To feel fustrated and sad

[Leafitout]

That my DS no longer reads books anymore. Since he was little he loved books and me reading him bedtime stories. Now his head is permanently attached to his xbox, iPhone or iPad and it's a battle to get him off. I feel like chucking the whole lot in the bin. It saddens me how he now neglects his reading try as I might to encourage him! Is it an age thing or him just growing up

Ipads, iphones and Xbox all have words on them.

It is very sad. How old is he?

We've banned screens in our house for the kids during the week. They can have 2 hours a day at the weekends. That's it. Was hard at first, but got used to it within a couple of weeks. Many more books read at home now, and we play lots of games together. And talk! It's lovely.

He's nearly 13. It's making me feel like a bad mum. I do my best to encourage him to read. I sit and help him go through his homework but he throws a fit saying that I baby him! His bookshelf in his room is full of books gathering dust. We do play board games. He throws a paddy if we are going out and he has to come off the xbox. I just want him to focus on reading, any suggestions? I have tried to limit screen time

Totally normal. I teach English and at year 8 parents' evening I asked if students read outside school. So many parents of boys said "he used to love reading but he doesn't any more..."

My dd is exactly the same. As of this weekend we put in place restrictions on screen time. She adores English at school so I told her that reading more will make a huge difference to her writing which seemed to encourage her....we'll see!

Why do you think that is Brian? It's so frustrating

Would he be more interested on a book if he could read it on a kindle/eReader?

We limit screen time here - there are clear limits. Plus we still have bedtime stories. Plus I shove a lot of books under DS's nose that I think he might like - some he does, others he doesn't. How old is your DS?

It's the all pervasive nature of screens. I've read a lot less since getting my iPhone and easy access to mumsnet!

it will come back to him eventually. I stopped reading in high school (was always very advanced) until we read how to kill a mockingbird in English, it reignited my love of books. my brother is 13 and he reads manga. my mum's theory is its better than nothing!

You are not alone. I gave up trying to get DS to read at around 13. Hes 17 now and has only ever read 2 books in his life! Now he still goes on his xbox occasionally but got good GCSE results and has an apprenticeship.
I think you are fighting a losing battle!

I think they just don't like to devote the time to it. Possibly it's a brain-requiring thing. I come across some voracious young male readers but far more female ones. I just reassure parents that reading is reading - magazines, websites, game walkthroughs... Do I think they're all equally valuable? No, but it's still reading and practicing getting information from print etc.

Oh and he always reads the sports pages in newspapers!

Brain rewiring, not requiring! Not implying all non-readers are thick, far from it!

i had a big reader son, and a non reader (until we found something he liked!)
easy going read - a series, so he wanted the next one!
in his case it was a series about an organisation called CHERUB about young spies (children, mainly orphans) written by Robert Muchamore

He throws out almighty hell when I limit his screen time and it ends up in an argument. I'm making him unpopular with his mates and ruining his life not letting him play 18 rated xbox games like his mates do. He showed intrest in all the david Williams and all of the diary of a wimpy kid along with a few micheal morpurgo books. I take him to the library and whsmith to choose want he wants. But he ends up with nothing, just sulking!

just realised my phone put "how to" instead of just "to" that would be an entirely different book!

My friend at uni had never read a book, even his GCSE English books his mum read them onto a tape & he listened to them. Now he's a head teacher! Perhaps try some audio books?

If it's any consolation my oldest two had a no reading phase at about that age or perhaps a little older. They are now 19 and 17 and are keen readers again especially ds2.

I would much rather he ditched the screen time for reading instead. I tell him to turn it off and come and read for a little while and I will listen to him if he wants. He will absoultely not be playing 18 rated games at all. The holidays are coming up soon so I'm going to do another trip to the library with him and make him a challenge in reading through the holidays.

My DS is only 7, but he too, is reluctant to read if any other activity is possible. He would never chose reading over any electronic device so we have limited his time on them. Still, he would prefer to mope around the house instead of picking up a book.

It's not all bad news though. DS will read books on long car rides and on an evening in bed. His bedtime is 7:30 but we let him stay up until 9:30 or so because he uses that time to read. He has no toys or electronics in his room so I think it focuses his mind- it's either sleep or a book. He gets through several books a week this way.

This is admittedly harder to do with an older child, but I would try no television or internet after 8, 9 or 10 at night. No self-respecting teen would go to bed that early so what else can they do but read a book?

I was the same as a a teenage girl, loved reading before that but then wanted social media, cool technology, mindless gaming etc.. When I was about 19 I got back into it and this is true for many friends. I don't think you can force him to like reading again, just like you can't force him to give you a hug.. Maybe it's another thing teenagers come out of the other side of. This too shall pass! (maybe..)

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