As mother to Finlee and Chloe and as someone who’s managing a full-time job, a business and well, life… I find time to often be the one thing I’m terribly short of.
And as much as I love reading to Finlee and Chloe, I find that when days get busy, reading often drops off the charts.
But here’s the thing…
Both Finlee and Chloe love it when I read to them.
They love snuggling up, lacing their fingers through mine, asking me questions about words they don’t understand or characters that intrigue their little minds.
And it’s not just them. I love it. I love breathing in their still-a-baby-but-growing-up-too-fast smells. I love looking at their eyes widen as something interesting happens. I love listening to their innocent questions, fascinated at how their minds work. I love the quiet time we spend together.
Long after the story is over, the memory of that sweet 15 to 20-minute session remains. With all of us.
That is what I feel childhood is all about.
Creating memories, one simple activity at a time.
Today I’m going to share reading tips for parents, who like me, are juggling a bajillion things and still want to make time to read to their kids.
Now, before I share, I want to be honest. I don’t have this thing down pat. No, far from it. In fact, many times, I want to just give them the book and let ‘em read it themselves. Yes, I do.
But I try.
I try hard and I love it.
I don’t try because I want to be some kind of Mother of the Year. Hah! But I try because I know my kids love it. I try because I know I love it.
So, on that note, with no illusions of a perfect storybook bedtime, here are my reading tips for parents, who’re just as short on time as I am.
Reading Tips for Parents
1.Read When You Can
Don’t have time to make it home for bedtime? How about you enjoy a reading session at breakfast?
There is no rulebook in the world that says you must only read at bedtimes.
Read to the kids when you can.
2. Read What You Can
You don’t always have to read a storybook. That’s right. When days are long, choose something that’s relatively short and fun to read.
You can read Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answer books and just read a few questions.
3. Read a Comic Strip
Don’t have time for a full book or even a few questions? Read the comic strips in the newspaper together, at breakfast or in the evening. Read them together or aloud and laugh together as well!
4. Read Books that Bring You Closer
At Finlee and Me, one of the criteria for the kids’ books we choose to sell, is that they must encourage bonding and memory-making.
Whether it is a book that talks about emotions {In My Heart by Jo Witek} or one that talks about home {Home by Ellis Carson}, books that bring parents and kids closer and help you discover more about each other are books that you’ll go back to over-and-over again.
5. Encourage Independent Reading
Reading together is tons of fun. But what if you just can’t make time for it during a really busy period? Encourage independent reading.
They can read or try to read or simply look at the pictures, while you get dinner started, run a load of laundry or finish another chore. You can even, hand them a book while you’re grocery shopping!
There you go. Simple reading tips for parents who want to read to their kids and with them but are terribly short on time.
Go on, add your tips to the comments. It’s always great to learn from other parents!
And click here if you’re looking for some hand-picked books for kids for your library!
