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How much reading is too much reading?


Wilma
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How much is too much?  

100 members have voted

  1. 1. How much reading would you consider too much reading?

    • 1 hour
      0
    • 2-3 hrs
      1
    • 3-4 hrs
      7
    • 4-5 hrs
      10
    • 5-6 hrs
      11
    • 6-7 hrs
      5
    • 7-8 hrs
      7
    • There is no such thing as too much reading.
      51
    • 8-9 hrs
      6
    • 9-10 hrs
      1
    • 10+ hrs
      1


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Hey y'all, I'd love to hear some opinions on where a tipping point would be or if there even is one.  My 10 year old is a reader, which is great.  We're a family of readers, really.  But is there such a thing as too much?  Assume, for the sake of simplicity, that the book choices are mostly somewhere between good and great.  Also, assume a regular habit.  So not "I am so into this book that I cannot possibly put it down" but a general state of being lasting much longer.

 

 

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I think when it starts to interfere with life or behavior it's too much. My 7 yo frequently stays up reading too late, then can't sleep, and then is grouchy the next day. He also walked into a sign while reading today. I'd say that's too much reading.

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I want to say "there's no such thing as too much reading!" but if I break it down:

an hour or so in the morning

an hour in the afternoon

a couple of hours before bed

 

That's 4 hours.  So I say 4-5 is on the high side of an acceptable day, for me.  I mean, if one wants to be well-rounded and have other interests...and physical activities...and social times.  But if not:  read away! ;)

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Why is the highest number 7-8? There are 24 hours in a day. Not more than, say, 16 hours awake, but still... Why can't I say more than e.g. 11 hours is too much?

 

I would vote for the non-existent 9-10 hour category. I do include all types of reading in this number though. If it's just about fiction for fun reading I'd have a much different opinion.

 

ETA: school work involves a lot of reading.

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Are other responsibilities getting done? Is she getting physical exercise? Adequate sleep?

Then it's not too much.

 

Basically, yes.  She has probably 30 minutes a day or so of household responsibilities, besides occasional "would you please" requests.  And 4 mornings a week the girls swim on a recreational swim team and sometimes ride bikes in the street and whatnot.  Bedtime is solid, and no books go to bed.

After those basics, you'd be fine with all day reading?  (I'm not saying that's exactly what's going on, but just to press.)

 

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Why is the highest number 7-8? There are 24 hours in a day. Not more than, say, 16 hours awake, but still... Why can't I say more than e.g. 11 hours is too much?

 

I would vote for the non-existent 9-10 hour category. I do include all types of reading in this number though. If it's just about fiction for fun reading I'd have a much different opinion.

 

ETA: school work involves a lot of reading.

 

I'll try to fix it for more options.

 

And in this case, it's basically reading for funsies, fiction only.  But high-ish quality fiction.

 

ETA: there we go.  A couple more options.  I originally limited because of practicality for my particular 10 year old, I suppose.  She's in bed a good 10 hours and at least a couple of hours are spent in meals or other daily basics.

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Are other responsibilities getting done? Is she getting physical exercise? Adequate sleep?

Then it's not too much.

This is my litmus, too. Reading can be academic or educational, but it can also be escapist. Nothing wrong with that until it starts interfering with the function of daily life or health, like not getting enough sleep or using reading to avoid social interaction and outings.

 

I'd say for most adults 7-8 hours of leisure reading or study is a good upper limit before another adriving should take place to break it up, but that's not a hard rule.

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This is my litmus, too. Reading can be academic or educational, but it can also be escapist. Nothing wrong with that until it starts interfering with the function of daily life or health, like not getting enough sleep or using reading to avoid social interaction and outings.

 

The escaping thing rings a bell for me.  And avoiding some social interactions.  On the other hand, this kid is a committed introvert in a biggish family (she's kid 1 of 4), and reading is a good choice if you need some escape, right??

