In a world where kids seem perpetually tied to their phones, how can you get a teen to read a non-fiction book?
In some homes, families are starting up a revolutionary new family tradition.
They’re giving each family member an actual, physical book as a gift, and then setting aside a one-hour period of time on the holiday where everyone (adults and kids alike) untethers from electronics, sits down together, and reads. Just one quiet hour .
“An hour of reading? My kids won’t want to do that.”
Your kids might groan at this idea at first, but if you give them a couple of weeks notice that this will be happening, (and pay them to comply if necessary), you may find them actually enjoying it.
And if your child has a diagnosed attention disability? You could allow his or her reading time to be just 15 minutes on the first day you start this.
When the reading hour is over, say, “That was fun. Now—who wants some cookies?”
The conversations you have over this particular cookie tray might be some of the most fascinating ones you have all day. All you’ll have to do is ask, “What’s the most interesting thing in your book so far?”
Remember—during the reading hour, you’re planting seeds.
You’re providing space and opportunity for the people you love to be pulled into their book, to be captivated by it, and to develop thirst to read the rest later. It’s one of the best ways to get a teen to read a non-fiction book.
Wondering what books to get for the people you love?
Take a look at this list of 9 books I most love for students and parents.
When you’re a parent, it feels great to know that you’re taking practical steps to set your kid up for successful college and career life.
For clear, step-by-step help getting your kids through college debt-free and into careers they love afterward, get your copy of my book:
It’s a reference book, so nobody reads the whole thing cover to cover. Pick out what you need to read in it using the fast-paced, 10-minute video instructions here.
You can see hundreds of reviews of this book on Amazon by going to:
You can see why financial advising professionals love LAUNCH, here.
You can see the top 9 questions parents are asking me about LAUNCH, here.
Read just one chapter of LAUNCH every 1–3 months while your child’s in middle school and high school, and you’ll know every viable strategy for debt-free college at exactly the right time to implement it.
And if your child’s already well past middle school? That’s OK; you can run to catch up. But the process of getting your kids through college debt-free goes more smoothly the earlier you start it—especially if you’re not planning to save up any money to pay for college.
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Who is Jeannie Burlowski?
Jeannie is a full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and sought-after speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them. Her writing, speaking, and podcasting help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents Magazine, and US News and World Report, and on CBS News.
Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com.
This article was updated on November 21st, 2023. No part of it was written using AI.