https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 21 May 2026 05:58:49 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2290176 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 09:01:31 +0000 snowjewelz 2290176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably from a few weeks old! She wasn't interested for a long time, but now at 9 mo is obsessed! We go through like 8 books in one sitting :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2290105 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:56:42 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2290105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When she was 2 days old and I haven't stopped since. Babies don't need to show interest in order for reading to be beneficial to them. The sound of your voice and hearing the words are the most important thing for them. There are countless studies on the importance of reading to kids as early as possible - they tend to learn better, know more words, speak sooner and better, etc etc. Keep doing it regularly - tummy time, nursing/feeding, pretty much whenever you can! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2290094 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:44:17 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2290094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Young! Within the first month I would say. When we wanted to try to start a consistent bedtime routine with him. He also loves books now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2290085 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:34:02 +0000 looch 2290085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read aloud from the time my son was born, but he couldn't be more disinterested in reading. </p> <p>He's more of a numbers kid and that's just fine by me, so I just continue to read aloud and maybe one of these days he'll bring me a book to read unprompted or look at one on his own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2290005 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 04:00:52 +0000 Pumuckl 2290005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't start until later than most PP. I didn't like reading to the kids if they showed no interest so it was more like 7 months. Now both of them really enjoy it. I did sing a lot to them when they were younger because they seemed to care a lot more about that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289997 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 01:34:12 +0000 Bluemasonjar 2289997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started reading to DS around 3 weeks as part of his bedtime routine. He is too young to be able to see the pictures but will listen to my voice. I wanted to start good habits early. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289979 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 22:35:52 +0000 Eminthevalley 2289979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Before they were born...and as soon as they came home! The witching hour is just not a great time for much of anything, though. I have twins and I would put them in boppys on the couch while I read to both of them in the mornings, after feedings but before sleeping...it was just one of many, many ways to pass the time during the newborn days! They both started "reading" to themselves around 7 months, by that I mean staring at pictures in books on their own. But DH and I were both English majors and avid readers so we thought it was fun. I would recommend doing it every day--the research is just too strong not to--but maybe only 5-10 minutes or so if it's not really your thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289921 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 20:29:51 +0000 MenagerieMama 2289921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Since she was born! We did go through a period where I stopped reading to her because she would just want to eat the book and be really mad if I tried to do anything other than feed her the book. And she would literally get it slobbery enough to be taking bites and consuming it. So we put a hold on book reading for a few months, maybe age 6-9 mo? I suppose she did pop 7 teeth during that interval! Now she LOVES books and knows how to turn pages and spends most of her time in her room just looking at all her books. Still occasional chewing but she'd rather look at the pages. Okay she has a few books that she views as primarily just edible, but just a couple! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289843 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 18:22:30 +0000 blackbird 2289843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe close to a year? She just wasn't interested for a long long time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289842 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 18:17:44 +0000 farawayyama 2289842@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Two weeks old. But that was due to an awful combination of me being a teacher and hormones messing with an already existing anxiety disorder, therefore feeling like I was already failing as a mother by nont reading to her daily. Needless to say she wasn't at all interested. Thankfully DH convinced me to back off.</p> <p>She started looking at pictures around 6-8 weeks but not truly being interested until 4 months, and even then it was a cursory interest.</p> <p>She will be one on Thursday and now LOVES books. Book is one of her very small number of words and she will drop everything for a book. Don't worry, it's not too late! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289793 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 15:04:40 +0000 mediagirl 2289793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Edit - there is NEVER a bad time to start reading to your lo! Just find what works for you. </p> <p>I've always read to her but we made reading a consistent part of the bedtime routine at 3 months. We have added books as she has gotten older and switched things up but we have always read at least 3 books a night. </p> <p>When she was an infant and I would try to get her to sleep, I would lay her on my shoulder and read Alice in Wonderland out loud to her. It was more to amuse me than her because she wouldn't fall asleep in her crib, but I read it out loud since she was there. Ha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289733 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 13:18:48 +0000 Eko 2289733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started right away. It's part of our bedtime routine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289725 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 13:02:47 +0000 fancyfunction 2289725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started as soon as we brought her home </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289687 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 12:09:27 +0000 LilSprinkles 2289687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started reading to DS when he was in the womb. I'd read one book each night (unless I got home really late). Once he was born, I continued to read to him when I would nurse him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289351 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 11:37:54 +0000 sapphire 2289351@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In utero? ;) but we started reading stories out loud with the first couple weeks, while holding her or while she was doing tummy time. My husband I usually have a book going that we are reading to each other so we would sometimes read aloud as a family even in the early days.Probably started actually showing her books around 2 months. At 6 months she definitely wants to hold and chew the books so board books work best. