2406: [Part 2] How to Find Time To Read As a Busy Mom by Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom on Healthy Habits

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[00:00:30] Now before we start, you might want to check out our other podcasts covering topics like personal development and minimalism, money, health, relationships, and more. So to optimize your life in other areas, just search for Optimal Living Daily in your podcast app. Now onto the show.

[00:00:48] This is Optimal Relationships Daily, How to Find Time to Read As a Busy Mom, Part 2 by Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom dot com.

[00:00:59] Using e-books and e-readers to read as a busy mom.

[00:01:03] Another way to sneak in reading time is to use an e-book or an e-reader. I love to hold an actual book so my preferred method of reading is to do it rationally, but I've gotten so many books to read on e-readers.

[00:01:15] When I was up late nursing my son, I put my phone on bedtime or dim mode and could read a few pages.

[00:01:21] When I'm waiting to pick up my daughter from school, I can spend a few minutes reading instead of scrolling social media.

[00:01:27] If we're waiting in line at the doctor's office or the kids are playing at the library or mall, I can easily sneak in some pages while they play.

[00:01:36] We often think that if things don't look perfect in the way we picture them in our heads, that we shouldn't even bother.

[00:01:42] But I want to give you permission to get rid of that type of thinking.

[00:01:46] Forget that you want things to be perfect and work to make things workable for your season of life.

[00:01:52] Don't give up on things and hobbies that make you happy, but instead find ways to fit them into your life in a way that makes sense.

[00:02:00] Creating a habit of reading with your kids

[00:02:03] It is really important to me that we create lifelong readers with our kids.

[00:02:07] I grew up loving to read. Books were my sanctuary for a long time and still love to do it.

[00:02:13] And while I know I can't force my hobbies on my kids, I want to do my best to encourage them to read as much as possible,

[00:02:20] to love to learn and question, and to see reading being modeled for them.

[00:02:25] When my daughter was a super tiny newborn, I would read from my personal development books out loud to her each day.

[00:02:32] We read every single night before bed and numerous times during the day.

[00:02:36] And my daughter knows that after her brother goes down for a nap, it's reading time.

[00:02:41] These are all habits you can create with your family.

[00:02:43] If you start now to make it the norm that after dinner, instead of all retreating to separate rooms or going right to the TV,

[00:02:50] everyone gets a book and does 15 minutes of reading, it can become the norm.

[00:02:55] I've been reading a lot lately about the power of the read-aloud for all ages,

[00:02:59] and am looking to incorporate more read-aloud in our day.

[00:03:02] We just picked up our first set of chapter books from the library.

[00:03:06] We're reading the Mercy Watson series.

[00:03:08] And now I read a chapter a day after breakfast.

[00:03:11] Work with your kids to have them read before the TV or electronics get turned on every day.

[00:03:16] In the beginning, it will seem like so much more work for you.

[00:03:20] But know, as the year goes on, it can and may rub off on them.

[00:03:24] Even at three years old, my daughter knows the routines and what we do during reading time.

[00:03:29] My 17-month-old son knows that if he grabs a book and brings it to me, I'll read it.

[00:03:34] You can also create a morning basket where they can pick books out for the week, and you grab them after breakfast.

[00:03:40] Each kid gets the chance to grab books that they want, and you can read a few aloud each day.

[00:03:46] Encourage your kids to start reading aloud as well.

[00:03:48] Even though my daughter can't read, I've taught her that she can look at a story and make up the words just fine.

[00:03:54] Repeated reading is another great way to get them into a reading habit.

[00:03:58] The more you read a story with your kids, the more they remember the words.

[00:04:02] After months and months of reading Old Hat, New Hat, my daughter can read the whole thing without knowing the words.

[00:04:09] Our kids are adaptable and capable of much more than we give them credit for.

[00:04:13] Decide what you want reading to look like in your home and work to create the structure around it.

[00:04:18] It won't always be perfect.

[00:04:20] You might not always get time to read, and you'll probably get frustrated.

[00:04:24] But don't let that stop you from doing something that will fill your cup and make you feel good about taking care of yourself.

[00:04:31] Reading Habits That Make Reading Fun

[00:04:34] To make your reading habit fun and stick, start with creating a list of books that you want to read.

[00:04:40] Get recommendations from friends, or use Goodreads to see what people are liking.

[00:04:44] When I first got back into the habit of reading, I had to test out a few genres to see what I liked.

[00:04:49] I remember loving young adult novels, but that really isn't what I gravitate towards.

[00:04:54] Check out the top lists and read 1-3 in that genre before deciding whether you think that's where you want to invest your time.

[00:05:01] And don't be afraid to stop reading a book.

[00:05:03] I can't tell you how many books I try so hard to finish just because I started.

[00:05:07] This holds me back from my reading goals and makes reading so much more of a chore again.

[00:05:13] Speaking of reading goals, make sure you make some.

[00:05:16] Think about how much reading you're doing now and make a realistic goal for yourself.

[00:05:20] If you haven't read a book in 6 months, making a goal to finish one book in a month is huge.

[00:05:27] If you're already reading a book a week, try to double that.

[00:05:30] I also suggest starting a book quote journal or Trello board.

[00:05:34] I use Trello because I can take pictures of quotes or screenshots on my phone and upload them directly.

[00:05:39] Each book gets its own card and I can add quotes, thoughts, or ideas right there.

[00:05:44] This makes it easy to go back to and reference later, particularly if I borrow the book from the library.

[00:05:53] You just listened to part 2 of the post titled

[00:05:56] How to Find Time to Read as a Busy Mom by Kara Harvey of APurposeDrivenMom.com

[00:06:03] A great finish to this post, how to get the kids involved.

[00:06:06] As much as it's crucial for parents to have their own identities outside of their children,

[00:06:11] doing so is a healthy practice that kids would benefit from learning.

[00:06:15] And let's face it, they're going to watch you like a hawk anyway.

[00:06:18] This post goes to show how living your own lifestyle can be done both independently,

[00:06:23] but also in a way that's inclusive of your children and good for their learning.

[00:06:27] It goes without saying that reading is a great habit for kids and adults alike.

[00:06:31] But what we must also remember is that bonding over something specific like this

[00:06:37] opens up a new relationship we can have with our children.

[00:06:41] There are new talking points.

[00:06:42] There are now new ways to learn and new ways to relate.

[00:06:46] It allows for new and unique conversation that's reflective of a friendship.

[00:06:50] And separating parenting children from befriending children is a good approach

[00:06:55] and one that does not take away from your duties to raise them properly.

[00:06:58] Not to mention it's the kind of balance that will help us to successfully transition

[00:07:03] into adult relationships with them once they've aged and are out of the house

[00:07:07] and starting their own lives.

[00:07:08] And with that, another great one in the books, people.

[00:07:11] Thank you so much for listening all week,

[00:07:13] and I hope to see you again in tomorrow's episode,

[00:07:15] where your optimal life awaits.