Mom Says One Nonnegotiable Household Rule Is Why Her 4 Kids Are ‘Thriving’ While Most Others Fall Behind
PeopleImages | Shutterstock In a video, a mom explained the one nonnegotiable household rule she instated, which she says is the reason her four kids are "thriving" during a time when many others are falling behind.
Every parent wants to believe they're setting their kids up for success. But in the age of a concerning literacy crisis across the country, the answer to making sure today's kids are reading at their appropriate grade level often starts at home.
Pike shared that her household rule is an activity every family can implement. With consistency, the kids will grow to love reading and school, and homework will become less of a chore.
The mom credits her kids' success to the nonnegotiable household rule of reading for an hour before bed.
In a video posted to Instagram, a mom named Becca Pike explained that since her children were young, she insisted on an hour a day, usually before bedtime, during which everyone read. She admitted that it's been a household rule for the last 10 years, and this routine has left her kids thriving both at home and in school.
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"The rule is: hard line in the sand, lights out at 8 p.m. However, if you are reading (and only reading!), you can stay up til 9 p.m.," Pike shared. "We started this when our now 17-year-old was 7. We realized quickly it was a negotiation they were willing to take when they didn't want to go to sleep."
The mom said her kids started following the household reading rule before they could actually read.
Pike revealed that her kids would just sit and stare at the photos in their books before they could actually read. By doing this, they became better able to sit through boredom and find entertainment in the little joys of life, including picture books.
"We never make them do it. Sometimes they opt to go straight to sleep. But 85% of the time, they'd rather gather around the fire and read together. The obvious plus is they are all avid readers now," Pike continued. "But the more hidden plus side is that our family has gathered together in silence to end our days by the light of the fire and the snores of our dogs. Not by blaring TVs, action-packed scenes, and running errands right up til pass out time."
She pointed out that this routine has to be one of the top nervous system regulators for kids, based on their overall demeanor and the fact that they're also getting quality sleep. Research has long suggested people shouldn't use screens right before going to bed because they can disrupt sleep. By reading a book before bed, Pike's kids get better rest to tackle the day ahead.
Most students aren't reading at their grade level in school.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 40% of fourth-graders have "below basic" reading skills, the worst figure in two decades. In a nationwide survey of educators led by Boston University researchers, nearly half of the hundreds surveyed across 39 states reported that their institutions had no systemic procedures for developing literacy programs.
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"I know we can teach kids how to read. Helping a child learn how to read is the most primary, most important function of our schools. If we can’t teach kids how to read, then what else? This is our number one job. We know how important literacy is for every single aspect of life: educational success is a huge predictor of health, of civic engagement," explained Ola Ozernov-Palchik, literacy education expert.
"If we want to make our world a better one, we need to raise kids who know how to read, know how to comprehend, and can learn from reading and be critical consumers of information that they read."
Not only is Pike setting her kids up for success in a world where kids are struggling to grasp basic concepts, but her kids are also building better habits. And of course, they're getting to do it as a family.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
