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You’ve just made it through the witching hour and there’s one last step to get through before your kids are sleeping peacefully all snug in their beds. Bedtime. You’re exhausted. Burnt out. The last thing you want to do is read the same story you’ve already read a gazillion times.
But then you feel guilty. Reading aloud to your baby is one of the best things you can do for their development and future success, so why don’t more people do it more often?
I get it. Life makes you tired and it’s hard to get into reading the same stories on repeat with the enthusiasm your baby requires. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You make the purchasing decisions here, mama. So buy books that are fun, silly, and YOU enjoy reading to your kids.
That will help you make reading fun and important to your baby too!
In my opinion, reading to your children from a very early age prepares them for school and life more than anything else you do for them. Really, I can’t think of an easier way. In fact, I recommend starting a habit of reading to babies before they can even sit up. Babies don’t squirm away and starting the habit early ensures they will grow up associating reading with being cuddled and loved. Integrating it into your routine as soon as possible will make reading fun and enjoyable for your children from the start.
With my oldest, I made reading part of our daily routine from the minute I started to think about a routine. I read to him at each nap and again at bedtime. We also kept books accessible in a basket and I made a commitment to read to him every time he asked. Every single time. Reading and learning are important to me and I wanted to make sure he knew their importance too.
But do you know how many times I had to read the same book over and over and over again? Too many to count. Children learn through repetition. It’s good that they want to hear their favorite stories over and over. Eventually you will memorize them. Then they will memorize them and start “reading” them back to you and that’s just awesome. (Even if it doesn’t officially count as reading, it’s a very positive pre-reading step.)
So how do you get through reading the same stories on repeat? Choose books you love too. Starting with Sandra Boynton.
Here are some of our favorite Sandra Boynton books. They are silly and a perfect way to make reading fun.
- Moo Baa La La La
- The Going to Bed Book
- Barnyard Dance
- Pajama Time!
- Belly Button Book
- Snuggle Puppy
- Hippos Go Berserk
- Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs!
- Birthday Monsters
- Horns to Toes and In Between
- Happy Birthday Little Pookie


Any book on this list makes a perfect baby shower gift too. I always have a hard time deciding which book to give. If you’re the one planning the shower, you can encourage your guests to bring a book instead of a card. My sister did that when she planned my shower, and that’s how I found out about Sandra Boynton. It was wonderful to have a collection of books for my son even before he was born and every time I read them to him, I thought of the person that gave them to us.

I love reading to the kids and we have tons of favorites. This will be the first post in a series about our favorite authors and books for babies and young children. If you have your own favorites, I’d love for you to come share them with me on our Facebook page.