How Can We Get Our Kids to Like Reading?

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

Kids & Family, Comedy, Parenting

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2026

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Why is it so hard to get some kids to read—and is it even our job to make them love it? We tackle the reality of raising reluctant readers in a world dominated by screens. From decoding disorders to disinterest, we break down the different reasons kids struggle with reading—and why understanding the “why” matters more than forcing the habit. We share practical, judgment-free strategies to help kids engage with books and how parental expectations, school pressures, and comparison culture can complicate our relationship with reading. In this episode, we discuss: Why kids become reluctant readers (and the different types) Supporting kids with learning differences like dyslexia Why forcing “worthy” books can backfire Letting go of the pressure to raise kids who love reading Sign up for our newsletter here! Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Common Sense Media: Books for Reluctant Readers Amy Mascott for PBS Kids for Parents: What to Do When Your Child Hates Reading Susan Dominus for NYT: Motherhood, Screened Off Linda Flanagan for KQED: How Audiobooks Can Help Kids Who Struggle with Reading Mary Ann Scheuer’s Great Kid Books blog Campbell University: Alumni Experts: 6 Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers Scholastic Parents: The Five Finger Rule for Reading Will Help Your Child Find a 'Just-Right' Book Dawn Adkins for Providence Classical School blog: 10 Ways to Help Kids Choose Books Over Screens Jamie Martin for Understood.org: Do audiobooks get in the way of learning to read? What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ What Fresh Hell podcast, mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, parenting reluctant readers, kids reading habits, how to get kids to read, children and screen time, reading motivation for kids, reluctant reader strategies, audiobooks for kids, graphic novels for children, parenting tips reading, literacy development children, encouraging kids to read, reading vs screens, family reading routines, struggling readers support, dyslexia and reading, independent reading skills, raising readers, reading comprehension kids, parenting challenges reading, kids and books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:22.8	entrepreneurs like you. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify.com slash setup.
0:31.9	Thank God for audiobook narrators. What fresh hell. Laughing in the face of motherhood.
0:38.5	I get that it's a metaphor, guys, but wow.
0:40.7	With Margaret Abels and Amy Wilson.
0:43.6	We should have picked up on how bad those fruit loops were, because I certainly had the
0:46.9	side of the box memorized.
0:48.1	A podcast that solves today's parenting dilemmas, so you don't have to.
0:52.6	Oddly, I did spend six hours on the Mormon Wives
0:56.0	Reddit page.
1:01.6	Hey, everybody. Welcome to What Fresh Hell Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. This is Amy.
1:05.6	And this is Margaret. Today we're discussing, can we get our kids to read? Just another thing on the invisible
1:12.7	workload. Our kids aren't reading. I feel like this is getting harder than it used to be,
1:18.9	and that many kids are reluctant readers. Yeah, I'm in the valley on this one, so I hope I have
1:23.8	some good tips to learn today. It's changed within my household, both because of the age of my children and because of the
1:32.5	role of screens.
1:34.1	Both of those things have really changed my relationship to reading and my kids' relationship
1:40.5	to reading.
1:41.4	Not for the better, as it turns out.
	...

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