14 Tips for When Your Child Reads TOO Much
If your child is a struggling reader or isn’t interested in reading, it might be hard to imagine your child reading TOO much.
And yet, for some families, this is a real problem that they run into – their child chooses reading over nearly everything else and doesn’t engage or participate in other things!
I asked parents to share their best tips for handling a child who reads too much and lots of great tips came in.
If you’re in this situation, I hope you’ll find it helpful!
Tips for When You Have a Child Who is Reading Too Much
- Set clear boundaries on when reading is (and isn’t) allowed. For many families, this looks like no books at the dinner table, or no reading after bedtime, or no reading before you’re ready for school in the morning.
- Make it clear what needs to be done before reading is an option. One family said they have a list of “have to do’s” that need to be completed before reading is allowed. That could look like getting dressed, chores being done, or homework completed.
- Communicate with their teacher. If your child struggles with reading too much at home, it’s likely to be an issue at school too. One family had to instruct their son’s teacher he couldn’t have a book at his desk outside of free reading time, since he was rushing through his work just to get back to it
- Use a timer. For lots of readers, a timer can be helpful to keep them from disappearing into their book for hours. (Lots of parents love a visual timer!). And also, try setting the timer a few minutes early so kids have time to reach a natural stopping point, rather than being cut off mid-scene, which is the worst!
- Reframe as permission with a limit instead of a flat no. For instance, “yes, you can read but only for 10 more minutes.”
- Help kids learn to identify a spot to disengage ahead of time. Whether that’s end of the chapter, the page, or the paragraph, it’s often less about not wanting to stop and more about not knowing how to transition out of a good book.
- Treat it as an executive functioning skill. It’s easy to make books or reading the bad guy (probably not what you want to do) – instead work on building the skills needed to balance a love of reading with other things that need to be done!
- Give kids ownership. Many parents suggested giving kids a list of what needs to get done and letting them decide when to schedule it, but hold them accountable for fitting it in
- Carve out a set reading window instead of leaving it open-ended. One family gives their kids 30 minutes before actual bedtime just for reading, plus 20-30 minutes each morning
- Add reading to the chore list. This might sound funny, but add reading on to the chore list with a time cap (one parent clarified that completion of the rest of the chores is required first!)
- Make it clear when they need to be present in the moment. When you’re going to visit a grandparent or people are over, it’s helpful to remind a child “their presence is more important than the books.”
- Use a phrase to signal it’s time to engage with people. One mom borrowed “it’s people time right now” from another parent and uses it whenever her kids need to put the book down and socialize.
- When needed, physically intervene. Many parents mentioned that they have to physically remove the book or Kindle so kids will eat, brush teeth, or get dressed.
- Make sure they’re getting outside and moving. Reading is great (you know how great I think it is!), but only reading all day is probably not an ideal routine. Make sure your child gets in a walk or shooting hoops if they haven’t had fresh air that day.
Any other tips when your child reads too much?
