Reading and childhood

[proudmom25]

Do You think people who like to read because they read or were read to in early childhood? I think being introduced to reading and books in early childhood has alot to do with how much a person likes to read. I read to my children alot and they have their rooms filled with books but will that make them like to read or want to? What do you think ? Does early childhood reading have a part in why a person does or doesn't like to read??

[larsenreviews]

I absolutely think a child's upbringing will influence their love of books. My mom spent hundreds of hours reading aloud to me and my brothers and I know that is a huge part of why I still love books today.

[proudmom25]

I absolutely think a child's upbringing will influence their love of books. My mom spent hundreds of hours reading aloud to me and my brothers and I know that is a huge part of why I still love books today.

thanks for your feedback i strongly believe that is why i love to read also all the books my mother read and bought reading was a big thing with my mother. i was reading chapter books at a young age i hope the same for my children. have a great day

[Menna]

I don't remember my mom ever read to me when I was young(although she insists that she did). and when I grew up I discovered my love for reading. I absolutely think that introducing children to reading and books is the right thing to do, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they will like reading, but It will help them to discover at early age whether they like reading or not, and If not they will search for passion in other thing.

[arachneana]

I used to read aloud to my sons when they were little. I would gather them and read to both of them same stories and at the same time. Now they are teenagers and the younger doesn't like to read at all, while the older loves reading and even writes stories.

When i was little, my granny used to read me stories while my mom, whenever she would take a rest, it was with a book in her hands. I would often ask her what she was reading and we talked about books. I grew to like reading but developed a completely different taste.

So, my experience confirms Menna's opinion that introducing children to reading doesn't necessarily mean they will like reading.

[Bighuey]

I was never read to when I was a kid, at least not that I remember, I started reading pretty much on my own. We read to my kids but my two boys dont read at all, but my daughter is an avid reader.I think reading is something that if you like to read, you will be a reader. If you dont, you will never be a reader.

[Rumsfeld]

I know of a psychological study done on children and their personalities. What was found was that parents have only a 5% influence on their child's personality. I know that when I was little I read a lot but gave up during middle and high school. Now that I've graduated from college I read more than ever.

[Fran]

I know of a psychological study done on children and their personalities. What was found was that parents have only a 5% influence on their child's personality. I know that when I was little I read a lot but gave up during middle and high school. Now that I've graduated from college I read more than ever.

I would seriously question that study. IMHO it's total nonsense but then I have a healthy skepticism of all these psychological studies ..... tell me what answer you want & I'll produce a psychological study to support it seems to be the way it goes.

[proudmom25]

I know of a psychological study done on children and their personalities. What was found was that parents have only a 5% influence on their child's personality. I know that when I was little I read a lot but gave up during middle and high school. Now that I've graduated from college I read more than ever.

I would seriously question that study. IMHO it's total nonsense but then I have a healthy skepticism of all these psychological studies ..... tell me what answer you want & I'll produce a psychological study to support it seems to be the way it goes.

I agree fran. I would like to think i influence my child's personality , etc more than 5 %.

[Rumsfeld]

I can understand from where your coming from. I'll look for where I read that psychological study. Think of it like this, children when they reach 7 or 8 begin to look elsewhere from their parents for people to follow. This can be numerous things. Atheletes, siblings, friends, celebrities, etc. As they age that rebellious nature manifests itself. I know very few people when I was growing up in high school who told me that they wanted their personality to be like their parents. Even now (I'm 23) I am nothing like my parents. My influence comes from other people I look up to, not my parents. I actively choose not to act like my parents. This is not to say they were bad parents, they were good, I just realized that who I am and how my peronsality is has nothing to do with their personality or how they taught me to act. This is my experience and I know everyone is different, but from my view-point I can see how this study is valid.

[Fran]

I can understand from where your coming from. I'll look for where I read that psychological study. Think of it like this, children when they reach 7 or 8 begin to look elsewhere from their parents for people to follow. This can be numerous things. Atheletes, siblings, friends, celebrities, etc. As they age that rebellious nature manifests itself. I know very few people when I was growing up in high school who told me that they wanted their personality to be like their parents. Even now (I'm 23) I am nothing like my parents. My influence comes from other people I look up to, not my parents. I actively choose not to act like my parents. This is not to say they were bad parents, they were good, I just realized that who I am and how my peronsality is has nothing to do with their personality or how they taught me to act. This is my experience and I know everyone is different, but from my view-point I can see how this study is valid.

I would suggest that most of a parents influence, positive or negative, is subconscious & as such is difficult if not impossible to measure. Surely the very fact that you "actively choose not to act like your parents" is in itself an influence of your parents. I think you may be confusing influence with imitation.

[Rumsfeld]

Can you further explain what you mean by imitation vs. influence? Thanks.

[Fran]

Can you further explain what you mean by imitation vs. influence? Thanks.

Sure ... IMHO imitation is an individual consciously modelling their behavior or opinions etc on another person (as you see with teenagers imitating popstars), influence is much more subtle & more lasting and as I said above to a large degree unconscious. IMO imitation wanes, (you don't see many 20 or 30 year old still imitating their teenage idols, muchless 40 or 50 year olds!) but influence actually deepens as you get older .... how many parents have you heard say "Oh my God I can't believe I said that, that is exactly what my mother/father would have said".
Of course we are all influenced by more than just our parents but to suggests parental influence is only 5% ... my own empirical evidence just does not support this.

[Rumsfeld]

Cool. Thanks for the clarification. Like I said, I'll look for that study.

[arachneana]

Rumsfield, Fran, I think both of you left out one important factor - genetics. Research shows it influences more than just temper. There are many examples of twins raised separately who show strikingly similar personality traits, even the degree of curiosity ...