Here are a few tips to help you carve out some time for reading in your day and to make the most of the time you do have for reading.
- Take a magazine or book with you and be one of the “early moms” who sits in the pick up line well before dismissal time.
- Get a book on tape/CD/online download so that you can listen while driving or doing chores at home.
- Read while waiting for appointments
- Read your favorite blogs in a reader instead of individually. You could call it one stop blogging.
- Or- subscribe to blog e-mails. Most list titles of the previous 24 hrs of posts at the top so you can scan the list and see if any interest you. If so, click just that title to read the post. If nothing interests you close the e-mail.
- Set a time limit on chores while the kids are napping. Once your chore time is up, it’s Mommy time.
- Keep a paperclip on your newest magazines. Use the clip as a bookmark so you won’t keep reading the same articles over and over again.
- Once you’ve finished reading a magazine write “READ” on the cover with sharpie marker if it’s a magazine you’ll hang on to for coupons.
- For mommies of babies, read while they nurse or take a bottle.
- Simply make the choice. Like most other things, we often have free time but choose to do something else with it. If reading is something you enjoy make it a priority.
Any other ideas?
The library has books your can ‘borrow’ online for audio books and I think ebooks
I don’t have a far commute but it is all in town which means I have 5 traffic lights to sit through. I ALWAYS get caught at one big long light at least two or three rounds (if it is working properly) and as long as I’m not the first car in line I pull out my phone and read with my kindle ap! NEVER do this while driving but if I’m going to be sitting for 15-30 minutes not moving why not? Safer than A LOT of other things I see people doing at the red light.
I also read waiting in line at a long drive thru and in line at WalMart. Once again if I’m going to be standing there not moving for more than 5 or 10 minutes why not? Better than watching the time and getting mad it takes 45 min to check out
I’ve also read while cooking – waiting for water to boil, when the cookies only have another minute or two left and I know if I leave the kitchen I’ll forget about them.
When I was Nannying I’d read while the kids did their homework and during the summer the hour after lunch was reading time – really helped them knock out their summer reading lists!
I’ll have to “check out” the online audio books, thanks!
I found it highly amusing that I was reading your comment on my phone while sitting at Troup/Loop light through 3 red lights.