A Little About My Baby / Toddler and Myself
I'm a former English teacher and life-long book lover. My daughter is 3 years old and has loved books from an early age.
What I Did:
I started reading board books to my daughter when she was an infant, but she hated it! She would cry, fuss, or bat the book away every time I tried reading with her. Then one day, at around 6 or 7 months, she decided that books were okay!
We had great success with cloth books that had interesting textures and flaps for her to touch. She loved the interactive experience of reading together with me. I would lay the book on the floor -- she would be on her tummy -- and read the book. The whole time, she would touch the pictures and turn the pages at her own pace.
How I Did It:
Even though my daughter had a negative reaction to books and reading in general, I didn't give up, nor did I force her to enjoy the experience. I just would put the book away and try again in a few days. Eventually, we found the right book and the right day.
Fuzzy Bee and Squishy Turtle by Priddy Books were our first two breakthrough books. After that, we moved on to Panda Bear, Panda Bear by Bill Martin Jr and, of course enjoyed his other two books Polar Bear, Polar Bear, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Since then, my daughter has not stopped enjoying books; in fact, her love for them has only increased. We developed a nightly bedtime routine that involves reading between 10 and 12 books together each night.
We read in the mornings, afternoons, evenings, and anytime in between when the mood strikes us! We visit the library each week and check out about 25-30 books at a time.
You can read more about our experiences and our favorites (We've read a lot of books together in these past three years.) at my children's book blog Silly Eagle Books.
Lessons Learned
- It's never too early (or too late) to start reading with your kids! I say start when they are babies. You'll teach them to love books and to, in turn, love learning.
- However, don't be discouraged if they don't LOVE it right away. Allow them the freedom to decide they like books on their own.
- Just be patient, don't force the issue, and continue offering opportunities for them to read with you. One day, they'll discover for themselves the joy that comes from reading.
- Read books that you like! Don't force yourself to sit through terrible books.
- Find a good website or book to help you with your book selections.
