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Should I Continue Reading to My Baby Even if He Is Not Paying Attention

How to read to toddlers and preschoolers who won't sit still for a book! Good read for moms who want to encourage literacy.

Got kids who won't sit withal when y'all are trying to read? Here are some keen ways to get your reading in without forcing children to sit on your lap who just don't want to!


My firstborn child, a girl, loved to read. From such a immature age she'd sit with me and let me read board book after board book. We'd point and smile and as she got older it never changed.

Then I had boys.

And my boys did not do that. I would go frustrated when I tried to read to my kids who wouldn't sit all the same and well-nigh threw in the reading towel… until I came to a very important conclusion…

Just considering your toddler won't sit however while reading doesn't mean they don't like reading

You might be saying "yes, duh" but this was a game changer for me. I didn't know how to read to kids who won't sit nevertheless.

Once I realized that they don't have to, I took a different arroyo to story time with boys and information technology made all the difference.

Now my virtually iii year old and 18 calendar month old will sit on my lap during story time (non that they have to) and will let me finish a few books at a fourth dimension.

Victory!

distracted young girl playing on couch and smiling

You can still read to kids who won't sit still, here's how!

These tips on how to read to kids who won't sit down all the same will take so much pressure level off you so that reading is withal fun!

1. Don't make your kids sit still.

My boys would sort of walk, promise, or bounce around the chair I sabbatum in to read and although they were not however… they were listening.

I wouldn't allow them talk or yell or make a ruckus, just I would not try to make them sit at my feet or in my lap. I was learning to read to kid's who won't sit still.

They'd come look at a picture, grinning, walk abroad and and then come back. It was a tad frustrating to me, but information technology was what it was and they enjoyed it.

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2. Distract your toddler while reading.

Sounds counter intuitive, simply I've found that giving them something sensory related to do, ofttimes helped them concentrate. I'll sit my xviii calendar month old on my lap and bounce him.

If someone bounced me and I tried to concentrate on a volume I'd probably throw up, but not my boys!

You can give them a ball or silent toy to hold and they will fidget. You can read to child's who won't sit notwithstanding! Somehow this actually helps free their listen to pay attention.

toddler gathering books and books in bag

iii. Don't read the book word for word to pre-toddlers and toddlers.

When my boys were lilliputian and really fabricated some progress in paying attention, I'd be sure not to prolong the story. Later all, I was reading to kids who won't sit down withal.

Literacy is promoted past whatever reading or word based activities, so summarizing a page or story is a handy trip when this happens.

Sometimes I'd read until I sensed they were about to cheque out, then I'd covertly skip to ane of the final pages to round out the story. Can't say they noticed, merely it gave us a take a chance to celebrate finishing the book!

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iii. Ask your kids lots of questions well-nigh the book

Whether they are popping effectually you lot or fidgeting on your lap, bespeak to pages of the book and ask questions.

If children have bought into the book or story time they're more likely to pay attending.

Examples of good questions…

  • What color is the ____?
  • How many _____ do you see?
  • Can you find the ____?

For avant-garde questioning enquire…

  • How is ___ feeling now?
  • What practice yous think will happen side by side?
  • What did ___ larn?

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iv. Allow your child choose the books for story fourth dimension.

I like to let my kids pick the books because in that location'southward a higher chance they'll actually permit me read information technology if they were interested in the first place.

It's hard plenty to read to kid's who won't sit still, endeavor reading if they aren't interested.

My son will listen to long books on tractors at present without much drama, but he'll but become a few pages into his sister's Fancy Nancy earlier jumping around us.

As your kids get older and yous begin to read chapter books to them regularly, why not rotate which child gets to option which volume? Similar to how you rotate toys.

And if they truly don't enjoy information technology, don't force the consequence and risk giving them a bad taste in their mouth about it all.


5. Don't become frustrated or take it personally.

I know sure personalities of ours (ahem, whose with me Type A moms?) tend to dislike busyness and anarchy.

If it'southward reading fourth dimension, the ideal situation in our minds is everyone sitting quietly with their hands in their laps paying close attention and not uttering a word.

That typically isn't the case with small-scale children and particularly when you lot have a few yous're reading to at 1 fourth dimension. Don't let reading time become cumbersome past becoming frustrated!

The days are long but, later all, these years are so brusque!

Ultimately, reading is an awesome… crawly thing!

Even if your little ones human activity uninterested, that doesn't hateful they won't become interested soon though if yous push button through.

While there are definitely developmental and academic benefits to reading, information technology's also a peachy family bonding activity.

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Get my crook sheets (newborn up to elementary aged kids) and find your family's groove. Employ them for nap times, meal times, bedtimes, chore times, play times AND more!

Don't worry if you get off to a rocky start! Keep going and piece of work together with your kid to innovate them to the great joy of a expert book.

Should I Continue Reading to My Baby Even if He Is Not Paying Attention

Source: https://amotherfarfromhome.com/how-to-read-to-kids-who-wont-sit-still/