[SRHS]

I wish I could tell stories off the cuff to my kids, but sadly I lack that kind of creativity...so I READ LOTS my kids are great at the stories and i write them down for them...And like many of you, I feel like I am an oddity in my community..homeschool and at large...for reading to my kids...I'm so surprised how many people DON'T read to their kids!!! (They are all going to HELL!!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> )<br><br>
I read to my infants, even if it was my books in a motherese voice.<br><br>
My 9 year old did not learn to read early, but has always loved to be read to....the 5 year old is reading some and has always been read to. We just enjoy it. My DH even loves it...maybe he just enjoys watching my antics and voice changing???<br><br>
I don't think we could overdo a Read to Your Kids campaign...or anyone else's kids either!!!

 

[Pandora114]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>dharmamama</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Read to her while she's eating or taking a bath.<br><br>
Namaste!</div>
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Reading while eating is a no go. I have a hard enough time getting her to eat anything, that we have to eat in total silence for her to be able to take one or two bites without getting distracted.<br><br>
Eating in the bath, no go too. Not enough room to sit in the bathroom away from the bathtub...She no longer has any water proof books...and well..I dont believe in mistreating books. And getting them soaked..well that's just not cool KWIM?<br><br><div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>3momkmb</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">My DS never sits still and he appears to be paying no attention to me at all, but he is listening. Our story time usually consists of him rolling all over the floor, playing with cars or jumping on the bed. However, if I read something funny he'll laugh and he really does remember what I've read to him. I wouldn't worry about trying to get her to sit still.<br><br>
If she wants to turn pages could she have her own book?</div>
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This kid isn't paying attention though. I can tell. If I read her a story she's all over and in other rooms and just totally ignoring me. She just does not care and has other more important things to do. She's more into her Gross Motor play than anything that has to do with brain power...trust me I can tell when I'm being ignored. She ignores me so I give up. I really hate not reading to her..but...if she ignores me what's the point? And getting her her own book? She rips pages...as I said I abhore mistreatment of books and having her shred pages of any book really rubs me the wrong way. I have to tape up a few pages of her Once Upon a Potty book because she got ahold of it...<br><br>
I let her shred paper to her hearts content. Anything that has to go into the recycling, I hand to her to rip up. She gets LOTS of ripping and shredding time...she just really really enjoys ripping books. and I dont like it. Books are for years of enjoyment...and I dont have the money to keep replacing the books she shreds....

 

[Butter]

I haven't really noticed any sort of campaign like that. I mean there are posters in the library, but goodness, it's a library. I expect that. Of course I don't have a TV nor do we listen to the radio much (we only have one in the van and it's off almost all the time). I haven't noticed any billboards to that effect, however.<br><br>
I do think it's a good thing to remind parents to read to kids. For many parents it's sadly not something they'd think of. (And I definitely am not a storyteller... my 6 year old is a better storyteller than I am. And, oh, man, I would die in a house without books.)

 

[EmsMom]

I read to my kids about every day. Since they were infants. I love to read and I read to myself 4 to 5 books a week. I really don't think "advertising" is going to work to increase reading all that much. Because I buy nearly all of our books at yard sales I am sadly aware that the quality of books that most children are exposed to are extremely poor. The pictures are ugly, the words have no beauty, no rhythm, no complexity. I just can't see how reading these types of books is going to make a child really love to read. When reading was rare it was coveted; when books were costly and out of reach they were treasured. People have risked iimprisonment to learn to read or to teach another literacy skills. Maybe the ads should show a happy Mom or Dad cuddled up with the kids on the couch or bed reading something really wonderful and the only words we would hear are the words of the author... Of course, I don't watch t.v. so I haven't seen the current ads! I do, however, resist the "prizes" offered for reading at local libraries, etc Our children are soooo smart and wonderful, they deserve to read just for fun!

 

[Pandora114]

I hear ya EmsMom! I used to be a voracious reader, I still am but I have no books TO read! Seriously I own Earths Children, The Belgariad and the Malorean and Belgarath the Sorcerer that is IT!!! My mom has a HUGE library of books I"m interested in but..they are hers lol. Mabe when she passes I'll get em. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"> But for now, I've read all the books that intrest me in the house...DH has some Sci Fi and video game based novels..but they dont intrest me in the slightest. And of course books are a luxury we can't afford right now, and our local library, that's a joke, it's run by the Canadian Armed Forces and has jack squat. Heck, the library in the rural town my parents live in has a better selection of Fantasy and thrillers...<br><br>
It pains me that my daughter wont be a reading kid. Since she doesn't really care to be read to, nor does she really care that books exist except for her ripping and shredding pleasure...and well she doesn't see me read because I have no books...it's really one of those things that breaks my heart....I really want to set an example....but she just wants to work on other things....