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289333 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 10:23:19 +0000 ChiCalGoBee 2289333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pretty early on (a few days old?) but at that point it was him hearing our voices while we read. We loved showing him pictures in the "Look Look" (Peter Linenthal) books-black and white contrast is excellent for babies. I then started reading the same book at bedtime each night as part of our routine. He now LOVES books at 10 months old. It definitely took a while for him to be interested and actively looking at pictures and looking at us to hear his favorite parts. Right now he's into the "Spot" books (lift the flap), and Sandra Boynton. I use lots of voices and he loves hearing me sound silly. I was a kindergarten teacher so knew I wanted to start early with my baby, and I'm glad I did! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289313 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 09:50:14 +0000 buttermilk 2289313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kitty: newborns love black and white images, and there are lots of books like this. Search Amazon for black &amp; white baby books. Peter Linenthal has several, and there is one called "Hello, Bugs" that she is obsessed with! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289309 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 09:49:00 +0000 catlady 2289309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably the day we brought her home. When she was tiny, sometimes she just liked to hear our voices as she fell asleep for naps, so we didn't even always bother with kids books. I got half way through a Gregory Maguire book by just reading that aloud to her at naptimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289298 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 09:30:02 +0000 kitty 2289298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started recently at about 2 weeks but it's not a regular thing yet, I want to get some more suitable books.</p> <p>@buttermilk: how did you know which books are for newborns? Are they actually labelled that way? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289286 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 08:53:57 +0000 Anagram 2289286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a librarian but I waited until LO expressed interest. Shes always loved looking at books and turning/gumming pages, but I didnt start regularly reading to her until she showed she was into it...sometime between age 1 and 2. I don't remember now. </p> <p>Before that we would just look at books and point out things on the page like cow, green ball, letter A. I think thats how she learned the alphabet so early.</p> <p>Anyway now she loves to read and at age 2, we go get new books from the library every other week and she reads to us and we read to her bith before nap and bed and throughout the day when she brings us a book </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289265 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 07:41:43 +0000 FaithFertility 2289265@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like a.week, even if it was a page or two </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289264 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 07:38:24 +0000 buttermilk 2289264@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought some newborn books with high contrast images and baby loves them. They can hold her attention long enough for me to pump. Started at 3 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289255 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 07:11:56 +0000 ineebee 2289255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Around 3m. I felt bad that I didn't start earlier, but now I realize that it doesn't really matter because now at 5.5m he loves books! He started turning the pages himself (with a little help) at 4m. So so cute. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289242 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 06:19:30 +0000 meredithNYC 2289242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a super bookworm and truly believe reading to your kids is one of the most important things you can do for them. However, I have never read to my 4 month old yet and it took me a while (maybe until 8 or 9 months?) to read with my oldest. Not sure why - just not something I prioritize when my kids are tiny. But if it makes you feel any better, my 3 year old loves, loves, loves to read. So it's not too late! Don't stress about it too much :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289214 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 01:17:35 +0000 lamariniere 2289214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We tried early on, but didn't really get into a rhythm until around 9 months with LO1. He has been really interested in books ever since. With LO2, she would she be around when we were reading to Lo1, so from birth. But she wasn't very interested until around 1 year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289211 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 00:59:33 +0000 Purpledaisy 2289211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started a couple of months ago and DD just turned two and a half. She wasn't really interested before that. Now that's she's 2.5 she's obsessed with books. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289210 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 00:42:07 +0000 Zbug 2289210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started super early but she didn't get into it until much later. She's almost two and loves books now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289209 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 00:37:59 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2289209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's a sore spot for me. I want to get better about it but it's such a challenge so far and he's already 8 months! He wants to eat the book, he wants to crawl away, etc. I have been trying while he he practices self feeding and other stuff where he is contained but occupied. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289198 Fri, 11 Sep 2015 23:26:28 +0000 dolphin 2289198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably consistently around 4 months </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-reading-to-your-lo-1#post-2289194 Fri, 11 Sep 2015 23:13:42 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2289194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Adding that my lo was super fussy at that age...so we wouldn't have gotten anywhere with books either. </p>