Books are precious. They teach us, entertain us, and take us to places we’ve never been before and might never go otherwise. They allow us to travel back in time, to places long gone but not forgotten, into futures full of flying cars and advanced robots, or mystical lands of magic, dragons and goblins! As adults, we respect the importance and uniqueness of each and every book, but children might need a little help when it comes to taking care of them.

The tearing of books is not uncommon among young children, but it’s likely a behaviour you’ll want to put a stop to, not just for the sake of the books in your own home, but also to save those books that belong to the local preschool, library, or to friends.

To help us prevent this behaviour, it’s crucial that we first understand why children tear and destroy books.

Why do kids enjoy tearing books?

There are a few different reasons why your preschooler might be tearing books. If they’re a young preschooler, it could be that they simply lack the physical coordination to turn delicate pages without ripping them. Or perhaps they’ve never been taught that books are fragile objects that need to be handled with some care and that the pages especially need a gentle hand.

Thirdly, it’s possible that they have come to learn that destroying books gets them a great deal of attention from adults. You may be thinking, “if my little one tears a book, they get a big telling-off, and I don’t think that’s the sort of attention they crave.” But the fact is, kids need and want attention, and sometimes our responses of lecturing and scolding are actually larger than those of praise and congratulations.

It’s fantastic when kids show an interest in books and we certainly don’t want to discourage them from reading. So how do we go about protecting our books, whilst encouraging their proper use?

How do I prevent my child from tearing books?

To begin with, there are a few environmental changes that could make a big difference and require very little effort:

Environment

Have a quick think about your home. Are there any books strewn about the house or flat? Are there a couple of old books holding up broken table legs? When you're raising preschoolers, one or two books lying on the living room carpet will be the last of your worries, but it teaches your kids that they do not need to respect books or take good care of them. So make sure to put books back on their shelves, or keep them safely shut as they sit on the bedside table.

You should also consider whether there are enough child-friendly books at home. Books made especially for younger children are much more durable and don’t need as delicate a hand. Keep their bedrooms and the lower shelves of bookcases stacked with enough of these books for your child to explore new and exciting stories, whilst learning to carefully turn pages.

If you’ve considered their environment and think further action is required, take note of the following steps and give them a go.

Prevent

If your child is a regular page-tearer, you have probably come to recognise certain cues that will allow you to predict when they’re getting ready to go on a tearing-spree! Perhaps they slowly make their way towards the bookcase, or maybe they pick up a big, heavy book from the coffee table. When this happens, go over to them and engage them in play. You could even offer to read with them or ask them to read to you whilst you turn the pages.

Reading space

Creating a calm, cosy and inviting spot full of soft cushions and blankets, specifically for reading, is a great way to get your kids loving books. Place a bunch of child-friendly books, but not so many that your child becomes overwhelmed. Sit and read with them and build a space where reading and books are enjoyed and appreciated.

Include the reading space in everyday play, encouraging role-playing games. You and your little one could take it in turns to be a librarian, who must take very good care of books; checking them out, shelving them and making sure to return them in only the best condition.

“Will you be taking this book home with you today? Make sure it comes back in very good condition, please.”

“I’m going to put this book back on the shelf where it belongs!”

How else can I prevent my child from tearing books?

As well as making environmental changes, these 2 tips may help put a stop to your child’s book-ripping behaviour:

Reinforce appropriate behaviours

Let your child know, clearly and matter-of-factly, which behaviours you expect and consider appropriate when it comes to taking care of different objects around the home. When they take particularly good care of their paints and brushes, you could say,

“I really appreciate it when you take such good care of all of these paints and brushes, washing them when you have finished and helping me to put them away. This is just how we should take care of all of the objects and playthings around the house. I do get upset, though, when you tear books because once they are ruined, no one else can enjoy them.”

If you praise them for taking appropriate care of different items and materials and using them correctly, they will eventually learn that it is more rewarding to treat items with respect.

Ignore

If you’re unable to prevent book-tearing once in a while, go over to your child, remove the book and say, “No! You may not tear books.” Move away and pay them no further attention or remove them from the book area, taking their hand or picking them up. Avoid giving them attention for a couple of minutes and then go to them and involve them in another activity, without any lecturing or scolding. If you're a book lover, it may feel difficult to simply ignore this destructive behaviour, but every time you give it too much attention, you reinforce the belief that this is an effective way to get you to notice them.

What should I do when my preschooler tears books?

Bouts of minor vandalism are easily prevented with Unii’s tips.