Finally, One Screen Moms Don't Have To Hate

I’m a lover of books. I was out of picture books and into things like The Wizard of Oz and Heidi by the time I reached kindergarten. I was an English lit major, and I’m one of those people who has boxes of old books she’ll never read again stored in her basement and overflowing on her bookshelves.

I love books. I love the smell of them and the feel of them and browsing old bookstores. Do you know what else I love?

My e-reader.

That’s right, this devout book lover consumes most of her books on a screen now. And you know what else? My kids love reading from screens too.

Contrary to popular opinion, when it comes to reading, screens are not the enemy.

Trying to keep our kids away from screens in the 21st century is like trying to brush our teeth while eating an Oreo — it’s useless. And frankly, it’s not even necessary.

The American Academy of Pediatrics released new screen time recommendations last month. Previously, the organization stood behind its rule of “no screens before age 2.” Now they’ve modified it to one hour a day for children 2 to 5 years old, and for ages 6 and older, they recommend parents determine the restrictions for time spent using the screen, as well as keep an eye on the types of digital media they use. Flipping through a virtual library is not the same thing as watching the Finger Family video on an endless loop.

Translation: Stop giving yourself such a hard time if your kid is drawn to a screen. All screens are not created equal, and there is a way to use that time wisely.

A reading app like Epic! is one of those ways.

Epic! is a reading app that’s like having a library at your child’s fingertips. Kids 12 years old and younger can instantly access over 20,000 books. It’s only $4.99 a month, and there are no annoying in-app purchases to fool you into spending more money. Your kid gets personalized recommendations based on their interest and reading level. There’s also a reward system that offers extra motivation to keep kids reading. And there are hundreds of audio books included too.

There’s a free 30-day trial that makes it easy for parents to see if this is a fit for their kids. And you can feel good about signing up because the Epic! Reading Club program was just launched, which supports your kids’ classrooms. Once you sign up for Epic!, you will earn points for your classroom, which the teacher can use to purchase school supplies.

It’s a win all the way around.

How much do you love scrolling through your e-reader and choosing any book your heart desires? Why do we assume our kids shouldn’t love this too? Because it’s being delivered through a screen?

Want to get your kids to read more? Give them a library at their fingertips and see what happens.

Epic! is the leading e-book library for kids 12 and under offering unlimited access to over 15,000 high-quality children’s books, now including thousands of read-to-me and audiobooks — for just $4.99/month.

Get 30 days of FREE reading at getepic.com.