Hello Mamas,
This is my second child, she just turned 1 and she won't let me read to her!
She LOVES books, she has a good number of them (and we get some more from the library), she always picks some, I will find her "read" on her own, but as soon as I try to read to her, it's impossible. She'll listen for a few seconds and she'll want to grab it, turn the pages herself in any order, then she won't stay still and finally will start screaming!! I just can't finish a book in these conditions.
Her sister had the same love for books at the same very young age. She would read on her own too but she LOVED when I read to her. It became a special time that we have shared together since.
What advice could you offer or experience could you share?
Does it matter that she's not read to as long as she is in contact with books and likes them on her own? Should I insist anyway and finish the books on my own?
Thanks for your input.
F.
My dd was the same way and she grew out of it and loves to be read to now. When mine did that I just would let her flip through and look and talk at what she wanted or told her what she was pointing at. We did this for awhile, just naming things on the pages before she would actually let me read what was there.
My son went through that stage at about that age! Now at 5 he is learning to read himself and LOVES to be read to.
In my opinion, as long as she is interested in the books and exploring them herself, don't discourage her or try to force anything on her.
Maybe sit in the floor when she is looking at books and start looking at one and reading from it, at a distance. She'll probably climb in your lap!
Best of luck!
i have the same problem, we get those touch and feel books and when shes about to scream and run off i say "look feel how soft or hard or fuzzy or whatever" and her attention comes back
I just re-learned this parenting skill last night at a group meeting...
If you want her to sit still while you read, tell her "sit still while I read 2 pages" and if she does, let her hold the book and turn pages or hold a special stuffed toy. Then tell her again "sit still while I read 2 pages" and repeat.
Don't try to do too many pages, she is too young to sit for long. And she loves books so it's all good.
I think your fine. She's so young, her attention span is short, and it sounds like she's independent! :) Just keep doing what you're doing - and I like the "read to the doll" idea. Growing up with books and being read to is the key. I knew a family where the only books in their house were TV Guides, and I think the kids had trouble reading - imagine that! It sounds like you have a "reading culture" in your home, so I'm sure it'll work out in the wash.
Elizabeth is a busy body too, but LOVES her books. She loves her books to death. I think we will be replacing a few soon.
Anyway, what I have found that works for us, is that I have them memorized. That way when she starts taking the book away to turn pages, I just continue the story. You can also just finish the story anyway you want and get to a new ending. Don't get frustrated... She's just independent.
My son doesn't like me to read to him. I've discussed this with a number of professionals - his pediatrician and speech therapists. No one has expressed a concern. I think it was a control issue for my son. Just like when kids won't eat. So, I didn't force it. I figured my son would grow into it. I've gone as much as 3-4 months without trying to read to him, then we give it another go. He just turned three, and he will let me do the singing books with him. I've only read a story maybe 10 times to him in his life. Someone did tell me that it was okay if they were just in the room listening if they wouldn't sit in your lap while you read. Another suggestion was books on tape. This drives me crazy because I read a ton. Oh well!
What I do for example if I am reading a book is that I make my son act out the actions in the book.
It might be that your daughter needs movement during story time.
For example, if the character was leaping, crying, jumping. I ask my son to act out whatever the character is doing. I ask my son can you leap, jump, etc. Show me how well you can leap, jump, etc. Or if there are several items on the page I ask him to count the hats.
I also ask him to repeat certain repetitive phrases. Like in the little Red Hen: Not I, said the cat. Not I, said the hen. Not I, said dog. (you get the idea.)
Hope this helps.
--let dad read to her (or someone else)
--read until she gets tired, then put the book down and rest for a while, start again later from the ending point
--let her see you reading
--when she has a break down, tell her, "that's ok, I'll just read to the baby doll", read to the doll and act as though y'all are having an awesome time--she might want to join in
Good Luck!
My older son (now 6) wouldn't sit very long when I read to him when he was little. He would do pretty much the same thing as your daughter. BUT, at a very young age he would "read" his books also for long periods of time. It was part of our nightly ritual to read to him, but there were peroids that we skipped it b/c he just wouldn't sit for it.
My son started reading site words before he was 3 and was reading at almost a 2nd grade level going into kindergarten. He pretty much did it all on his own. There was a time (around 3) that he had us point to each word as we read it to him. We learned later that was his way of learning to read.
So, what I'm saying, it sounds like she has some interest in books, and that's good. Her approach may be different, but she doesn't sound like she's completely not interested. Give her simple books that have pictures with words that match. If she's looking at them on her own, those kind of books don't matter if you don't go in order.
BTW...My younger son (now 3) LOVES to be read to, but he definitely is not as far along in "reading" as his brother was at this age. They all approach it differently!!
