Why I Stopped Reading Aloud To My Kids (and you should too!)

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Yes, I am afraid it is true, I gave up reading aloud to my twins. 

It happened last Thursday, while we were sitting around the dining room table.

My kids interrupted my reading for the umpteenth time, they broke a plastic leg off their small Ikea plastic table, jeered at me there and then.

Patience, patience.

It was in short supply.

That was it ... I made the decision.

I would stop reading aloud to my rumbustious boy and girl.

I had it.

They simply did not appreciate it any more.

It was high time to move on.

I sat there with the book in my hand, my mouth closed and no one asked me to continue.

The End of an Era

At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child's success is the positive involvement of parents.Jane D. Hull

I did give up reading aloud - this is no joke.

And I was not sorry.

I give up several times every week.

I truly hope you do too.

People are not robots and reading is not programming.

We cannot expect children to be 100% interested in a book every minute of every day of the week.

Sometimes your kids may want to listen somewhat later.

Sometimes they want to play.

Sometimes they prefer listening in the evening, sometimes your voice is not inspiring in the morning.

Kids are imperfect creatures and adults even more.

Don't insist. Don't force it.

That is why, if we want to continue reading aloud, we must first learn how to stop reading aloud to our kids.

Master the art of ending a read aloud, if you want to continue reading aloud on a daily basis.

Conquer your fears.

Lose the battles with a smile on your face if you want to win the war.

I stopped reading many, many times, I wish the same to you.

But I still read aloud to them daily and I wish the same to you.