My son also loves books..... I make sure that all the books are the hard type... And the paper books I will wait...  My son has his own bookshelf that he can reach, he pulls them out (ALL OF THEM) sits on a pile of books and looks at the pictures, sometimes he'll bring them to me to read... All I can suggest is buy the hard back books, I think they are made of cardboard or something, but he has not distroyed any of them and with any luck they will stay that way for when he wants to look back on his books for years to come....

My son also loves books..... I make sure that all the books are the hard type... And the paper books I will wait...  My son has his own bookshelf that he can reach, he pulls them out (ALL OF THEM) sits on a pile of books and looks at the pictures, sometimes he'll bring them to me to read... All I can suggest is buy the hard back books, I think they are made of cardboard or something, but he has not distroyed any of them and with any luck they will stay that way for when he wants to look back on his books for years to come....

I have 4 children and all of them ,read books for a while then cut them up and make collages out of them or tear pictures out and cover their school books.Even books they have been prsented with at school its sad and i get really upset with them. i found i have no choice but to buy secondhand books or 50c or $1. All the books i really would like to keep i pack away in my glory box till they reach 21 and might get some sense of the importance of books.

I love books!! Of any kind and treasure every one. I still have books from when i was a toddler. If they are treasured put them out of reach so that the little tykes can't eat them when ever they like. Let them practice on store catalogues. If the tear and chew themthem that's it, in the bin.Books aren't cheap and some wonderful creative people have gone to the effort of putting their words on paper. Both my kids treat books like they are something precious and they love them and grab their favourites all the time for me to read. My son of two even has his own book shelf in his room that he has complete access to. If all else fails, get two copies of each.One for destrying, one for reading.

x D x

Our daughter was also a book destroyer, I think it is just a stage and something they eventually grow out of.  We made it clear to our little one that once she destroyed a book that was it she didn't get it back.  It didn't make a difference she still pulled them apart or chewed on the cardboard edges until we threw them away.  She is now 2 1/2 and doesn't pull them apart anymore but give her a pop up book and guaranteed there will be at least one or two things she has pulled out.  I guess she will grow out of this too.

i've been through that, and truthfully the only way you'll be able to stop them from doing it at that age is to watch them with the book then when there finished with it put it up were they can't reach it, i'm afraid book tearing is a learning curve they all go through

Hi

I know how you feel I went through this with my first son I found a way to stop him wrecking them but it is time consuming, I covered the pages of his best loved books in clear contact that way he could look at them, dribble on them or try his best to destroy them but they would survive.

I would also like to know what people do in this situation.

My son has been a book destroyer since he was old enough to walk (11 1/2 months) to the bookshelf where he has a designated shelf for his books. He also loves to look at the pictures and kiss them and turn the pages, but more importantly, chew on them.  So far, I just let him do what he wants. I think when the books are too damaged (can't see any words or pictures) I will just throw them away. However, if they're still OK, I may decide to just box them up and give them to younger siblings in the future to "read".