We wrangled with our kids for awhile about sneaking books and reading after lights-out, but, one evening after a good wrangling, I and my P31W looked at each other and wondered aloud, “What are we thinking? They’re eager to READ; we ought’a just LET ‘em!”
So, we made a complete policy change, on the spot.
We went right back into their bedroom, flipped on the lights, gave them their books and said, “New rules: Read all ya want. Just make sure you’ve got plenty of light while you’re doing it. Good night!”
It was far better than having them lay in the dark and either bicker back and forth or talk fantastic gibberish to each other for an hour or more. Now, they ususally read for about an hour, after which they then turn out their lights and go to sleep WITHOUT any adult intervention required.
They’ve used that time to memorize their lines for a couple of productions, and are simply eating up everything they can get their hands on. They’re mowing through the “Hardy Boys” books like there’s no tomorrow...
And, to top it all off, if we DO come in and say, “Early morning tomorrow, so no reading tonight”, they typically comply without any fuss at all.
What’s not to like about this?
With any luck at all, my 12-y/o will be getting into the LOTR trilogy by year’s end, after which I might be able to begin a transition from complete fiction to some works of historical non-fiction, and, from there, to more substantial, important, non-fiction works including seminal documents like “The Federalist Papers”.
It won’t be an overnight transition, but planned, nonetheless.
Sigh. I must just be doing everything all wrong. Mine won’t shut up no matter what ... and then they mope around all day, yawning like alligators and collapsing every time I turn my back.
I should’a gone with Plan A and been IRS Commissioner, and raised Siamese cats.