Please read to your kids

Hear, hear 😃

Reading to children is a privilege and a pleasure. My DH read to our three children every night and to our grandchildren when they lived with us. He took it as far as her teenage years with one granddaughter where they would read alternate chapters to each other. She now has a very strong relationship with him though her love of books has sadly somewhat declined with the advance of the mobile phone.

I think the horse has bolted from that stable...my older GCs are avid readers, but my little GD just doesn't see the point in reading books.

She would just rather watch Disney cartoons.

I find it tragic and there will be a price to pay...

Sorry but that’s completely on her parents. Our grandson revels in reading, his parents read with him every day. He isn’t allowed tv other than Saturday “movie night”, which is a family event.
You need to talk to her parents.

My son sees her for a few hours a week. He tries.

Her mother clearly doesn't bother.

Nothing to be done.

Of course there is. They can share books for those few hours. Don’t give up, it all counts 😊

5 children and 9 grandchildren have given me the joys of bedtime reading. The ones they wanted to hear over and over again I almost knew by heart. There are some wonderful children's books out there. Julia Donaldson takes some beating for me. Time spent reading is never wasted.

When we moved into this rental house, son gave me an ikea billy for my books. So appreciated. I gave him the love of books and he has never forgotten. He is never without one.

I really don't think you should stop at kindergarten, larana!

I always read to my kids and grankids just as I always had a bedtime story from Dad, while mum cleared away for the evening, ( and before I get battered about a woman clearing away, they may have had different roles but dad did a lot around the house too)

However I should add none of my 7 grandkid's are ‘readers’ of books sadly

I would add, make sure it is suitable material, and age appropriate.

Horror stuff should not be allowed near children.
Even what masquerades as School horror books.

I also think there is potential for a child to overthink.

Everything in moderation.

My 11 yr old GS was here last night for his weekly sleepover, I have read to him at bedtime since the day his was born.

He will let me know when he no longer wants to be read to (he chooses a book, and I generally read a couple of chapters each sleepover)

All our GC love being read to, the teens prefer to read to themselves (16 & 17) now.

We read to our DD from a baby and she could read before starting school. Our DGD loves books and at eight has just been assessed as having a reading age of 11-12 due, I’m sure, to her being read to from an early age.
Being able to read early helps children with other subjects at school too as they can read instructions in workbooks etc.
So reading to children has so many benefits.

We read to our two, and to our GS who spent much time with us. We took him to the library from an early age. His parents read with him too and made sure he was always had books to read. He was an avid reader until he was around fifteen when he said he hadn’t time to read. This was also the case with his mother and his uncle but if he follows a pattern, he will come back to it later in his life.

I spend two afternoons a week in a local junior school listening to children read whose reading skills are poor - in some cases shockingly so. This is usually as a result of there being no culture of reading in the home and no-one to listen to them read and help them when they struggle. Schools are crying out for volunteer readers. I would encourage anyone with a few hours to spare to do this. It’s very rewarding.

Joseph Adison: -

"Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body"

Never a truer phrase imho.

Both myself and husband are avid readers, we read to our 3 children a lot, the eldest was reading g before she started school the boys picked it up quickly.

Unfortunately the youngest never picked up a book for pleasure, it used to drive my husband mad, he only read Tin TIn comics!

At 18 he went to work in a remote corner of India, his sister gave him a novel to read called Shantaram.
He didn’t have internet connection or TV of course!
It unlocked a love of reading and he is now never without a book!

ferry23

Joseph Adison: -

"Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body"

Never a truer phrase imho.

Love this! It really is the gift that keeps on giving isn't it?

I am an avid reader. I read to our 3 chidren very regularly. Only one of them now reads for pleasure 🤷. Sad, I did my best.

Sago I have loved Tin Tin all my life and as well as books - my father took me to the library - I read comics and graphic novels as a child. As long as they are reading something it is all grist to the mind’s mill.

I loved reading as a child , it was my escape from being in the middle of a sometimes noisy large family . Saturday was library day and 3 books would be devoured in a week . I took my O level English a year early . I've always said it was because I read .
I always read to my children , took them to the library , theatre, cinema . They all did well at school .
When Shirley Hughes passed away my dil bought my son a copy of Dogger which was one of his favourite books as a child . I was beyond touched that he recalled snuggling up on my lap to have it read over and over again until it was quite dog eared .

keepingquiet would your GD's mother agree to your son video calling to read a bedtime story to her?

I used to read Horrid Henry books to my son and eventually he was able to read them to me. They are some of our happiest memories. He still loves to read, mainly non fiction nowadays.