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AIBU?

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Original poster

To let dd15 simply read all summer

255 replies

OhLaDiDaDiDa · 21/07/2026 11:17

Aibu to be okay with dd15’s plan to spend her entire summer reading?

She has GCSEs next year, and I strongly suspect she won’t follow up her plan of studying a few hours very day this summer.

She gets good grades and is a nice girl.

She updated her TBR (“to be read”) list of 100 books and that’s her plan! Some of them are non fiction and the fiction is a lot of “good quality” stuff (not junky AI romantasies!)

OP posts:
Pistachiocake · 21/07/2026 12:05

Reading is great and no one I knew who read failed their English GCSE!

But ideally, if she wants good GCSEs, some study of everything would be good. Just reading her text books/notes, as she like reading, would be more than a lot do.
Sports/social activities and a job (though it is no longer easy for most 15 year olds to get one, many friends say) are also important.

FaceIt · 21/07/2026 11:57

What’s the problem??

It’s a positive!

ToKittyornottoKitty · 21/07/2026 11:57

Assuming she also does some exercising (getting out and walking etc) then that sounds fine to me

Failedcrunchymum · 21/07/2026 11:56

My DD is at the same age, and as much as I'd like her to do a bit of revision each day, or even just an hour a week, it's not going to happen at the moment. I think she'll be more motivated next year when she feels the deadline pressure, but I'd be thrilled if she was planning to read this summer. For us, it will be enough of a battle to get her to come outside for exercise and eat proper meals.

Livpool · 21/07/2026 11:56

As long as she goes out with friends too.

tripleginandtonic · 21/07/2026 11:55

Aged 15 my dc chose what they wanted to do in their leisure time and none of them did schoolwork in the summer holidays They all got good grades and none of them read

BarnacleBeasley · 21/07/2026 11:55

JustMarriedBecca · 21/07/2026 11:52

Same. I used to meet my mates at the library 🤣

Show quote history

Me too! I was just here to post this in response to @Velvera . To be honest, if she likes reading that much and she has friends, they're probably also the sort of people who like reading.

I did also used to go out underage clubbing with my older mates, but I'm not sure how feasible that is any more now they are stricter about ID.

TonTonMacoute · 21/07/2026 11:54

God yes! I would have been delighted if DS had this planned, instead of noisy, shouting online gaming. (He did read quite a lot too tbf)

Snorlaxo · 21/07/2026 11:53

Let? Can you stop a teen from reading?

I would be completely unbothered by my child reading all summer. It’s her summer and the break is a good time to focus on hobbies like reading before the grind of year 11.

JustMarriedBecca · 21/07/2026 11:53

Also reading in the garden counts as fresh air.

LoafofSellotape · 21/07/2026 11:53

OonaStubbs · 21/07/2026 11:25

I would encourage her to get a job, at least part time. But reading is good activity to do in her spare time.

She's 15,good luck with that.

JustMarriedBecca · 21/07/2026 11:52

Needmorelego · 21/07/2026 11:24

When I was a teenager my summer exercise was usually walking to the library for more books 😂
(about a 20/30 minutes walk....one way was up hill)

Show quote history

Same. I used to meet my mates at the library 🤣

JustMeHello · 21/07/2026 11:50

She's got another 60 years of spending all her free time doing stuff she has to do. Absolutely let her have some time now to do the things she wants to do. Why wouldn't you?

liveforsummer · 21/07/2026 11:44

She definitely needs to be out getting fresh air and socialising but on a rainy day or if you mean reading for 2 hours rather than studying then absolutely fine. She doesn’t need to start gcse revision just yet although reading I’m sure will help in many ways anyway

noworklifebalance · 21/07/2026 11:43

Read, read, read and read some more - can never underestimate the value of reading esp a broad range of fiction and non-fiction.

ETA: I presume your question is about reading in place of revision.

donotgettheangst · 21/07/2026 11:40

Sounds fantastic, what I did every summer growing up, and it has stood me in good stead!

Larrythecatforpm · 21/07/2026 11:37

She’s 15 so not like she can work. Don’t see the problem with this, long as she’s still getting out the house in the mean time.

arethereanyleftatall · 21/07/2026 11:33

What are you reasons for worrying if this would be ok? Is it that you are worried that she should be exercising, spending time with friends, working?

Dozer · 21/07/2026 11:28

Depends on her reasons for doing it and her situation and wellbeing overall.

I could have done something like this at that age and been happy and OK, as I was mentally and physically well and had friends etc,

but my DC couldn’t (since the likely drivers to do it would have been perfectionism and problems & not having friends at school)

Dislike the idea that the books should be somehow ‘worthy’.

ldnmusic87 · 21/07/2026 11:26

If she's happy, let her be herself.

sweetpeaorchestra · 21/07/2026 11:26

sounds heavenly and I would do similar at that age. But I did miss out socially, it is total escapism. If she can fit in seeing friends or also find an activity that is social I think that would be ideal.

OonaStubbs · 21/07/2026 11:25

I would encourage her to get a job, at least part time. But reading is good activity to do in her spare time.

Timeforatincture · 21/07/2026 11:25

Sounds like a lovely summer.

Needmorelego · 21/07/2026 11:24

Backedoffhackedoff · 21/07/2026 11:21

I used to do this every summer but tbh if I look back it was a bit sad and isolating. I should’ve included some sport or socialising as well as the reading.
a couple of hours a day reading is fine. Reading for 12 hours a day for 6 weeks isn’t great, she needs more exercise fresh air and company than that.

When I was a teenager my summer exercise was usually walking to the library for more books 😂
(about a 20/30 minutes walk....one way was up hill)

Velvera · 21/07/2026 11:23

Does she not go out with friends at all? I think she needs a social life in between the reading.

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