Keeping kids entertained can feel like an endless task. Especially when parents need to perform household chores or make an important phone call, giving children a tablet or a phone to keep them occupied is often the easiest thing to do. However, too much screen time can be unhealthy.
One dad has gone viral after sharing what happens when you give kids books instead of phones. Armando Hart recently posted a TikTok video featuring his son Raya's entertainment of choice. And now, people are lauding the father for his parenting.
More from CafeMom: 20 Best Toys to Keep Kids Occupied Without Mom or Dad
Armando posted the TikTok video in March.
On March 22, the father took to TikTok with a simple 9-second video. "We're so blessed with our son Raya," he captioned his post. "I think he's read more books than I have."
In the clip, Raya is deeply engrossed in a book.
The clip started with Armando filming himself sitting in a car. He then panned over to his son, who sat in the car next to him, reading a book and taking a sip of a drink. "Give them books instead of phones when they're little and this is the result," Armando wrote in overlain text on the video. "You'll thank me later."
More from CafeMom: Mom Puts Entire Family on 'Screen Detox' & Daughter Has Already Jumped 5 Reading Levels
TikTok users praised Armando in the comments.
In the comments, folks lauded Armando for his parenting (although many misgendered Raya because of his long hair) and shared their own experiences.
One person wrote: "She will thank you someday. I'm so grateful that my parents encouraged my literacy skills. Knowledge is power."
Another TikTok user commented: "Yay!! Love this!!" with heart emojis.
Someone else wrote, "Now that's a great dad."
Armando opened up about cultivating a love of books in his children from a young age.
Armando, a teacher and an author, made the joint decision with his wife when Raya was younger to make reading one of the pillars of his life.
"Prioritizing my son's reading over phone use was a natural decision for us," he told Newsweek. "My wife and I firmly believe in the power of literature to expand the mind and nurture creativity."
He also shared how they accomplished this goal.
"It was all about leading by example and creating a nurturing environment where reading was celebrated," Armando said of raising his 10-year-old to be an avid reader. "We made sure to provide him with a wide range of books that matched his interests and encouraged him to explore different genres." The father also noted that Raya, "genuinely loves to read," which definitely helps!