On curating kids' reading

Yes? No? Let's discuss.

While kids reading and kids watching screens do not always have an inverse relationship, I do tend to find that minimizing screen time maximizes book time.

And boy is that the case in our house.

I am a reader. My Dad is a reader, my Mom is a reader, and I grew up in a house of readers. One more generation back, and you’ll find a grandfather who would sit down next to any abandoned book and pick up where the last reader left off — neatly tucking the bookmark back in when he was finished — a grandmother who made sure each great-grandchild had a copy of Make Way for Ducklings because it was “very important” and another grandmother who introduced me to the Mitford series in high school.

Unsurprisingly, raising children who love to read is near the tippy-top of my parenting priorities. This is not just because genuinely loving to read opens up an almost-never-ending way to spend time, muting the allure of screens (though I do love it for that reason). And it’s not just because reading has taught me so much, shaped me so thoroughly, and delighted me to no end (though, yes, I love it for those reasons, too).

It’s also because stories can connect families in a bond that lasts from childhood through old age. We can rally around inspiring characters, relive harrowing plots, recite memorable lines at just the right moment. We can bond over the shared joy of a beloved book. And we can read together, which draws us physically closer for the moment and, I think, relationally closer for a lifetime.

Thus far, my plan to raise readers seems to be working. Our oldest is a voracious reader, often turning down the chance to watch a show selected by her siblings in favor of a book. She’ll hole up in her room for hours at a time, burning through pages… and occasionally take a flashlight under the covers to finish the job. Our middle has just learned to read independently — he’s in the “reading signs with glee everywhere we go” stage — and solo beginning chapter books are not far off.

I am thrilled. But as our little readers grow, a question has become more pressing: do we curate what they read? How much? In what way? Is anything off-limits? I don’t have all the answers, but I do have some thoughts, and I’d love to chat together about it today.

Here’s my strategy so far: