When I was a little girl my favorite hobby was reading. I loved it and would find myself staying up long after I was supposed to be asleep, reading in bed until my dad came in and shut off the lights forcing me to put away the book.
I read so little for pleasure over the school year. I have plenty of required reading that I do, but very little time to read just for fun. Summer is my time to catch up. I used to love the feel of holding a book in my hand and wouldn’t give in to the electronic reading, but as my tired eyes have gotten older, I am finding it much easier to read on the ipad. I can enlarge the print to help my aging eyes and the lit up screen makes it even easier. I have uploaded the nook and kindle to the ipad and throughout the year, I upload books that I can’t wait to read and then I try to catch up in the summer.
Neither of my boys like to read. It is so discouraging to me. I have tried to fill their book shelves with books that meet their interests but still haven’t been able to get them to feel the love that I have for books. Sadly, with television, video games, phones and computers, it seems like I see less and less kids reading and my own boys are guilty of this. There are just too many distractions. I can’t make reading a punishment. Nagging and bribing won’t work either. It is something they need to want to do. They absolutely loved being read to and when they were little, I did it all of the time. In fact, we would have to limit the number of books we could read to them each night.
Both boys have summer reading assignments and now that we are a month into summer vacation, they need to start working on them. I always admire those kids I see with books in their hand, reading whenever there is a free minute. No struggle or battle of wills happening there.
It is one of those things I wish I could have passed along to my own boys, but it hasn’t happened…yet. Maybe if they continue to see me reading and getting lost in my books, albeit on my ipad… they might just want to as well. Perhaps the idea of reading it on their own ipads will help. I won’t stop trying, even if I am losing the battle.
Tagged: books wash away from the soul the dust of everyday life, electronic reading, excited about reading, ipad, kids hate to read, kindle, nook, too many distractions to read, why don't my kids like to read
A Project for Kindness 
My niece put pictures of her daughters in a dr. office today and all three had a book in their hand. Made me smile. One way my daughter has helped her boys get interested in books is to require them to read a book (if available) before they watch the movie. She said already they (10 and 8) are saying the books are better than the movies. Every child is different. My youngest daughter is finished with college except for student teaching. It’s been such fun this summer to see her reading for pleasure again. ~Pamela
My youngest just watched a movie and decided to buy the book it was based upon. I hope this is an incentive for him! Fingers crossed.
Thanks for sharing with us at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy.
I LOVE that quote!
May I suggest that you can still read aloud to your sons?
Perhaps if you share snippets of books that they would enjoy (not with the overt intent of getting them to read, but by enthusiastically sharing something you are enjoying,) it might catch their interest?
I hope they find their love of books again – and I’m sure they will, in their own way – in their own time! 🙂
My twelve year old will still let me read with him now and then. My 17 year old…not so much!! I am even happy if I can get him to read a sports magazine though. I won’t stop trying that’s for sure! Thanks!!