 

[3momkmb]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Pandora114</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">It pains me that my daughter wont be a reading kid. Since she doesn't really care to be read to, nor does she really care that books exist except for her ripping and shredding pleasure...and well she doesn't see me read because I have no books...it's really one of those things that breaks my heart....I really want to set an example....but she just wants to work on other things....</div>
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Don't give up yet! Maddie was very much not interested in books at that age but loves to listen now (she's 10). She was a scribbler not a shredder LOL! I certainly didn't read much then either with a newborn in the house and trying to keep her out of trouble. She's still not reading due to a developmental delay, but she's getting a lot from hearing me read to her and she's starting to enjoy *reading* graphic novels.

 

[chfriend]

Pandora...She could still be a voracious reader. They change a lot over time.<br><br>
DD2 loves to be read to. Has particular favorite books at almost 2. DD1 (5.8)was too on the go to like it until last year. I told her stories about Princess (her name) who live in a castle in (our town) with her mommy, Queen Mommy and her Amma, Queen Amma and her dragon (pet's name) who breathed fire (fire noise). Then I'd "fairy tale" anything she'd done that day...while she was in the bath, building something (she's always building something)...kind of like I sing when we're doing stuff. I'd also pick up a book and read while she built.<br><br>
Of course, the Magic School Bus books she'd sit for when she was tired. Anything to help her fight sleep. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
I don't have any feeling one way or the other about the read to your kid campaigns. I think parenting is best when the parent is really engaged with the kid and reading can be a big part of that since it's a mellow things to do together. Personally, I'd rather the money be spent dropping off giant boxes of new books in underfunded neighborhoods. Fast food places giving them instead of plastic toys. Kid prizes at the supermarket instead of cookies and balloons (but not instead of the car carts, I need the car carts.) Charities competing with each other to match the books to their values....One leaving books of KJV bibles, one Captain Underpants, one King and King. Like that.<br><br>
After that we could start a campaign to drop off boxes of math manipulatives and microscopes, but I digress.<br><br>
That's just my happy dream world.

 

[Ravin]

For the toddler who won't hold still for reading, have you tried while nursing? I read to DD while she nurses at naptime and bedtime. We usually do one picture book (often a board book, which she can then hold and even when she was younger I didn't have to stress about it getting torn up) and then from a chapter book (right now we're reading Lord of the Rings--we've gotten into the Two Towers) until she's asleep.

 

[dharmamama]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Pandora114</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">This kid isn't paying attention though. I can tell. If I read her a story she's all over and in other rooms and just totally ignoring me.</div>
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If you are absolutely convinced that you can't read to her and she gets nothing from it, I'd say read whatever YOU want to read and read it out loud. Your daughter will get used to hearing people read out loud, whether she "listens" or not, and, perhaps when she's older, that experience with hearing people read aloud will ease the transition to being read to.<br><br>
Namaste!

 

[Pandora114]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Ravin</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">For the toddler who won't hold still for reading, have you tried while nursing? I read to DD while she nurses at naptime and bedtime. We usually do one picture book (often a board book, which she can then hold and even when she was younger I didn't have to stress about it getting torn up) and then from a chapter book (right now we're reading Lord of the Rings--we've gotten into the Two Towers) until she's asleep.</div>
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Umm she stopped at 8 months due to my stupidity.<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bag.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Bag">:

 

[4evermom]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Pandora114</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">It pains me that my daughter wont be a reading kid. Since she doesn't really care to be read to, nor does she really care that books exist except for her ripping and shredding pleasure...and well she doesn't see me read because I have no books...it's really one of those things that breaks my heart....I really want to set an example....but she just wants to work on other things....</div>
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Maybe books on tape would be nice for her. She would still get exposure to language, stories, and practice with visualization. Another idea is to read a story to another child in your child's presence. My ds doesn't hold still for stories, either, so I don't read to him much (and I certainly don't try to make him sit still, just don't want him jumping on me or getting destructive, which I take as a sign that he wants a different kind of attention), but sometimes when other children are being read to, he wanders over to see or listens as he plays.

 

[Jennifer3141]

I heard a show on NPR about kids who read a few months ago and one of the things that I remember about the story is that kids who read voraciously often have a couple of things in common: their parents read a lot themselves and there are a lot of books in the house, not just kids' books but books for everyone on every subject.<br><br>
I have a ton of "rescue" books in my house. They came from garage sales, library sales, used book stores, amazon.com's sale page. You have to love those dime books! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[ShannonCC]

What reading campaign? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> We don't have cable and on the rare occaion I do listen to the radio (instead of a CD) I'm one of those people who turns the station when a commercial comes on <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> I haven't seen any billboards either. Our library has the drive every summer but I'd expect that of a library <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> But still, I don't think you can over-do a "read to your kids" message.<br><br>
Bridget wanted to be read to daily from a very young age. She loves books and now, at 7, she reads to herself for hours a day. Owen, on the other hand, wasn't interested for a very long time. It wasn't until he was 3 that he became interested in being read to. I didn't push it. IMO, the main reason to read to a kid is to make reading *fun* <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> Something they will love and want to do themselves because of how enjoyable it is. Pushing it and forcing a kid to be read to when he doesn't want to be is not fitting into that for me. I doubt the read to your kid campaign is about making reading into yet another "assignment" for the poor kid. I'm assuming it's more about just reminding parents to offer to read to their children on a regular basis since too many people don't think of it.<br><br>
And reading to babies is a great idea IMO <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> They just like hearing our voices <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love">

