When Did You Stop Reading at Night with Your Child?

My son is 7, and we alternate reading, some evenings he will read to me, others I read to him. I pretty much let him take the lead. :)

I do occasionally read to my almost 9 year old, so I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with it, but ...

If he doesn't want to do it, I really wouldn't push it. If he's not too interested in reading, forcing it is only going to make it worse.

I still read with my son at night. He is 11. Not every night, but a couple times a week I read a chapter out of a book we read together. He then reads a little by himself after before bed. It's something we have always enjoyed, and it has helped with reading comprehension and vocabulary.

My parents never read to me. I was a good reader at an early age, and preferred reading by myself. My son still wants me to tuck him in and read to him, and I'll take that for as long as possible!

As a reading specialist I say never stop reading aloud to your kids! When we read to kids we expose them to so much vocabulary! Maybe change when or how you do it. Maybe instead of reading to him in bed, sit on the couch together a half hour before bedtime and read. I remember reading with my mom when I was in my teens. She would read a chapter to me and then I'd read a chapter to her. I still read to my almost 8 year old and my almost 6 year old. I choose books that are a couple of reading levels above what they can read individually. Maybe tell him you want to read a book to him that he "isn't old enough" to read by himself. Maybe even try some of the old classics. I remember a teacher reading The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury to us. I think it was 4th or 5th grade. Read joke books together or newspaper articles or magazine articles. If he's interested in a hobby or sport read about that together. It doesn't have to be a traditional bedtime story.

eeeeEEEEeeeEEEEEeeeeeEEEEEE!!!
i sometimes wonder if my boys felt that way. they say they didn't, although sometimes they fell asleep if i went on too long, or was reading something too advanced for them. (the dune series was probably a bit much for the tween years.)
i read to 'em until they moved out. heck, i read to them after than when they'd come home! but they never asked me to stop.
i like to think i'd have honored their request. i'm pretty sure i'd have argued them out of it.
i finally let it go a few years ago. they're 24 and 28 now. they still patiently endure 'the night before christmas' on christmas eve, and sometimes dr suess's 'happy birthday to me' on their birthdays.
i have issues.
i also read to mine at breakfast. would yours be amenable to trying that?
i hope he changes his mind!
khairete
S.

Never.
We don't read to each other anymore (he's 16) but we'll both read our own books together.

My son is 9 in a few weeks. I read to him every night and he gets upset if we have to skip a night. He loves to read on his own as well.

Could you mix up the type of books you are reading to him, to make it more interesting? We have read everything from classics like Secret Garden to a joke book he found at a yard sale - every night for about 2 weeks we took turns - he would read a page of jokes to me, then I would read a page of jokes to him. I see it exactly as you said - it's about the time spent together, not what specific book we are reading so I let him choose whatever he wants me to read.

Kiddo is 8 and still likes me to read to him. I do it now when he has his evening snacktime, a bit before his bedtime, and then he reads for at least 20 minutes on his own. We take turns on choosing what to read, so some nights it's Captain Underpants or Origami Yoda or some stuff like that and other nights it's my choice, Just-So Stories by Kipling or some CS Lewis "Narnia" books--- a little more classic literature which is interesting to both of us. I introduce things he might not regularly seek out on his own while getting to learn about what he's interested in as well.

I should add that he loves reading, so he's not relying on my read-aloud to be his 'reading time' for school.

My son is 9-1/2. He is a voracious reader - reads in the car, the bathroom, at the bus stop, anywhere. He still looks forward to bedtime stories and being tucked in. I have no plans to give up our bedtime routine.

My kids also set the schedule of when they stopped having me read to them. I felt a pang of loss but actually it has been pretty freeing. But, with a dyslexic daughter reading is huge and bonding even more so. So once she was able, I set up that after dinner she and her sister clean up dinner and I read aloud to them both. Sometimes we read whatever they want, sometimes we read assigned work. We don't do it religiously, but often enough that its a thing. I like it because if the book is good they'll linger over the cleaning and do more to keep me reading!