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I have two ideas for you. The first is balance. Balance between and among intellectual pursuits, balance between those pursuits and the body's needs such as movement, motor skills use and development, and strength, and then balance of these with social needs and social development. We all need all these things. It doesn't have to be daily but we need balance.

 

My second idea is that I have observed many adults who use reading as their retreat from the problems in their lives. Obviously this isn't necessarily a bad thing. However I have known too many readers who retreat to their books over and over again rather than truly confront their problems or unhappiness. For a 10 year old I would only be concerned that she is always reading rather than doing something else that is hard or frightening for her (make friends, try new things, use fine motor skills). IMO If you don't think she is avoiding anything then she's fine to read all day long.

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I think lots of kids and teens need help with balance.  So I personally think no more than 4ish is probably good.  I'd want a kid that age to be doing large and small motor things every day, socializing every day, having some chores, balancing school work, sleeping well, eating well, learning to cook, etc.  I'd be making sure I was having some one-one conversation time with this child every day.  Have her talk about what she's reading. 

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I'd say 5-6 or more is getting to be a bit much, but only if that's on a regular basis and other things are being set aside that are also important, kwim?  So, I have no problem if once a week or so someone (like myself, LOL) wants to stay up and read for 3 hours straight because a book is SO good that they have to finish.  :)  Happens to me a few times a month!  Summers are a bit different, too.  I have a lot of qualifications to my vote.  LOL

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I don't necessarily think I'd limit reading if she is participating in other things when offered. For instance, when a friend comes over to play, if she reads instead of playing, that's a problem.  But she's doing chores daily, swimming four days a week, and not taking books to bed, so she doesn't sound too focused on reading. 

 

DD went through an intense reading phase off and on between ages 8 and 11.  We found that encouraging her to do some crafts, cooking, and other things would draw her away from the books.  If I spent time with her doing things, it was easy to get her nose out of a book.  If I was too busy to engage her in other activities, she's go back to mostly reading.  I think ten can be a tough age- she might feel too old to do some of the things that used to interest her but too young to do teen things.   

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Basically, yes.  She has probably 30 minutes a day or so of household responsibilities, besides occasional "would you please" requests.  And 4 mornings a week the girls swim on a recreational swim team and sometimes ride bikes in the street and whatnot.  Bedtime is solid, and no books go to bed.

After those basics, you'd be fine with all day reading?  (I'm not saying that's exactly what's going on, but just to press.)

 

I have one who did that in phases.  (she also read in bed - even though she wasn't supposed to . . . . :glare: )

 

alternate her choices with your choices, perhaps biographies or histories to broaden what she's exposed to.

 

we probably also have a different idea of responsibilities and adequate rest and exercise.  for starters, I'd add in more exercise than 30 minutes 4x per week . . . . . walking, riding, running, whatever  (preferably an hour of) something every day.  doesn't always have to be organized.

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I answered "no such thing as too much" because I would never put a time limit on reading. 

 

However, I have an 11 year old who sounds very much like your daughter. He reads all the time. His personality is very much like mine. He is very much an introvert and socially shy. He gets plenty of exercise and sleep and has other interests. Lately, I've noticed that he does seem to be reading as an escape from life. He is going through puberty and I think having all the normal mood swings and other issues associated with that. I remember when I was in middle school that reading became an escape for me. Part of me thinks it's good that he has this escape and recognizes his need for a world to retreat to when this one is confusing. And part of me also wants to help him to not always escape as the default mode. 

 

For us, I don't give him a time limit but I do talk to him about times when reading is not appropriate, like when grandparents are visiting and want to talk to him. I also have talked to him about how I see him sometimes using reading to avoid being social. Because he's like me I can honestly tell him that I understand but I can also tell him that from my perspective as an adult that some social interaction is a good thing. For example, he used to take a book to co-op and sometimes would read at lunch. I understood why...I often wanted to do the same thing. At the same time, it was his one big chance a week to see his friends. I didn't forbid him from reading then but I did suggest to him that he might want to spend that time with friends. I also gently told him that his friends weren't going to just be there waiting for him forever. On his own, he stopped reading at co-op.