 

[ShannonCC]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Jennifer3141</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I have a ton of "rescue" books in my house.</div>
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<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> I've never heard that term. I like it <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up"> We get a lot of books that way too. The consignment store (that's actually the most expensive though!), garage sales, library book sales, etc. I go back and forth wondering if you can have "too many books" <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bag.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Bag">: On the one hand - no such thing <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> But from a storage perspective, yeah. We're working on it. The thing is, every time we figure it out, we then get MORE books and we're back at square one <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[AuntLavender]

on his own! I'd read really short board book stories that only had 4-6 sentences in them. It also helped to borrow library books he was interested in (he liked anything about trucks).<br><br>
Children change as they grow up. Your child is only a little over 3 and that is still very young IMO. Don't give up!<br><br>
*I always give books as presents on birthdays, etc. and I read a lot myself.

 

[sunnmama]

I don't think the importance of reading to young children can be overemphasized. I just think that the goal of 20 minutes a day is a very low standard. For the mainstream public, a goal of 1 minute of reading for every minute of tv or dvds might be a better target! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[captain optimism]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Pandora114</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">...local library, that's a joke, it's run by the Canadian Armed Forces and has jack squat. Heck, the library in the rural town my parents live in has a better selection of Fantasy and thrillers...<br><br>
It pains me that my daughter wont be a reading kid. Since she doesn't really care to be read to, nor does she really care that books exist except for her ripping and shredding pleasure...and well she doesn't see me read because I have no books...it's really one of those things that breaks my heart....I really want to set an example....but she just wants to work on other things....</div>
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She's only three. My son isn't weaned or toilet trained, and he sometimes has tantrums. I figure, when he's older, he won't nurse or wear a diaper, or throw a temper tantrum! His behavior now isn't going to indicate his behavior later. I hope he'll still love reading when he's older, but who knows?<br><br>
That is a big bummer about your local library. I was going to suggest that with an active girl like yours, you might try the library story hour. They always do songs in between the stories with hand motions, and the peer pressure might also be helpful.<br><br>
Maybe it would be worthwhile to put together a playgroup with other moms of littles around that age that has story time as part of it.

 

[Brisen]

I'm torn about them. I can see how, if the gov't or whoever is going to spend $ on PSAs, it might as well be for encouraging reading. On the other hand, it doesn't seem to be doing much good. I also think that too much emphasis is put on early reading and too little on family reading and parental literacy.<br><br>
We too are a reading family, though it goes in waves, depending on the weather and how exciting our current book is. I didn't read out loud to my first until he was old enough to enjoy looking at/playing with board books, but of course subsequent kids get reading in utero as I read to older ones. My middle kid really enjoys picture books but gets annoyed if I spend too much time reading the chapter books his big brother likes. I spend a lot of my nursing time reading, either to myself or out loud. My youngest, around the time she turned one, started *insisting* that she have a little book to look at shile she nursed. Even now, if she gets hurt and wants to nurse, she'll take the time to go to the bookshelf (crying all the while) and get a book. My dh had a good laugh the first time he saw the two of us reading and nursing. And it's always sweet to wander into the quiet livingroom and find all three kids on the couch, each with a book, or dk#1 reading to his younger sibs. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"><br><br>
Pandora, I say don't sweat it. Sorry there's so little available to read -- can you get more books through interlibrary loan? I just recently read the Belgariad books <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> I do agree that if she doesn't want to sit and be read to, don't push it. Kids go through phases. Just keep modelling as much as you can.

 

[eilonwy]

I don't think it's overblown at all, but i do have a question:<br><br>
When BeanBean was little, I read to him every single day without fail; while nursing, while snuggling to sleep, you name it. Today, though, I have three children and I'm lucky if I get to read to/with any of them, let alone all of them. I'm almost never awake long enough to read to Bella. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/guilty.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="guilty"> To be honest, one of the reasons that I'm looking forward to having my nieces here next year/later this summer is that Chibi will be able to read to everyone while I run laundry. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/guilty.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="guilty"> So how do you read to your kids if you've got more than one?

 

[AuntLavender]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>eilonwy</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">So how do you read to your kids if you've got more than one?</div>
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in the morning after breakfast and during the day and I still read a bedtime story to my children (ages 3, 6 1/2, 8 1/2, 9 1/2) but in the living room and not with them in bed and me perched on the edge of their bed or on the floor!<br><br>
We're homeschoolers so we do a lot of reading. In fact I have to suggest that my children go to sleep because the older ones are each doing reading at night instead of sleeping. I have to wonder why the public schools here promote reading so strongly when I can't get mine to set their books down! Stop reading and go to bed! (That's what reading lights were made for!)