Is Your Child Ready for That Book? The Art of Pre-Reading
As parents, we all want what’s best for our children. We strive to nurture their growth in a healthy, positive environment. An important part of that is being mindful of the books we choose to read with them. While censorship is not the answer, it is wise to pre-read children’s books to determine if the content is appropriate for our child’s age and sensitivities.
Our children’s developing minds are impressionable, absorbent sponges. The stories we expose them to shape their worldview and understanding of complex topics. Books can introduce ideas that a child may not be emotionally or morally ready to fully grasp. While avoidance isn’t necessarily the best policy, we can use discernment. As parents, we know our children better than anyone else. We are in the best position to judge what content they can handle and process in a healthy way.
Rather than banning books, our goal should be teaching our children to think critically about stories and messages. However, some subjects require maturity and life experience to digest in a beneficial manner, that said some books have zero benefit at all!
Complex social issues like racism, violence, and trauma need to be framed appropriately to resonate with young children. Metaphors and analogies tailored for their level of cognitive and empathetic development can lay a foundation for more nuanced conversations later on. Stories dealing with death, divorce, depression and other heavy themes need to be introduced gently as well, in a way that brings comfort, reassurance and hope.
The same mindfulness is prudent with books containing frightening imagery, supernatural elements, or mature themes. While magic and monsters can fire up little imaginations, they can also unsettle sensitive young minds. Scary stories and scenes should be balanced with positive messages. While mature topics like sexual content and inappropriate relationships might be best avoided entirely. Timing is crucial when exposing children to sophisticated themes. As parents, we know best when our child is primed for this each level.
By pre-reading children’s books, we can make informed decisions about when and how to introduce sensitive topics to our kids. We shouldn’t shield them entirely from the world’s complexities, but ease them if and where appropriate. We hope you find this community resource screenitfirst.com valuable and helpful in helping to develop your child’s love of reading in a safe and age-appropriate way.
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