What to do When a Child Just Doesn’t Like Reading
Author, parent and former teacher Hayley Barker never thought she’d be raising a child who would prefer screens to books…
I taught for 17 years before I became an author, and I’ve been a parent for nearly 10 years too. Teacher, parent, author – if that doesn’t qualify me as an expert on how to get children into books, I don’t know what would.
And yet… (embarrassing confession coming up)… my older son doesn’t like reading.
I could not be prouder of my boy; he’s kind and loving and funny and bright. But he has never, ever, loved a book, and sometimes the frustration I feel about that bubbles up to the surface.
The best laid plans…
Before motherhood, I knew exactly what you should do to make your child a reader: you make reading fun, and you do it every day.
You go to the library and let children make their own choices. You have a home filled with books. Check, check and check; I started reading to my son when he was in the womb, happily rubbing my belly, certain that he would love literature as much as I did.
Result: epic fail, so far at least.
He does read, reluctantly, dashing through a chapter at bedtime – the minimum amount he thinks he can get away with to keep me off his case.
He reads beautifully, actually, and often seems to be enjoying it. These are the moments when I hold my breath hopefully for a few seconds before he inevitably slams the book firmly shut.
“Don’t you want to keep going?” I ask, a hint of desperation slipping through. “You seemed to be enjoying it.”
“Nah.” he answers, “I can’t be bothered.”
Stiff competition
I know reading aloud to kids is important too and, between us, my husband and I have read the Harry Potter stories, The Magician’s Nephew, Matilda and a million other shorter books to my children.
My younger son sits there, enthralled, whilst his brother fidgets, tickles our feet, yawns loudly and, invariably, becomes so distracting that we end up kicking him out of the room.
Technology has made it even harder for books to compete. Yes, there are reading apps and educational resources but, when you are a tech-savvy and cool 10-year-old, you really don’t want to know about those.
All you want to do is watch other people playing video games.
And that leads me on to Fortnite…
Not heard of it? Oh, lucky, lucky you!
Fortnite is an online game where you join up with your friends or other gamers and work together to try and shoot down a hundred other players.
From my personal experience, from the anecdotes of others, and from what I see and hear in the media about it, this game has taken hold of the consciousness of a generation of (mostly) boys, aged eight to 18 and beyond.
It’s not that violent, us mums attempt to reassure each other, and they’re playing with their friends, so it’s quite social. And yet… it does involve blowing people up.
‘Eliminated’ is the euphemistic expression the game uses.
“Mum, I’ve got another kill!” is what my son says.
The big question
When they aren’t doing clubs or activities, I take my kids to the park after school. They run around in the woods and play football while I sit there with the other mums, hanging out for as long as we possibly can.
We all know that we’re just delaying the inevitable: Mum, can I play Fortnite when I get in? Why not? I told my friends that I’d play when I got home. Everyone else is allowed to…
I’m dreading the winter months when we can’t get out as much.
So what’s the answer? How on earth can the books I love so much ever compete with the thrill of online gaming? What is to be done?
The answer is that I haven’t a bloody clue. Anyone?
Show Stopper was Hayley Barker’s debut novel; the sequel, Show Stealer, is out now in paperback (Scholastic).
