Moms of 2 or more, night time reading ?

My girls are almost 3 and 1. I read every night to them. My oldest loves to be read to more than anything. I read about an hour to her. Now my 1 year old is getting into books. I've been trying to read to them together but that never ends well. My 1 year old start taking all the books, jumping all over the bed. So now I have been reading twice a night. I read to my 1 year old first about 4-5 books. My oldest is impatint and wants me to read to her first, than they fight over books. I'm exhausted after reading to the two of them. Dh isn't home during the week for night time stories. I also feel like almost 1.5 hours of reading is a lot. I have so much to get done. Than I feel guilty if I cut it short. The mommy guilt kills me when my dd says "please one more book mommy".

How do you ladies do it especially if no one is home to help you? How long do you read for?

Re: Moms of 2 or more, night time reading ?

I have twins that are 2.5 so it's a bit different but I can't really read to them together at night...it always ends bad! I read more to them throughout the day. At bedtime they each pick one book and I read it to them at their crib.

Re: Moms of 2 or more, night time reading ?

My boys are 1,3, and 5 and we read to them every day before naps and every night before bed plus throughout the day. It's very important to all of us, so we foster it as much as we can.
At bedtime and naptime, I will bring all three into the older boys' bedroom (ages 3,5) and ask each of them to pick 1-2 stories depending on length. The older boys know if they pick a longer story, they can only do one book each. We read each book together and then it's lights out.
It was much easier before #3 got really into his own books because now he picks his out and just jams his selection in front of our faces -- his older brothers are teaching him "storytime manners".

Re: Moms of 2 or more, night time reading ?

4-5 books, you are crazy hahaha. My kids get 2 books at night, together. When my youngest was a baby I would read a lot during the day and at night I would read to my oldest after the baby went to bed. Now I read them 2 books in my oldest's room. If one of them acts up, they get no books.

Re: Moms of 2 or more, night time reading ?

I have twin3yr old dds I let them each choose 2 books and I read taking turns reading to them and usually the other listens to her sisters story. It took a while for them to get the routine but they are very good now, at 1 even though they lovd books I couldn't read to them at night it was a nightmare so I just didn't do it before bed

Re: Moms of 2 or more, night time reading ?

I have 1 and 3 year old girls too. My 3 year old is really into books now more than ever. After dinner I let her pick as many books as she wants and we play "school"...I read to them sitting on the couch/chair and they sit on the floor like she does in preschool. The 1 year old lasts about 1 book then starts grabbing them too. When it gets too out of hand we just stop. When the baby goes to bed we try to pick up where we left off, but daddy is usually putting Nemo on by then.

Re: Moms of 2 or more, night time reading ?

Message edited 7/9/2013 4:51:03 PM.