Perhaps you’d like to read more with your children, but you’re wondering the practical how-to’s of how to accomplish that goal. As of this writing, I am a busy mom of four kids, ages 10, 8, 6, and 4, and am 8 months pregnant with baby #5. My husband is a very full-time Lead Pastor, and I serve as the Worship Director at our church. I also teach 18 piano students, homeschool my kids, and keep up with the other demands of our very busy household. So how, then, do we manage to get through so much literature? Here are a few of our secrets:
1. Audiobooks are our family’s best friends.
The primary way we are able to plow through so many books is because we listen to them in the car together. Between going to church (25 minutes away), activities, and errands, our time in the car adds up quickly! An average children’s chapter book is usually between 3-7 hours long, so we often are able to get through a book or so each week in the car. This doesn’t include longer road trips, which are so much more enjoyable with a good audiobook. (If you’d like more information on listening to audiobooks and a list of our favorites by age, visit this page!)
2. Try to always read at night together before bed.
We started this habit very early on with our kids, and now it’s a given that we will read together every night we are able. For years I just read a few picture books, but now that they are getting older, we generally read a chapter or two of a longer chapter book at night. I let the little ones do something with their hands while we read, but usually the older ones will lay down and listen quietly. This time is never perfect — there is often complaining, interrupting, loud talking, and more — but it’s still worth it.
3. Only let your kids stay awake in bed if they are reading.
Up to this point, all of our kids have begun to read at a fairly young age, and so we reward them with the privilege of staying up a few minutes later than their “regular” bedtime in order to read. If they have a choice between turning the light off and going to sleep or getting to stay awake and read for 15 more minutes, they usually choose the latter!
4. Foster a culture of reading in your home.
When our oldest daughter was five months old, our little family packed up and moved to Israel for a year while my husband was studying for his Master’s degree. We packed one suitcase for my husband and I and one suitcase for our daughter, which had to include all of her clothes, toys, and other supplies for a whole year. So what was most important to us? We brought clothes in a variety of sizes, of course, a few blocks with Hebrew letters, her blanket, and 5-6 books. That was it — for a whole year! As our kids have grown, we have always made library trips, special stops at Half-Price books, and Little Free Library trips a big part our family’s life.
5. Don’t feel discouraged that you’re not doing enough.
Oftentimes I am overwhelmed when I look at other book blogs, Instagram accounts, or Pinterest pages when it seems like families do literally nothing else but read aloud! Remember this isn’t a competition. Don’t let your joy of reading aloud be stolen by feeling like you aren’t doing enough!
6. Find books that you and your kids love.
I have often gone to the library and chosen books that may look interesting but really aren’t big hits with our family. It can be discouraging to try to read aloud if your kids just aren’t interested in the material! If you’re looking for book lists by age or subject, I hope you will check out my book lists for inspiration!
What other tips do you have for reading with your children? I’d love to hear in the comments below!