My Kid Thinks Reading Is Torture. What Can I Do?

I was an insatiable bookworm as a kid. I gobbled up everything, from magazines and my own collection of books to my mom’s dog-eared paperbacks and the shampoo bottles while taking a shower. I carried a book with me everywhere I went, and it was one of the things I looked forward to the most when I had my own kids — reading to them and turning them into readers.

Luckily, it worked, and all three of my girls love a book. But even parents who love reading may find that their own kiddos just aren’t into it. And while every child is obviously allowed to have their own interests, there are so many benefits to reading, and it’s totally fair for parents to want their kids to be a little more interested in the hobby.

So one parent asked Reddit how.

In the subreddit /parenting, the original poster (OP) shared with the community, “My kid has no interest in reading, need advice from parents here.” OP explained that, despite how much they themselves love reading, their 8-year-old son finds it a form of torture. “Every single night is a miserable power struggle. When it's time for his 20-minute school reading log, he groans, throws tantrums, stalls by asking for snacks, and stares at the clock counting down every single second,” OP wrote. “He has zero interest in characters, plots, or world-building. If a book doesn't have a screen or an immediate reward attached to it, he completely shuts down.”

OP wrote that this has been nothing short of devastating to them, and they’re afraid that their son will grow up to hate literature entirely if he keeps seeing it as pure homework. “How do you accept this, or better yet, how do you fix it?” OP asked.

Oh, my heart.

I think everyone, even if you aren’t a big reader, can relate to finding such joy in something that your kid simply doesn’t. I remember feeling this way with baby dolls and my first daughter, who liked them fine, but did not spend the hours and hours I did caring for my dolls, taking them with me everywhere I went, buying them clothes at the thrift store, and more.

But reading is also just so good for everyone — OP’s son doesn’t have to be as into it as OP was as a kid, but it’s beneficial for him to at least find something he likes to read.

And that’s how most of the advice came in.

For starters, a lot of commenters shared that it’s all about finding a book your kid actually wants to and likes to read.

“I was a nanny for years, and a real breakthrough for one of my kiddos was Mad Libs, believe it or not. It absolutely tickled him to make the book say, ‘He took his butt to the butt store,’” one commenter wrote.

“What is he interested in? And have you tried reading books, graphic novels, simple texts on those topics?” another recommended.

“Our son started reading just like we imagined he would at 7 years old. He used to hate his school books and homework, so we were worried that he'd end up hating all books. Because he was,” another parent shared. “First, we had to find the right books. At his age, he loves silly stuff and jokes, so we discovered the Captain Underpants comic series, which is super silly and full of poop and fart jokes.”

Comic books, graphic novels, audiobooks — one commenter even suggested a book about how to be a “spy” that their own kid loved. Not everyone is into fiction or chapter books, and finding what piques your kid’s interest is really key to turning them into a reader.

Other parents shared that once they stopped timing their kids' reading, it changed everything. The pressure was off, and it felt less like homework and more like enjoyable time together.

Other parents suggested these ideas for encouraging reading:

• “Try reading to them. Even books that are a little above their reading level. Both of my daughters struggled with reading, taking the pressure off of them and just making it about us sharing a story together helped motivate them to read independently without struggling to get them interested.”
• “I have regular reading parties with my son. We get blankets, hot drinks, maybe some snacks, put on some relaxing music, and just read together. We also used to (not so much now he's getting older because he reads in bed before sleep anyway) shut off the TV 30 minutes before bedtime and all pick up our books and read together.”
• “You and your husband should read in public areas of the house as much as possible. Read whatever you like to read, even if it's romance.”

But the biggest advice of all? If screens are your kid’s go-to dopamine hit, books may never get a fair shot. A full detox might not be totally feasible, but even scaling back could be what your kid needs.

Finally, several parents shared that, you know what? Some kids just aren’t readers. And that’s OK. As long as they are capable of reading, one commenter shared, you shouldn’t worry so much that they aren’t choosing a book over other hobbies. It’s all a balance, and honestly, the more reading you can model and share as a family, the more likely they are to pick one up, too.