Booklovers Are Sharing the Sneaky Tricks Their Parents Used to Encourage Them to Read More as Children

Instilling a love of reading into children is difficult these days – there are so many distractions! But it is a skill that both teachers and parents want to encourage. Finding enjoyment in reading doesn’t always come naturally, as most of us will understand.

Booklovers have taken to Twitter to share all the sneaky hacks their parents used to encourage them as children to read. Kind of like hiding extra veggies in their bolognaise, but you know, with books.

It all began when Professor Robert McNees shared a lovely post with his Twitter followers about how he got his 8-year-old daughter reading. Little does the child know, this is all part of her father’s masterplan.

Somehow I’ve lucked out and have an 8yo who thinks secretly reading under the covers past her bedtime is an act of rebellion, and it hasn’t yet occurred to her that her flashlights never seem to run out of batteries.

— Robert McNees (@mcnees) August 13, 2020

Before too long, others shared stories of their own parents quietly encouraging them to read without them realising it.

I was such a bookworm when I was little that whenever I got in trouble, my parents would ground me from reading, rather than from going outside to play ? I’d hide under my bed with a flashlight and read anyway… just realizing now I that I somehow never got “caught” ?

— Chi-Min Ho (@mimi1inh) August 14, 2020

I used to sneak to the bedroom door & read by the light coming in from the landing (brother was scared of the dark). If I heard parents approaching, I would run back across the room to bed and lie on top of the book. Thinking back, it must have been SO obvious what I was up to!

— ??? (@meldoeslife) August 14, 2020

My dad used to check out science books from the library and specifically forbid me from reading them because they were “only for grownups.” Strangely, he always left them out on his desk.

— Rachel Martin (@rachelwmartin) August 14, 2020

My sister and I thought we were SO sneaky when we’d beg to read “just one more chapter” before doing our chores. Many many chapters later, we’d eventually do them. Years later mom told us that she figured we’d learn to do chores, but she wanted us to love reading more. It worked!

— Abigail R ? (@teacherlook) August 14, 2020

My parents explicitly told me when I was a kid that if I was in my room at night and they couldn’t hear me, they would just assume I had fallen asleep, even if a light was on. For many years, I thought I was getting away with staying up late reading, no flashlight required.

— Essential Employee (@amyep9) August 14, 2020

I always wondered why, if reading past bedtime was against the rules, my parents got one of those wall lamps with its own switch & put it over my headboard. now Im realizing they were probably pulling off the same ruse as you.

— Lex (@lexi_austin) August 14, 2020

I remember thinking I was so clever doing this. One night I heard my mom coming down the hall and I did that whole panicked “turn off light and pretend to be asleep” routine. She opened my door and said, “honey just put the light on.” #lifelongbooklover

— Elyse Hope (@thehopefulgene) August 14, 2020

This thread makes my heart sing. One of my proudest moments was when I finished reading “A Little Princess” at 10pm by the light from the hallway at around 8 or 9 years old. Dad was doing home repairs. I moved my bed so I could have enough light to read. He didn’t say a word. ❤

— Nicole Eckerson (@NikkiMaySmiles) August 14, 2020

When I was around that age I would often wake up and notice my flashlight and book on the dresser next to my bed. I knew my mom knew, but we still acted like I was sleeping.

— le petit chou’s mom (@Ravenclaw_RN) August 14, 2020

My parents forbade reading after lights out. They also made sure we always had working flashlights, because once when my older brother took his lamp under the covers he caught his blanket on fire.

— Elizabeth Brenner (@eabrenner) August 14, 2020

Did your parents do anything like this with you when you were a child? Will you try this on your children? 

Source: Twitter/Robert McNees