By Melissa Stefanec | MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com
In the age of social media and the internet, being seen with books can be so mid*.
It’s hard to sell kids on books when they have constant overstimulation at their fingertips. Interacting with books is wildly different than interacting online, but I’m a firm believer in books being able to compete.
Despite the mighty allure of the digital world, I have managed to raise kids who love books. This was no accident. I was purposeful about raising readers. I wanted them to find empathy, education and beautiful escape in the pages of books. As avid readers, I know they are in the minority.
Reading for enjoyment is trending down among children in the United States. According to new data from the “Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report,” kids are reading less as they age. Scholastic found that 70% of 6- to 8-year-olds read for fun. By the time those same kids are 7- to 12-year-olds, only 46% of them read for fun. That’s a shame, because reading opens doors to other people, other places and yourself.
So, if you want your kids to read more, I have some tactics to share. No matter how old your kids are, I hope these tips help your kids make space for literature.
• Buy books about stuff they love — We want our kids to love what we love. That’s normal, but it’s also mildly illogical. Whatever your kid’s passion is, buy them books about it. Maybe they love rocks, venomous snakes, hairstyles, fart noises, mummies, kittens or drawing. Whatever they love, give them books about those things.
• Get a library card — Make reading tangible. Take your kids to the library. A lot of libraries have bookstores where you can buy books very cheaply. Most libraries trade books with other libraries via an inter-loaning system. Just about any book your kid wants, the library can find (and for free).
• Trade books with your friends — Once your kids have books they don’t read anymore, have them swap books with their friends. Have a literary potluck and help other kids find their new favorite books. Even if your kid is the oldest, they can share what books they loved most with the younger kids.
• Put books on their wishlists — When the relatives want to spoil your kids on special occasions, put a lot of books on their wishlists. Fill those lists with books your kids can enjoy and relate to. Make books special by giving them on special occasions.
• Limit screen time — If you want your kids to read, you have to limit screen time. Interacting with screens is like a drug to most children. If you let them look at screens, either passively or actively, they will likely choose that over many activities. My children have screen time, but it’s regulated to leave room for other, healthier things.
• Bring books in the car — Don’t let screens be the go-to entertainer on car rides. As long as your kid isn’t prone to motion sickness, make reading the usual passenger activity. If they can’t read in the car, you can put on audiobooks for some of the ride.
• Bring books for waiting rooms — Waiting rooms are inherently boring (unless you are reading In Good Health right now!). Have your kids bring their own books when they are going to be sitting around for a while. They may quickly discover that waiting isn’t all that bad.
• Ask them about their books — Encourage your kids to share the stories they read with you. Get to know the plots and the characters. Ask your children fun and interesting questions about what they are reading. Let them regale you with information, even if you don’t find it interesting. Sharing what they learned will make reading that much better.
• Read in their presence — Actions speak louder than words. In this case, let your children see you reading. Instead of reading online, subscribe to a magazine and let your kids see you reading it. Read smut, fluff, or books about molecular biology. Just let them see you reading. Send the message that reading isn’t something one outgrows.
• Give them lots of genres — I’ve heard many parents frustrated that their kids only read certain kinds of books. Who cares? Your kids are reading and enjoying it. That’s the goal. You don’t want to be told what to read. Let this be one place where your kids have (almost) total control.
• Ask for recommendations on social media — If you aren’t sure where to start, turn to social media. There are a lot of readers in your network; you might be surprised who chimes in with amazing recommendations.
• Let them read what makes them happy — I can’t stress this last one enough. If they read something and enjoy it, give them more of it. Nurture that love. My daughter has almost 50 books from the same series and has started writing fanfiction for it. I literally cannot read these books, but I still love these books for what they give me to my daughter.
I hope these tactics help fellow parents encourage their kids to read for pleasure. After all, reading is a life-long gift. It helps people maintain healthy sleep, reduces stress, can slow mental decline and improves empathy and relationships. What more could we possibly want for our children? And all for the mere cost of a book (which is free at your local library).
* Mid: Gen Z slang for something that is average or not special.