My oldest is almost 10. We still read together at night. We read chapter books and take turns reading chapters.

I still read to my 8 and 9 year olds.. and yes it is one of the only times we come together to do something..

My son's still relatively young (sorta), 6, so we still do reading...but my perspective comes from my childhood. I clearly remember my mom reading to us until I was easily fifth or sixth grade. I loved it. I loved being with her. Maybe he can read you a story. I love that time together too, I understand.

I still read nightly to my 7 y/o and my 11 y/o (both boys) still asks me to read to him almost every night after he reads on his own for 20+ minutes.

Aww, you assume everyone reads to their kids. :) Mine never sat still.

By the time my kids could sit still they could read themselves and preferred that since apparently I am not nearly as good a reader as the librarian.

We still read to our 9 year old. Sometimes if I am really tired, I will ask her to read to me and we are both asleep before you know it.

To my knowledge, it is still part of her education.

He's old enough to read on his own. Both my kids only have radios in their rooms so they usually read before bed. My son is 12 and on occasion he will say, hey mom, can we read in your bed tonight? He needed practice reading so I would read a page then he would until he got better.

I think it's the natural progression of growing up. I definitely would not force anything on him and let him come to you when he needs to. Good luck.

I read to my son up until he was about 9 or 10. however, by that age, he was such a veracious reader on his own and still is that I didn't need to do it and even if I wanted to , he usually already has a book in hand... It's funny, now at 13, he suggests books for me to read.. I think there was a spell between the age of 10 and 11 when my son didn't read as much and I was concerned.. Although, he did pick it back up. Could be a matter of them finding an interest. For my son, he LOVES history, particularly European.. those many of his books about that and or travel.. Maybe take your child to a library and see what he gravitates towards.. could be he just needs a little nudge. Also, many libraries during the summer have reading contest.. see if that sparks an interest.. you never know..

When they could read for themselves. We do reading in the living room so I can make sure they're doing it.

Then spending some time just sitting with each other and visiting is great.

I read to my son until he was around nine and younger daughter at about the same age but they actually enjoyed it. My older daughter was "done" at a much earlier age. Sure it made me kind of sad, but I can't imagine forcing a kid to do something which should be pleasurable not torture.
For what it's worth my son is WAY more of a reader than either of my girls, and he plays (and always has played) LOTS of video games. He's also the best student, so you just never know. Try not to project your own worries, experiences and fears onto your children. Your son will either enjoy reading for pleasure or not, you can't really make your kids have the same interests as you.

maybe to change it up, he reads to you for awhile? Maybe you each take a turn reading a chapter? You could spin it that you "both need to practice reading". instead of "mom reading to me" it would just be "reading time".

Mine is 8 and I still read to him - we are 1/2 way through the Percy Jackson set and he loves it.

I think each kid is different. But I get it would be hard to "force" the issue if he is resistant. Good luck! I say give up some things, but not all. they still need that "unwinding" time before bed, even at this age.

I stopped reading to my girls once they could read chapter book (so around 5-6 yo when they were in kindergarten).

My youngest just told me she has read over 2500 pages this semester. She loves to read!!! She is finishing up 6th grade.

I stopped reading to my boys when they stated to read chapter books on their own. I do still read ghost stories when we go camping though. Both of my boys enjoy reading, and prefer to read to themselves. I also preferred to read to myself as a child. (I think we are visual learners as opposed to auditory learners, so it is easier to follow the story if we read it as opposed to listen to it.)

As for bedtime routines, we still hug and kiss goodnight every night, even at 10 and 13.

It's rather sweet that he's continued as long as he has. :-) My boys wanted to read on their own at about 5 or 6, when they were learning to read basic books.

I would still require reading time on his own before bed. Both of my boys love to read.

If he's not into it anymore, you're not bonding over it anymore.
It's time to stop when the kid says it's time to stop. That's different for every kid.