Finding Time to Read
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It’s one thing to say, “I want to read more this year.” It’s an entirely other thing to do it. Unless we are intentional in where we focus our eyes and our attention, time will pass away, and we miss a lot of good things, including good reads.
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At the same time, the life of a mom is a busy one, and it can be hard to find time to read anything other than Goodnight, Moon. But we all know how good reading is for our brains and our hearts. There has to be a way to fit it in. If you have a reading plan in place, you will know what to read — and have it at the ready — when you do find those precious, but elusive moments for reading.
The following are suggestions for when you might be able to snatch a few chapters of a good book.
Pack a book in your purse or diaper bag. Instead of flipping through a magazine while you wait at the doctor’s or dentist’s, read a chapter of your book.
Make use of little minutes. Stuck in traffic? Waiting for the bus? Counting the minutes until the end of school or soccer practice? Pull out your book and get reading.
Let ’em play. Kids want to extend their playtime a few minutes longer? Read your book while the children play happily.
Turn in early. Head to bed 15 minutes earlier, but spend that time reading a chapter of your book.
Tune out. Find yourself randomly switching channels? Turn off the TV and pick up a good book!
Skip the cereal box. If you keep your books handy, you can turn your eyes toward a solid read rather than memorizing the back of the Wheaties box.
Take off. Get a mom’s morning out! Make arrangements for childcare, grab your books, and head for the library or even the mall — during early mornings. If you arrive before the stores open, you’ll find a cozy chair and a quiet place to read.
Soak it in. Tuck the kids in bed, run the bath water, add some bubbles. Sink down into a warm tub and read while your body’s muscles relax.
And if these don’t work for you, well, keep a book at the ready in the one place a mother can usually find two minutes of peace.
Good Reads for Moms
What do you think?
I’d be honored if you chimed in the comments section. What do you think?
P.S. Reading is a great thing to add to your time budget!
gotta say that all my books are stashed in the bathroom because that is probably the only place I have time to read them. And, for the record, I don’t really get even 2 minutes of peace there either. I know this will never change b/c I’m 35, and when I’m at my mom’s I’ll still bug her in the bathroom. 😉
Listen to books on CD while I’m doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen (and my husband is putting the kids down)! That’s my latest trick- love it.
This is a great post! Don’t forget that your kids are a lot more likely to learn to love reading if they see you reading for pleasure! I read a LOT. I always, always have a book in my purse, and if I’m eating alone, I always read while I eat. I read before bed, and I used to carve out some time to read after lunch – I need to get back to that.
I read while eating alone, I would read 15 min to the kids( when they were little) and as they got older they each read 15 min to me of their own books.I read at what I common call down time, appts, waiting while on hold for the phone etc, bathtub, 15 min in bed before lights out, and 15 min BEFORE starting my day( ok after I let dogs out, they just don’t want to hold it LOL)
I graze all day long! When I put the boys down for a nap, I will usually lay down with them for a few minutes to get them to sleep. I almost grab a book, so I’m reading while they’re falling asleep. First I read a book to them, and then I get to read my book of choice.
My oldest has stopped taking naps, but I heard a great idea about making quiet time reading time. Even though he’s not old enough to read, he can look quietly at a book while I also read for 20 minutes or so. Plus, this is great training for our kids to teach them to love books and reading.
I also read while I’m in the bathroom with them while they’re taking a bath.
Plus, if you put the kids in front of cartoons all morning, you’ll have plenty of time to read. Kidding, totally kidding! 🙂
@Cheryl @ Moms In Need of Mercy,
forgot the word “always” (in almost always grab a book) 🙂
I have every Thursday night “off” because I need a break from the children, the housework, the house, etc. No, I don’t go to the bars to drink. I go to my local library and sit down and read a book for two hours – uninterrupted! I always come back refreshed.
Love all of these suggestions and do a lot of them too. I am finding that I really need time to decompress before bed now that I am so busy with everything. I try to get in bed by around 9 or 9:30 so I can read until 10. I sleep better because I’ve relaxed and let my brain shut down a bit on the life stuff.
I would love to see what kind of books you are reading and share suggestions. Are you on GoodReads? I sent you an invite.
I got your invite. Thank you! It may be a few days before I can check that out. I will for sure be sharing what I’ve been reading this past month on Tuesday at the link up.
When my kids were small, I kept a book in the bathroom, just like you suggested. It worked! We also started what we called “reading lunches” where everyone brought a book to the table. We also have established “quiet reading times” where we snuggle with blankets, pillows, stuffed animals and a book. It is time worth fighting for!
I admit that I have a hard time allowing myself the luxury of just sitting down and reading. There are always at least a dozen things I think I “should” be doing instead of reading: dishes, laundry, tidying/cleaning the house, starting breakfast/lunch/dinner, getting the kids in the bath, getting the kids out of the bath…I know that everyone understands. It’s terrible – I feel lazy when I’m sitting on the couch just reading.
The funny thing is, before I had children, I always had my nose in a book! My husband used to complain about it. I never felt bad about laundry piling up in the hamper or dirty dishes in the sink. I’m not sure what changed my mindset.
Even with 3 girls and working full time outside the home I still find time to read. Mostly I read at night after I have tucked the girls in bed. But if I’m really into a book, sometime I will read while they are in the bath. I just sit on the counter and read while they play. Books on CD are a great idea too. I used to have a long commute and listened to them all the time.