my daughter isn't interested in books?

Question

Okay - this sounds absurd! My six month old shows NO interest in books. I know, she's young, BUT we think books are so important. She has toys of course, but we try so hard to get her interested in books. Her other friends (all about the same age) will sit in their parent's laps and look at the pictures. Our daughter does anything to get out of our laps and move... she cares FAR more about moving than pictures... she just turned six months and she's crawling and can pull herself into a standing position. I'm happy she's active, but what can we do to get her to want to look at a book? We expose her to them regardless every day/night, different types, etc... but does anyone have any brilliant ideas, OR was anyone's child like this and then they grew to like books later??? THANKS :-)

Answer 1

My son was like that at that age. He will be 3 in April and has only recently started to show an interest in books. He is still super active, but loves books now. Books have always been important to me, and we began introducing them to him at birth, but we never made an issue over it. If he got down, he got down. We didn't want to give him a negative impression of books (example - being held down and forced to look at one), because then we figured he would never like them and would hate them. He slowly started looking at them more and more, gradually starting around 15 months old. He actually began with magazines, as he found them more interesting. You may try that? There are excellent children's magazines out there.

Answer 2

With our daughter, we would tell her stories. Made-up stories, fun stories, silly stories. She was almost always in the story as the heroine or the main character. We've become pretty good at story telling on the fly!



By starting her to be interested in the actual excitement of the story (by telling stories, singing songs, doing puppet shows and so on) over time you can take the next step and teach her that books are a fun way to hear a story - and see pictures too!



My daughter has heard at least 2 made up stories (and songs too) a day since she was a newborn, and now she can't get enough of reading books (okay - with some help); she's 4. We order books through her school, and one of our most exciting traditions is 'book day', when we get to read through all those new luscious books!



She also can't get enough of making up stories and play-acting. She will listen to a story and then she LOVES to re-enact it, giving everyone parts. She started this when she was 3, and still does it today. Let's see, she does the Three Little Pigs, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Bears so much that she know them off by heart! It is so much fun.



I think what we're seeing now is a culmination of learning to enjoy stories (augmented by her active participation and inclusion in the story's content and/or delivery), and having the freedom to play and roll around and have fun. We found that her vibrancy came into a fantastic union with books.



So, our advice? Let your daughter be free, be active, have fun. While she's little, start telling her stories with funny voices and sounds. Mommy and Daddy's faces are way, way more fun than any silly illustration at her age! And, as she grows, keep going, make up stories with her as a character, sing songs, play puppets, play act and slip in an actual book when you can. All of that creative play and energy will come back to you and your husband and put big smiles on your faces - it will just take some time!



Good luck sweetie!

Answer 3

I have never seen a six month old sit patiently for a book and I have been around a lot of babies. Sure you try, but they are usually more interested in either chewing the book or just getting out of your lap to go discover more of the world. Keep introducing them, but seriously it is nothing to worry about. She is being a very normal baby. As her language develops and she starts to associate the pictures with words, she will start to show more interest.

Answer 4

This is very normal. When my son was that age he was more interested in either flipping the pages really fast and not really looking at it or wanting to get down a play on the floor. I read out loud anyway wondering if he even noticed. When he was closer to 1 he sat still and looked at the pages and listened. To my surprise he must have been paying attention all along even when it didn't look like it because he was very familiar with what the book was about. So my advice is to keep reading even if it seems they aren't paying attention because they most likely are. It is great to read aloud to them anyway and it will help with their vocabulary and help them to talk faster. Good luck and don't give up.

Answer 5

My daughter is 16 months old and is just now really getting into books. She used to eat the books. I can't read her books with the paper pages still, because she rips them. I think when they hit about two years they really start getting interested. I only leave out the hard books, that way she can look at them and I'll look at them with her. They would just rather be more active then sit still. So, maybe it's a good thing? :)

Answer 6

My 8 month old son is interested in books purely for chewing. I think there might be a little bit of parental anxiety about this baby book thing. I read a lot, so does my husband, we both have advanced degrees. I am not concerned that my son will grow up without a love of reading. Until he stops wanting to gnaw on books I just read him what I'm reading (and hold it clear of his grasping hands).



I just think it's a mistake to think that babies this young should somehow be interested in books necessarily. I bet your daughter likes lots of cool stuff. That's her personality.

Answer 7

She might not take interest now but she will later on. Trust me.

Maybe you can try to understand what she likes and what she is into. Since she likes to move so much, you can try to give her a book with sound/music installed on it. She might dance to it, it can grab her attention. She might be thinking "man, these books are pretty much the same. Just pictures and words"

but if you give her a book with sound and music in it she would be curious, "why does this book have sounds coming out of it?"



Personally, I hate reading. I can't keep my eyes in a book long enough to even know who the characters are

Answer 8

My little guy is 6.5 months and he just started showing a great interest in books!! Especially the ones with handles on them so they are easy to grab and fling around all over the place. Also, ones that have the different textures in them.



Also, if crawling and standing up are new skills, she is probably just excited to keep figuring those things out and practicing them.

Answer 9

My daughter is 11 months and still won't sit still for a book. She's so intense, and so busy. I can't even get her to lie still for 2 minutes for me to change her diaper! The farthest we've made it into a book is like 2 pages before she's gone! Everynight before bed, we lay her in her crib and read her a story. I guess just keep pluggin' away at it! Sorry I wasn't helpful, I just wanted to know that you're not alone!

Answer 10

LOL. Sounds like my baby girl. The pediatrician told us that it's okay. By making an attempt at reading to them, we are still exposing our baby to books. Even if fthey try to eat the book (like my 7 month old baby girl does) it is still beneficial at this age (at the 6 month mark).



btw, I think that is so cool that she is crawling at 6 months! You must have really worked with her with tummy time, etc. Our pediatrician said my baby girl should be crawling within the next month! =) So exciting!



edit: who in the heck is on thumbs down patrol?! ...annoying

Answer 11

1.) shes too young to show interest in basically anything that complex

2.) all babies develop at different speeds, give her time.

3.)Let here crawl and explore. only time will tell about her liking books.

4.) Keep persistant and soon she should take a liking to them.

5.) Try to choose colorful books.

6.) you child is too young to have developed friends

Answer 12

It is good that you are introducing books to her but she is still so young, none of my children could have cared less about a book a 6 months they were trying to move around and get in to stuff lol...let her enjoy being a baby and when she gets old enough she will love story time.

Answer 13

That just means that she'll be active and adventurous, which is always a good thing!

Just because she doesn't like books now doesn't mean she won't like them later, and please, support her no matter what she ends up choosing to do.

Answer 14

Let your baby be a baby.



So what if she isn't interested in books at this age? She's exploring her new world and surroundings, let her do so. You have plenty of years to get her interested in books. We don't read to our son (gasp) but I've been buying books for his first birthday so he'll have a nice collection by then.

Answer 15

My daughtr too! she likes to snatch them from me when im trying to read but she likes them now, she just doesnt like to sit long enough for m to read them. try one word per pag books with large colorful pictures

Answer 16

Don't worry maybe she's just more of a go getter lol she will eventually like to be read to, maybe try doing right before bed while she's tired.

Answer 17

my son hated books when he was little. he is now one of the only children in his kindergarten class that can already read, in fact he reads as well as his older brother who is in 2nd grade.

Answer 18

Have a schedule for when it is play time and when it is reading time and eating and dont take her off of it

Answer 19

I'm 24 and I hate books, maybe she'll grow up to be cool like me