Parents Share Their Secrets For Getting Children To Love Reading

Parents teach their children in numerous ways. Sometimes, they do so by example, and at other times, they have to get creative. After all, not every child wants to learn something from their parents, but with a little sneakiness, you would be amazed at what you can teach them to do.

That includes how many parents are teaching their children to read. It isn’t just a matter of being able to read so they are literate, they want their children to love reading, and some are quite creative when it comes to teaching them how to do it. That is clearly seen in the following tweets.

The 8-year-old daughter of Robert McKnees feels that she’s being rebellious by reading under the covers with a flashlight. What she hasn’t figured out is why the batteries never run out. This is the tweet that went viral and parents everywhere started sharing the tactics they used to help their children love reading.

Somehow I’ve lucked out and have an 8yo who thinks secretly reading under the covers past her bedtime is an act of rebellion, and it hasn’t yet occurred to her that her flashlights never seem to run out of batteries.

— Robert McNees (@mcnees) August 13, 2020

There are times when it may be fun to think that you are getting away with something, but a clip-on lamp is always going to be a great gift. It can help to foster a love of reading for many years.

I did this for so long that my dad got a clip on, plug in reading lamp and put on my bedframe one day while I was at school. He told me he would never be mad for my love of reading/learning ❤ I’ve never stopped since

— Nicole Marie 🔬 (@nikki_marie96) August 13, 2020

I guess this falls under the “if you can’t beat them, join them” category.

We were very strict about our children’s bedtimes, which were earlier than all their friends, but they were allowed to keep the light on and read as long a they wanted. Result was 3 avid readers!

— Christine Armstrong (@CycleGBcoast) August 15, 2020

Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting the child started in the story and they will take it from there.

Sat my reluctant 9yo daughter down one bedtime and read her the first couple of pages of Harry Potter. 24 hours later I suggested the next few pages. “I’m already on chapter 8” she said. She’s never been without a book on the go ever since.

— Richard Clark (@glassboy68) August 15, 2020

Making reading a part of a young child’s life will often set the stage for what will happen in later years.

I’m seriously hoping that my kids develop into these kind of 8 year olds. I’d say I spend between 45 mins and 90 mins every night reading to my three. Occasionally the six year old reads to his younger sisters for me. I love that they love stories but it’s v. time consuming.

— Emze (@Emzebum) August 14, 2020

Some parents are masters at reverse psychology. Make it seem as if they shouldn’t read the books and try to get them to stop reading them!

My dad used to check out science books from the library and specifically forbid me from reading them because they were “only for grownups.” Strangely, he always left them out on his desk.

— Rachel Martin (@rachelwmartin) August 14, 2020

This parent figured out the ultimate way to have a win-win scenario when grounding the child.

I was such a bookworm when I was little that whenever I got in trouble, my parents would ground me from reading, rather than from going outside to play 😅 I’d hide under my bed with a flashlight and read anyway… just realizing now I that I somehow never got “caught” 🤔

— Chi-Min Ho (@mimi1inh) August 14, 2020

And she thought she was getting away with something!

My parents explicitly told me when I was a kid that if I was in my room at night and they couldn’t hear me, they would just assume I had fallen asleep, even if a light was on. For many years, I thought I was getting away with staying up late reading, no flashlight required.

— Essential Employee (@amyep9) August 14, 2020

Sometimes, the convenience of these gadgets was a little too convenient.

I used to get in trouble for reading past bedtime. And then I got the 90’s equivalent of one of these as a present 😂 pic.twitter.com/4U15g9ziWz

— Real Witch Girl Shit 🧚🏾‍♀️✨🌙🧜🏾‍♀️💖 (@azurebowie) August 14, 2020

Chores and reading? Win-Win!

My sister and I thought we were SO sneaky when we’d beg to read “just one more chapter” before doing our chores. Many many chapters later, we’d eventually do them. Years later mom told us that she figured we’d learn to do chores, but she wanted us to love reading more. It worked!

— Abigail R 🌊 (@teacherlook) August 14, 2020