Comments on: Do You Limit Your Child’s Reading?

By: More About Reading with Your Children : Blisstree - Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles

Wed, 27 May 2009 05:00:09 +0000

[...] a Comment // I received an interesting and informative response to my post, Do You Limit Your Child’s Reading? Image: [...]

By: Eliza Ferree

Eliza Ferree — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:52:29 +0000

Yes and no. My oldest (he’s 12) began reading the H.Potter series a few years back and I’ve basically given him free reign on books. I also normally buy him the books or he gets them from his school library which I feel they monitor those books. My second child, she’s 8 is allowed to read most books but there are a few I don’t allow her to read. I bought her the Sweet Valley Twins a few years back (an entire collection) but she must start with the Sweet Valley Kids first since I know the twins are in jr/high school and kiss and such. I think it depends on what the characters are doing since she wants to grow up so fast. My son typically reads mystery/thrillers.

By: Vermont Mom

Vermont Mom — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:50:35 +0000

I cannot possibly keep up with all the books my daughter reads. Many parents can’t get their children to read… I cannot get her not to! She is 13 and reads 2-3 books a week. And no, I do not limit content, although I do go online and get a basic scenario and read reviews – I think in a lot of ways it gives her perspective she wouldn’t otherwise get. Good and bad. If she reads something problematic, she usually wants to talk about it anyway.

By: Mary Emma Allen

Mary Emma Allen — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:33:43 +0000

Thank you, Matriarchy, for sharing your views on this topic and relating your experiences with your own children. It seems to make sense to discuss with youngsters the content in books, even if you don’t agree with it. Then they’re prepared to make decisions on their own, when they have to.

By: Matriarchy

Matriarchy — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:03:51 +0000

My kids are older now, but they usually took my advice when they were younger. If there was any question about whether a book was “too old” for one of them, I would make sure to read it first, and then we would have discussion about anything that was new to them. More often, if they tried a book beyond their reach, they would just get bored and stop reading it.

We never restricted content, and I don’t understand parents that do. Even if a book’s theme conflicts with your religious views, why would you think you can just pretend that other views do not exist? If you can’t defend your views in the face of a childrens’ book, how well will you defend them in the face of real life? I’ve never understood how hiding the world from kids is supposed to protect them. When they are finally confronted with reality, how will they know how to respond to it, if you have not modeled your own responses for them? You have to talk about things you disagree with, not hide them.