How to dealing with DD's reading problem.

[FiveHoursSleep]

I know people are going to tell me that this isn't a problem but it's beginning to be one.
She always has to have something to read. She's 8 and in Year 4 and always has her head in a book, school run, in car, in bed, on toilet, she is reading. She'd rather read than do anything else, and she's like me in build so really needs to do something more active sometimes.
She'd rather read that do her homework as well.
I loved reading as a kid too but for me it was an escape from a horrible childhood. She's had a fairly easy childhood so far apart from having to share it with her siblings.
Has anyone else had this problem? Did it get worse or better as they got older?

That could have been me as child. In my case it wasn't a horrible childhood, just that life in our corner of 1970's Lancashire was a bit boring to say the least and life in the books had much more to offer. My parents opted to shoe-horn me into activities and it was probably the right response. Organise her spare time a little more. If it's any consolation, by the time I hit secondary school, life got busier, more interesting and there was less time for wall-to-wall reading.

I was like this. It was an escape for me too. Is she ok at school and friends-wise. She may have a lovely home life (I did), but school was hideous. Otherwise, a few playdates, sleepovers, and some organised activities (gymnastics/ trampolining/ girl's rugby?). I wish my Mum had encouraged me more in fitness and sports. She thought she was rubbish and therefore we must be, so neither me nor my sister is fit at all. I'll hopefully encourage my kids more with that stuff.

Can you interest her in activities via books eg horse riding if she likes horse books, sailing if Swallows and Amazons - all dependent on budget of course! Famous Five were always cycling everywhere - how about getting on your bikes with a picnic when the weather's nicer? It's a tough time to get them outdoors at the moment!

Lots of National Trust places are starting to advertise Easter egg hunts ...

She does quite a few activities out of school; swimming, trampolining and piano and seems to enjoy school. She's doing well academically and has a few friends although we don't do a lot of playdates ( one every half term per child is about all I can deal with). She plays with her siblings quite a lot, it's the times when they aren't playing that we find her with her head in a book.
This morning she made everyone 10 minutes late to school because she got lost in a book half way up the stairs. I went back into the house to get her and found her like that!

If it's starting to interfere with getting on with life then I think you have to take a slightly tougher line and emphasise that there's a time and a place for everything. If it was a Nintendo 3DS that made you all late for school, you wouldn't think twice about removing it, for example. Books are 'good things' but not sacrosanct.

Good point about the Nintendo, cogito. I agree.

DD is like this and I was like it too at her age (but just from a sheer love of stories, not escapism). She can actually do most of getting ready whilst reading and so could I. If I can't hear her moving about, I go and ask her to put the book down and finish putting on her socks or whatever. If she won't give it willingly, I have to take it off her but she usually recognises that I am helping. She gets the book back as soon as she's done whatever she can't accomplish while reading. Sometimes I have to send her back to wash her face because she's looked in her book while washing and her book doesn't reflect her Nutella or milk smile.
If she wasn't making progress while reading, I would remove the book until she was completely ready but it isn't necessary.

I still do this. I have to self regulate how many books I start as, if I have a new one, I find it hard to put down.