We have a big kids library (mostly hand-me-downs and used books). It's been invaluable during covid, especially when the public library was closed. In normal times, we go to the library weekly.

Somewhere around the age 5, oldest started reading every weekend morning, just picking random books off the shelf, and I finally got to sleep in! But that came after lots and lots of read aloud.

Also google "strewing." Leaving out specific books at specific times, so they don't just become like wallpaper that you don't notice.

It’s nuts to have that many books and not read to your kid. You should be reading 30 minutes a day to your kid!

Anonymous wrote:I agree that’s excessive. You should be reading to your four year old but you don’t even need half or a quarter of those books. People tune out clutter. Too many books may overwhelm your child. Rather it’s better to have a manageable selection of favorites that they read over and over. In non covid times, libraries are great for kids.i guess in the positive side your wife is helping the printed books business, but I am sure it is all amazon. I’d say she has a spending problem or wishes she were a teacher.

books are not clutter! WTF!

I agree that’s excessive. You should be reading to your four year old but you don’t even need half or a quarter of those books. People tune out clutter. Too many books may overwhelm your child. Rather it’s better to have a manageable selection of favorites that they read over and over. In non covid times, libraries are great for kids.i guess in the positive side your wife is helping the printed books business, but I am sure it is all amazon. I’d say she has a spending problem or wishes she were a teacher.

I love it! I have an extensive library that my kids enjoyed, and even now that they're adults they sometimes come over, select a dog-eared book/friend, and flop down on the couch.

1) Sounds like she is too young to read a lot of the books yet so you don’t really know if she will enjoying reading books as a hobby since I doubt she is a fluent independent reader at age 4.

2) You need to be reading to her as well. My 4yos love listening to chapter books.

Books are awesome! And yes, both of you should be reading to her.

--Parent of high schoolers who love to read

Great investment. We have at least 300. DS has read 90% of them. Well, we used to read them to him, now he reads by himself. He's 5. His younger sister is following in his footsteps.

That sounds great OP. Both of you should be reading to her as well.

You guys should be reading to her.

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, post to fast. Topic should be “DW keeps buying books at home”.

DD will go to k next year.

You should ask Jeff to correct the subject line for you.

Yes, we probably have 200+kids books for my kids. My oldest is 7. It will build great readers. My parent's house was practically a library. My parents probably own 10k books at least and we are all big readers.

We have probably 500 books that we both brought into the marriage

Your 4 yo can add, subtract and multiply?

Sorry, post to fast. Topic should be “DW keeps buying books at home”.

DD will go to k next year.

DW shops a lot of books & workbooks for our 4 year old DD, and there are at least almost two hundreds of them at our house. There are short stories, chapter books, comics, science, space, math, grammar, reading, phonics, geography, history etc from preschool to third grade level. We also have National Geographic kid & highlight subscription. She rarely reads to DD, and she does not force DD to read any books or do any workbooks. Once in a while, DD picks up a book to read or does worksheet whenever she wants. Is it considered a good strategy to promote reading & learning at home by just keep buying books? DD goes to daycare, and she can read & write. She knows to solve some math word problem with addition/Msubtraction and a little bit of multiplication.

I never own that many books in my life, and I cannot justify the reasons behind why DW loves to keep buying books for DD. She says it is freestyle learning, and it is to promote reading & learning. Well, it is true that DD is a curious kid, and she does read a small section of books that DW buys. She is considered a self-motivated learner. Is it considered a waste of money or a good investment for having a small library at home?