to her. Here is what one looks like after she starts on it.

stacrb98 · April 2014

We read multiple times a day but only a few times a week at bed time. Often times her patients is thin by bedtime but I hope as she gets older to build bedtime stories into our routine.

jllmb79 · April 2014

As part of our nap and night time routine they both get 3 books , 6 books per day each. I use to read to them both together but DD#1's books are too long for DD#2 to sit though. Some times DD#1 will ask to read picture books to DD#2.

TarheelMama202 · April 2014

We read every day but not necessarily at bedtime. Bedtime is all about listening to some classical jams and having some warm milk. We usually read at other points in the day.

apastinack · April 2014

We don't read at bedtime, but we read everyday. Pax likes to bring me books throughout the day and I read them to him.

tamarar5 · April 2014

We read at bedtime about half the time. It kind of depends on our schedule. We don't have a strict bed time- even though I try. Sunday through Thursday I have them get ready by 8 and in bed by 8:30. Depending on how much resistance I get determines our book status.

I have to say, I never understand why it is a shock that DD must put ob pajamas and brush her teeth every single night. I swear, from the battles I get you would think I was trying to shave her head bald or something.

Rosebean · April 2014

I read to DS between PJs and bottle. But it's only a super short board book with little words on the pages because all he cares about it flipping pages. So for now, it takes 2 minutes to read it. And half the time I have to fight to keep the book open.

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