I think we can all agree on how important reading is for our kids, but how do busy moms find the time to read more? Try some of these tips and tricks to boost your reading time.
D.E.A.R.
Do you remember Drop Everything And Read (DEAR Time) when you were in elementary school?! Yeah, let’s bring that back.
Drop everything (even the phone) and read in front of your kids! Let them see that you value reading. It shows your sweet babes that you mean it when you say it is important and fun. These actions speak louder than your words, and models behavior you wish to see reflected in your kiddos.
Imagine what your children will think when they see you engrossed in ANOTHER book. So, do it often and everywhere. In the park, at the lake, on the couch, or under the stars, read a book wherever you are.
Book recommendations to get you started:
- Why Mommy Drinks by Gill Sims
- Class Mom by Laurie Gelman
- I Just Want to Pee Alone by Jen Mann and Some other Mom Bloggers
- How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn
- Amateur Hour: Motherhood in Essays and Swear Words by Kimberly Harrington
One Earbud
Donalyn Miller said, “We do not age out of read-alouds. (If we did, the audiobook industry would not be thriving.)” If you have not hopped aboard the audiobook train, “All aboard!”
I am obsessed with audiobooks. When I can’t drop everything and pick up a book, I put in one earbud and listen instead! Why one earbud you ask? So, I can pretend to be listening to the children bickering or pretend to be watching Cocomelon. It also makes housework and exercise so much more enjoyable!
Check it Out
Audible is a great collection of audiobooks, but it is costly. I use the Metropolitan Library Collection for FREE. They have an amazing collection of titles!
If you do not have a library card, you can apply online for an account and get your digital card number in less than 10 minutes. Once you have downloaded the LibbyApp, type in that library card number and get to listening.
Make sure to play with the settings. You can change it to 14-day check-outs. Create all types of “Tags” to flag titles as you discover books you want to read or listen to next. Also, play with the speed. The default is 1.0, and in my opinion, it is brutally slow. You get to check out up to 10 titles and put an additional 10 titles on hold.
Audiobook Recommendations
Nonfiction:
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- Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell (a collection of different sound clips makes this one feel like a podcast)
- Anything by Brene Brown! She narrates herself, and it’s awesome!
- Better Than Before: What I learned about making and breaking habits– to sleep more, quit sugar, procrastinate less, and generally build a happier life by Gretchen Rubin (The title says it all!)
- The Gift of Failure: How the best parents learn to let go so their children can succeed by Jessica Jahey (best parenting book to date and written by a middle school teacher)
- Very, Very, Very Dreadful: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 by Albert Marrin (Fun to compare yester-year to living through a pandemic 100 years ago. Spoiler Alert: Eerily similar!)
Fiction:
- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (An entire cast of actors makes this 70s rock ‘n roll book come to life)
- The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (Narrated by Tom Hanks… you will not be disappointed)
- Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham (Historical Fiction Tale about Tulsa Race Massacre. Latham ties past and present together. Both male and female actors read this.)
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (Young Adult Verse Novel read by the author with a feminist flare!)
- Beach Read by Emily Henry (For the Romantic Comedy Fans… Fingers crossed they will turn this one into a movie!)
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (Did she kill her husband? Who knows? She isn’t talking!)
What do you love to read and how do you carve out the time?
