Is Reading Safe for Your Children?

Of course, what can a book do to a child! Reading is safer for kids compared any screen time, says my ophthalmologist every time I take my kids for their annual visit. But any sort of addiction could gradually take toll on children’s physical and mental health. Reading too falls in that category. How so?

Here’s a few simple things I learned from my kids’ ophthalmologist to take care while reading.

Proper Lighting: There should be ample light in the room they read. Take proper care so the light falls on their book and not on their bowed head. Choosing a book with bigger fonts and enough spacing will be more comfortable for kids.

Clean Spectacles: This is a serious concern for those who have glasses. Smudgy and greasy glasses will strain young eyes. Insist your children to clean them before they start reading.

Proper Distance: Keep books at least 15cms away from your face while reading. Do not lie down and read.

Enough Breaks: Taking breaks between reading is important. It is ideal to take break after one hour. Avoid continuous reading as it bring strain to their eyes. Remember, vision in children is at the developing phase.

Genre: Take care so as not to stick to a particular genre and monitor the kind of books your children reads. If they are very young, go ahead and choose their books for them. Choose different genre alternatively so that they grow up well rounded. Offer them the realistic flavor of our world along with the magical world of Harry Potter.

Don’t let books be your child’s only friend. Sometimes parents prefer books to friends so they don’t fall into bad company. However, life has taught me that good friends are as valuable as good books. Insist that your kids mingle with other children and build bonds. It helps them understand real life and real people, enabling them to face difficult situations and people as they grow up.

I remember preferring only to read pleasant and cheerful stories ignoring realistic stories. I found it difficult to accept the realities of life or cope up with difficult situations. Now that I have started reading again, I try to read more realistic stories. While the same may not be true for everyone it never hurts to encourage our young kids to begin so. Books can really shape them to be a complete person.

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