When did your baby become interested in books?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was gradual. We started reading regularly to her at bedtime when she was around 4 months old and at first, she didn't really pay much attention but I think the sound of us reading aloud was soothing to her. By around 6 or 7 months, she was excited to turn the pages. And at 9 or 10 months, she was pointing to pictures and sometimes feeling textures in those books. Now, at 16 months, she loves books and sits quietly and immersed while we read. I think you just have to start reading to your DC as early as possible and they'll start becoming interested in different kinds of ways -- all ways that are very helpful for development.

This is DD, exactly. She's 22 months now and loves books. Definitely has opinions and favorites, which change by the day. We started reading to her around 4 months when she was in the swing. We'd just hold the board books up and talk about the pictures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We read to my 8-month-old at bedtime. There are a small handful of books that he loves, a small handful of books he will tolerate, and pretty much anything else he will only last a few pages before fussing and trying to twist out of my lap. I think familiarity is important to him--his favorites are ones that we've read lots of times. I am working hard to get new books into the mix, but it feels like hard work. We are also talking short and simply board books for the most part. I know that forcing reading is simply not possible, but if anyone has tips about how to get DS interested in different books and longer books I'd love to hear it!

Same here! We have 2-3 that my 8.5 month old can reliably get through, and in the interest of getting more reading time in, I often read the same ones 2-3 times/night. Any thoughts on broadening that repertoire would be appreciated!

PP, I will say that the 2-3 that DC sits through are the ones where I can lift a flap and talk in a funny voice (Pat the Bunny's Let's Find Bunny, for example). Give that a shot!

[Anonymous]

DD was around 2 when she really started understanding the magic of a book. My parents always told me I hated books being read to me as well as the actual books(even when I was over 4). Fast forward many years later, and I LOVE reading and am getting my PhD in English! So if your child doesn't love books and reading, don't despair.

[Anonymous]

Gradual here too, but at 11 mo just saw a jump in interest. I've been letting DS "help" turn the pages, which he liked, but now When the book is over, he cries sometimes unless I re-read the book. He also just started laughing at certain pages. I love it.

[Anonymous]

She was always interested, starting around, oh, maybe 6 to 9 months old. She liked Goodnight Moon because of the word mooooooon and the way mami and papa read it (cuddling with baby, pointing out the moon, remarking how beautiful it was, going outside and finding the moon, etc). And she liked picture books with photos of things she recognized -- blueberries, apples, spoooooooon (what is it about those ooo words?) and so on.

Daughter is now just over two. She happens to have a rather calm disposition, so staying still to read is not difficult to her. She loves books, especially the ones we read over and over again, and she will "read" them on her own as well as on our laps. She memorized "Madeleine" by age 1 year 9 months, and could recite the wordsalong with us.

[Anonymous]

Definitely couldn't get away with bedtime stories until 11 months or so. DS would show passing interest in books as toys before then, but only for a VERY short time - like 2 minutes. Try different kinds of books, PP suggested Goodnight Moon, but my DS has never liked that one but prefers Dr. Seuss. Also loves peek-a-boo/lift the flap books and books w/ pictures of real babies. I would try a little experimenting, but agree with PP that it must be different for each kid and not to stress about it if DC isn't that into books yet.

[Anonymous]

I started reading to my daughter (Moo Ba La La La) in those first few weeks and now at 23 months, she is a voracious reader. She would sit on our laps and let us read through every book on her bookshelf if we could.

[Anonymous]

From birth. We have soft-sided books...one is called "Night Night Baby" and it's made for babies from birth to 6 mos. It's black/ white w/ primary colors and DC just LOVES it!

[Anonymous]

I think around 6-9 months for my DD. Board books with photos of baby faces were the big hit, and then as she got more coordinated, things with flaps (like "Where Is Baby's Belly Button?") I read "Goodnight Moon" eevvvvverrrrry night at bedtime for about a year... then "Goodnight Gorilla" for about the next year after that! Now she wants more variety. But she couldn't really deal well with paper books (as opposed to board books) until around age 2, as I recall.

I first read the question as "When did your baby become interested in BOOBS?" That happened a lot sooner, hee hee.

[Anonymous]

My son is very active and had no interest until 18 months - I had to get fun, interactive books for him to sit and enjoy it - like the pop out books, or the touch and feel. He is now 2.5 and refused a nap or bedtime with out a book - he is really into the more complex stories, he loves books now.
My daughter is 16 months and has loved them since she was 6 months but in the past 2-3 months will pick them up herself and flip the pages.

[Anonymous]

Um, I think sometime around 8 months old. We read some pretty simple books over and over, books that had nice sounds and bright, simple pictures. Goodnight Moooooooooon with all it's oo and sh sounds was calming. By the time she was one, she could point to the mooooon. It was her first word!