But My Kid Doesn't Sit Still

"My kid doesn't sit still." If there is a most common excuse for why parents don't read with their kids, this has got to be it. Especially in the toddler years, many children really don't sit still for long.  I was blessed with a "sitter" in my oldest, which probably helped him learn to read earlier. There is nothing that will absorb him more than sitting and reading, except maybe watching tv. My daughter is a mover! I understand the challenge this brings. If she isn't moving, she is sleeping. But she still loves her books. I even found her one afternoon listening to her Tag Reader while standing on her head!

So what do we do with those movers and shakers to get them to love reading? Look for books that include movement! I suggest "Mrs. Wishy Washy," "On Mother's Lap," or baby's first chapter book, "More More More Said the Baby." For the older set, "Jonathan and His Mommy" and Dr. Seuss's "Can You Do It?" are great for more challenging movements. If the book you are reading doesn't have movement in it, be creative in making ways to inject it yourself. Books with flaps or things to touch are often a hit with active children. Or look for books of fingerplays (like Itsy Bitsy Spider) or large motor games to do with your child.

It's also extremely important to seize those rare, often short, windows of opportunity when your active child is quiet and cuddly. With some it's at bedtime or first thing in the morning when they're still a little sleepy. My kids have often brought me books while I'm cooking dinner for some strange reason - maybe because sometimes it works :) Bedtime stories can be tricky with our daughter. When she is really tired, she gets squirmy. If she isn't sitting nicely to listen to stories, then it is time to go to sleep. I figure that is a good strategy to either get her to sit still longer or to know for sure it's bedtime. Other parents of busy kids have used snack time in the high chair to get them to attend to a story. Snacks in hand, whether on the couch or in a high chair, often help children sit still a little longer. Books work great in the car since they need to be buckled in anyway. Audio books are a lot of fun for preschoolers to follow along and turn the pages, helping them feel independent as readers while you concentrate on the road.

The idea behind getting the little busy bodies to sit still and enjoy reading is the hope that they will find reading materials they enjoy and choose to read as they get older. With plenty of activity to balance reading time, turning the pages of a book can enthrall their tired bodies as much as other quiet hobbies. It will also help them get a jump start to success in reading so that it will be more enjoyable later.