I'm here to absolve you of all your guilt. No, I'm not going to tell you DON'T read to your child, that is ridiculous. However, Junior will not fail high school because you didn't read him every Doctor Seuss book in print. Read your children anything from the point you find out that you're pregnant on. Babies don't care what you're reading, they just like hearing you're beautiful voice. Take advantage of it, because in a few years your children will be locking their doors to avoid that voice!!!
So what is it okay to read to babies and young children?
- Ingredients and recipe's
- Newspaper
- Magazine article's
- Plays
- Stephen King (seriously I'm giving you permission to read terrifying stories to your babies)
- Instruction Manuals
- Signs
- Fliers
Well now your kids are mobile and they don't like to sit down to read. What do you do? Well you visit your library and get suggestions from a librarian. These fabulous men and women went to college to learn the best books for all age development. And the best part of the library the books are free and when you return them you don't have a pile laying around your house somewhere. Tadah.
I work more than full-time. When I get home I don't have time to read because I'm doing homework with my other kids and cooking dinner, running herd on physical activities, etc...
Do you have a computer? Does it have a camera? Make a few videos of you reading books. You can save them to your laptop or to a YouTube account so your kids can access them from anywhere.
Here is another idea, kill two birds with one stone. Most kids, if not all, are required to read nightly for elementary school. Have your older child read out loud to the little one. Yes, I'm promoting using your children, but it is ethical and healthy while giving you ten minutes of breathing time.
Here is a twist on an oldie but goodie. Upload books to your kids iPod, Nabi, whatever it is they have and give it to them to listen to in the car while they turn the pages.
My elementary age child doesn't like to read.
I don't believe that. What I believe is that he or she doesn't like to read what is being offered to him or her. What is the selection in your house? Are there too many pictures in it so they feel like it's a baby book? Maybe they want the occasional picture every chapter or so. Do you have comic books in the house? YES they count. What about non-fiction? Maybe your daughter would be interested in hearing about famous women in sports or your son is naturally curious about butterflies. Try some books that have also been made into a movie and then compare the difference with your kids.
I've tried everything and they still don't want to read.
Do your kids see you read? I'm not saying you have to read Jane Austen, but even watching you spend fifteen minutes actively reading a magazine is better than nothing.
Do not make reading an option, at a certain time at night turn the TV off and everyone spend fifteen minutes reading something together. Just because your child is older, they may just want to spend time in the room with you. So everyone lounging about the living room for fifteen minutes shows them you feel reading is important, but so is being in a room together.
Finally talk about what your kids are reading. At the end of the day you are responsible for your children and their actions. You need to know that they are comprehending what they are reading and finding a way to deal with it. My older kids knew that at any given moment I would grab a copy of whatever book they were reading and read it too. We never had a problem with inappropriate literature in our house (unlike my mother who bought me The Graduate to read in the fifth grade). But even better we could hold discussions about it, what they thought about actions, what they would have done differently, etc. You can do this with young children too. Just sayin'.
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