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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

Whether we like it or not, some kids just hate reading. Don’t blame yourself and stop assuming that you could have done better. Parents make the mistake of taking all the blame on themselves for their children’s hatred of books. Rather than do that and solve nothing, spend some time finding efficient ways to instill a passion for reading. It’s not something impossible to do, especially now that you can easily use technology to compel your kids to reads. Let’s check some smart tips and you’ll see that before you know it your stubborn child will become a book aficionado? Sounds unbelievable doesn’t it?

Reading can be a fun activity
That’s right! When done correctly, reading can be such a fun activity you can enjoy together with your kids. Make time for a reading session and devote those hours for that particular activity only. Create a nice environment and make things fun. Hide under the blankets for example for create a compelling atmosphere, and start with something easy to grasp. Books with lots of pictures are highly-preferred so you might want to have that aspect in mind.

Be a role model – read books yourself
How can you instill a love for reading if you, the parent, are not a reader? It’s of the utmost importance for your kid to see you read as often as possible. Developing a curiosity is good; he will start asking questions and step by step, he will gain an interest. Before you know it, he’s going to ask you to read him out loud. Do that and you’ll definitely awake his “reading senses”.

Consider audio books
Audio books are excellent for kids who can’t read yet. Every night, before bedtime, place an audio book on an electronic device like an iPhone or an iPad, and put your child to bed. Listening stirs imagination, so it’s definitely a good start to make your child fond of reading later in life. A good way of keeping your kid interested is to limit the amount of time devoted to audio reading. One chapter every two days will maintain that curiosity to know more, and when he’ll be ready to read, he will do it on his own.

close up of girl's face while reading

Organize a fun day at the library
Libraries too empty these days. And still, the books are free so it’s an excellent way of picking out the most beautiful ones, browsing them, admiring the images, and just having fun. Don’t buy anything because you must give your kids a reason to come back for some more fun reading time with mommy.

Reading apps for kids
Nothing entices a child more than a game on an iPad. The good news is that ‘game’ can easily be replaced with a fun book. Apps like Farfaria for example, are great for kids not very fond of actual reading. Featuring over 400 amazing stories, Farfaria is meant for kids with ages between 2 and 9. Helping your child develop an infatuation for reading has never been easier. The story-discovery experience of the app encourages kids to look for new happenings, enjoy the fun discoveries, and have a good time pointing and clicking, but also learning.

little girl holding crayon, seated at table in classroom

Your home must have books
How can you expect your child to develop a love for reading if your home is packed with advanced video game consoles and flat screen TVs? It’s paramount for your home to have books, especially age-appropriate books. Don’t place a computer on your kids’ bedroom and opt for a bookcase instead. Try not to pressure them to read and allow them enough time to discover the books by themselves. It might take some time, but it’s not something impossible to achieve.

Kids are introduced to the incredible world of the World Wide Web from a really fragile age. As soon they discover video games and social media, they will completely forget what real books are. As a responsible parent, you should never let that to happen. As long as you make reading fun, your child will definitely want to know more. It’s in their nature to be curious, so you might as well benefit from that weakness and use it to your advantage.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want their kids to love reading.