As children, we were always told, if not pushed, to read more academically relevant books. It was always seen that story books or comics were considered to be a waste of time, but were they really?
The books we read and the games we play have a big impact on who we are and how we might turn out be. “Harry Potter” and “The Lord Of the Rings” may have seemed like fun worlds to be absorbed by, but they had deeper impacts on us than we realise. These books created alternate realities for us. A universe dedicated to just us. We are its creators and sole change makers. This fuels children’s imagination from a very young age and allows them to give a unique perspective to whatever they do as they grow up.
Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl’s books taught us some of the most important life lessons which we use to date. The simply woven stories of the most unique characters taught us to care for each other, to love, and to embrace each and everything that makes us different. As we grew up, we evolved different reading habits and a majority of us stopped reading completely, which is fine because we have been exposed to different ideas and perspectives because of the various books and novels we have read. These books will stay with us forever. From personal experience, my parents did not buy a television until I was 11 years old. It may seem like a gross exaggeration but a majority of their salaries were spent on books, magazines, and articles. As a kid, it does take a toll on you when you cannot relate to Saturday morning cartoons but over time I have come to realise it is one of the best decisions taken. It has helped me to become the person I am today.
To every parent reading this, please expose your children to this magical world of books. Please do not discourage them from reading something outside of their school course; encourage them to do so more. Allow them to talk about it, and share your experiences with them; it helps them to open up and put forth their ideas. In my experience, this is how I have formed a strong bond with my parents. It is something which a generation gap cannot possibly ruin. And lastly, because I am old school, I would encourage you to take them to a library rather than buying them a kindle. Let the reading begin!