This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
One key to setting your kids up to be successful
Something I’ll forever be grateful for is how much my parents forced my siblings and me to read.
We didn’t always enjoy it, but we knew what to do once that 30-minute timer went on; we had to read our books.
My siblings and I enjoyed reading overall, but that didn’t mean we didn’t want to stop watching TV and playing video games.
To this day, we all still read – immensely. And I credit our parents, who ingrained a strong habit of reading inside us.
It was customary to turn off the tv to read.
Most People Don’t Read
Today, most people don’t read; if they do, it’s negative news, social media, trashy articles, legal documents, or work and school-related information.
Once people leave school, they stop reading and self-educating indefinitely because they believe they don’t need to educate themselves further.
We’re often more excited about watching the latest tv series or movie versus opening up a book and reading.
When was the last time you opened up a book to read? Most people don’t know, and if they recently opened up a book, they still haven’t finished it.
That’s another thing society has a problem doing, finishing what they start – especially when it comes to books.
As time goes by, reading levels throughout the globe have declined.
Unfortunately, more people are locked into their screens than books.
Parents Can Directly Impact Reading Levels
As parents, it is your job to instill healthy habits in your kids early. The things they learn and adopt now will carry with them into adulthood.
If they learn the value of reading at a young age, they will reach immeasurable heights and be more successful than the average person.
There is a direct positive correlation between reading, knowledge acquisition, and demonstrating more traits of a successful person.
Things My Parents Did To Encourage Reading
We read books in the living room as a family.
Set a daily timer for 30 minutes for us to read.
Signed us up for the summer library reading events.
We read books at the dinner table every single night.
Kept a vast library of books in our house at all times.
Frequently visited the library to pick up new books to read.
My mother paid me $5 for every book and audio tape I completed.
They exposed us to intellectuals who challenged us to expand our vocabulary.
We owned several dictionaries we kept around the house. I still keep one with me today.
Our family held open discussions about the books we read to encourage critical thinking.
My siblings and I still read to this day and always read more books than the average person. I still have several different library cards, and I’m always reading at least 5–10 books at once because the more I read, the better I do in life.
Your Life Will Improve Radically
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.