Reading comprehension is at an all-time low in America, to the point where it’s a crisis. Now is the best time for more parents to encourage their children to read. Nobody understands how fun a day at the library can be for a young child, and it can literally change their life for the better. Now, a Washington, DC podcaster has something to say after two parents were judged for having their children spend some time reading before vacation. Apparently, it’s akin to child abuse if you have structured reading time.
Podcaster Saron, (TikTok/SaronThings) posted a TikTok video reacting to a photo of two children reading, which went viral on social media. The caption reads: “POV: You’re on vacation but your parents are strict and make you reads before take off.” According to Saron, the mother, Vidya, an influencer who posts various vlogging content, received a lot of hate for making her children read on their flight.
Zooming in for dramatic effect, Saron then asks, “What the [expletive] is wrong with you people? They’re raising their children to be competent, intellectually stimulated, literate, critical-thinking adults. And they’re still taking them on vacation!” They look pretty content, too. Vidya’s son even looks up and gives his mother a beaming smile.
Saron continues: “If you think that’s abuse, you should not have children. You shouldn’t have children. Your child will be left behind.” She then brings up the fact a lot of kids can barely string together a sentence. And it certainly doesn’t help that children and college students widely use AI tools like ChatGPT.
So, what’s the harm in having some structured reading time? Clearly, they like to read; otherwise, they wouldn’t have e-readers. And when they get to their destination, they’ll have plenty of opportunities for fun and making memories.
In reality, requiring them to set aside some reading time will not hurt anyone. In fact, it only benefits them, even if they don’t see it that way now. It’s better than letting them sit on their phones or tablets for hours every day. That’s not good for a child’s brain—or an adult’s brain, for that matter. “You want to tell a parent who is actually doing the right thing to ‘slow their roll?’ Shut up!” Saron says.
One commenter chimed in, “God forbid she wants her children to be LITERATE!!!!”
Another commenter said, “Mind you, Vidya’s kids LIKE reading.” In the same thread, someone responded, arguing that it was because they weren’t “allowed to do anything else.” As if going on vacation isn’t doing ‘something else.’
Perhaps more parents need to consider giving their children downtime to sit back and read a good book. You never know how much of a difference it could make in their lives. You don’t have to go as hard as Vidya does; just teach your kids the joy of reading.
