Do you read a bedtime story every night?

[treestarfae]

Do you read a bedtime story every night?

[Mejane]

Well, mine are 14 and 17 so no, but I used to. ;)

[Caitilin]

No, DH does the bedtime stories at our house. :)

[Heather in WI]

No, not if you mean a fictional bedtime story.

 

We do have some sort of family devotional reading every night. Currently, we are reading one section out of our Vos Story Bible nightly.

[Chris in VA]

Used to, when the boys were small.

My dear sil goes to bed with her daughter beside her (3rd grade) about 7:15 every night. Sil reads to her, then they write in their journals, and then they read separately until 8 or so. Dear niece goes to sleep, sil rests, then gets back up to work on her computer for a few hours.

[Punchie]

Yes. Though it's multiple stories. DD4 generally wrangles at least 2 stories per parent on most nights.

[JenneinCA]

My husband does the bedtime stories in our house. But, yes, bedtime stories happen here.

[Jen in PA]

I read to the dc almost every night, although sometimes dd wanders off to read on her own instead of listening. We usually do a chapter from a longer book and often a picture book or some poetry. About one night a week I play an audio book instead. Ds and I started the Harry Potter series in the spring and are almost done with book 5 now -- it feels like we have been reading the same thing forever!

[chai]

Dh has always done bed-time. DD is 11 and still loves her bed-time story. I envision having a family read-aloud time when she gets older.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

I read a chapter of a book to all each night. Then DH and I divide and conquer, reading multiple story books to each child each night. Bedtime snuggles and stories are on my top 3 list of good memories with the kids.

[myfatherslily]

No. I do like the idea of it. But by the end of the day, I just want them to go to bed as swiftly as possible. I have neither the energy nor the patience for a bedtime story.

 

And that's just how it is:)

[Guest bluelunacafe]

Yes, we read a bedtime story every night. We started with several small books when she was a baby and for the past year we have been reading chapter books. It is time with DD that my husband and I have always treasured.

[atara]

Well, I don't do bedtime reading at all. I'm soooo not a night person and frankly, ds is so wiped out he doesn't care to read anyway. He goes straight to bed. I read during breakfast and lunch.

[Kirch]

I read a chapter (or half of a chapter if they're long) of a longer read-aloud at bedtime. I'll occasionally do a picture book or two as well. It's one of our favorite things!

[CourtneyChn]

Yes, we read every night before bed. It's one of our favorite things to do together as a family. Even dh will usually listen in when he's home. Before ds was born we would read at least an hour and a half every night and some during the day too. Now I walk around with him in his carrier while I read our chapter book aloud to the girls and we read for at least 45 minutes to an hour a night. Even the baby gets really quiet when I start reading and watches my face. I also read aloud while they do handwriting.

[ladydusk]

Most nights (when we don't have soccer LOL) I eat my dinner quickly and start reading from our family read aloud while everyone else finishes. Then:

 

We do have some sort of family devotional reading every night. Currently, we are reading one section out of our Vos Story Bible nightly.

 

After I read, my husband reads and we pray, then send the children to bed.

[Peela]

I read to my kids every night since they were toddlers through to about age 12 or so. I still read to them during school time and they still love it. (ages almost 15, and 16 now).

[Belacqua]

Sure do, and the kid is pushing 14. My husband and I alternate nights, so there are always two books going at once.

[Tap]

Nope. I really, really do not like to read out loud when I am tired. If I am not tired, then I do sometimes. I don't enjoy reading out loud so it is a task for me. I do, do it pleasantly for them though.

[Jean in Newcastle]

No, bedtime is too hectic. We do all of our reading aloud at other times in the day.

[Negin]

Almost every night. To them, the biggest injustice (and my dh thinks it's very funny) is for me to not read to them.

We don't read "bedtime stories". We read chapter books. But I guess that's what you mean. I haven't read all the replies yet.

[regentrude]

I did every single night - until the kids were reading so well on their own that they preferred to read by themselves rather than listening to me read.

[nd293]

We read to dd every night from about 18 months until she became a truly independent reader, around age 8, I suppose. From aged 6 or so we were reading chapter books rather than picture books. I probably should have read to her for longer, but it just became complicated with her younger brother. She does listen to quality audio books, though. We really struggled to establish good bedtime routines with ds3, but we are now focusing on reading every night (usually 3 picture books).

 

Nikki

[Mom0012]

I used to, but now my kids are almost 9 and 11 and they read on their own at bedtime. I use SL, so I do read to them during the day.

 

Lisa

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Well, my kids are still young, so they each pick out 2 picture books, and then we read from a poetry book, then we read a chapter from the 1 or 2 chapter books we are currently reading. It takes an hour to an hour and a half every night. That is our read-aloud time, though. We have a whole routine. They get their jammies on, get a small snack, we cuddle on the couch to read, then they brush their teeth, and I tuck them in.

[NanceXToo]

No. I do read with my 10 y/o daughter nearly every day at some point. Sometimes that ends up being at night before bed. But we don't specifically read "a bedtime story."

 

With my 5 y/o I try to read to him frequently but it's not always every day because he doesn't always WANT to be read to and I'm not going to force it. Then there are times where in the middle of the day he'll randomly bring me a book, or a pile of books, and we'll sit and read them.

 

But yeah we've never been big on the whole "bedtime story" thing over here. (In fact, when the girls were younger, we used to do "bedtime songs."

