One of the hardest things about supporting your child is that sometimes their struggles look horribly familiar.

Your child loses track of time, forgets where they put things, struggles to focus unless they’re genuinely interested in something, finds certain social situations confusing, draining or difficult to read.

Maybe you’ve spent years feeling the same way, even if you never quite put it into words.

Of course, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes parents are amazed by how different their child is from them. A very organised parent may have a child whose school bag looks like it’s been packed by a chimpanzee. A confident, sociable parent may have a child who finds group situations exhausting.

But often, we do see patterns running through families.

I have a confession to make…

I was never a strong reader.

I enjoyed reading and I was ‘good at it’ (whatever that means), but I struggled to find books I enjoyed and often gave up on recommended reading.

My older brother, however, was a voracious reader. So was my best friend. They devoured books like chocolate cake and, although I liked the idea of getting lost in a novel, the disappointment at failing to be meant that I dubbed myself a ‘bad reader.’

I managed to discover my love of books later in my teens, after breaking a few rules and finding my own way into it.

While the benefits of reading are widely known, it’s never been harder to encourage children to read.

One of the questions I get asked most often by parents is along the lines of, “My child only wants to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid (or Dogman/Dork Diaries/Tom Gates). How do I help them read something more challenging?”

This is a really common concern and it comes from such a good place: wanting your child to stretch their vocabulary, deepen their comprehension and transfer these skills into their writing. But here’s the thing: those seemingly ‘easy’ books absolutely do have a place on your child’s bookshelf (and it’s often a more important place than you might think).

Finding it difficult to encourage your child to read? You’re not alone and it’s certainly not a reflection of your efforts. Reading habits are deeply personal. Developing them takes time, flexibility and a little creativity. Here are some practical ways to make the process easier, more enjoyable and far less of a struggle…