[tilly2321]

Hi. DS (just turned two) has always loved his bedtime books and nap books. It used to be just his two favorites and then he would drift off next to me. Now, it is a constant pleading and screaming for me to read like each book 10 times. Today I had to leave the room since he started flailing his arms and thrusting the book at me when i calmly told him "no, it's time for rest." I just don't know how to handle this since I feel guilty saying "no" to a book ( I mean all parents want their kids to love books, right?), but he pushes it too far and it is definitely his way of avoiding sleep. Are you all sticklers on this? Just a set amount of books and then lights out? Why am I such a wimp? I know that by being wishy washy I am just making things harder on him? Please share your advice.
thanks,
Elle

 

[Noisette's_Maman]

Maybe you could set an egg timer or alarm clock and use that as a signal that it's time to stop reading and go to sleep. That way it's not about a tug-of-war between the two of you...it's about minding the bell. My mom used to do this sort of thing with us...don't know if 2 years old is too young but it probably depends on the kid.

 

[Geofizz]

Our rule is that we read books twice. When a problem book gets thwaped in my lap, I make it clear that I'm happy to read it, but only twice. After the first round through, when DD requests I read it again, I say "Ok, one more time." After the second time through, I say that I'm happy to read her another book, but I've already read that one twice.

I've decided that I'm much happier spending an hour reading 10 books twice than a half hour reading 1 book twenty times.

 

[kerc]

funny about repeating books, that's how I spent my afternoon

for bedtime we pick three books. usually it is just one book from dad and one from mom. the third gets to stay in bed with her. But before that it was like "hey mom's got all the time in the world to read and I kinda like being read to"

i have to remind her EVREY night just three. She likes to test limits and I think it really helps her to know that the boundary is the same every time. Almost like each day she's asking "hey is it still three?, yep still three. whew good cuase 3 is a comfy number"

 

[Eustacia]

I have been very consistent with, "ok, this is the last time" and then I read through the book for the final time and it's off to nap or bed. It's always worked for us.