 

That's a long answer, but I guess I'd say there isn't a specific time that is too much but there have been situations where I've counseled my reading introvert to put down the book. 

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Basically, yes.  She has probably 30 minutes a day or so of household responsibilities, besides occasional "would you please" requests.  And 4 mornings a week the girls swim on a recreational swim team and sometimes ride bikes in the street and whatnot.  Bedtime is solid, and no books go to bed.

After those basics, you'd be fine with all day reading?  (I'm not saying that's exactly what's going on, but just to press.)

 

 

I would be fine with that, though I'd try to arrange more eye-rest in between chapters, such as helping more with making food. Just to rest the eyes.

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I consider DS10 as having done too much leisure reading when he doesn't have enough sleep and end up with what we jokingly call "panda eyes" (dark eye shadows).

That's pretty much my litmus. Chores are done, school work is done, there's time to socialize with their neighborhood friends, basic human needs of food and cleaniness are met. After that, I could careless. I honestly can't fathom a problem of too much reading. Especially in the classical homeschool community.

 

I can remember the summer when I was 10 and read Little Women. Other girls read Gone With the Wind. Little Women took me at least two months (I was never a fast reader) and I know I spent hours long stretches reading it. My mom didn't blink an eye. Here I am, a productive member of society. I can't fathom being told, "oh, sorry, that's today's limit on reading. Try again tomorrow." I would be discouraged and would most likely be the type to sneak it in.

 

But I guess that's the bibliophile and librarian in me.

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I'm weird

 

I honestly don't understand the distinction between moderate quality literature, and good quality TV or computer activities. A very good book can make you think and is superior to TV of course, but I doubt these kids are reading big, thought provoking books constantly. At least half of what they read is likely moderate quality. And few people would think it's ok for a child to watch TV, even documentaries and well written shows/movies (not common prime time drivvel, but the ones that make you think and delve deeply into their characters), for hours upon hours, So, for me, just like I wouldn't let a child watch documentaries for 6 hours, I wouldn't let a child read, even good quality books, for 6 hours. And this is coming from someone who had their nose in a book regularly as a child. 

 

It brings up my personal pet peeve that books are inherently good and TV is inherently bad, since a good quality TV series is, to me, far superior than the mass produced drivel books in many libraries summer reading lists. But like I said, I know I'm weird. 

 

For me, 4 hours would be about my upper limit, 5 or 6 hours begins cutting into time which should be spent using their own imaginations to play, create, and do something constructive. As much as a book makes you think, it is not, in my opinion, constructive. The ideas it can give you, on the other hand, ARE constructive. If you're too busy reading to act on anything you're learning or thinking, then what good is it, it becomes like an addiction, an easy escape from boredom/stress/responsibility/independence/effort. If you're busy reading then you don't have to actually DO anything or try anything hard, you have an easy 'out'. It certainly was for one member of my family. Reading was the easy option. Actually pursuing the things she wanted to do, but didn't have the confidence to do, was hard.

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Erg. This brings up bad memories. Whatever you decide, please don't tell your child they "live in a fantasy world" or berate them for not caring about socializing. My mother did not like that I read so much, but she did not set any reasonable boundaries or expectations, she just complained and tried to shame me for preferring the company of books to people. The result was that I would hide books or go away from home to read. This caused needless guilt and resentment. The most that I would do is insist on a certain amount of time spent in physical activity or just being outside, and a reasonable bed time, instead of focusing on the amount time spent reading. Free time should be just that. (This is my personal biased opinion)

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That was me at her age except I did less physical stuff. I would encourage an hour of active play/sports a day.

 

My only other warning would be to keep monitoring WHAT she is reading. My mom never kept up on the books I was reading and some of them I should not have read at that age (or ever).

