Being a mother of 3 is just like living inside “The Wizard of Oz”, a tornado blew through the house, a pack of flying monkeys raided the fridge, I can’t find my dang shoes anywhere, and sometimes I’ve got to be the Wicked Witch. There are plenty of times I wish I could click my heels together and go to a quiet corner for 10 minutes and read a chapter of my book. Us, mothers don’t have the option of dropping everything and relaxing with a book our kids rely on us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to enjoy some reading time. I will share with you some tips and tricks I used to get back into reading.
Take Back Your Daily Commute
Mornings are busy getting the kids out of bed to getting them into the car is mayhem but once we are in the car that’s when I find my little bit of peace with an audiobook. I have audiobooks that are fun for my kids to listen to that I also enjoy like the Fablehaven series that I will put on for all of use to listen to for the 20-minute drive to school. I also have my audiobooks that are for MOMMA’S EARS ONLY that I listen to using my headphones while the kids jam out to the “Wonka” Soundtrack. I find that 40 minutes with my audiobooks is priceless.
Recharge During Naptime
I have 3 children, 2 of them go to school throughout the week and I stay home with my 2-year-old, he keeps me busy! He waddles over to me bringing me his picture books and loves to look at the pictures and hear the stories (not my idea of literary masterpieces, but we both enjoy them). We play and run around the house until naptime and that is when I am able to read for a bit (if I can find my Kindle) on a really tiring day I can get an hour and a half in other days I don’t get so lucky.
Bedtime Is Family Time
Dinner is eaten, dishes cleaned, teeth brushed, and Jammies are donned now it’s time to sit together as a family and read a story. When we read a story together, we read books that all of us will enjoy. Right now, we are reading Fablehaven, my kids get a kick out of the goofy voices I make up for all of the fun characters. My 8-year-old son will take a stab at the voices when he gets a turn to read. We all get to read/listen to a good book, and the kids are building a fun relationship with books, it is a fun and essential nighttime routine in our house.
You Are A Busy Momma So I’ll Wrap It Up
It isn’t easy finding time to sit with a book, but it is absolutely worth it. Motherhood is magical but there aren’t many dragons to see on the way to pick up. Reading is a healthy outlet to delve into when the world around you gets a bit hectic. Whether it’s a couple chapters or a couple pages I hope you utilize these tips to get your reading in somehow.
