Your child isn't too old for a bedtime story
The bedtime story isn't just for toddlers.
I was talking to a parent recently who asked for a book recommendation for her seven-year-old son. I asked whether she wanted something he could read alone, or something they could enjoy together.
She paused. "For him, definitely. He can read by himself now. He doesn't need me to read to him anymore."
I hear this a lot. And my answer is always the same: keep reading to them.
Reading aloud doesn't hold children back — in fact, in most cases it usually does the opposite. It lets children access stories, vocabulary and ideas they may not be able to reach on their own yet. A five-year-old who is still working through their phonics books can follow The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe when you read it to them, despite the language being far too complex for them to read independently. A seven-year-old who stumbles over words on the page can still understand the bravery, friendship and sacrifice of the characters when they're listening to How to Train Your Dragon.
“A child’s listening comprehension is often around two years ahead of their reading ability — which means the stories they can hear may be so much richer than the ones they can manage alone.”
When we only give children books they can read independently, we limit the stories they get to experience.
When I read Charlotte's Web to my children, it opened the door to our first real conversation about death and loss. When we read Kensuke's Kingdom together, we ended up talking about the lonely children at school and what my children could do to help them feel included. These were conversations that hadn't naturally come up before.
Reading aloud also keeps books tied to warmth and pleasure, not just performance, grades or comprehension questions they need to answer. I know evenings are often chaos, particularly as your children get older. You're tired, the washing is still in the machine, and someone can't find their PE kit. But if your child still wants you to read to them, even sometimes, try to say yes when you can.
Because one day it will be the last time, and you probably won't know it when it happens.
So no, your child isn't too old for a bedtime story just because they can read alone. You're not babying them. You're giving them language, connection and a reason to keep loving books.
P.S. If you want to check out my top reading recommendations, you can discover my picks via Reading Roots Recommendations on Bookshop UK.