Every child is different. Our son has loved looking at books and being read to since he was 3 months old. It has calmed him down before naps/bedtime, given him one on one time with us, cuddle time, kept him occupied many times, and he has always been very advanced with his verbal skills. He gets excited about them too. Our daughter however has loved books for chewing on until around her recent first birthday. Books really do not calm her down, so reading before naps/bedtime may not be the best time for her. She would rather the pictures be explained to her with words that she is familiar with.
Reading to children is very beneficial for all involved. It makes for nice quality one on one time. It helps develop language skills and can be a good way to calm down before bed or nap. It’s always been good cuddle time for us at our house. While it is easier to read to some children more than others, (our daughter has a really hard time sitting still and not turning the pages one after the other), it is worth it. Lately I have regretted not taking more time to get her interested in reading. I think she will come to like it more if we spend a little more time on it. She will probably never enjoy it as much as our 3 yr old son, (when asked what he got for Christmas, he enthusiastically answers, “Books!”)
The point is, fill up those kids bookcases with lots books! Feed those imaginations, and their enthusiasm. For kids that love to read, the only hard part will be having to tell them you are tired of reading and your mouth is dry. For the ones that may not seem so interested, keep trying. I believe that it is something important to share with your children and even if it is hard, start small. I am going to take my own advice and just pick up a book and read to my daughter for as long as she will take it, usually about 2 minutes, but that’s better than not trying at all!
