I was watching a movie a few years back, and a quote was made that has stuck with me since then, and it goes thus “If you want to hide anything from the children or teens, the best place is in a book.” The truth is, I have never found a more accurate word considering the rate at which children and teens run away from reading books. To avoid our children from entering this circle, we should train them right from their young age by;

Reading occasionally in the presence of our children: Most times, the best way to teach our children something is by doing what we want them to learn, in this case, by reading to and with them. Children are great imitators. Thus the reason it is always advised to be watchful of what parents say and do in their presence. Since reading is a habit we want the kids to cultivate, reading in their presence will make them do so, even in our absence.

Develop the habit of reading along with the kids: Reading is fun but can also be tiring. To avoid the boring aspect of reading, parents should learn to read with their kids. It does not necessarily need to be an academic book. It could be a storybook, motivational books, religious books, and lots more. Whatever kind of book it is, if the parents join the children in reading, it makes it easier to break complex words down, aid easier comprehension, learn new grammar, and, more importantly, bonding with one another in the process.

Stock up books of the subject your child is interested in: Our children pick interest in things right from their infant age, and I know this because right from when I was little, I had a flair for story-telling. And yea, my mum was the one reading them to me. She recognized what I was interested in, and she built on it. When children show us what they are interested in, be it sports, technology, academics, and so on, we should encourage them by filling the house with enough books to enable get more insight into what they like.