I Didn't Realize Reading was a Full-Contact Sport

I remember a lovely childhood filled with my mother reading to us. We would laugh and cry through "The Birds' Christmas Carol" every December and attempt to understand the beautiful poetry of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." It was great.

Now whenever I try to read to my children, it always breaks into a huge melee with much yelling, screaming, and eventually bleeding as they all fight over who gets to sit where and who's touching whom and who's taking too long to look at the pictures.

Any suggestions?