[tuffykenwell]

Don't get me wrong, I think its WONDERFUL that DS likes to be read to so much but honestly my throat is ragged from reading! DH and I take turns getting up with him in the morning (DH works evening shift) and whoever gets up with him gets to look forward to about 3 hours of reading...then he goes for his nap and when he wakes up I am reading to him all evening long. He gets mad if you try to stop reading (even if he goes off and appears to be doing something else...he is still listening and gets mad if you stop).

The only time he doesn't expect to be read to is when we take the dog for her walk. He even wants to be read to while he is nursing at night....I am assuming that this is a normal toddler stage (he is 16 months) but anyone have any ideas on how to interest him in other activities as well?

Steph

 

[ja mama]

We stop reading if he gets up, when he sits back down the story resumes. He learned that quick. Stop reading and just tell your own silly stories about the pictures. Get some animal books and do funny sounds, do machinery sounds. Make the same sounds from the book with his farm animals or tractors. Does he have any 'big boy' toys? Is he just tired of all his little guy toys? You could try to put away some of his toys and offer some that correspond with his favorite books. And my all time favorite, start reading chapter books that are way over his head. It would bore ds1 to tears. Ds2 has a big brother as a distraction.

 

[NoHiddenFees]

I have a similar experience with 21 mo dd. We cap her reading at about three hours a day, but she would gladly have me read all day. When the weather is good, we're out for at least a couple hours a day, but when she's home, she want to be read to. I've established a couple rules to help keep the sanity:

1. No reading in the playroom. I'll put on a CD of nursery rhymes or the like, but mom doesn't crack open a book.

2. No more reading while nursing (except to sleep at night... we always to the same three bedtime books). DD is a big girl and we were getting worried about her possibly associating nursing with reading to the point that she would continue to nurse just to have another book. We don't want to mess up her "full" triggers.

ja mama: I tried the chapter book thing. Not only does she want me to keep reading, but she seems to pay even closer attention. We've now read Little House in the Big Woods 5 times cover to cover... usually 50 pages at a time. Not sure I want to further open this can of worms right now, so I'm not going to try any others. She does, however, show distaste for adult non-fiction... probably because the authors don't worry so much about how the words sound together. But all this produces is, "Mommy, not that book... THIS book."

 

[tuffykenwell]

Quote:

Originally posted by NoHiddenFees She does, however, show distaste for adult non-fiction... probably because the authors don't worry so much about how the words sound together. But all this produces is, "Mommy, not that book... THIS book." [/B]

Rhys does this too...except non verbally LOL...he grabs the offending book from your hands and shoves the "correct" book in then yells at you to indicate you are to start reading...can't WAIT till he can use words!

Steph

 

[EmmalinesMom]

Could you record yourself and dh (and anyone else) reading some of these stories, and then play the tapes for him sometimes, especially when he is listening and playing at the same time?

 

[girrllie]

Have you tried just setting some limits? Like, "now it's time to play some. reading time is over for now." Sometimes I have to do this with DD. Occasionally she will get angry about it, but usually she's o.k. with it.

 

[natashaccat]

you mamas are wonderfully patient!

I broke down and removed all the book from rooms other than the bedroom. I took half the bedroom books and put them in the closet, leaving only 15 out. I'll rotate them in a week or so.

 

[velochic]

Our dd, 19 mos. is the same way with reading and I only recently came up with a solution. It was getting to the point where I couldn't get anything done during the day so one day, after reading for a couple of hours, and repeating the same book for about the 20th time, I took the book, put it in her hands and told her, "You're a big girl now. You can read the book to yourself." It actually worked. She went over to another chair, sat down and started "reading" the book to herself. Of course, she only recognizes individual letters and can't actually read yet, but she kind of told the story from the pictures. And it let me have some time to fold the laundry!

It doesn't work everytime, but I can often ask her to "read" it to herself and she will spend 30 minutes or so doing that. I love to read myself, and don't want to discourage her in any way from reading, so I don't want to limit reading or say no. I think it is a phase. She has started really enjoying pretend playing with her dolls, so I think this wanting to read all day will pass.

 

[PONOKELAMAMA]

not sure how old you babe is, but i agree with vilochic! our ds, now 29 months, was the exactly the same reading maniac from nine months on! about six months ago, we starting "taking turns" od mommy/daddy reads a book, and the "kaleb takes a turn". belive me, after the THOUSANDS of times you have read the same books to your babe, they do remember most if not all the words and the story. if they do not remember, they use their imagination and make up their own story line. this is what made reading a bit more leisurely instead of a constant ongoing process. you might want to give it a try! good luck and happy reading!

 

[tuffykenwell]

I'll have to try some of those ideas. It really is cute that he enjoys reading so much. He loves it when I get on the floor with him and he can climb on my lap and have me read to him (until my legs go numb anyhow LOL!)

I agree that I don't want to discourage him from his enjoyment of reading...just occasionally want to get something else done LOL!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Steph

 

[oatmeal]

Oh my gosh - just wanted to say I feel your pain ladies. I adore that dd likes reading so much. During the day I am ok with reading everything she brings to me (if I'm not crazy trying to work) but at night I set a limit at 6 books - it's usually right after bath time and she wants to go go go. After book #6 I tell her mommy's too tired now, you read." Sometimes it works and somtimes she gets mad - but hey - when your'e brain dead there's not much that can be done.

Sometimes when i am too braindead for even the 6 books I just open the book and turn the pages for her and sing a googfy song instead of reading - she still loves it and looks at the pictures and words. It gives me a break.

 

[USAmma]

I think they just want your undivided attention. Dd gets 3-4 books at bedtime, a couple before naps, and that's pretty much it. I just tell her I'm tired and ask her to read to her bear or whatever. She will then "read" it to her own audience.

Darshani

 

[bananasmom]

My dd won't sit still for one book, I try and try and try and try, but she just keeps moving. I wish she'd listen to as many books as you describe.

I guess we all should be careful what we wish for, huh?

 

[NoHiddenFees]

Quote:

My dd won't sit still for one book, I try and try and try and try, but she just keeps moving.

There's tonnes of stuff you can do with kids that don't stay still. Reciting & singing nursery rhymes and poetry is probably the easiest. I have never required dd be still when we read... it only matters that she listens. When she was younger, I would sit on the bed reading her books while she cruised around the bed. It's only been in the past 5 months or so that she'd ever sit still to read a book (other than when sitting on the potty)... and her sitting on my lap is still the exception.

Since she started talking, reading is a much more interactive thing; she tells me when I've skipped a page or -- heaven forfend -- got a word wrong, and I frequently pause for her supply words or finish sentences whether or not she's looking at the book. We often skip the text and just talk about what's in the pictures. Instead of doing this with a whole book, a page here and there could do just as well; eventually you'll have covered all the pages.

My favourite nursery rhyme books are the one's edited by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells; there's a weath of detail to discuss in the pictures, but they're not cluttered. Barnes and Noble sells a B&N edition that contains both volumes in one that retails only $10. We've picked up three so we have a couple to cut up for the pictures when dd is ready to to collage.

 

[NoHiddenFees]

Duplicate post.

 

[Lovebugsmommy]

have him set the timer and say that this is reading time when it buzzes reading time is over for a while... after nap time you can set the timer again... ... if you want you can set the timer for one hour of your reading and one hour of his reading and then your done for the day or for a while at least.