For many kids, reading is an escape. It's a way to have adventures and meet new people without even having to leave your house. And it's also a great way to relax in a productive way. In short, it's an excellent hobby to have.
But what happens if your child is reading something that's not exactly at their reading level? That's the issue one mom described on Reddit — but based on how she handled it, people are a little disturbed.
"My daughter Rose (9) is a very advanced reader," she wrote. "She's in 3rd grade (8-9 year olds) but reads at a 9th grade (14-15 years old) level."
It seems like she likes the books that other kids her age are reading.
"Despite her advanced reading level, the only books she wants to read are the I Survived series and the A-Z mysteries," the mom wrote. "Both of these books are far below her reading level so I told her it's fine if she wants to read them in school but at home she has to read things closer to her level."
That's where the problems start.
The mom has tried to widen her daughter's selection, but the girl seems to have no interest. "I've taken her to bookstores and we've looked through the young adult section but she refuses to read any of the books," she said. "She says they're all boring and gross. She always asks to get books from the children's section but I've said no because they're too easy for her."
It makes sense as to why she'd feel this way.
Just because the girl has a higher reading level doesn't mean she'll only be interested in higher-level books. Regardless of her level of intelligence, she's still a kid.
"Rose has started sneaking books home from school and when I started taking those away, she stopped reading in general," she continued. "Now Rose has pulled away from me and her teacher is recommending that I let her read whatever she wants."
"Rose's dad (my ex) found out about this and tore into me for not letting Rose read books for kids her age and offered to send her books but that's not the problem," she said. "I don't have a problem with Rose reading but if she's going to read, she should read something close to her level. Now everyone's mad at me."
Reddit wasn't very happy with her.
She's clearly admitting that she's ruining her child's love of reading. It's not always about skill but about enjoyment.
"Just because her 9 YEAR OLD has the reading level of a high school student doesn't mean she has the maturity of one or the interests of one," wrote girlno3belcher. "Horrifying that this needs to be explained. Just because she can read the book doesn't mean it would be enjoyable for her, or even that she should be reading it – a lot of YA books are definitely not appropriate for a 9 year old."
A lot of people felt passionate to speak up, as they could also relate to Rose. "I tested at a college reading level at 9 years old, but all I wanted to read was Junie B. Jones," said SoSaysWeAllX. "My mother hated it and tried to get me to read like, Judy Blume, as a compromise but I loved Junie B. Jones. Reading children's books didn't hinder my reading level, and I devoured them like no ones business."
A lot of Redditors still hold a grudge against parents who put limits on reading.
"I read Wicked way too young, and literally took it to my parents crying when I ran into bestiality because, like, wtf man. I was 11," empathized inmyownworldd. "That's not even getting into the weight that reading only male perspectives again and again gives you. I refuse to touch classics now because I have read men describing women and men having rich intimate characters and men getting their way with women that I completely missed out on the strong female protaganists that I would have found in those more age-appropriate books. Let her read what she wants to read!"
While it's great to know that her daughter is reading, and has the capability of reading at a higher level, it doesn't mean she should be forced to do so. Books intrigue people for many different reasons. The girl should be able to choose the titles that she wants to and enjoy them for what they are.
If she views reading as a punishment, she'll stop.
And she already tried to stop once after feeling too much pressure from her mom. You never want to kill a child's love of reading. It's their own world to explore, and they'll likely be more interested in bigger titles when they have a legitimate interest in the plot of the book. The mom can always encourage other books, as long as she doesn't discourage the ones her daughter chooses.
It seems like such an odd fight to raise. It also seems a bit controlling. Being able to read high school titles in elementary school doesn't mean your child will get into good colleges or become a genius. It just means that they can read books that are more advanced. It doesn't mean they should.
Reading books is a wonderful way to de-stress.
And for kids, it's quite rewarding to be a young reader. Every town has a library nearby, and it's a great place to visit and support. Nobody should ever feel compelled to hide a reading habit.
"It's ok to require a book here and there that is at a higher reading level (and also age- and content-appropriate!), but otherwise reading at her enjoyment level isn't going to lower her comprehension," states thoughtfulspiky. And that's true as well. Her daughter isn't going to decline in reading skills based on the material she prefers.
Reading also builds character. So hopefully, the original poster realizes her mistake sooner rather than later. Books can bring great joy, and she needs to realize that her daughter is still a kid. Thus the books she likes are probably written for kids, not adults.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
