O.T.....Parenting advice

[damfran]

Long story short: Oldest girl, 3rd grade, documented DRA (reading fluency level) of 60 (6th grade). Has been an exemplary student.....till now.

Obsessed with the god damn Harry Potter books, which we encouraged....every chance she gets, in the car, in Cotsco, when company visits.......and the integrity of her other subjects is being compromised in her haste to get to the books.

So I revoked her free time reading today, and made it a privilege to be earned. Am I overreacting? Must sound crazy to parents of older kids.

Worst part is that I am now the "Household Manager" for the next 4 months, by choice.....and I need my assistant (slave) to help me around here and occupy my younger girl

 

[Mich_QB_U]

My two cents is not to revoke reading. My son loved the Harry Potter books at that age and then became an avid reader and scored 790 on the verbal of the SAT. You as the parent have to use various techniques so that she pays attention to the other things she is supposed to do. I suspect there are several other things you can try but haven't done so yet.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Never revoke reading....not a good idea. I hate reading books and wish that I liked them. My parents growing up would have given anything if I would have read books at every given moment. Just force her to do the other subjects and then let her do whatever she wants in her free time (I mean "whatever she wants" as in reading".

 

[packersfantheo]

My mom had to do the same thing for me whenever I would read any book because when I start reading something the rest of my life stops. Now I'm at Cornell. Maybe let her finish the books as fast as possible so she can return to her school work lol?

 

[Mich_QB_U]

And if you do let her go back to her reading I'd suggest that you straight up and tell her that Dad made a mistake when he did not allow you to read and also tell her that reading is a fantastic thing.

 

[michlady77]

i also say don't stop her reading

just encourage her to broaden a bit

sometimes this is a phase

 

[Monster]

She's in third grade. I dont think reading should be any more sophisticated at that age. Eventually she'll move onto something else. IMO if her grades don't slip, leave it alone.

 

[damfran]

Hmmmm....thanks for the feedback....not afraid to admit, even to her, when I err. Addictive behavior runs in my side of the family, surprise, maybe that is the real concern in the back of my mind

Just felt weird curtailing reading....that's against all I have preached.

BTW...what is the next natural progression of reading material after this? After Edgar Rice Burroughs...I was never a huge science fiction / magic head

 

[wolverine304]

Have her read computer books and be a female mark zuckerberg.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Hmmmm....thanks for the feedback....not afraid to admit, even to her, when I err. Addictive behavior runs in my side of the family, surprise, maybe that is the real concern in the back of my mind

Just felt weird curtailing reading....that's against all I have preached.

BTW...what is the next natural progression of reading material after this? After Edgar Rice Burroughs...I was never a huge science fiction / magic head

http://childrensbooks.about.com/cs/harrypotterplus/a/afterharry.htm

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/11/whats-to-read-after-harry-potter/

http://www.oprah.com/entertainment/Books-to-Read-After-Harry-Potter

http://www.daddoes.com/494/harry-potter-alternatives/

 

[TheVictors]

I'd say use time limits for the Harry Potter books as a reward when done with school, etc

Otherwise, read, read, read ....too many kids think playing XBox is intellectual exercise.

Your story is funny one the one hand, in 2002 or so when one of the Harry Potter books came out (I've not read one but have seen parts of some of the movies), we had a problem at work with full-on adults coming back late from lunch or break b/c they were addicted to the book. 20-something women sneaking a few pages in between work duties and mgmt actually had to say something about it.

 

[Monster]

Hmmmm....thanks for the feedback....not afraid to admit, even to her, when I err. Addictive behavior runs in my side of the family, surprise, maybe that is the real concern in the back of my mind

Just felt weird curtailing reading....that's against all I have preached.

BTW...what is the next natural progression of reading material after this? After Edgar Rice Burroughs...I was never a huge science fiction / magic head

seriously man, i get caught up in the same problem. My son is smarter than most at four years old and sometimes i treat him like he's older and get mad at him when he doesn't live up to the expectation I had for him. Your daughter is still a little girl, regardless of her reading level. Let her get caught up with her imagination and she'll eventually move on.

Like i said, as long as her grades aren't dropping off and she's keeping up with her chores, let her be.

 

[jever4321]

Have you tried a good old fashioned book burning?

Jk, I agree with everyone about the reading encouragement, but as a reward after all other work has been completed accurately. Pleasure reading sounds like it could be a pretty useful tool for you.

 

[TheVictors]

Isn't being a Dad ****ing awesome, though?!

 

[Jessica]

My daughter is at the exact same reading level, also in 3rd grade.

Do not make her stop. Just don't. I read all.the.time and I can understand how life seems to stop. It sucks, but books are just soo COOL.

 

[damfran]

Isn't being a Dad ****ing awesome, though?!

You bet your ass, Vic.....especially every winter for me.

 

[damfran]

Have you tried a good old fashioned book burning?

Jk, I agree with everyone about the reading encouragement, but as a reward after all other work has been completed accurately. Pleasure reading sounds like it could be a pretty useful tool for you.

I can't......because I know I won't stop reading

 

[TheVictors]

Isn't being a Dad ****ing awesome, though?!

You bet your ass, Vic.....especially every winter for me.

I will never forget my son at 2yrs old, while looking out the front door and saying, "Dadda, why is that truck driving so slow..ly?!"

Dude busted out an adverb!! And FWIW, just tested into 'advanced Kindergarten' ....it's all going by so quickly but at the same time, we have so much ahead of us!

 

[tinselwolverine]

Have you tried a good old fashioned book burning?

Maybe Farenheit 451 would cover that...

...but...

...it's just a little bit higher reading level...


http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/fahrenheit-451

scholastically and socially....

Maybe wait a few years, when she's beginning to understand concepts like autocracy and totalitarianism....

 

[Michchamp]

EDIT:

GAH.

Jever already suggested a book burning.