13 Month Old Won't Sit Still Long Enough to Read.

The behavior you describe is with normal limits for a 13 months toddler. As long as he is picking as some of the objects and talking about some of the objects he is doing okay. He will develop a longer attention span as he grows.

Our first now three didn't sit still to read until she was 2 I think even a little after. She loved to hear the stories but could care less about the pictures. Now i can't read enough to her. Now our 15 month old son still has no interest in sitting still to read. I am guessing it will take him just as long but he does love to hear the stories. We use to try toddler story times with both but we are now going to wait until our youngest hits 2 years so they will both sit for the story. Just keep reading to him he will sit on your lap soon enough.

I have 3 boys and a very small home daycare. My boys are ages 2 months, 20 months and 11 years, the boys (I only take care of boys) in my daycare are ages 19 months, 18 months, and 15 months. NONE of them sit still for reading. Neither did my now 11 year old at that age. Don't feel bad, there is nothing abnormal about your son. He is active and that is good and sounds like he does at least have an interest in books.

What I did to get my boys more into books as they got older, was to read the book out loud with our without them in my lap. If they get up and walk away after a minute or two, go on reading, and read the same few, short books over and over. Kids that age, especially boys, have very short attention spans and love to know what is coming next so encourage memorizing by repeatedly reading the same books. Eventually they will sit down, or maybe not, but as long as you are reading it, even if they are playing at something else, they are still listening in the back of thier mind and it benifits them.

Make sure your reading shorter books, at his level. Let him turn the pages and read whatever page he turns too regardless of order and if he turns the page in the middle skip it. Also as long as he is in the room he is getting something from your reading. So even if he jumps up and plays keep reading.

I can definitely relate. My 17-month-old daughter is very choosy about the books she will sit and read with either my husband or me. Until recently (this week!), she would only sit for books that either have a tactile component (Touch and Feel Farm, etc.) or a lift-the-flap book. Peekaboo Farm is another favorite. This is very different from my son (now 4 1/2), who was fascinated with just about ANY book from a very early age, and sat very quietly and listened very intently for a long time.

It seems that each child has a different personality and learning style. My son is very visual. My daughter is very kinetic. She is much more physical than my son ever was, always climbing and moving, and rather fearless! What's worked for us with our on-the-go daughter is making sure she can touch and/or move something in the book and letting her turn the pages. Don't worry about reading every single word, either. And it helps if the subject is something your son is interested in. My daughter, just this week, sat through a small book about bunnies (probably the first non-tactile or flap book she's done this with) -- and gave the bunnies on the page a kiss at the end!

They're all ready for things at their own pace. Just keep trying. Good luck to you and keep up the good work!

My 17 month old girl is the same way. During the day she is too busy to read. She'll bring me books, but lose interest after 2 pages. The only time I can read multiple books to her is after bath/before bed. Hope this helps.

Hi L.,

My son went through a phase where he didn't want to be held to be read to, but he did like looking at pictures by himself. Sometimes their attention spans are just so short that they don't want to sit still and listen. However, starting at around 15 months, he chooses books, brings them to me, and says "book", and proceeds to climb into my lap. It's really great! I try to put down whatever I'm doing to read with him when he chooses his own books and make reading really quality time.

I would just keep trying and be patient with your son. Also, I quit trying to read the words to my son. I just point out the pictures and say "what's that"? Or "what does the dog say?" Or "give the doggie a goodnight kiss." If your son wants to turn pages all by himself, that could just be part of his independence emerging. Just keep encouraging any interaction with books, and you can sit along side him and look at your own book, or talk to him about the book he's looking at. Hope that helps!

-- Great question, L.-- he's awfully young- I'd try a real low key approach -- go to a chair or floor-pillow where he likes to cuddle with you - and sit down and proceed to read - 5 minutes max ---. If he wanders around - encourage him maybe twice in the 5 minutes ''want to see what the duck looks like?'"" -- but if he doesn't - don't worry- many children need to be in motion to listen. It sounds odd- but he may be better able to absorb what you are reading about when he is NOT sitting still. As a teacher of early childhood for decades - I've seen childrn who seem totally un-engaged - but can answer questions or repeat dialogue beautifully. ( he's VERY young-- -- if you love to read, and enjoy reading to him- he will soak in the message- I promise)

Blessings,
Old Mom

Hi L.,
I wouldn't worry about your son not sitting still while you read. A child's job is to explore and learn to use his body and the items in his environment. He needs to be free to do that in the way that seems right to him. If he has no reason to sit still for any length of time then forcing him to do it will violate his sense of how to live. It will not work. Go ahead and read and let him move about. It won't hurt anything. He is just multitasking. When the story really catches his attention he will come get involved with the pictures. But it has to be on his own time. Trust your kid.
Call me if you want more advice. L. Lawson ###-###-####
(I am a professional, trained reading tutor and very successful at helping children to read easily and happily. )

L.,
I have a 18 month girl and just a couple of weeks ago she started to pay attention when we read to her, until then all she wanted to do was look at the pictures. But now she can sit still for a book or two. I was concerned also because my son, who is 3 1/2 always sat still for reading, even before he turned one. So, I guess every child is just different and take their own time to do things.

I can only add to what the others have already said in that I think it is completely normal behavior. My 16-month old son LOVES books and is constantly bringing them to us to 'read' to him, but he mostly just turns the pages (too quickly for us to read the text or make comments on the pictures), gets to the end and is off to his next activity. He is slowly getting better though and now we can sometimes talk a little about the pictures.

I might suggest that you get some of those books that have objects hidden behind tabs your son can lift. These really caught the interest of my son about two months ago and helped his to focus a little more on the content of the book. He gets really excited when he opens one of the tabs and finds something behind it. A word of caution though, don't buy the really nice expensive books and have a few rolls of tape handy for when and if he starts tearing the tabs off!

Even if your son doesn't seem to be interested in listening to the entire story now, it's really great that he even likes looking at the pictures. Keep encouraging this and hopefully in time he will enjoying reading and being read to. You will be surprised by how much he is actually absorbing. I didn't think my son was listening at all, but once when I asked him where a specific object was on the page he pointed right to it!

Don't worry too much. My mom read to my brother and me all of the time when we were little; I became a major book junkie but my brother doesn't like reading at all. In the end, I think it just comes down to personality.

Take care,
J.

Hi L.,
Alyssa is 19 months old now, and she went through the same thing. She has always LOVED books, but used to be only on her terms. She wanted to hold them, turn pages as she pleased - way to quick to read them to her. I started reading a book aloud to her as she was flipping through other books. And point to things in the book I was reading, saying 'what's this, Alyssa?' In time, she took an interest in what I was reading, and now will bring books to me that she wants me to read aloud. It seems a natural process for her - maybe all kids go through it.

J.