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Growing up, my parents always made it a practice to get me into the habit of reading. I was just 5 years old when I was given a children’s book of rhymes, which I read aloud. It was a colorful book with pictures and illustrations of kids, which caught my fascination. Because I was introduced to reading at such an early age, it became a habit, and I read many books. The library was my favorite place in school, and I even had a membership in the local library, which I made use of in the most effective way.
Making reading a part of my routine helped me in many ways. It improved my vocabulary, memory, concentration, focus, and even helped me gather knowledge. I read fiction and nonfiction books, and I can confidently say it made me sharper and smarter. So, when I became a parent, I knew it was something I would like to inculcate in my children, just like my parents did for me.
My first child was born with a love for reading. She loved books from the time she was 4 years old and was persistent that I teach her how to read. I felt that she was too young, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She convinced me to teach her, and we would practice every day with her favorite books. Soon, she began reading books on her own, and by the time she was 6 years old, she used to read children’s novels. Her favorite pastime was reading books, while the other kids watched cartoons. I didn’t have any trouble with making her fall in love with books.
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But when I had my second child, things were quite different. I thought it would come naturally to him, but I was wrong. He did not like to read. My son found every excuse to run away from reading. It was very different to have someone run away from books in my family, as all of us were ardent readers. But my son loved stories. He just didn’t like the process of reading them and made no efforts to learn. My daughter would try to teach him, but he would run away to play with his toys every time she tried.
As much as I wanted him to get into the habit of reading, I did not want to push him. It would have been detrimental to his love for stories if I pressured him to read when he wasn’t ready. So I waited until he was 7 years old to propose the idea. I told him that if he wanted to hear new stories, he’s got to try and read them on his own while I help him. My son was hesitant at first, but in less than 6 months, he read full sentences and finished about 3 short stories every day. That was his first reading milestone and my first achievement.
To keep things interesting, I introduced a camera and made him read out loud in front of it while being recorded. We played the recording during holidays when all the cousins would gather for storytelling sessions, and my son loved it. He loved watching himself on the screen so much that he wanted to do one story recording every day. My son’s love for stories was fulfilled, and so was my desire to instill the habit of reading.
As mothers, we try several techniques to get our children to develop good habits and behaviors, but they might not work. But this hack was so effective for my son that I had to let fellow moms know. I wanted to share this with every mom out there who struggles with getting their children to imbibe certain qualities or practices. Keep trying different methods. Think outside the box and try to make things interesting, and something is bound to click. When it does, everything you worked for will be worth it!
