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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

Ds not reading at home.

36 replies

Eruss · 22/02/2021 21:46

My DS used to enjoy reading, was into the Tom Gates & wimpy kid books etc, then sometime last year he just stopped & with the lack of routine and his mental health not being great we were just all over the place.
He won’t even entertain the idea of picking up a book now and I’m worried as I’ve noticed he’s making a lot of simple spelling errors (that he used to get right)
Any advice or wisdom greatly appreciated.

OP posts:

Original poster

Eruss · 22/02/2021 21:46

Sorry should say he’s just turned 12 (in year 7 of secondary school)

OP posts:

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 22/02/2021 22:52

Switch the subtitles on the tv permanently.? Research shows it improves literacy with children.

Not intending to be flip at all, I haven't the mental energy for a book at the moment and I usually read a lot. I spend all day on teams calls / email and I just want to collapse and watch shite in the evening.

Has he tried the Hobbit? I'd read that and the Lord of the Rings army that age. Bourne Identity books or is he a very young 12? A written fight scene is far less explicit/gratuitous than on film.

bonfireheart · 22/02/2021 22:54

Would he read a magazine about something he is interested in?

Bringonspring · 22/02/2021 22:56

It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s reading, eg magazine, hacks for minecraft. I agree on the just being tired from zoom also.

VienneseWhirligig · 22/02/2021 22:56

My DS stopped reading at about 13 or 14. He was always ahead of his expected reading age at primary school and I have no concerns about his literacy - he writes well and is very articulate - but reading books doesn't do it for him any more. I think he's just like his dad - DH never really read much either. DS likes a newspaper instead.

Ilovemaisie · 22/02/2021 23:16

My 12 year old used to be a massive book reader but has mostly stopped now. I just have reading material around - magazines etc. We always have subtitles on the TV (I find it easier to follow programmes). She will read manga and fact books and she has recently gone back to a few old favourites she had 'outgrown'. Watching the new Tracy Beaker TV programme the other day meant the Jacqueline Wilson books were dug out - which she hasn't read for a couple of years. Are there any film/TV adaptions he might like which could then lead to reading the original novel?
To be honest I am not forcing it. She will either come back to novels or she won't. Not everyone enjoys reading as a pastime so it's not awful if she decides novels aren't her thing.

1stMrsF · 22/02/2021 23:23

My Y7 DDs have never been keen and now I can't even get them to contemplate it. I do read to them though - could that be an option?

Original poster

Eruss · 23/02/2021 16:22

Thanks all,
I used to buy first news but he stopped reading it. I might try looking for some comics instead.
The subtitles are a good shout too.
I used to read to him every night and then he would read a chapter of the same book after me but he just stopped and said he didn’t want to be read to.
I think hormones are playing a huge part, he can read well but I’m worried he might slip behind the reading age he should be at.
If he’s not a lover of novels as he grows up that’s ok it’s just that his lack of reading seems to be having a knock on effect.

OP posts:

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 23/02/2021 16:26

A lot of WHSmith are open at the moment. Our local one has a post office so maybe that's why but I think newsagents are allowed to open. Maybe an opportunity to browse will help?

Original poster

Eruss · 23/02/2021 16:27

@Ilovemaisie do you mind me asking where you purchase Manga from?
I’d not heard of it before but he likes anime so think he’d like Manga too

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WellTidy · 23/02/2021 16:27

I think in this position, I would buy reading materials (whether novels, magazines, newspaper etc) that were a step below his reading age. So that reading is easier and takes less concentration. So for example if you are choosing a book, buy one with shorter chapters, bigger font or a shorter book. I think with children we try and stretch them a little when buying or choosing books for them, and it therefore isn’t as enjoyable for some children as it might be.

DS is Year 8 (13yo) and still reads Alex Rider, which he was reading in Year 6.

wildthingsinthenight · 23/02/2021 16:32

OP I could have written your post.
We have subtitle on now and get graohocnovels from the library. We also bought some Adventure Time graphic novels. For Christmas he got a few books about different youtubers Sidemen etc as he is into that.
I worry too. I am an avid reader but DS sees it as a chore now

wildthingsinthenight · 23/02/2021 16:33

Sorry typos! Graphic novels

SoCrimeaRiver · 23/02/2021 16:37

I started reading with DS (also Year 7, but young in year and always a reluctant reader) in the evening rather than at bedtime, so we'd read alternative paragraphs for about 20 minutes in the evening, building up to 2 paragraphs / half a page / couple of pages as DS found he liked a story.

We've read Gargantis, and Wolf Brother if you want to look those up. It pains me as I love reading. Look at this year's world book day books too as there are some good ones for this age group. The shorter length might encourage him.

