7 Tips To Get Your Teen Son Excited About Reading

By way of introduction, I am currently parenting 3 teenagers. It is an arduous job, to say the least! They'd rather play on their psp, play computer games, and lounge around, than do much to contribute to their academic future. Almost as if reading is old fashioned. But a retired teen as I, knows much better. You do know much better.

How do we then inculcate this better knowledge we have into them? How do could you get your teenage son excited about reading? How do we prepare them for the highly competitive future they are bound to face whether they read or not? How do we make sure that our boys are not relegated to the background because they lack what it takes to be at the fore front? The 7 Tips to get your teenage son excited about reading would give you answers to these and more. At the end, if you will patiently put the tips to practice, you'll be sure you are sending a worthy, prepared and empowered son to the world, A son who will handle challenges as a solution carrier, rather than being intimidated. Here they are...

1. Know your son

Who is this boy, he wore pampers just the other day.... And now, cos he's a little taller than mum, he thinks he could just choose what to do per time, irrespective of what whoever thinks. Yes, he wore pampers, and now he doesn't and would never!! He has a right to make a choice. Yes.... Same way we have a right to choose to wear clothing to go to work ......or not!!! It is important to know that our choices, though our right, are still guided. The boy still loves to be guided by right principles. He longs to do it right. He is scared of going wrong. Know him, understand his fright. Cos he's afraid, he makes many mistakes. Cos he is afraid, he'd rather show disinterest in books where his academic performance is measurable. He hates school and books. His passion for school mainly circles around his friends. Like he is in school for his friends. Humans generally shy away from what they are afraid of. Your teenage son is no exception.

He was originally wired to make a success in life. Did you know that about him? He was originally wired to be a solution to his world. Did you know that? How you handle a buddy is determined by what you understand about him. Do you really know this boy, that's metamorphosing into a man? How many inward battles of his do you know about? An understanding look, an understanding pat on the back would really go a long way. Yea, really go out of your way to dig deep to understand him.

How do you understand him? Have you ever run into a new person you would want to build a friendship with? What did you do? How did you build the friendship you are enjoying today? What was your input? Your teen is no different....everyone loves, craves attention. Frequent, if not constant, interaction fosters a good friendship. And friendship is generally knowledge-based. Knowledge comes from interaction.

2. Know his world

This really dovetails into the first tip to get your teenage son excited about reading.. A musician has his world. While we admire them and enjoy their music, we cannot really share their world with them, except we go out of our way to. It will take time and effort. Sure we are retired teens, but believe me, they belong to a totally different world and we had better wake up to that fact. They are faced with a different set of high-dimension challenges. Issues like porn and drugs were not everyday issues with teens in my time. Were they in your time? How much computer games were you challenged with as a teen? You were always doing your home work from school, right? Little TV? How appetizing were the programs? How sensuous were they? Did you have many film directors competing at who has the highest youth attention by reason of outright sex episode or open suggestion of same?

Get into his world, understand it, to be able to give direction. If he knows you are conversant with his world and their language, it'll be easier for him to listen when you stand to provide principle-based guidance.

3. Be his Example

You are no longer writing exams. Do you still read? Is readership only for to pass exams? Make a habit of reading yourself. Share information you got from books with him. Yes, even go ahead and share books with him. Interest him to read the books you recently read, not necessarily the ones you read as a teen. Give him books that will strengthen him, build him for tomorrow. Reading/studying his school books will come easier when he reads the mind-building books with you. The authors of these books become his silent mentors. That's why I emphasize that you read and pass on to him via sharing, not forcing....

Show him that you are still learning even as an adult cos, when one stops learning, he starts dying. That daily learning is living, and there's no end to it. Your passion for reading and learning will positively affect him.

Having done tips 1 and 2, what does your friend cum teen son want to do now? Friends share their worlds. He wants to love what you love.... Reading!!!!

4. Answer his questions

Be his strong man/woman. His hero or shero! This means you have to anticipate his questions and get ready with answers before they come. Be reliable to him. He's been having challenging times in school. Stand for him.

One day, I told my teen son that I'd teach him, help him with subjects he found difficult. Of course, at the point of promise, I didn't quite remember the high school stuff anymore. But I was prepared to pick the text books to read them up again just for him. He knew at that point, that 'mum is there for me'. I didn't know how much it meant to him, till he mentioned it recently. It really gave him a great and indescribable boost in his academic pursuits and readership.

5. Praise and Encourage him.

For every positive step he takes in the right direction, in our case, reading, encourage him. Praise him that he was man enough to attend classes and write tests, even before the results are announced. That he didn't do well in all the other classes doesn't mean he is bound to fail. It only means he'll receive a louder applause when he now does well, than the ones who had hitherto always done well. Because, no place really can be lower than the lowest valley. The next place is only up....atop the mountain!!!!!!!!! That's where he is headed.

2 out of 5 sums may not be pass mark, but he passed the ones he knew. If he knew 2 let him know that he has the ability to know and handle the rest 3. Praise him that he is reading, or trying to read. Praise him that he attends classes, some of his mates don't and they ridicule him for attending.

6. Focus on where he is going

This is very vital. Where he is going is more important than where he is coming from. Focus your attention there and point him towards that. Whatever profession he has with your guidance chosen, has a price. Focus on getting him to pay the price. Show him a colorful picture of his future, and he will burn the midnight oil to attain it.

That he failed yesterday is irrelevant. What's important is the success you are painting and showing him. When the picture is clear, and understood, the price wouldn't be expensive to him. Success awaits anyone who dares. His is no different. Daily point him there. Whatever distractions he is confronted with would be cheaply handled because he has a proper sense of direction.

7. Pray and Believe for him

When you have done all, pray for him and believe. Remember, ask, believe and you shall receive. Believe he is a reader. Believe that he is a leader consequently. Believe he will go well, even if others think otherwise. Let him know you believe great about and for him and shortly, the world will celebrate you two!!!!!!!!

Finally, act on tips 1 and 2 of the 7 tips to get your teenage son excited about reading and you'll have a friend-son. Act on tips 3 and 4 and you become his hero/shero. Act on tips 5, 6 and 7 and you have an ardent reader, prepared to face his world, a leader, properly trained. Putting these 7 tips to get your teenage son excited about reading may not be easy, but, it will be worth it at the end of the day.