Still frustrated trying to read to them

I enjoy reading, and I know the importance of reading to your children, so I am really in support of doing this. We do bedtime routine every night with a variety of books (depending on how much time we have we read anywhere from 1 to 8 books!). And, they usually sit nicely for the books (actually DS really likes listening to them, but DD gets bored easily and before you know it she is distracting me and DS, which makes me so frustrated).
But, when I try and read to them during the day it nearly always ends up in problems - they don't like the books I have selected, or if they select them they don't like what the other has selected, they fight over pressing buttons or feeling the pages (to the point where I have put away most of the books that involve any "interaction"), they fight over who turns the pages etc, etc. I feel awful most times because DS would sit and listen and DD just isn't as interested in sitting and listening (but she does at pre-school, no problem at all, so I know she is capable). And, DD will not keep herself busy while I read to DS, even if I set something up for her to do while I read to him. Ugh!

 

If you are going to read them during the day and they act like that, I would go over ground rules beforehand. No fighting over the books selected. He gets a choice, she gets a choice. No fighting about page turning, etc. The first fight the books get put away and that will be for the rest of the day. Since your DD does get bored easily, I would keep the books short and simple for right now. I think it is a good idea to put the books away that require their participation.
My DD is a chronic interrupter when we read. She has to stop the proceedings to ask me "What's this character doing? What are they saying?" Or she stops it to make up her own idea of what they are doing or saying. I have a rule with her that she has to hold her thought until we are done the page and then she can review/make up what the character is doing or saying. I appreciate her creativity but I also want her to know that she cannot interrupt either and especially at school when she has to listen to the whole story.

 

Honestly my kids were behaving like this until they went to school... and then it took them about a year to learn to sit nicely for them at home too... so give them more time I guess. Frankly we didn't even bother reading to them until the last few months.

 

Nancy, check out the book "interrupting chicken," it's about a little chicken girl who likes to do this too. My girls love this book!

To the op: definitely have some rules about reading. Maybe try to do it one on one if your ds is more into it than your dd. Also for your dd instead of just reading the book, maybe make it interactive for her. Ask her what she sees on the pages, does she remember what happens in the story,etc.

Good luck! I've been reading to my girls since the very beginning. We have gone through phases where they are less interested or obsessed with one story, but it's all fun in the end.

 

Personally, I think if you are getting frustrated, the kids are going to sense that, and it's sending a negative image about reading during the day. I agree with setting some ground rules, but if they (or DD), don't want to bother listening or following the rules, I would set it aside. It's not like you aren't reading to them at all. And the last thing you want to do is force your child to listen to you reading, because that's not going to help them enjoy reading in the end

We read to the kids but with no set schedule. Some days we'll sit down and we'll read the whole entire bookshelf to them. And some days we do no reading at all. So far our oldest loves reading and is reading way above a 4th grade level (I think he was around 6-7th grade last time we checked). My 5 yr old isn't reading yet but she loves to listen to us read to her.

 

Mine drive me nuts too, but instead of fussing at them the whole time and being a downer like I did for a while, I've decided to channel some of my college acting class skills and pretend that they're sitting nicely and I read the book like I have the most attentive audience ever. I know I look silly doing this when all three are running around not paying me any attention. However, I realized this tactic was working when my DD who runs around and plays and talks while I'm reading the most knew more details about the characters and stories than my fairly attentive DD! I read books on the bed or sofa, and if they start bickering I make them get down, and only let them stay up and help me turn pages if they're not fighting. I have rules about whose turn it is, etc. With three, it is crazy, but I love the books and make a big deal about how much I enjoy them and try to make them fun and silly. The sillier I am, the more attention I get

When we go to Kindermusik and the teacher reads, they sit very nicely, so at least they "act right" in public

 

There's no rule that you have to read to them at the same time. Why not set out some toys that she really likes to play with while you read to your son? And I agree with Danielle, if you're forcing it on them or getting frustrated every time you sit down to read during the day it's very possible it'll have a negative effect instead of the positive one you're working for. So working out a different way to accomplish the reading might be worth it... early in the morning when they're more rested, only a few times/week, reading to them separately, trying out some of Mom2CA's fun, crazy acting ideas, etc.

 

You can let the restless listener play in the room. While she might not be sitting on your lap she is likely still listening. And you might be surprised by her wondering over periodically to look at the book.

I would also ditch the interactive books for awhile if they are causing fights.

Also consider other media for your one who tends to get restless. Magazines are also great. One of my boys loves magazines. Preschool magazines usually have activites like search and finds or find what is silly on the page etc. It is still exposing them to written language/media.

Have you tried library storytime? Let them see what other kiddos do.

Just a note... I had one who I thought for a year just wasn't interested in books. He would get very restless or just wouldn't sit still. Turns out he is severely farsighted. Our doctor referred him to an eye doctor at age 2. He will now sit for over an hour listening to books. He loves books. You might consider an eye check up with an eye doctor. Its good to do before they start K anyway.