Anonymous wrote:Maybe your best bet is to get him interested in other books whose message/characters are more positive. If he’s reading Percy Jackson, that’s a great start! Rick Riordan books in general have been a huge hit in my house. Harry Potter is as well, though I had to tell my oldest that we could never really be friends unless he read all 7.
You say that you’d prefer he read things like Wrinkle in Time - does he? If not, why not? Do they not interest him? What else have you tried?
Have you tried the Fudge series by Judy Blume? At that age, both my boys loved those books as well as Then Again Maybe I Won’t.
Anonymous wrote:My child has read them all and it has had no effect whatsoever on his behavior or language. So I am guessing something else may be going on for your kid.
Greg Heffley just seems to revel in lying, stealing, cheating, and taking advantage of his frenemy, Rowley. ( yes, I have read the books with DS, which is why I dislike them so).
I’d rather DS were reading A Wrinkle in Time or Charlotte’s Web (he got 3/4 of the way through, then got bored). He is thankfully also reading the Percy Jackson series, which is less morally bankrupt.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: DS is 8-years old and a strong reader. He loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Unfortunately, his attitude towards school and his classmates seems to have nosedived since he started reading these books. He parrots phrases from the books, like “Everyone in my school is a moron except me.” He may just be experimenting with different phrases and testing limits, but it is still disturbing.
The main character is a pretty nasty, self-centered kid. The series seems targeted towards older kids, as it’s about a seventh grader.
DH thinks as long as DS is reading and enjoying it, we should leave him alone. I think the books are proving to be a negative influence.
Would you let your eight-year-old read these books?
So... deal with his crappy attitude.
Suggestions? How do you deal with a crappy attitude in an eight-year old?
Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes, so my DS is impressionable and tries out language and attitudes he sees in movies or reads in books. He’s read the whole Captain Underpants series, and while he was in that phase we had to have serious talks about respect for teachers.
I hated those books, but the stuff they do is more imaginary and in a strange way, Harold and George have a conscience and a sense of responsibility. They don’t after all let Mr. Krupp wander off alone.
Greg Heffley just seems to revel in lying, stealing, cheating, and taking advantage of his frenemy, Rowley. ( yes, I have read the books with DS, which is why I dislike them so).
I’d rather DS were reading A Wrinkle in Time or Charlotte’s Web (he got 3/4 of the way through, then got bored). He is thankfully also reading the Percy Jackson series, which is less morally bankrupt.
DS says Wimpy Kid will not have any real effects. I’m not so sure. However, I never had my reading censored as a kid, so I hate to do it myself. But DS may just be a lot more impressionable than I was.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: DS is 8-years old and a strong reader. He loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Unfortunately, his attitude towards school and his classmates seems to have nosedived since he started reading these books. He parrots phrases from the books, like “Everyone in my school is a moron except me.” He may just be experimenting with different phrases and testing limits, but it is still disturbing.
The main character is a pretty nasty, self-centered kid. The series seems targeted towards older kids, as it’s about a seventh grader.
DH thinks as long as DS is reading and enjoying it, we should leave him alone. I think the books are proving to be a negative influence.
Would you let your eight-year-old read these books?
So... deal with his crappy attitude.
Anonymous wrote: DS is 8-years old and a strong reader. He loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Unfortunately, his attitude towards school and his classmates seems to have nosedived since he started reading these books. He parrots phrases from the books, like “Everyone in my school is a moron except me.” He may just be experimenting with different phrases and testing limits, but it is still disturbing.
The main character is a pretty nasty, self-centered kid. The series seems targeted towards older kids, as it’s about a seventh grader.
DH thinks as long as DS is reading and enjoying it, we should leave him alone. I think the books are proving to be a negative influence.
Would you let your eight-year-old read these books?