Can reading be bad for kids?

[Lshppll]

Would like to guage other people's views. When we are at home, the only thing that my eight year old does is read (and screens but thats limited to one hour per weekend day). Doesn't do any puzzles, crafting, lego or anything else.

He is an only child and essentially the only way he knows how to entertain himself by himself is to pick up a book. Now I love reading but am a bit worried that he isn't really developing any other skills or interests.

Am also concerned that he's got into a pattern of passive entertainment i.e. screens ( but he barely has access to those) or books. He does so lots of activities out of the house and as I said he is an only child so no peers to play with at home.

What do others think? Should we try and limit his reading? Can it ever be too much of a good thing?

Do you do things in the house together? I was also going to say board games, cards, colouring together. I know you said he doesn’t like games or drawing but I can’t work out if you mean by himself or with you.

My dc used to love games, baking, planting things, playing ball in the garden, play dough,
cutting and sticking.

I could never leave my dc to amuse themselves (they would find mischief or want to go on screens) so I would have to sit and play with them especially for a couple of hours before bed.

I’m not sure why you keep saying books are passive. He’s reading, learning and using his imagination. Presumably he picks out his books himself and engages with the text. Reading allows the reader to see other people’s pov which is great for empathy and understanding and it’s a great indicator of academic success.

Get him out for walks or to play in the park with you so he’s getting some fresh air and try have him around other kids a little bit, talk to him about the books and the style of writing and what parts he likes to he engages further.
I can’t see what’s wrong with this personally

But reading in itself is not ‘bad.’ It’s a good idea to talk to him about what he is reading or share books together.

My impression of myself as a kid was that I was a bit lonely at home and books provided easy and ready made entertainment at the expense of developing other skills.

My favourite ever times as a kid was reading in my bed when it was raining outside, nice

Regarding doing stuff with us in the house, he is often just not bothered. I find that he struggles with imagination e.g. never knows what to draw, put on a card, has never been into junk modeling. He just doesn't seem bothered about lego even with us. Might try getting him into helping me in the garden as that needs doing. He often also just wants to be left alone after school to decompress.

We all enjoy different things.

Give him the option of other things but let him choose whatever makes him happy.

It could be a phase which allows him to wind down after school or it could be his personality.
Either one is fine.

What about watching a Tv programme together? I don’t mean stick him in front of a screen but something you can enjoy or laugh at and look forward to together.

Maybe you have a solitary child but in your op you mention about entertaining himself which is important but he does need a balance with doing/being involved/chatting/joining in things and having fun.

well said!

You sound very prescriptive, leave him be.

He definitely enjoys doing things with his friends although is mainly activity led i.e. he will only do something with a friend if he likes what they are doing, he won't join in just for the sake of it.

Reading is properly and massively beneficial. He is entering a world of imagination and excitement and meanwhile, is improving his cognitive skills, his vocabulary and spelling abilities will be increasing daily, his mind will be expanding, he will be learning all about social skills like the art of conversation and the depths and nuances of relationship and friendship, and his memory will be thoroughly exercised. Reading also helps reduce stress levels, teaches empathy, and increased general knowledge of the world.

Reading is amazing!! And has so many many benefits. People have fought for the right for all to read and we are in the incredible position of having access to many books.

I would encourage you to encourage your son, not get him reading less 😊😊

Well good for him, honestly you sound like a nightmare

If he doesn’t have a lot of imagination, maybe he needs a little bit of direction. So play a drawing game together eg find a book/video on how to draw animals. I used to do things like that with dc during lockdown when their concentration was waning. We both enjoyed it!

What is he reading..? You could utilise that interest/topic to expand into other activities; not to replace the activity but to add and broaden experiences.

Reading does provide escapism. As both a child and an adult, I can read excessively (ie when walking somewhere) when under stress.

A few times I have worried about it being “addictive” but now I see it as a healthy coping strategy. So I think a love of reading is a great stress management tool to give your child.

I think as long as your child is getting enough fresh air, nature & exercise then don’t worry about the reading. Crafts, Lego, etc are really just other solitary mindfulness tools. If he prefers reading, it brings lots of benefits.

But he still needs the outdoors, exercise and social activities (games, etc).

I came across some school reports from primary school. They all talk about how I loved to read & would lose myself in a book to the extent that I wouldn't realise that the lesson had ended. They also talk about how I would do much better if I didn't spend so much time chatting. 🙄

It's a matter of balance & you seem to have it right. Your DS loves to read which will feed his imagination & develop his vocabulary, but he also goes to clubs which helps him socially.

I still love reading & take my Kindle everywhere with me just in case I find myself with 10 minute's reading time.

Op is concerned for her child's wellbeing and wants to encourage a breadth of interests and skills to make sure they have well rounded abilities... is that really what we're referring to as a nightmare now??

It’s a great hobby to have. He’s being active and has interests outside of the house, he has friends… I wouldn’t worry!
What kind of books does he like? Fact? Fiction?

My parents used to joke that I would read the phone book if I had nothing else to hand.

this was me as a child - my creativity came from reading; imagining worlds, character backgrounds stories, writing my own stories. I didn’t enjoy ‘playing’ with toys and I’ve always been crap at crafting stuff. It sounds as though he has other clubs/outside interests so there’s nothing to worry about.

If you’re worried about them being isolated or withdrawn you could start playing board games as a family.

My parents used to joke that I would read the phone book if I had nothing else to hand.

Me too! 😂

Yes, let him be, not everyone is a joiner, some are just readers.

He mainly enjoys fiction. He loves a story and escaping into a new world. I've tried to get him to read non-fiction but he is less bothered.

But he does a lot of other things too? You said he does tennis, football, beavers and swimming. So it sounds like he has a good mix of social stuff and alone time. I genuinely don’t see the issue.

If he’s introverted, he might find being around other people very draining. As well as being pleasurable, reading might be ‘recharging’ time for him.

Why do you get him to read non fiction?