(my son at 6 months - pleasantly enjoying a book)
I am a big advocate of reading to your children early. I started reading to my son soon after he was born and continued reading to him as he grew. As he grew older, I was pleasantly suprised at how much he loved looking through books and listening to me read to him. Even the nursery workers at church mentioned how much he enjoyed it when they read to him. He was such a good little listener!
But not for long. Around 8 months (he’s 11 months now), that all changed…he became an active, squirmy, destructive little guy, and while he still liked looking at the pictures, he also wanted to turn the pages (like a bull in a china shop) and, unfortunately, many of the pages were getting ripped.
So…I turned to board books. He still loves looking through these and studying the pictures, but he wants to flip through the pages so fast I can’t even read them. PLUS, he doesn’t stay on my lap very long before he wants to look at another book and starts wiggling away.
So, here’s my question.
I want to expose my son to literature knowing the positive effects that it has on children as well as having heard time and time again that one of the best things you can do your your child’s overall development is to read to them - but he moves at 100 miles per hour! I know that it can be done, as I’ve heard dozens of women talk about reading to their babies every day (out of books that have a considerable amount of content), but how do you do it?
Any tips? Any suggestions? Is this a dumb question!?
Kristy says:
I’m no expert in this department (our oldest is just 4 years old!) but I do think that little ones are grasping more than you think even while they’re wiggling! Amy, our 4 yr old, sits and listens attentatively while my husband or I read, but her 2 yr old sister is another story. Emily’s attention span is much shorter at this stage of her life; I don’t make her sit still and listen while I read but she still really enjoys “story time”. Most of the time Emily browses through a book of her own while I read another book to Amy- I don’t sweat it if Emily doesn’t seem to be listening. Busy toddlers are often absorbing much more than we realize!
I’ve found this theory to be true in church services too; the girls are usually occupied with toys or coloring pictures during the sermon, but a day or two later they’ll mention something my husband preached about. It’s amazing how well kids can multi-task!
Soooo… my advice is JUST KEEP READING! Even if your little one is wiggling away and seems to be getting absolutely nothing from your efforts, he IS absorbing something. His attention span will lengthen as he gets older and, in the mean time, he’ll be developing a love for books that will probably last a life time.
~Kristy @ Homemaker’s Cottage
June 21st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
lacy reyes says:
I agree! I read a lot to my 6 yr old and 13month old! My baby squirms all over and plays with other things or finds a book of her own while Im reading. My six year old…he’s a hyper active child too, but can usually sit through one book! If I keep reading to them while they are playing, my oldest will stop and ask questions, and will still be asking questions all through the week about it, so even though it looks like they are not paying me any attention, it seems it does sink in! I’d keep on reading to him as he looks at other books or plays with toys!
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:45 am
deb says:
As a long time mom/grandma I can tell you that it is simply the age. He now needs to explore his world and will for quite awhile. You can still read to him as he plays on the floor and he will hear you and at times, like when he is sleepy, he will climb into your lap for a good read. Just relax for now and let him be himself and expand his energy and learn about his world.
June 22nd, 2008 at 8:13 am
Erin says:
Boys can be a tough audience once they start moving, eh? I had one who loved to read (the only time he sat still), but my little one now, although he loves to hear books, he only started sitting for them in the last year or so(today is his third birthday). So, while you may need ideas for now, be encouraged that everything is for a season, and your desire to read is a wonderful one.
I agree that little ones listen even while running around. When I read to my clan (ages 3-11 now) I let them play or color while I read as long as they are not talking or distracting others. If there are pictures the little ones run over occasionally to check in and ’see’ what’s going on, but they still absorb it all whether looking or not. Some activities my kids like while we read: Legos, playdough, pipe cleaner creations, blocks (this one doesn’t always work), coloring, and I’m sure there are many others. Sometimes my kids like to look at another book while I read a different one.
One other time we enjoy reading is when kids are sleepy, they seem to sit more then and quietly listen. But, I think they might actually hear and learn more playing around and listening than those quiet bedtime stories.
I look forward to hearing others’ tips for reading with young ones.
