My child rips up all of his books. How do I stop this?

By the time your child is a little older, and has graduated from baby to toddler, you’ve probably bought him or her a few books that are more complex than the simple picture books that defined his babyhood. However, while he or she may love the stories, there’s a good chance they’re still too young to turn the pages by themselves.

If they accidentally turn the page and it tears, or won’t turn, they might tear the pages in frustration, or you may find that he or she does it deliberately, in order to get your attention.

It’s a good idea to simply avoid the problem. Save books with delicate pages for times when you read together, and buy him or her either more sturdy books made of board for reading on their own, or invest in books on tape.

It’s never too early to invest in instilling a love of reading, but you do want to ensure that your toddler doesn’t destroy his or her books!