How do you find time to read as a busy mom? Learn tips and tricks for how to read more efficiently and find small pockets of time amidst your already full schedule.
Why should a busy mom read more?
Whether you are the parent of one child or ten, finding time for personal reading can feel impossible. But I am here to tell you that not only is it possible, it is essential. Reading nurtures our souls and enriches our lives in a variety of ways. It fills us up so that we can, in turn, pour into the lives of those around us, including our children. How then could we consider it anything other than essential?
How a busy mom can find more time to read
I would like to offer you some effective tips and tricks that have helped me develop my reading load as a busy mom. As a new mom, my reading load started small. But over the years, I have gradually increased it by using these different methods to read more effectively. You can do it too! Here’s how to read more as a busy mom:
1. Read in a variety of formats
This tip is crucial to read more as a busy mom and is the first step to take to increase your reading load. Don’t tie yourself down to reading only hard copy books. Listen to audiobooks and download the Kindle app or other for digital books on your phone. By using a variety of formats, not only will your opportunities for reading multiply very quickly, but you’ll make progress through at least three books at once.
2. Identify the pockets of time you’ll read in each format
Do you have errands to run in the car or laundry to fold? Use that time to listen to your audiobook. Do you have a wait in the doctor’s office or in line at the coffee stand? Pull out your phone and open up your Kindle app. You will be amazed at how much you can read or listen to even in a few short minutes here and there. The key is to make those minutes count! Are you an early riser? Begin your day with 15 minutes of reading (or more if you have the time!). This is an ideal time to open up your hard copy books. Do your kids have nap times or quiet times in the afternoons? Use this time to squeeze in a chapter or two.
One thing I’m currently trying to implement into my daily rhythm is 20 minutes of reading in the evening. I can usually fit it in after dinner and before bedtime. When it’s warm enough, I sit out on the front porch in the fresh air. It’s only 20 minutes, but I look forward to it all day!
Finding these small pockets of time is essential to read more as a busy mom. Commit to using these small moments for making progress in your reading and you will be amazed at how much it all adds up to! And one last note: don’t listen to the naysayers: audiobooks DO count!
3. Eliminate distractions (as best as you can)
As a busy mom, there will always be distractions. But there are some distractions that you can eliminate. Disable or uninstall any apps on your phone (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.) that you automatically tend to click on when you open your phone. When those apps are unavailable to you, it is an automatic reminder to open your Kindle app instead. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened my phone on autopilot and tried to find Instagram, only to remember that I am supposed to be reading instead!
This is not to say that you should always avoid social media in order to be a better reader. Maybe you could identify certain days of the week that you’ll have social media apps available on your phone and the other days can be devoted to reading on your phone. The key here is to make good use of the little time that’s available to you. If you are automatically clicking on distracting apps every time you open your phone, take a break from them! This is crucial to read more as busy mom.
4. Make a plan for what you’ll read
What are some books you’ve always wanted to read but haven’t? Make a list! On the face of it, this doesn’t seem very important, but it most certainly is! Getting all those titles on paper will help you sort through which ones should be read in what format. Maybe you’ve always wanted to read The Gulag Archipelago but feel intimidated by the sheer size of it? Perhaps this might be a good audiobook option. Or maybe you’ve been wanting to a read a small how-to book like Dana White’s Organizing for the Rest of Us? This might be a good choice to read on Kindle. If you’re like me, there are some books that can only be read in hard copy because of the beauty of the volume itself (or if you’re weirdly bookish like me, you’ll read certain books because of their smell. Yes, it’s weird!). These are the titles you’ll read only in hard copy!
When you make a list of your unread books, you’ll be able to identify how you want to read them and get ahold of the copies you’ll need. If you need help finding good titles, I am a big fan of the Literary Life Podcast. I follow along with many of their book choices and am always challenged to broaden my reading scope. I am also working my way through George Grant’s recommended reading list. If George Grant recommends it, I’m sure to love it!
5. Decide when you want to read certain books
I like to plan ahead for what I call seasonal reading. I plan to read certain genres or subjects during specific seasons of the year. This helps me to stay organized in my reading, knowing that at certain times of the year, I’ll be getting to the books on my list. It also helps me stay motivated. For example, during the summer I always read at least one education or homeschool related book. This is a great way to reorient my focus for the upcoming school year (I also read this subject during the winter months because the school year usually starts dragging around that time!). For me, it looks something like this:
Summer: one education/homeschool related title and one Lord Peter Whimsey/Harriet Vane mystery by Dorothy Sayers (I’ve been working on reading one every summer for the last 3 years and I’m always excited for this summer read!)
Fall: one Wendell Berry novel and one C.S. Lewis title
Winter: one education/homeschool related title and one work of classic literature (the last two years have been Charles Dickens).
Spring: one home improvement/interior design/architecture title and one biblical motherhood/womanhood title
Now, I am flexible with myself and allow for changes depending on what I’m feeling like reading at that time. But having this structure really helps me to identify what to read next and helps propel me on in my reading goals. The great thing about seasonal reading is that you can make it work for whatever it is you want to be reading! Maybe a good mystery novel is something you envision yourself enjoying during the cozy fall months? You can make it work for whatever you book-loving heart wants!
Staying focused on your reading goals
As a busy mom (especially if you homeschool!), your attention is divided and it can be a challenge to stay focused on your personal reading goals. But stick with it! All of these pockets of time add up and you will be so encouraged by the progress you’re able to make if you consistently use these small moments to read.
One last word of encouragement: you don’t need to wait for the perfectly quiet moments of your day to read. If you have a house full of kids and noisy activities (that’s me!), simply pausing in the middle of the noise to read a page or two is great! Your children will benefit from seeing you take the time to invest in your reading. Don’t wait for the perfectly quiet moments!
I love this post!! I SO desire to read more!! This was very helpful!