6 Tricks Parents Can Use to Keep Reading with Older Children

Today's post is inspired from one of my favorite parenting podcasts, Slate's Mom and Dad Are Fighting. One of the hosts mentioned that his six year old daughter is starting to outgrow reading with him. Part of their bedtime routine was to read a book together, but his daughter is starting to read on her own and she gets too interested in the book to wait for the next night. She started bringing the book to school and finishing it on her own. The host thought that maybe it was time to end their bedtime reading tradition.

I wonder how many parents feel this way? I read a great article that talked about parents ending reading with their kids too soon. It is something all librarians should be aware of and mentor parents through. I jumped onto the podcast's Facebook page to give some words of encouragement and found lots of parents had great tips.

So, today's post is sharing those great tips that parents have learned worked for them:

1. Start a book that's above your child's reading level.
2. Try reading funny books, laughing is more fun together.
3. Have your child pick out a special bedtime book and other books for during the day from the library. If your child can't choose, have them read the first page of each and then make their decision.
4. Try reading short stories or fairy tales at night so there's no compulsion to read the book the next day.
5. Listen to audio books together in the car.
6. If all else fails, you can each grab your own book and read next to each other. Then, if you or your child come across something fun or interesting, you can share it with each other.

• Bonus tip: Start a journal to keep track of everything you've read together. Seeing your progress might help your child become proud of the work you both put in. You can also keep track of your favorite authors, find readalikes, and it's neat to look back on later to either discuss or reminisce.

Reading with my children is one of my favorite traditions. I once read an article about a father and daughter who read together every night until she started college. Not only was it a great relationship builder for them, but it also allowed them to develop a special language, relating to the life around them with things they've read in their books. What parent wouldn't want that?

Do you have any additional tips to help parents keep reading with their older children? Please share below in the comments.