Responsible parenting is on everybody’s mind nowadays. Everywhere you look there are blogs, tv shows and articles about it. These shows and videos aim to inform parents of potential threats facing children. and websites and home pages filled with useful and helpful tips. Todays parent have never had so much information readily available to help them shield their children.
So what are your kids reading?
Yes, thats right, reading. Ten years ago, I read a short article which claimed that reading skills in America rated amongst the lowest of the industrialized countries on the globe. The printed word was no longer feasible, the internet, the computer and the interactive game was in. The computer has replaced ink on paper and there was nothing that anyone can do about it.
Are Your Kids Reading Age Appropriate Material?
J.K. Rowling, Lemony Snicket, and a variety of others. according to Publishers Weekly: The Childrens/Young Adult book market is the fastest expanding market in publishing. Millions of books are printed for the 6-15 year old market, encompassing thousands of titles on numerous subjects. Go to any local library and you will discover that the Childrens/Young Adult section is among the largest there is. And as your children grow up, the entire world globe of adult literature becomes available to them.
This is not a bad thing, however even though a child has the skills to read something, the responsible parent needs to ask themselves: Do I really want them reading that yet? Some children may not have developed the emotional maturity to be able to handle some of the more intense and disturbing aspects of that work.
All to frequently, moms and dads take on an attitude that goes something like: Well, at least they’re reading. Whatever it is, its far better than them sitting in front of the television. It’s important to remember that a child’s imagination is usually more vibrant than an adults. Depending on their age, the line between what is real and what is imaginary is less clear. Children can be affected by the words they read on a number of different levels, and will often times emulate the characters they meet in books both in their attitudes and their behaviors. As a parent, it is important that the books you allow your child to read reflect the value system that you have tried to instill in them.
The problem then becomes: How can I monitor what they read?
Just the same as when monitoring what your child watches on television or what video games he plays or websites he visits, if you dont want your child exposed to violence, sexual content, drug use, or anything else a book may contain, it’s up to you to make sure that they don’t see to it until they are ready.
As with every other part of the publishing industry, sales drive what is published in the world of Children’s books. The trend lately seems to lean towards more sophisticated storylines which often outline many negative aspects of our culture. As a responsible parent, it’s up to you to decide when your children have reached the point in their development where you feel they can handle this sort of information.
How can I monitor the books my children want to read before they do? Makes you wish you had an additional collection of eyes.
There are resources out there to help you. Most of them give you a mini version which allows you to make an educated decision.
There is a website, launched in 2005, that evaluates publications (as well as films) from a parents point of view. Books are regularly critiqued on positive and negative characteristics, as well as examples of any unfavorable locations of influence. All of these examples will tell a parent, at a glance, if that book is appropriate for their particular child.
Instilling a love of reading in a childs life is among the most important things you can do for them as a parent. Monitoring what they read and allowing them to grow into the books you choose together, is a way to ensure that the values you’ve instilled in them are reinforced.
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