to be sad my DD doesn't like reading?

[bookswithunbentspines]

She is 11 and really has no interest in books.

I and DH are really keen readers and she has been brought up with books from a baby. We read to her every night without fail when she was younger which she absolutely loved, this stopped a couple of years ago as she seemed to lose interest. She had so many favourite books and used to go to bed with a pile of them after we had finished reading to her that she would just sit and read to herself.

Suddenly, she has lost interest. I have tried everything to get her loving books. Taken her to Waterstones and let her choose whatever she wants. She is happy to choose books, but then they just sit there. On her bed are two David Walliams books and a Cathy Cassidy book that she chose herself a YEAR ago, untouched. She likes the IDEA of books, but can't be bothered actually reading them. She has been reading the same book since November and is on page 28 - it's an Enid Blyton that is probably aimed at 7-8 year olds.

It probably coincided with her getting a computer for her 10th birthday from a relative. We have put restrictions on her use of it, and she's allowed it only for 2 hours every evening, but it's all she's really interested in doing. She's at a loss when she's not allowed on it as to what to do - we try to interest her in craft things, or tell her to go and read, but it seems as if her brain cells are just dying off from watching crap on youtube when she is allowed online! I've even tried to get her to do something constructive with her time online like start a blog but she totally lacks the motivation.

Her class teacher is happy with her progress so I guess I just have to accept she's not a reader. It makes me sad though. I had books at that age I read and re-read and have such happy memories of just sitting in my room as a child reading books for hours on end and getting totally lost in them. She just doesn't seem able to do that.

I know it's not the end of the world and she is a happy girl and I have to accept she isn't me so please don't flame me! I guess I feel she's just missing out on something that could be a huge pleasure.

Could you participate in the no TV week that happens each year (not sure when). Make it no technology week- computers banned too. Then sit around reading yourself to set an example.

Books won't win against TV or computer so I agree with others 2 hrs is too much.

My dc are a bt younger but we accidentally set up a reading half hour before lights out, so they have the choice to go to bed or have half an hour reading. Made reading seem lie a real treat. fingers crossed it lasts

It is a shame but reading just isn't something you can force unfortunately. However it may be that as she gets older she comes back to it or alternatively takes up something that really interests her and is encouraged to read out of that.
A kindle would be a good idea as she can "sample " books and put them down quickly if they don't interest her - she might like the teccie side of it as well.

DD went like this so I brought her the first Harry Potter book and told her if she read that then we'd watch the movie with some snacks when she was done. It's pretty effective as shes now waiting on the school getting in the third book. Maybe you could try that? If she has read Harry Potter then another series of books would work just as well.

It's really difficult, isn't it? I love to read, and so do my younger DCs, but my 12 year old DS finds it a real chore. He has never really enjoyed books, even if they are read to him.

But I do think 2 hours on the computer is too much. With DS we limited him to 1 hour and he can then 'earn' more time by reading, for every minute he reads, he earns a minute on the play station. It has worked a treat!

Also we have tried to find books that he may have an interest in. If we asked, he would say that there was no book that he would actually want to read. So we give him a book and tell him this is what he is reading next. He loves football, so we gave him Steven Gerrards autobiography and a subscription to Match magazine, he's interested in World War II, so we gave him The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas and Once. And he has actually enjoyed reading these, but we still have to tell him to go and read, he would never do it over another activity!

Also telling him he can have his light on at night for half an hour past his bedtime if he reads has had a little success, although often when I go up to say goodnight, he has already put his light out.
Ultimately though, you can't make a child love to read if they just don't enjoy it, but you can encourage them along a bit in the right direction.

I would just leave it, your dd is starting to develop her own preferences. Mabey one day she will like reading again

2 hours a night is an awful lot of viewing time! Can you cut it down tons after initially having a screen free weekend for everyone including yourself. The problem is the computer as you say.

My 10 year old watches about an hour every other day. Not sure what other 10 year olds do.

also audio books are great

Two things-I was an avid reader until I was eleven and then pretty much stopped. My sister barely read a book that she didn't have to as a child and is now the avid reader that I am not.

Secondly, two hours is loads of screen time IMO. Most of the things I did as a child I wouldn't have if I'd had a computer. If you reduced it she might get into other things, even if not actually reading, that are healthier. She might even read.

I thought that too Mole.Two hours is loads of time on computer-by the time she has done her homework and had a meal-maybe watched a little tv there cant be much time for reading.I'd half the screen time if I were you.