Making Time to Read :: Benefits for Us and Them

Making Time to Read :: Benefits for Us and Them

I used to see moms on social media posting photos of books they’ve read and asking for recommendations for more. I would say to myself “How in the world do they find time to read??” I was completely baffled. Then in June I started a book that would normally take me 6 months to finish because #life. My book-loving mother wanted to borrow it when I was done which gave me a deadline to finish it because I was going out to visit her in only a few short weeks. After I finished the first one, I read the second and promptly the third in the trilogy and was able to give her all three. Suddenly it hit me; I was making time to read. It was GLORIOUS.

Paper vs. Electronic

I am an audio-book lover. I have a subscription to Audible and this is where I listen to all of my self-help, leadership and other non-fiction books. I listen at my desk and in the car which works out perfectly since I run through about a book a month (one Audible credit). The paper books I read are all fiction. I get so much more from each book this way and have found it to be the perfect combination of delivery channels for what I need.

Benefits for Us

As moms, it’s so easy to find ourselves at the disposal of our family. How are we to sit down to read if Jr needs milk or Princess has to potty, but when I started reading in our family spaces, it wasn’t long before they started doing things for themselves. Yes, she can potty alone but prefers I go with her. Yes he can reach the milk and pour safely but chooses not to. Guess what? I just created an hour or more a day by empowering my children to do things for themselves and they have yet to complain. In fact, it made our upcoming vacation easier because they were more self-sufficient during our trip.

Benefits for Moms

I love getting lost in books. It helps me get out of my mom-skin and into the worlds of book characters, relating to them, gasping at events or furiously flipping pages to find out where they’ll end up next. Reading helps me create compartments for real life that I can put aside to make space for the creative that comes with using my imagination to put myself into the characters shoes. When I re-enter my real world, I am calmer, more patient and ready to tackle whatever comes my way (perspective right??).

Benefits for Them

When my kids and husband see me snuggled up on the couch under a blanket, they often get their own books out and we end up side by side in our stories. From my two-year old and her animal sounds books to my 10-year old’s The Magician’s Nephew, all six of us have found more hours in the day to read. Modeling this behavior myself, has paved the way for my entire family to spend time reading too.

Still looking for summer book ideas? See Sarah’s summer reading list for Moms here.

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