BiggerBoat1 · 23/02/2021 16:38

Some people just aren't readers. My DS loved both reading and being read to as a younger child but completely lost interest at about 11 or 12. He may return to reading when he's older I suppose, but I'm really not to bothered in the short term.

Tom Gates or Wimpy Kid will do nothing for his literary skills anyway! Maybe try films? The Woman in Black is excellent for example and will give him a real feeling for the gothic genre.

purplecorkheart · 23/02/2021 16:39

Honestly, my mental health was not too good over the last 18 months due to work stress etc. The first thing that went with me was my ability to concentrate was reading books/newspaper articles etc. Honestly I would not push it too much. Put on subtitles and maybe print out short articles/hacks etc that he might be interested in. If he likes Harry Potter there are loads of people who do blogs/articles predicting what would happened in the future or when Harry Potter's parents were at school. There are loads on instagram. Maybe something like that could help. I am sure they are thousands of other similar post on other topics.

Ilovemaisie · 23/02/2021 17:48

Eruss most of them manga books we get come from Waterstones. Most branches usually have a decent selection.
Manga can be a bit confusing to read at first. Because they are translated from Japanese you have to read the books back to front and the panels from right to left so it takes a bit of getting used to.
Graphic novels might be a better starting point as they read in the normal way. There are loads with all the superhero characters (Batman etc) or ones that are adaptions of popular books like the Alex Rider series. We get those from Waterstones too.

Nandocushion · 23/02/2021 18:47

My DS is 13 and similar. We encourage reading anything at all, comics, graphic novels etc. But I worried too about the lack of novel reading, so I asked what sort of story he'd consider and got books along those lines and made it a rule that he had to read a certain amount at bedtime before he switched to comics. So a chapter if they're short, or six pages or whatever. He's happy to do that and several times he's kept reading the novel instead of switching to something else. I don't know if he'll ever be a serious reader like the rest of us are, but I do think it's a habit that I need to help him develop before he decides it's not for him.

VienneseWhirligig · 23/02/2021 22:10

If he's 12, surely he's old enough for proper newspapers rather than First News? When he's in school, what newspapers do they have in the school library? (My school used to have the Guardian, the Times and the Independent - propaganda for all political beliefs )

RandomGrammarPun · 23/02/2021 22:14

Manga is a good shout if he like anime. Year 7 are obsessed with manga series.

A good choice of newspaper if you want to leave one lying around for him would be the i. It's well laid out, attractive and (sort of) politically neutral.

PortHills · 23/02/2021 22:17

Audible did it for us. His little sister was listening to Harry Potter, which he had never wanted to read. But he listened because she was, found it was too slow and took himself off and read all the books. So then, I put The Hobbit on in the car (to many complaints), but again, that was a hit and led into LOTR. He listens first, then we allowed the films, and now has gone back and read them all.

I'm going to do terry pratchett next! Audible is great, and you can check books back in once you have listened, so you never need to go over your subscription.

Also, he loved books like "The Machine Gunners". It was our local independent book shop that got us started with those. So def try to talk to yours once everyone is open again. I've had some great recommendations.

RandomGrammarPun · 23/02/2021 22:17

The thing is, you can't make children like reading.

But if you have a no screen time rule at least an hour before lights out, then their options are limited to drawing/writing/reading/puzzles/music/audiobooks...and most will read more than if they are always allowed screens/phones in the bedroom.

If you don't do that already, that's definitely a good call.

fabulousspider · 23/02/2021 22:23

I like Random's suggestion - send to bed a bit earlier than they would go to sleep but no screentime allowed. They are allowed to read or have an audiobook (maybe not audiobook everynight forcing them to read). Invariably they will choose to read rather than lie in bed looking at the ceiling.

BigBobBoots · 23/02/2021 22:28

DS's English teacher suggested reading a newspaper article online.
I prefer seeing things on paper, so if I see something he might find interesting I print it off. When we have some time together he chooses an article, reads it to me and then we chat about it. Cube shaped wombat poo was a favourite.
He's also Y7, it works for us as it's less overwhelming than a novel.

Original poster

Eruss · 24/02/2021 06:38

Thanks all, some great suggestions

We do the screens off an hour before bed but like a pp mentioned I think he may just be overtired from being on screens all day with online learning too, he usually just potters about his room for a while then goes to sleep.

The first news is was about a year and a half ago and younger, he did enjoy when I first started buying them so I will look at i,

Definitely going to order some Manga as I think he’ll enjoy those.

We haven’t tried audible before but will give it a whirl

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