Another story: a bedtime story to suit your evening

The book is already laid out. It’s the one with the dog-eared corner, the one where your child knows the next line before you do. And even though there are twenty others on the shelf, today it has to be this one again.

You can turn this into a rather lovely evening. A familiar book takes the choice out of your hands. Your child can fill in their favourite part, look for a picture or read along with the sentence they’ve been waiting for. You don’t need to have a particularly good reading voice.

A place where you can settle in

Adjust the lamp so you can see the pages clearly. Put the book within reach beforehand and find a position that’s comfortable for both of you. Perhaps you’ll sit by the bed, or maybe on the sofa. What’s more important for the story is that you don’t have to keep readjusting your positions.

If your child sleeps under a duvet, they can snuggle up and look at the pictures. A design on the duvet cover can join the story: where is the little tractor heading after the last field? What does the rabbit do when the moon rises?

If you’re only managing three pages today

Agree beforehand what you’d like to read: a short story or a chapter. On a long day, it could even be just a few pages. A bookmark will mark your place for tomorrow. That way, you’ll have something to come back to together.

And if you’re not in the mood for a book, tell each other three things about the day. Something funny, something difficult and something that’s waiting for you tomorrow. Your child is also allowed just to listen.

The story can wind down gently

Turn the last page, put the book back in its place, say one more sentence. Perhaps you’ve long since developed your own farewell phrase. Perhaps it’s only just coming together. It doesn’t have to be particularly poetic: ‘See you tomorrow, little tractor’ can be quite enough.

Which book is it today? Probably the one with the dog-eared corner.