To cringe at this guardian article about children and books

[MyopiaUtopia]

Surely I can't be the only person to think this is one of the most humblebraggy self-congratulatory and smug articles ever?!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/01/how-to-raise-a-little-bookworm-in-the-age-of-smartphones-and-tablets

I am dyslexic, didn't learn to read until very late, and had parents (in the 80s) who refused to let us watch TV or see films. I sneaked away to see whatever I could, and I think it caused real damage that I had no understanding of a whole world of stories because of it. I love watching cartoons with my DD and I was delighted when she started being able to concentrate long enough to follow a storyline.

It is utter nonsense that books are somehow 'better' or 'cleverer' or 'more imaginative' than any other medium.

I find it very telling that the author of this humblebrag claims she 'did a big piece of research' on the subject. I clicked the link and ... it's a small survey, not a piece of research at all!

This article is peak Guardian. They can give up now, they have achieved their aims.

I wanted to kill her when I read this. I had a bookworm too once. Not so easy when they are 12 -13 is it? Let's see an article on that. Top tips, 'I pay my child to read' 'I turn off the wifi til they read a page' etc

My children are both bookworms AND addicted to complete trash on Youtube. Doubly talented!

So one time in the not too distant past I was complemented because my children were reading books in a queue. But now? Dd has a smart phone and barely picks up a book! So the author should check back in with us when her dd turns 12!
Also I have the impression she only has one child so doesn’t have to rely on screens more than
The rest of us!

I used to read like that and so did lots of other kids before phones etc. Our mums never wrote articles about us as far as I know, the world has gone completely mad.

I grew up as a “book worm” and I still am. My sister had the same upbringing, the same availability and encouragement to read but she had never been an avid reader. So much of it is down to personality.

Ds is 10 and loves reading, we read lots of books together but most of his reading is done on his iPad as he enjoys researching things and gaining knowledge that way.

I’m not smug about although I do feel a bit sad when you read that there are many many children in the UK who don’t own a single book! We must have 1000s of books in our house! Yes, not owning a single book is worrying, but in general I wouldn't assume someone reads more just because they own more books. You could only own a few favourites but be borrowing half a dozen from the library every couple of weeks.

I was having a coffee with my grandaughter in Watersrtones, she was about 7 at the time and she asked me, from thin air, In words does a q always have a u after it? I felt so embarrassed, do I discuss and risk getting a dishonourable mention in MN or do I say Eat your ice cream?

Everyone posting on this page is reading... and writing.

Heck, I'll go so far as to say an awful lot of MN threads are elaborate fiction with complicated plotting and intricate character development.

Not read the link as I have definitely got the gist just here!

Sounds very ridiculous and unlikely. However, I did have a shop owner congratulate my young son eating a banana once. I was a bit taken aback to be honest. Bananas are just cheap, quick and easy snacks and my son LOVED them. She said she was used to seeing young kids only eating chicken nuggets and fries from McDonalds. Some people do sometimes make odd comments.

Eurgh. I too have a bookworm and no one has stared at mine in a ‘tone of wonder’. Eurgh.
It’s an awful article. So self congratulatory and so sanctimonious.

@mrsBtheparker not sure what you mean? Theres a big difference encouraging the learning of a precocious child in your personal life in comparison to boasting about said precociousness in a major national newspaper article.

Well observed, twee pointless article rolled out for the equally pointless in my opinion World Book Day. The tips given were common sense, the majority of parents do these, her daughter sounded naturally bookish although well done her for encouraging it.

I read the article and tbh there are worse articles out there which scream sexism etc. This is not one to get riled up

I get irritated by her perception that her child is that unusual, and that shop assistants and passers-by are amazed by the sight of a child reading. The Harry Potter effect is still alive and well, and plenty of children are hooked on books by that series and other similar ones, so really it's nothing like as amazing to the general populace as this writer seems to think.

I also don't really get the swapping pronouns thing. She sort of skates over what happens now that her daughter reads stuff in the original, with the original pronouns, but hasn't apparently been put off reading as a result.

This article reminds me of when I was trying to pick a book out of a shop last week and was an unwilling sole audience member of a piece of performance parenting about how magical books are to one mother's daughter.........

Title made me a little sick in my mouth so could not read any further

DD2 was not in the least interested in reading fiction, though liked being read to as part of bedtime routine - could read perfectly well for functional purposes.

Bit perplexed as DH and I always have a book on the go and her elder sister (DD1) zoomed through the reading schemes and always had a stack from the library.

DD2 is now a secondary English teacher and loves it. DD1 is always on her phone.....

There was a bookworm in my class at primary school and teachers used to tell the story for years how during class quiet reading one day a stone was thrown at the window and everyone in the class looked up except bookworm.....wasn't he amazing.......sigh........I always took it as a negative, that he had terrible survival instincts.

Tone of wonder

Did ye, aye?

everyone in the class looked up except bookworm.....wasn't he amazing.......sigh........I always took it as a negative, that he had terrible survival instincts

Love it!

You're not alone OP. I wrote to the guardian to say it was absolutely vomit inducing.

DOI: was serious bookworm as child. Definitely nothing to do with parents.

Wait, is she actually claiming sales assistants beg her not to leave their shop?! I'll take things that never happened for $500, Alex...

I don’t think the journalist is so much vilifying screens as celebrating her child’s love of reading. Although the tone of the article could arguably benefit from some self awareness and a dash of humour, she doesn’t deserve to be torn apart and some of the critical posts on this thread come across as very defensive.

As a parent of dc who adores both books and screens I am conscious of the addictive nature of the latter (in terms of gaming) and try to limit access without treating it as something intrinsically bad as am also very much pro introducing children to tech. I am also guilty of ignoring screen time limits when it suits me eg when trying to wfh in half term or just get stuff done in peace.

I hope little Flora continues to be an avid reader for years to come, she’s inspired me to put down my phone and pick up my paperback which has been gathering dust since our last holiday.