This might not be the right subreddit but I'll ask anyways. I have a deep love for books and am the proud dad to a 6 month old baby girl. Does anyone have tips for fostering a love for reading with their children at different stages in their life (she's not the biggest fan of story time right now) and how do you decide what books to read to them and make available as they grow older? Thank you!!
by wagnerpoo
4 Comments
I’ve got a 14mo right now and we read to her every night before bed. Right now she only has patience for board books–Sandra Boynton, Goodnight Moon, that type of stuff. Once she starts to get a little restless we call it a night and put her down. During the day she’ll often bring over a book for my wife and I to read and I do it every time.
Anything after 14mo, your guess is as good as mine. Good luck, dad!
just read to them every night; let them see you reading for your own enjoyment
make going to the library or bookstore a normal/routine place to be
make picking up a book a normal activity……keep books in the car, bedroom, bathroom, backpack
also – things will always ebb and flow. I was a good reader from like 10-14. then i stopped from like 15-27…….once i had my own kid i have fully returned to a one book per month habit
I’m not a parent and don’t have answers to some of these questions, but one thing I think helped was that my parents would take us to the library semi-frequently and let us pick out books to read or for them to read to us! I think stuff like that helps give kids a sense of agency, which might get them more invested in books.
(Obviously that doesn’t work with a 6 month old, but may be worth considering as she gets a bit older, lol)
Make sure she sees other people reading! Children are imitators. Even if she’s not being read to, her seeing mom, dad, or siblings reading a book can make a big impact. Once she is older, take her to the library, let her get a card, and choose her own books.