Can you please sit down, boy?

Sense any frustration from the title? Yup, that's my exact feeling when reading to my son when he was younger... the reason y I am writing this is because I have heard some mummies telling me and asking me -
"Why won't my boy sit down, so I can read to him"
"I have just read two pages, and he's off running around the room... How am I to read anything to him?"
"I have just read two pages, and he'll snatch the book from me, and start turning the pages on his own... The story has never gone further than the 2nd page."

Sounds familiar to anyone? well, if doesn't sound familiar to any of you, it sure does sound very very familiar to me.

My first-born is a girl, and was a pretty low-maintenance kinda gal... It was easy to just get her to sit down and listen to me read to her for a period of time. So when I had my boy, I thought hey, why not just apply the same technique with him. Boy, was I wrong!

My son is a typically active boy... Well, which boy is not, right? Being a new mummy then, and juggling with some hectic workload, it was not easy for me to adjust to raising 2 kids... This weakness of mine at that point, I believe was at the detriment of my boy, as I could not expose him to the same personal time and activities that I had exposed my girl during the 1st 3 years of her life (before my boy popped out).

I tried reading to him as I did for my daughter, but I had wrongly assumed that my boy would be like my gal... That he would sit down quitely and diligently, and read with me, or do his activities etc... Fortunately, for both kids, I did not experience the terrible two syndrome.  It would however be difficult for me to sit him down and read with me... The frustration level increased at every reading. Being very perceptive creatures, reading would also become a frustrating activity for him too... (similar to breast feeding, whatever emotion that a nursing mom is feeling at that point of time, would somehow rub off on the child).  Every time I read a story to him, he would start moving around the room after the 2nd page; He would say "I don't want to read"; He would say "Reading is so boring"; etc etc... He was 2 then.

I was at my wits end... How come? How come? How come? Then, I came to the conclusion that I was making reading a chore for him... I was thinking too much into how to prepare him to read, that the magic of reading was lost (I still am thinking a lot now...) .  So I decided to just CHILL!!! Have fun....

So these were the subtle things that i did -

• I continued reading to him even if he moves around the room. Just make sure that he is within earshot
•  fully believe that he is actively listening. 
•  Be dramatic
•  read with a clear strong voice
• ask him questions about the pictures, story
• Be consisten in your story time... I.e. if you have decided to read every night to them, do so. They would appreciate the structure 
• Get him to choose his own books
• Where possible to come up with pre and post reading activities
• Be a role model I.e. show that you are a reader too, and that you enjoy reading

And the drastic moves I made -

• Renovated my house and created and entire library for the kids and parents
• Reduced my working hours and suffered a pay cut.

And of course, never ever lose hope in your child.  No 2 children are alike, so don't even attempt to compare.  

At 4, my sweet lil boy has shown great improvements He enjoys reading together now (reading on his own is still work-in-progress). He can sit for longer periods now. He asks questions about the story and understands what the story is about. If we do not read for the night, he will remind me that we have yet to read one. 

I would attribute this change also to the fact that he is bigger now, and perhaps to my little attempts at change.  Now my wish and prayer is for him to be able to read on his own.  I have to still constantly remind myself though that a child will read once he is ready.  Meanwhile, just continue reading to him, and have fun reading!!!