~Erin
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
elizabeth wickland says:
I remember our daughter going through something similar, so you’re not alone! A couple ideas for you…
1. Read aloud to your son while he’s playing in his room. Or if he likes to color, give him a picture related to the story to color while you read. Ellie just loved to color at that point and sometimes we’d give her pictures to color all over and she’d sit still for that so we could read to her and sometimes she’d look up at the book, etc.
2. Read some of your favorite books onto tape/mp3/burn to CD whatever. Then, while you let your child flip through the board book as fast as he wants, you can play the same book on tape that you’ve read without fighting over the words on each page with him.
Good luck!
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:19 am
Trace says:
You Read To Him In The TUB!!!
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Darby Jane says:
I have a 27 month old daughter and 14 mth old son. They are very active kids and bossy/demanding about page turning etc. I have found that practice is the key as far as getting them to be still and listen quietly. At first when they would start that wiggly stage I would hold them still on my lap for a very short book (board book, just a few quick pages). Thirty seconds to one minute of torture (in their little opinions), soon became 5 min of enjoyable sitting/reading time, as they got used to the idea of ‘oh, this is what we do, we sit still, and it’s fun’. Although it’s not a long time, it’s still good for them to practice patience and self-control, I think, and then as they get older we will be able to extend the time longer and longer. Now my daughter will sit with me and read through almost every book on the shelf, while my son is done after about 2 or 3 at this point. There are some times when they are allowed to take turns turning the pages (board books/old books), and there are times when only Mommy can turn the pages (nice paper ones), and there are protests sometimes at that!
They both LOVE the books with real life pictures of household things and animals etc. My daughter is now into more abstract pictures and much longer dialogues, but my son is still in the more baby stage with the pictures and learning what everything is, and she enjoys helping him make animal sounds and stuff. So cute!
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Rebecca Kelly Goernandt says:
TRY TOUCH AND FEEL BOARD BOOKS!!! I had the exact same problem with little baby - starting around 7 months (he’s 9.5 months now). My mom picked up two WONDERFUL touch and feel books at the thrift store, and gave them to him for Christmas. When he started this “stage” I pulled out these two books, and although he still wanted to turn the pages, he also wanted to feel each page before he turned to the next one. Now he has his favorite textures, so he goes more quickly through the other pages and stays longer on the favorites, but he’s letting me read it all! =) Actually, I “added” a book at 9 months (Dr. Seuss Foot Book) and he does well with that one too, but only since learning to sit somewhat still for the touch and feel books. (I read more to him while he’s playing and stuff, but don’t know how much he’s absorbing. It was encouraging to read what other mother’ wrote in this regard).
Don’t know if it’ll work for you, but it was perfect for us!
The two touch and feel books we have are:
Touch and Feel Bedtime - http://www.dk.com - huge selection
It’s under children’s books/ Baby and Toddler/ Touch and Feel Books
Touch Feel and Say Bunny and Friends - priddy bicknell
Actually, I’m going to put a post on my blog about these two favorite books.
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:15 am
Suz says:
Keep reading! Around that age my children want to interact w/ what’s going on not just sit and listen. Mine respond really well when I talk about (and ask questions about) the picts and around this age, many times i don’t even read the words.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:12 am
Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks&Me says:
My son was severely ADHD, which is why we started homeschooling him in the second grade. From preschool through elementary age, I read to him while he played with Legos, put together a simple puzzle, etc. I found he always heard better that way.
While still a toddler, both my kids had cardboard books that they “read” while sitting still (which was rare). I also read to them when they were going off to sleep.
My favorite cardboard book is I Am a Bunny.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Kansas Mom says:
I agree with all the posts above! I’m reading Educating the Wholehearted Child right now and the Clarksons wrote that the little ones naturally settled down and were able to sit and listen for long periods of time (and narrate back!) as they matured. When I read to my daughter (21 months), I just close the door so she has to stay in her room and let her wander. I do try to avoid the noisiest toys since it is supposed to be our quiet time before bed. Very often, she’ll end up snuggled on her brother’s bed flipping through a book I’ve just finished reading aloud.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Ellen says:
I find that sitting on the floor with the little guy in my lap works well (much better than sitting on a chair or the couch). Usually he will crawl over to me if he sees me sitting on the floor with a pile of books. And he’ll sit still for a good while as we read. Of course, we end up reading the same favorite book over and over, but at least it’s reading.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:48 am