2 1/2 Year Old Suddenly Won't Let Me Read to Her

LOL!!! My now-three year old was the same way... Here's what we did; hope they help:

1. We considered it rude for her to interrupt while WE are reading, and so we say, "You're being rude and interrupting. Reading time is over until you are reading to sit still and listen quietly." Then we calmly put the book down and walked away.

2. If SHE is the one reading, we sit still and listen quietly to her. She is given time to read by herself when I am nursing the new baby. She cannot read to me while I'm nursing, because the baby (5 months) is more interested in her than in nursing when she's around.

3. We bought some new books and put the "baby" books away. This way she was interested in hearing the new stories.

4. If she's turning pages, we say "Mommy can't read the words if you turn the pages so fast. It helps her to understand where the words are and where we are at with the words if we use our finger to follow along. It's still her priveledge to turn the pages, but not until we say "Okay, turn the page."

5. Me, the mom, I read to her before naps. Her dad reads to her before bed. It's a routine set in stone since she was tiny. If she's being antsy or rude, we leave the room until she's calmed down. As she's gotten older, she wants more reading, because she knows it postpones bedtime :)

My son did this for over a year around age 3. I was worried that he was going to be delayed in reading, since he was a late talker to begin with. However, he's just turned 5 and has learned his phonics and how to sound out small words in a matter of 2 months. I would simply offer, but not push anything. Your daughter will come around.

Another thing I do if my son declines to read a book with me is to start reading it on my own. This works a lot of the time. If you exclude her from what you're doing she'll want to join in.

She asserting her independence and realizing that change is in the wind. It's great that she wants to read but you need to help increase her attention span. Tell her to tell you more about the story. If she's done, she needs to put the book away properly. We can't thrown them as they'll tear and won't be able to be read again. She's hurting them. When this new baby comes, reading with your oldest will be her time with you. Establish this her and you time and focus it on reading or another activity that belongs to her. As the new baby gets older, ask her if she can read to the you and the new baby, maybe while you're nursing or feeding the baby. Her world is broadening, she'll develop other interests as well. Coloring books and crayons, dolls to emulate your behavior with the new baby (get her a doll and give it to her when you deliver so she has her baby to care for while you care for her new sister... this will help with some of the sibling issues) All of this is part of growing-up. Congratulations on such a delightful daughter and the soon to be baby girl. Enjoy each moment!!!

Yes it is a phase, and it will last as long as it lasts. A clue to shortening it: don't respond to it. Don't do any thing to either encourage it or show your frustration about it.

Here are a couple of things you might do

shut the book when she does it

stop reading books for a while until she shows interest in listening to them again

read books aloud when she is playing even though she is not sitting with you, see if she comes to sit with you and listen and not shut the book

stop reading books for a while

good luck

Hello,

First of all, good for you for making reading such a priority! That is awesome and some day, your children will thank you. :)

My oldest went through that phase, too. It came out of now where, it seemed. She loved listening to books as a baby and loves them again. But, right around age 2, she would not sit with me to listen to stories. For her, I think it was a power struggle issue. I ended up deciding to continue to read to her whether or not she sat with me. We would go to a room to read before nap and bedtime. She didn't have to sit with me, but she did need to be in the same room. She could play with toys or sing or talk, but I would keep reading. I could ask her a question about the book and she'd answer, so I knew she was still listening. Then, after a few months, she'd sit with me again. Maybe even try reading to her when she's sitting at the table having a snack??? We do that sometimes now.

You may have tried, this, but you may try taking her to the library and letting her check out some books herself.

Overall, I would say, keep reading, just don't insist that she sit still.

Happy Reading!

My son did the exact same thing, and it freaked me out b/c it was when he was about 18 months old and I thought he was turning autistic on me. Really what was going on was that he was more interested in mastering all of the playground equipment than he was in sitting still and reading. He's come around again, after about 6 months. What has helped is that I "read" his books to the new baby and voila, all of a sudden he wants in on the action. I also spent some time "reading" to his stuffed animals before the baby came. Finally, I got downright goofy with big crazy voices and faces. I also read to him while he was held captive for lunch in his high chair. Hope this helps. She'll totally come around again, just give her 1 to 6 months. :)

DE,

You're right, this is a phase. My daughter is 22 months and has been in this phase since she was 16 months. My son was never this way, so I don't have much more to say other than you're not alone in this and it does eventually stop, I think. :)

Good luck,
Melissa