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Well, moderation is the key to everything.  I actually had a daughter around the age of 10 that was like yours.  She read all the time.  In my opinion, too much.  If she ever got in trouble, (which wasn't often), I would not let her read.  I know this sounds crazy to some, though.  LOL

 

My daughter started moderating herself when she hit her teen years, (maybe 13?)  She naturally wanted to start being with her friends more.  She was also able to volunteer at the library and such, (and while, yes, she was at the library….it was also a great way to curb her excessive reading.)  As she grew older, she had more homework in the evening, and now has a part-time job.  So, she doesn't have the time to read as much.  Other things became more important.  The library is still one of her favorite places, but she is a bit more varied in her job and interests, and yes she still loves reading.

 

So, while yes, moderation in life is important, I would gently try to get your daughter to expand her interests.  I would also realize that kids naturally grow up, and most of them expand their interests and begin to have more responsibilities, and this will naturally curb all the time spent reading if it is too much.  

 

Good luck!  

 

 

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I'd cap it at six, making sure there were other things going in in her day that would keep up motor skills.

 

I've been a bookworm since preschool, and don't regret reading a lot, but combine that with a lot of TV (not my choice) and I was doing very little physically. Two issues emerged from that: I thought I was clumsy and unathletic (not true, I just needed more time), and it was hard to learn to drive (just from lack of three-dimensional experience).

 

If you're going to set a limit, do tell her in advance what it is and why, and what else you'd like her to get out of her non-reading hours.

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My mom used to make me stop reading and go out to play and get some exercise or to do chores. I would read all day if I could get away with it--and late into the night.

 

My mom used to do the same thing. I never could get over the fact that my mother wanted me to stop reading when other mother's wanted their kids to read at all.

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I wouldn't look at the time spent reading on its own, but as one among several healthy activities, which should also include physical activity, playing with friends, outdoor time, hands-on projects, and in our house, making music. 

 

Too much time spent on any one activity, even a healthy one, usually has negative consequences. It's very hard on the body, for one thing, to sit immobile for many hours at a time. At age 10, when the body is growing and bones are forming, plenty of weight baring physical activity is a good thing.

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Thanks, y'all.

 

She does get a good bit of exercise -- the swimming is an hour every day (minus Tuesday) of pretty vigorous work, and the girls ride bikes and scooters and whatever.  This kid likes to bake and is keen on learning to make good bread this summer.  She does play with her sisters and likes crafting and stuff.  I've just been seeing an increase in the sitting + reading to the point where I've been a little wondering whether it's altogether healthy.

 

I like the ideas about moderation and eye rest and gross motor stuff.  And I forget who mentioned it, but the point that if I do stuff with her, it'll get her out of the book is totally valid. I'll have a bit of a chat with her and also make more of an effort on my part to engage her in different things rather than just tossing suggestions her way.

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I put 3-4 hours. While I love reading, I think people function best when they have a balance of indoor/outdoor, exercise, interaction with friends and family, chores, group meals and meal prep, music and sports, etc. A few days here and there with way more reading that 3-4 hours is not a big deal to me, but if happened every day I think it would adversely impact other areas. If only we had more than 24 hours/day!

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Reading goes in spurts. One of the best summers in my memory is when I was 14 and spent the entire time reading--in the house, in the yard, on hikes, at the beach, everywhere. I read everything I could find, from every genre. I only stopped reading long enough to ride my bike to the library to get more books. My parents were concerned, but did not interfere. At the end of summer everything was back to normal. It was just what I needed. Some time alone with myself.

 

So, I think the answer depends on the circumstances.

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I have a kid who loves reading.  I don't limit it as far as hours, but I insist that she engage in daily physical activity, take care of basic responsibilities, and sleep properly.  Though I've debated whether I ought to forbid books in the bathroom, since she will sit in there way longer if she has a book.  :P  When she doesn't have school or any other major user of time on her schedule, she is likely to read nearly all day.  It's harmless fun, so why would I restrict it?

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