Reading with your child

Invitation to read

I love to read, so trying to instill a love of reading and books in my family was always important to me. Surrounding my children with books was the first thing I did, and teaching them to respect the books by keeping them on the shelves, not writing or colouring in them, and never tearing or cutting them was a difficult task.  I also have made time for reading nightly before bedtime, and whenever they want to (within reason) during the day.
When they say they're bored, one of the first things I suggest to them is to go read or look at a book. I don't think how long you read to your children per day is important as long as you're doing it, but I have heard that a daily goal should be at least 20 minutes. In our house, we can go over that amount of time (and do frequently) easily.
I think the most loved book in our house (we are on copy number 3 now) is Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.  We have also been reading a few books by Sandra Boynton that my youngest received for Christmas. There are other books that make it into our nightly routine, but almost every night for 10 years I have been "reading" Goodnight Moon to at least one of my three children.
I know as they get older, the reading time before bed will turn into their own time, for homework, friends and other activities.
So I will enjoy these moments while they last, and make the most of them because I know it passes way too fast.