Babies and Books!

[The[cookie]Doctor]

I'm just curious as to when you find recieving books (the baby friendly board type) acceptable? I am not too fussed I am just curious if anyone thinks it as unthoughtful or unsuitable (as a gift) for babies of a certain age?

I'm wary of growing clothes as they are grown out of so quickly!

My DS loves his board books, probably because he just likes bashing them together!!

[Nadine216]

I would accept books with open arms at ANY age!!

DD still reads her "baby" books even though it's been chewed and drooled on and looks like ... well, something the dog dragged in.

I would even accept STORY-books (big-girl books) now ... you can always put it away and take it out later.

The gift on knowledge is NEVER unthoughtful of unsuitable I'm telling everyone to give dd some books this year for christmas ... if I get another teddy for her, I'm going bonkers.

[Gigi]

i don't really understand the question

i would say thank you for the gift
books are such an important part of learning and discovering for a child
the board books are great for the tiny ones, they can't damage them

i think they are a wonderful gift

i would give a board book to a baby with pride, hoping that baby would play with it and have it read to them.

my nearly two year old loves her in the carseat too, we have some small ones that are a great size for the car seat (don't get tangled up in her safety straps). THey keep her entertaining on the car trip.

her favourite is the baby's version of Possum Magic. National Geographic do some wonderful young board books too.

Agreed Nadine, only SO MANY teddy bears one child can have! it's ridiculous.

[Nadine216]

Agreed Nadine, only SO MANY teddy bears one child can have!

Thank you Yoda

Resist I could not, sorry

ps. Did not know NG does board books .. going to search the net for them NOW!! DD LOVES watching Nat Geo Wild

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I would say... in the first trimester. That's a bit early to start reading to baby. But it's a thoughtful gift that will be appreciated VERY soon. Or maybe TTC, then it's a bit rude, especially if you're LTTTC. Or just got your period.

You can never have too many books.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Oh Ryn you crack me up!! Heheh.
Excellent, I don't know why this struck me as something people might not appreciate, it just did, so I thought it was worth asking to see.

I also realise i wrote growing in the first post, instead of giving

[loulabelle]

I love getting books for Sam! He loves the board books so much, he turns the pages himself already.I never thought about that before though...I gave a girl who had a newborn a book a few weeks ago, I hope she appreciated it.

[Janie]

I'm one of those annoying people LOL who gives ALL kids, regardless of age, books for their birthday/Christmas! Some people love it, some are less than enthusiastic.

I wish more people would give my DS books! Out of all his presents last Christmas, he got ONE! (Apart from what we gave him I mean). Same for his birthday.

[~Trish~]

I prefer it when people buy my boys books! I think books are the best thing, they're educational and they encourage togetherness when it's story time. Both my boys love books and DS2 LOVES board books. I don't think you can go too wrong buying books as a present!

[Sammiejane]

I give books as pressies too.
I think that if you can encourage and make reading fun you are winning half the battle, by giving a child a book, they are more likely to want i=to read it and by surrounding a baby with books and book experiences they will benefit from the value.

DSS has sooooo many books its not funny, the only thing that we are lacking are board books as i missed that stage of his life, we read often either together or he now will read alone, he loves books and it is so fantastic to see a child curled up with a book instead of wantiing to watch TV.

So to answer your question, i would be suprised if anyone found a book, board or other. I certianly would be grateful

[Olive]

we too request books for DD she has HEAPS!! and im always getting her more!!

[*Ali*]

I had a whole library of kids books before I even had kids (I am a teacher and it is a great excuse to by books ) I dont think kids are ever too young or too old to have books, and I dont think that any household can have too many- especially when your toddler becomes obsessed with the same one and you have to read it 10 times a day until it gets 'lost', it is nice to have a wide choice of distractions!

[Nai]

Books are the gift that keeps on giving! I can't think of a better gift to be honest and people who don't appreciate books are probably the ones who need them the most

[Indadhanu]

I would definately prefer a book for Jazz to a teddy bear (OMG we're suffocating in cuddley toys!), at any age. Any type of book. In fact we just bought her two big Disney board books for Christmas, and I'm really hoping to get lots more.

The way I see it... I'll buy clothes for her when I need to, I'm not going to NOT buy clothes, they're pretty necessary, I'd prefer gifts to be something that isn't an essential, because I'm less likely to buy it for her myself (YKWIM, I wouldn't NOT buy it, but compared to an essential like clothes, nappy wipes and food, books and toys aren't the highest priority).

[Astrid]

I love books! If anyone ever asks what to get the kids I always tell them a book unless I have something else in mind. Most of the time I will give a book, especially when I don't really know the child.

[SugarDust]

I would accept books at any age! you can never have enough board books for the kids!

[briggsy's girl]

my bro's kids are 8, 6 and 4 - and get books every year - have done since, well, before the eldest was born!! i bought them a heap of the scholastic disney collection (prolly about 50 books). when DH and I started TTC, we decided to start collecting books for our kidlets early - we've got 50 odd disney books, 40odd beginners dr seuss, alphabet and maths books, thomas, disney princess, care bears, pooh bear books... all are sort of geared at older kids - so when the Gremlin arrives, i'll be actively encouraging the board books so that we can start early!

fwiw - my DH is mildly dyslexic, as is my bro. DH and i talked it over and decided we wanted to encourage reading as much as possible as neither bro nor DH were shown to have issues until they'd basically been pushed out of the school system. with DH reading to our bubba - if he struggles, it will show our kidlets that it's ok to not be perfect kwim?

[nic]

My mum bought a series of pooh bear books for DD when I was pregnant.
DD had book fair at school this week, and she got a book for herself and she picked out a book for DS as well. I'm thinking of getting DS The Very Hungry Caterpillar book and the hungry caterpillar toy for xmas as well.

Nic