1. Your kids are always watching you 👀
When your kids see you reading what they’re reading, especially if you’re trying to get them to read a chapter book, they will be interested. I tell my daughter the book I’m checking out is a little ahead of her grade level and that some of the content I’m not sure they’re ready for yet. This keeps her more intrigued than if I say “You’re going to love this book!” Then, when I finish it, and I can see that' it’s an awesome read, I tell her that I think she can handle it even though it’s for kids a little older than she is. This gets her curious and allows her to make the decision to read the book rather than it be something I’m telling her to do. They are watching you though. If you are steady reading a book over a few days, they will notice though never admit that they’re intrigued.
Why Adults SHould Be Reading Kids Books
2. They’re awesome reads.😻
Kids books are amazing these days, especially graphic novels. It’s the golden age of kids books for every age. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned reading what our daughter is reading, especially as a dad of a daughter because, you know, I was a boy growing up, so my experiences are complexly different. Reading graphic novels about girls, written by women, has given me a new understanding of what she’s going through and allows me to talk about things through the characters in the book that would be impossible if I asked those questions directly about what she’s going through.
3. Healing your inner-child 🐣
The books are entertaining and engaging reads at any age, even adults. And, as an adult who is trying to deal with some early trauma of my own - how my inner child is constantly emotionally high-jacking me, reading kids books helps me get in touch with they younger me who still has so many unresolved issues that I don’t want to pass on to my daughter. Doing so keeps me from looking at her through adult eyes instead of through eyes of a kid - how they see the world - how raw and vulnerable everything is to them. It’s kind of therapeutic as well at the end of a long day of adulting to read something from a kid’s perspective
4. You can talk with your kids and get answers! 🎱
If you read what they are reading, you can have conversations about the book, which keeps reading front and center with your kids. They don’t want to talk about how their day at school was, but they will want to talk about which characters did what and said what in a graphic novel where there is non-stop drama, adventure, or action. Reading what they are reading is a way to show them you’re interested in their lives and want to hear about their thoughts that may differ from yours. It’s a way to be a part of their interests as an equal and not an authority figure.
5. You can get to know them on a different level 🧚🏾♀️
Once your kids start to develop their own tastes and likes, you reading what they read may help you get to know them better and help when you choose books for them for their next reads (You should be proactive in their reading and always setting up their next). If you keep buying your boys books about dragons and soccer and they like to read books about music and gaming, they’re not going to like to read. Take a look at what they read and re-read and you’ll be able to pick more books out to be ready for them because you have to constantly be serving up new reads to keep them as avid readers. Also, if you do all of the other 4 things, they will start trusting you more to pick out books for them.
🔥Quick Wins🔥
👩🏽⚖️ Don’t Judge
The books they love might not be the books you love, but don’t hate on their choices. As long as they’re reading, they’re developing that habit of loving to read.
📚Graphic Novels are Books
Please don’t deny them the joy of reading because it’s a graphic novel and don’t push them to read chapter books. They will get there.
🤣 Book Bribes
That being said, I do sometimes tell my daughter that if she finishes a chapter book, I have a surprise graphic novel for her. Results vary, but it’s been working and really, in the end, they’re just reading more.
🎁 Gifts
When you’re giving gifts to other kids during the holidays or B-day parties, take your child to the bookstore and have them pick out books for their friends. Likely they will ask for one as well, but that’s ok. Never a bad investment.
🏴☠️ Treasure Hunts
When a new book is released, I sometimes do treasure hunts around the house with clues she has to figure out, all leading to a book hidden somewhere. The book is the treasure.
Explore all of the books that developed a love of reading for our daughter over the years.
