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Were you hoping for something more exciting? Like a blankie for your boredom. You don’t really need it. But sometimes it makes them feel comfier. Now they have learned a great life skill. The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read. You might be thinking, what in the world will my kids do with all of their spare time? Are they going to complain of boredom for two weeks straight? You won’t be left hanging. And now we are going to discuss replacing much of their newly vacant time with something productive, fun, and beneficial. They are in fact a secret portal to uncharted worlds. I suggested that if someone were to invent a vitamin that offered the following benefits, parents would line up for miles to get their hands on it. It is naturally occurring, and there are zero side effects. Oh, and your neighborhood has a free dispensary. Also, it’s legal, and not just in California. 
A Great Day For Freedom
What is this magic vitamin? Reading requires practice, as with any learned skill. Like baseball or piano, the more you do it, the better you become. And the less you practice, the wonkier you will be. And yet the majority of our kids are not reading for pleasure. They are not developing this free skill that will change the trajectory of their future. My kids spend all day at school. We are talking about the kind of reading that transports you to another time and place, the kind that you do for pleasure. The kind of reading that changes your life. We are giving our kids a lifetime gift when we cultivate a love for reading. The earlier the better. Hook them on reading because it’s pleasurable. But a lovely and sneaky thing happens along the way. Back Into The Universe
They learn deep thinking, delayed gratification, empathy. Encouraging them to read for pleasure turns out to be both enjoyable and educationally enriching. When we mentally segment our kids’ educational time, assuming that their learning happens during school and their leisure happens at home, we miss out on an enormous window of opportunity. By the end of eighth grade, a child has spent 9,000 hours in school, compared with 95,000 hours outside school. If our kids are not reaching their potential in reading, we can hardly blame the teachers. Teachers fill their instructional hours with what the state mandates them to teach. There is only so much time in the school day. Parents, on the other hand, have the freedom to introduce enriching learning experiences in a fun way. Kindling a love of reading starts at home. What an incredible opportunity parents have to instill passion for a skill with innumerable benefits, and which happens to be tremendously enjoyable! But my child doesn’t like to read. This, my friend, is not a thing. I say this sympathetically but also confidently, as a fellow parent who spent many years believing the same thing. The Pain To Seem Purposeful
Your mission is to play matchmaker. Using your observations about interests and skill sets, you will find this step a fun and gratifying challenge. And I’m here beside you to help. If you were unable to check any of the boxes above, I hate to be the person to tell you this, but your child is actually protozoa. The good news is that protozoa are even easier to digitally detox than children! A huge part of our job as parents is to inform our kids’ desires as they grow. One of my babies would crawl around the yard, picking up every single object in her path. She would promptly deposit the object into her mouth, chew it, then spit it out or eat it, depending on her satisfaction level. Sometimes, the object would be a stray Cheerio. Other times, the object would be much, much worse. Spit it out! to educate this little love that just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you should eat it. Duh, for the rest of us. But for a newb like her, this was part of learning how the world works. As her parent, my job was to educate her desire for healthy food that is also clean and tastes good and comes on a plate, without dirt on it. After she was done, we bonded over Goff’s zest for life and commitment to his faith. You may not share my faith. But I know you have things you want to impart on your kids before they move out. We would all do well to number the days of our kids’ lives in our homes and ask, What do I want to share? What do we want to cover while they are still under my roof? Here’s a little secret that you probably already know. Some are poorly written. Others don’t have great messaging. I do not happen to agree with folks who want kids reading, no matter the message. This does become more difficult as the kids get older, but we are still going to do our best. Older kids will have had a few years to grow in wisdom and discernment. Should I be reading this one about the murderous prom queen? Each has been selected because it made us laugh, cry, or think. Some titles did all three. Many public library systems have their own apps. Download and connect it to your library card. Often parents shrug and say, Hey, at least they’re reading. But you don’t have to resign yourself to this. Mackenzie’s observation lifted a huge weight off my shoulders as a parent. So remind your children that when Mom or Dad limits certain titles, there are still millions remaining. It was written for adults. Hayden is also the oldest child in a family that had fostered and adopted two children. Might as well give it a shot, he said. He just couldn’t put it down. Ask people whose values are similar to yours. If your child gravitates toward beautiful pictures and illustrations, place those titles on hold, stat.