So Your Son Hates to Read?

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No matter what I do or say, I have one son who won't crack a book. It's almost blasphemous at our house to not read since both of his parents and two siblings are avid readers. We have tried everything from bribery to threats all to no avail. That boy will not budge. Even with our book cases looking like a middle school boy's dream library, we still can't get our son to read. I admit, I even paid my son $10.00 just to let me read Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading to him. The funny thing wasn't the money I had to pay, but the fact he actually admitted he liked the book after we finished.

I have often felt frustrated that I couldn't get my son to read until one day it dawned on me that he reads all of the time, just not all of the fabulous books I thought he would like. On this day I found my son looking through free book vectors, while trying to find artwork for a school project. He would find a picture he liked then tie it in with his research. He actually reads a lot more on the internet than I give him credit for.

 I have found some other tricks that work (at least most of the time).

• When your son wants to buy something, have him read all of the product reviews first and report which is the best before you let him buy it. My son actually does this.
• Mention stories in the newspaper or internet and don't tell your son the final outcome. Make him discover it for himself. I always tell him enough of the story to pique his interest and refer him to our local news site or newspaper to discover the ending.
• Sunday comics are great, especially if you ask your son which he thought was the funniest.
• Don't underestimate toy catalogs. My son has spent hours reading about remote control cars.
• Have your son look up how to fix something. My son has read a ton of how to's and can fix anything from bike tires and remote control cars to air soft guns.
• Find what interests your son and pull up articles on the internet about it. 
• No matter how old your son is, try to read to them. Listening is as important as reading and will still help build vocabulary.
• Forward funny emails to your child's inbox. My boys read those all of the time. 
• Forward information on family trip planning. It's amazing what your son will read about the place they know they will visit. Trip brochures are also a great thing to get your son reading while getting him excited for vacation.

Just because your son doesn't pick up a book, doesn't mean he isn't reading. My son loves
collector guns and has researched all different kinds of guns on the internet. He reads about them all of the time. He asked his great-grandfather what gun he carried in World War II and knew all about that particular firearm from his research. I knew a boy who read baseball stats regularly and could give a rundown on most of the players in professional baseball. Give your child credit where credit is due. Comic books, catalogs, and the internet can be a reading paradise if you let them.

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