Epicurean Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Is it possible to get a 2.5 year old interested in audiobooks? If not, what's the youngest age your kids were entertained by them? We don't have a tv or Internet. I just feel like I need something to distract my toddler so I don't lose my sanity. We let her play a few iPad games for half an hour a day, but I don't want to go farther in that direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 DS (now 12) loved audiobooks by 4. If we'd tried earlier, he'd probably have loved them earlier. He used to play with Egyptian playmobil sets for hours while listening to Jim Weiss. DD (now 4) does not love them. She's had access to them since forever. They just don't do it for her. She loves read alouds, but audiobooks lack something, for now. Maybe I need to try again with a different type... I think it varies. Can you try storynory? (Is that the right name? You might need to doublecheck me!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Our library has kits with a picture book and audio to check out as a kit. We used those when they were younger (like curious george aND similar). Now they listen to audio books most nights. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epicurean Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share Posted April 22, 2016 I don't see anything wrong with trying! Just don't expect them to sit still and listen. I started mine closer to 3, but they play while the audiobooks play. I use them for quiet time- they each have a sturdy CD player in their room and may or may not flip through the accompanying book, but I rotate them through the kids, everyday. You will be amazed at what they pick up when you don't think they're paying attention. At what age did you start quiet time? It'd be great if she could play for a little while in her room independently! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoorsy Type Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 My youngest liked the wee sing CDs that had a story with poems and songs. I think it was the Nursery Rhyme one that sonlight sells. Beethoven's Wig classical music and (annoyingly) the Disney stories on audio were also huge hits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 (edited) We started my dd on audiobooks before she was two with the most fabulous stories I can recommend for that age. The Complete Book of Farmyard Tales comes with a picture book of 20 very short stories. It is an Usborne 'spot the duck' book so we started by reading them aloud and finding the duck on every page. They all start out the same way, have an incredibly soothing British narration, and I have never met a child that didn't love them. I have probably bought the set 10 times now for various friends:) Best introduction ever, and she used them at bedtime and quiet time for nearly 2 years off and on. She was recently ill and asked for them as a comfort thing:) They allowed her to start audiobooks that were short, sweet, and engaging...and helped her learn to listen. We made it a point to play them very quietly so that if she wanted to hear she had to lay still and quiet:) ETA: forgot the link! http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Farmyard-Tales-Usbourne/dp/0794509029 Edited April 22, 2016 by Kerileanne99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 My son loves audiobooks, I'm not sure when he started listening to them, but somewhere around age 2. We always play them in the car. I second the Pandora suggestion, look for the toddler radio station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 At that age my ds listened mostly to songs. He LOVED listening though. It probably started at 18 months where I used my mobile phone with music on to distract him on car trips. By two years he had a little MP3 player just the right size for tiny hands, purchased because we were due to take a long international flight. He liked holding it and pressing buttons. We mostly had music and audio stories from a website called StoryNory - not sure if that even exists anymore - and recordings of books that he was familiar with from us reading them to him (like the Cars book which came with an audio CD). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 My oldest liked a couple Jim Weiss CDs and a set of Curious George story CDs we were gifted at that age. I was surprised, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF612 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Mine started with picture books that had cds around 3 maybe. Whenever I suddenly thought "new idea to entertain toddler!" We started full on books in the car when my youngest was around 4. He was very particular about which books we listened to but loved certain ones. Now both are engrossed in every story and we have an audio book in the car constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 One of my kids, probably, though I don't think I started that early. As long as he was able to play with Legos or something and not have to sit still. My other kid has never ever liked audiobooks. Makes long car rides challenging at times, but that is another topic. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 I took the Wise/Wise Bauer advice and never let nap time stop! They're in their rooms a specific time of day (usually 1:30-3 or 3:30) whether they are tired or not. My sanity requires it. My littlest 3, falls asleep sometimes listening to her CD's. My 4 year old never naps so he keeps his on a loop the whole 1.5-2 hours while he plays with all of his superheros in his room. He tells stories himself and talks to himself non-stop, but still manages to take in the stories. You can also throw in a "quiet time box" at her age with chunky puzzles or manipulatives or anything safe for her to have at her age unattended. Make it something special that doesn't get played with at other times- there are a million ideas online, and start with whatever time period you can get by with and then build from there. It's taken me a year to get up to 2 hours with my four year old. Since the three year old sleeps half the time she's not as challenging. Good luck! I think we all understand that Mammas need a break! Yes. This. I took SWB's advice to heart and our house really centers around read or sleep afternoons, even our teens. I would *not* make that audio time. I would provide manipulatives (wooden blocks/ plastic animals) for audio time, put it in a supervised area, and then require she be still and play and listen for 10 minutes for the first week or two. Then 15 minutes... And work your way up (SLOWLY) to a half hour. That's enough for a 2.5 year old of sitting still for a bit at a time unless she is a crazy busy little person - otherwise that might be asking too much. ( I say that because I have ONE kiddo who could NOT have done this until she was 5ish.) But slowly building in new, great habits, like audio books is wonderful. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epicurean Posted April 23, 2016 Author Share Posted April 23, 2016 Thanks for all the advice so far, guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Our library has kits with a picture book and audio to check out as a kit. We used those when they were younger (like curious george aND similar). Now they listen to audio books most nights.Yes, that's what I was going to say. Our library had ziploc bags with a picture book and cd set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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