Child Will Not Sit To Listen To A Book ...

[DaycareMom]

My own 2 children are 3 yo and 18 months. I have 3 DCKs - 3, 2.5, and 18 months.

Well everyday before nap time (and bed time) I read stories to the kids. The problem is my own 18 month old DS will not sit still to listen. All of the other children sit nicely and participate, talk about, enjoy the book, but my son jumps and squirms and runs all over the place which in turn makes all the other kids want to do so as well. When I tell him to "sit down, be quiet" he cries and screams.

I know he is a bit young, but how do I keep him involved???

[Solandia]

My own 2 children are 3 yo and 18 months. I have 3 DCKs - 3, 2.5, and 18 months.

Well everyday before nap time (and bed time) I read stories to the kids. The problem is my own 18 month old DS will not sit still to listen. All of the other children sit nicely and participate, talk about, enjoy the book, but my son jumps and squirms and runs all over the place which in turn makes all the other kids want to do so as well. When I tell him to "sit down, be quiet" he cries and screams.

I know he is a bit young, but how do I keep him involved???

IMO, sitting to be read to is an unrealistic expectation @18mo. Of course, I have had loads of adhd or just generally hyper boys where sitting still to listen to a book was not a realistic expectation at 3 & 4yo, either.

What I have done over the years with multi-level listeners... is in one sitting, start off reading really, really short board books, the next book is a longer toddler book, the next a Little Bear type book, then a Berenstain Bear type. When I had school agers, I would add in Magic Schoolbus or Dr Seuss, and then a chapter from a real book (some of our faves was Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ... Sign of the Beaver...The Birchbark House). The littles move on to playing with stuff & wandering as we go through our readings. I also let the kids color or play playdoh (quietly) while reading. MOST of my kids listen better and absorb MORE when their hands are busy. It is quite amazing just HOW much a 3.5-4yo will get out of a story that I am reading to 2nd graders...but one cannot expect even a 3yo to sit and listen to a story w/o pictures for 20-30 minutes. Why limit reading to only a sit-down-and-do-nothing-else type of thing? Even an 18mo just wandering around is still listening and absorbing...

[Blackcat31]

My own 2 children are 3 yo and 18 months. I have 3 DCKs - 3, 2.5, and 18 months.

Well everyday before nap time (and bed time) I read stories to the kids. The problem is my own 18 month old DS will not sit still to listen. All of the other children sit nicely and participate, talk about, enjoy the book, but my son jumps and squirms and runs all over the place which in turn makes all the other kids want to do so as well. When I tell him to "sit down, be quiet" he cries and screams.

I know he is a bit young, but how do I keep him involved???

Personally, I think books for children (especially ones as young as yours) should be interactive and physical...kwim? Here are some ideas as to what I mean:

• Use different and silly voices for your characters
• Use your facial expressions
• Ask the kids to guess or predict what comes or happens next
• Use your body for "special effect"
• Make sure the books are developmentally appropriate and geared toward their ages and interests.

Books should be fun and physical as well!!

[My3cents]

My own 2 children are 3 yo and 18 months. I have 3 DCKs - 3, 2.5, and 18 months.

Well everyday before nap time (and bed time) I read stories to the kids. The problem is my own 18 month old DS will not sit still to listen. All of the other children sit nicely and participate, talk about, enjoy the book, but my son jumps and squirms and runs all over the place which in turn makes all the other kids want to do so as well. When I tell him to "sit down, be quiet" he cries and screams.

I know he is a bit young, but how do I keep him involved???

he is listening in his own way- you would be surprised. Just keep reading and engaging those that are interested.

[Heidi]

I often read stories while the kids are eating snack...captive audience!

[Lilbutterflie]

I like the snack idea!

I agree that you should try to make story time as fun and interactive as possible; but even with lots of silly faces and funny voices; an 18 mo just doesn't have the ability to sit still long enough for the whole story! I have a 17 mo dcb right now. I sit him down with the others; and he is the ONLY one who is allowed to get up and go play (or come back) as he chooses. My kiddos know that rules are different for babies than for the older ones. The older ones are expected to sit and listen, and they know the babies are allowed to get up.