In my work as an author/educator, I was often asked a specific question by concerned parents of young children, the tone and modulation depended on their level of worry, frustration and at times laced with irritation.  

“What to do mam, my son/daughter does not like reading, always playing mobile games or watching tv?” 

My book reading sessions across India were also imbued with similar queries. Here by ‘reading books’ I was referring to reading story books, children were stuck with their text books anyway, no escape there.  

It was worrisome to note that everywhere the scenario was more or less the same. However, on the positive side, it meant that parents recognized the power of reading, they simply needed a nudge in the right direction. Some parents also found it too confounding that despite spending a hefty amount on books that they wanted their children to read, those often stayed stashed on the bookshelves, unopened and unread. 

“We buy so many books mam, yet they don’t read them, how to make them read? We used to read so many books, mam?”

Undoubtedly today’s parents read a lot more books in their youth. But we must also admit that back then there were fewer stimulating options to entertain us. Books were the tickets to the world, empowering us with information and sharpening our intellect. Having grown up in a digitised world, today’s kids easily find every bit of information from pin to parachute at their fingertips.  

 Delve deeper, and statistics will tell you that demand for books, especially print/paper books has declined drastically in the last decade as the world witnessed an invasive growth in digital content. Like a powerful cyclone, social media has swept us over, capturing our mind, soul and body. 

So, the pertinent question is “Are we adults reading as much as we used to do?”  

Probably not.  

Begin at the Beginning 

Reading is a good habit, don’t we all agree? But like every habit, you need to build that up. Kickstart your reading journey with the ‘21-day habit building hack’ and watch your kids catch the reading bug by seeing you reading books instead of hovering over your phone all the time.  

Start young. If a child can listen to music on a device, they are surely ready to respond to a good story. It is also a very good way to develop parental bonding, besides planting the seeds of a lifelong love for reading in them.  

Why only wait for ‘bedtime’ to read a story? Any time is a good time to pick up a book and start reading, as long as the story is interesting enough to keep them hooked.   

That brings us to the next question – What to read 

Anything and Everything, keeping in mind your kid’s cognitive development and interests. The toddlers respond well to rhyming stories/ poems/ colourful images. Cuddled up on your lap comfortably with vibrant colourful books is one of the lingering memories of their childhood embedded in their subconscious, as per research. 

Some children are more inclined towards fairy tales or magic. Guess what? The genius scientist behind ‘E = mc2’ that shaped the look of the modern world was also besotted with fairy tales. Einstein often quoted 

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want your children to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

Embark on an adventure in an imaginary world

Most parents may find this part really hard to tackle. But trust me it’s worth trying. Back in the days of Einstein, fairy tales were all about fairies, angels, and witches. Fast forward to 2020, and we have a whole new world of magical and mystical creatures out there, which many of us had no connection with. I myself have marvelled at the creativity of modern writers who left no stones unturned (quite literally) to craft a fascinating fictional world full of thrills and adventures to capture the young minds. 

Those thrilling tales are like fossil fuel to fire kids’ imaginations, thereby pushing their creative side of the brain to work. (It even inspired my creative acumen, motivating me to write fictional series for children). Plus, it boosts their word power and language skills. By soaking up all those descriptive words from the stories, the children unknowingly enhance their vocabulary. This immersive learning technique automatically turns a boring learning exercise into an exciting one. Want to test their story skills? Just ask them to write about their own fantasy world. It was an activity that never failed to actively engage my middle schoolers. 

Honestly speaking, if parents can cheer for ‘Avengers’ or ‘Ironman’ or ‘Lord of the Rings’ then children’s fictions are much more realistic and subdued in comparison. So go for it.

Create a free-flowing reading environment

Be a willing participant of your children’s world, and enjoy their unbridled happiness in sharing their tales of super heroes and magical wonders with you. It widens the channel of communication between the parents and children. Even the reticent teenager opens up and animatedly discuss things with you, unravelling their thoughts and emotions. Personally, I have enjoyed exploring the world of Harry Potter and Hogwart, Stephani Mayer’s Vampires, Geronimo Stilton’s rat-ventures, and a motley crew of quirky characters, alongside my kids.  

Often, our dinnertime discussions centred around those characters and their actions, and we would try to re-create our own make-believe versions. They would come up with very interesting plot twists, sometimes enacting those scenes out.  Years later, my children admitted that those were their fondest memories of their childhood.  

However, the biggest trick was that I could sneak in books that I wanted them to read in the first place – from timeless classics to books on adventures and discoveries mingled with social and moral values.   

Another way to encourage children to take up reading is to visit libraries and bookstores regularly. The residents of electronic city are very lucky in this regard as there is a fantastic library ‘Just Books’ around the corner at Block 2, KSSIDC Complex, behind Electronic City Police Station. 

If all the above strategies fail then Bribe the children shamelessly.  

Offer cookies, extra playtime, reverse psychology, reading milestone celebration at McDonalds/Pizza Hut, or whatever excites your kids for every book they read, till they fall in that ‘21 day habit building hack’. 

As they say, ‘It would be a game afterwards’.