12 year old dd reads for pleasure for on average an hour at. Aibu to think this is the norm?

[Cheezepizza]

BTW this is not a boasting post. I know more kids will read much more, I'm just asking out of curiosity as I would like her reading more now that winter is coming in.

Not unusual, no. Your child just likes reading – some kids do, some don't. It's certainly something to be pleased about though. If I were you, I'd guide her onto the good stuff. Harold Bloom, the literary critic, compiled a list of what he considered the greatest children's books. Not a bad place to start.

Personally, I'd recommend C. S. Lewis' Narnia books, Tolkien's Hobbit, Philip Pullman's stuff and Roald Dahl. I loved Dahl at that age, especially his two autobiographies. The Wind in the Willows is a beautiful work, and Alice in Wonderland is a masterpiece. I hate to say it, but J K Rowling is a dreadful writer.

The right book at the right age can shape a child's entire life. I remember a philosophy professor saying that it was reading Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that first fired his imagination. It got him interested in ideas, which lead to further reading and then to the dream of studying philosophy at Oxford. Had his grandmother not bought him that book for his birthday, he'd never have had the life he did. The novelist Martin Amis said he'd barely read anything except comics when his stepmum gave him Pride and Prejudice one wet Sunday. Again, he never looked back. And Stephen Fry said it was P. G. Wodehouse and Oscar Wilde who made him fall in love with language as a child.

I have 2 teens who absolutely hate reading and I don't think I have ever seen them read a book unless they have to. I am a total bookworm and love reading so I am quite surprised that neither of them do. The irony is that my son got a 8 in English lit GCSE but hated it because of all the reading!! My DD says that at school there is so much onus on reading she grew up thinking of it as a school subject rather than something you could do in your leisure time. Both my teens have got by without reading for pleasure though because they have other hobbies and interests which keep them stimulated. I used to worry so much but they both did very well at school despite never reading a book! I would be ecstatic with an hour a day.

This post sounds nutty. Most people would be grateful of a child that loves to read.

Personally, I like to read in the bath, while cooking dinner, on my lunch break and if I wake in the night. Would you judge me the same as your daughter?

DS12 will read any time he's not allowed screen time and is at home with nothing else to do. This means at weekends he will probably read for around 4-5 hours each day if we're not out. During the week it's more like 2 hours a day.

He is definitely not normal and this isn't a boast because his sister hates reading 🤣

My three were all keen readers in their teenaged years. They would read for hours at night. The difficulty was getting then to put the light out and go to sleep. I was worse. I waited until my parents had gone to bed and read by torch light under the covers, often into the early hours of the morning. I took a book with me wherever I went.

Why does she need to read more now it’s winter? How long to you read for every day?

Dunno. When I was 12 I read a lot of detective novels and Ursula le Guin's science fiction, a few hours a day if I could get the time. Friends were reading the Brontës and Austen at that age. We had fewer computer games in the 80s, though.

DS12 used to read lots of Alex Rider etc. thrillers, about an hour a day, but has gone off reading altogether since starting year 7, because secondary school makes them read stupid books on a computer app that stops them at random to ask irritating comprehension questions. He does that begrudgingly then doesn't feel like reading anything after than.

I do read to him for half an hour a day, though. We're on Ursula le Guin at the moment.

Generally, it's very unusual for children to read much and if your DD is reading an hour a day that's brilliant. Just let her do it her way.

I read for hoursmist days as akid.
My own children have never read a book they weren't forced to.
Everyone's different.

WTF? You can’t force them to read!

I read 2 hours most days, I love a book! My sister has never finished a book in her life. My husband has never picked up a book, neither has my dad or BIL.

There is no difference between any of us.

No it’s not the norm but that’s ok.
We all enjoy different things.

If she’s doing this voluntarily then I’d leave her be but I wouldn’t encourage her to read any more than she does now.

Are you concerned about it?

My dd13 hasn't read a book for pleasure in about a year. With homework and extra curriculars 5-6 days a week she doesn't have time. She rarely watches tv either.

Of course not you can't force - but you learn a child the joy of reading. Helping finding books at the library and have a cozy place to read.
And put screens away.

I don't think it's the norm but many kids do and they're usually the kids who go on to do well at secondary, which is why primaries nag so much to start daily reading habits early on - the correlation is strong an undeniable.

Our DS loves to read but I do think the amount starts to drop off a bit as they get older (and busier with clubs and homework etc). Luckily, his school factor reading time into the school day so I don't feel so bad if he only gets 20 mins in before bed.

Every kid is different so I’m not sure how it can be measured. The answer I guess would be some read for an hour, some read for more, some read for less and some don’t read at all.

My kids, though very bright, didn’t read for pleasure at all. They weren’t even interested in Harry Potter books. I was an avid reader as a kid but really struggle to read a book now (no motivation).

Mine are early 20s now but when they were younger they were great readers, would read in bed for ages every night.

We held out with not allowing phones in their rooms at night until after GCSEs and then relaxed this ….. never read again for years 🤦‍♀️

This. Other than a stealth boast there is no point to this thread. However OP says this is not a boast....

Cereal boxes are quite popular as well

I cant stop watching this 😂

@midlifeattheoasis Love the user name!* *😄

Most 12 don't read for pleasure at all very few do an hour is very good .take the win you can't force her to read more she will if she is enjoying what she is reading in her own time

Mine reads for 5 hours straight after school. Only comes up for air during dinner. Aibu to think it's the norm and actually not a lot? I'd like her to read past bedtime. That should make her a genius, dontcha know?

By the way, I'm not boasting, just trying to figure out what your illiterates children do in your obviously non-reading home.

OP, it's the norm but rather low compared to most. Infact, you need to use mine as an example of what yours should be doing.

This is a really weird brag, she does something she likes (no idea why you would feel the need to increase it because it’s winter).

Kids have all different kinds of interests, there is no normal really. Unless, we do a spreadsheet breakdown of the hours / minutes to be associated with specific activities.

What a strange OP. What does it matter how often others read?

What books does she like? People here might have recommendations - the best way to encourage reading is to provide irresistible page-turners.

I wouldn't agree with this.
Reading 0: not good, children need to read to broaden their vocabulary, gain an insight into writing style etc.
Having your nose in a book constantly: also not good. It's antisocial. They also need to join the real world and take part in family life.