Calm household chaos by reading a book aloud

Allyson's masterful distraction technique:

When things get nuts at my house and I cannot regain control, I sit down on the couch and begin to read a children's book. Within a few pages, all three of my boys stop what then are doing and come sit next to me without me saying a word to them. I am always amazed when this works, and it works every time!

(Our favorite book of the moment thanks to my daughter's Kindergarten teacher: Rafe Martin's The Rough-Face Girl.. The story is so beautiful, and you won't recognize the illustrations as typical David Shannon.)

Related: "Beefing up" reading aloud to your kids

Comments

[Jill in Atlanta]

oh yes, yes, yes. I always instruct babysitters that if they need calming down to read a book. To read many many books if needed. It will always settle them down enough to go to bed.

[Debbie]

When we first adopted our kids from Russia, we didn't have enough common language to read to them, and they didn't quite get the concept of being read to, anyhow. So we sang to them. Worked like a charm. They were nearly 3 and nearly 4 years old.

[Lee]

I got this book at the library today and my husband is reading it to my son now!