[MaMa2005]

Not anymore. I loved reading to DS at bedtime, however, he would fall asleep within 5 minutes of me reading. He is exhausted by the time he goes to bed and literally goes to sleep within minutes of climbing into bed.

 

I read aloud to him during the day now.

[lisabelle]

I don't generally read to ds (11) at bedtime. He stays up pretty late and generally just wants to go straight to sleep. And I want to read in bed for myself. But most mornings I read to him in bed a little before he gets up.

[LibraryLover]

Yes. I have a young one; dh and I have been taking turns reading bedtime stories for over 20 years. I do it almost all the time now, as now I can stay awake. When all of the children were little it was difficult to not nod off in the middle of sentence, so dh was the hero then. ;) I read aloud to my hsers daily. (Yes, even the 18 yr old and the 16 yr old when he is home..I will miss that when they go off to college.)

Edited October 10, 2010 by LibraryLover

[abbeyej]

No, I don't. I still read aloud to my kids, but at bedtime I'm TIRED. :)

[sparrow]

We used to do picture books every night starting from when they were babies. In the past few years, we graduated to family read aloud chapter books. They head to bed after we finish our 'family' book and read on their own for another 1-2 hours. We use Sonlight, so we start with read alouds again in the morning (their preference). I'm surprised I have a voice left at all :D.

[RoughCollie]

We either read bedtime stories to the kids or DH made up stories for them, until they got too old for it and at their individual requests. DH also sang to them every night, beginning when the kids were old enough to notice that I have an awful singing voice. The kids loved it.

[Mabelen]

I still read to my 6 yo dd every night. It usually involves two stories or chapters, one in English and one in Spanish. If we start early enough and my dd is not too tired, she will read to me first in English too, otherwise I will do all the reading.

 

My 14 yo dd and I also read together at bedtime most nights. We only read Spanish material and my dd usually prefers to read to me (and I correct any pronuncation issues if necessary); sometimes if she is tired we'll take turns reading or I'll do all the reading.

[kalanamak]

I did until kiddo was ready to read for an hour in bed before lights out. I still try to read to him every day. Usually *I* desperately need the break: we lie down on the big bean-bag and spoon under the covers to read.

[kokotg]

Yep; I read to my two oldest while DH reads to my youngest. Then they read to themselves in their rooms for (within reason) as long as they want.

[DaffodilDreams]

Absolutely. For shorter books, multiple stories. For chapter books, one chapter if it's really long (i.e. Harry Potter) and one picture book. If the chapters are short (like House at Pooh Corner, Box Car Children, etc), then multiple chapters. Between school read-alouds and our own choices at night, I read out loud at least 3 hours a day. I will continue to read to her at night until she asks me to stop. It's something I love doing.

Edited October 10, 2010 by kimmie38017

[nmoira]

We have a common morning story and individual bedtimes stories every day.

[MissKNG]

We read our chapter books at night.

[Mergath]

Yup. Now that dd is talking more, she doesn't really give us much of a choice, lol. Lately, after her bedtime stories, she snatches a book and falls asleep snuggling it. I guess our insidious plot to get her to love reading is working. :P

[fairfarmhand]

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I am so done with being mommy after supper, it's all I can do to get their teeth brushed!!! We read lots during the day, but I cannot stand it at bedtime.

[Guest]

Yes, almost every night, and dd is fourteen. The read-aloud is a shorter time period now, half an hour instead of the much longer time when she was younger. Afterwards, she reads to herself and/or listens to an audiobook before going to sleep.

[Snowfall]

Yes. Either 3 picture books, 3 chapters from a chapter book or a combination of those.

[SonshineLearner]

My husband reads to my son... each night.. different voices and everything :)

[justamouse]

Yep. The olders like to read chapter books at night, but they sneak in to hear me read to the 4 yo. Then they go back and read their own books. I did read to each of them until they preferred to read on their own.

 

We pick out picture books from the library and read one each night.

 

And I read at breakfast every morning. We're working our way through THE WONDER CLOCK by Pyle-an old copy I saved from being thrown out (horror!) but we've stopped so we can finish SUN HORSE MOON HORSE by the due date.

[annlaura]

Always. Used to be a pile of books every night. Now we usually do two. Sometimes one or both are non-fiction, such as books about snakes or wolves. Sometimes my son picks both; sometimes I pick one or both. And the books are almost always followed by a made-up story, then a song. This fall/winter, we will graduate to chapter books for the older but will probably still do a picture book for the baby. I love bedtime reading.

[kmacnchs]

no, when it's time to go to bed, we go to bed. We read ALL day practically - it's not a bedtime thing at our house.

[kmacnchs]

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I am so done with being mommy after supper, it's all I can do to get their teeth brushed!!! We read lots during the day, but I cannot stand it at bedtime.

 

:iagree: DITTO!

[chaik76]

Yes, I read individually to each of my boys. I schedule their bedtimes to stagger so I can do that...sometimes now they like to listen to the other's stories though. We read a variety of stuff...non-fiction, encyclopedias, fiction, picture books; whatever is striking our fancy during the moment.

[Miss Sherry]

I did when my children were little.

I still do some reading aloud to my 15 year old during the day. She loves to read at night after she gets in bed.

[Ellie]

No. I read aloud to my dc at lunch time. I figured (1) that I wanted all of us to be awake if I were going to take the time to read, and (2) when it's bedtime, it's bedtime. Go to bed already!:D