“If my kids see me reading on a Kindle, will they know I’m reading?” 10 Parents Weigh In

Every time I talk about my deep love for my Kindle, I get worried DMs from parents who want to get a Kindle but are worried their kids will think they’re just on another screen instead of reading.

After years of asking this question, I asked my Instagram community to weigh in on their experiences reading on a Kindle in front of their kids.

Many parents responded with their experiences reading Kindle with kids and here are some of the answers – I hope this will help you make a good decision about whether or not a Kindle is right for you!

(PS If you’re considering a Kindle reader, this post outlines all the options!).

“If my kids see me reading on a Kindle, will they know I’m reading?”

• I call my Kindle a “book Kindle” and my toddler knows it is for reading. When I ask him to get it for me/leave it alone/give it back, I can now use the Kindle and order interchangeably and he understands both.
• I just call my Kindle my book so my kids know it’s for reading. Eventually they learned the real name of the device was Kindle, but always treated it like a book. They can tell the difference between when I’m reading and just scrolling on my phone.
• Need to read one children’s book (Princess in Black) to my kids from my Kindle so they can know that it is a device for reading. So, if they think their child hasn’t connected with the book yet, this may help (although it may result in them asking for the book again and again – ask me how I know)
• My two year old knows that my Kindle is “mommy’s book” and after playing with my pop socket for a while, he always brings it to me. If I’m reading, sometimes he’ll take one of his books and we’ll read while sitting together.
• Can confirm! I was worried about this but my kids call it my book! They know!
• Yes, my kids (8 and 5 years old) definitely understand that my Kindle is a book. My 5 year old even said, “Mom, would you like your Kindle to read on the couch?” I didn’t even know he knew it was called that. Kids definitely understand!
• I listen to a lot of audiobooks, I started when my youngest was a toddler. Now he sees me with 1 ear bud in and asks about the book I’m reading. We listen to audiobooks together and read paper books too. I think being open and talking about your love of reading is just as important as kids seeing you reading paper books.
• I’ve been reading on a Kindle since before my kids were born and when my oldest was about 8 he asked for a Kindle and my daughter followed suit the following Christmas. They are both readers now and both love being able to get books instantly wherever we are.
• My kids are always reading on Kindles…even picture books to my toddler! As they get older, they love having hundreds of eBooks available in one small package.
• Our household is a Kindle PRO. I tried putting my phone in bed and keeping it away from my bed for a while last year, so when I couldn’t sleep I read on my Kindle. I read A LOT during that time of year (3rd trimester pregnancy is good for sleeplessness)…both my husband and I appreciate the simple, purposeful, convenient but not too connected (like a phone!) aspect of reading on a Kindle!

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