When Do You Read?

I have to sit in the car for about 15-20 waiting to pick my daughter up from school. I have read 4 books since September, just waiting for my daughter.

I read at bedtime and after the kids go to bed. That's really the only time I have! I hate it too, because reading is my #1 hobby and enjoyment. I'm a complete bibliophile, and my schedule this year has wrecked it! I've had a second editing job from home, and I do that after the kids are in bed, so that takes up most of my reading time. I actually think for my birthday this year, I'm ditching my family for the weekend and going to a hotel and reading!

I read anytime I can and anywhere I can. Bed, travelling, vacations or when DD is at one of her many after school activities (if I can't watch). I am lucky as my DD loves to read too. I don't have the tidiest house I must say but its clean!! DD comes 1st then reading, then cleaning. lol :-)

Oh and my dream/fantasy vacation is to go on a long train ride (sleeping on the train) by myself with lots of books and no-one is allowed to speak to me unless they are asking me what I would like to drink or eat!! :-)

I read at night and on vacation.

You should definitely try a book on tape for your 2 hour travel. Love those!!

I actually read while I am drying my hair. :-) It is naturally curly, so I have to pretty much sit with my hair flipped forward and hold a diffuser to it for about 30 minutes. I decided to use the time well and read! LOL

I LOVE to read. But since having kids I haven't been able to read as often as I like. I'll (sadly) go months without reading sometimes. But when I do find the time, it's after the kids are in bed.

As an addict I read every "free" moment I have. I will slip in 10 minutes after folding laundry, and after I have done a few quiet chores while my daughter is napping, while I am waiting to turn the chicken cutlets I am frying in the pan..... I also ALWAYS read before bed. At least 1/2 hour if I can squeeze it in.

I read whenever I get a chance. I mostly read on my lunch break at work. I read at home while waiting for kids in their bath, while cooking (waiting for something or just stirring something), while my kids are happily playing, after they go to bed. I always have a book with me so I read while waiting in line at stores too. I read while waiting for my son to come out of school when I pick him up. He's in an after school care and I just call them since the doors are locked and wait in the car for him to come out. I have two kids (3 and 6.5 year olds), work 40 hours a week.

All my reading has rubbed off on my kids too. My oldest loves to read and will sit in his room for an hour or more just reading. My youngest loves to look at pictures and have me read to her. Both kids will bring books in the car and read, even on a short trip.

I read every night before I go to bed. It has become such a habit now that I can't go to sleep without reading even if it is only a few pages and this has been going on for about 4 years now. I have the book I read before bed and I have anther book I keep in the car for those times I am waiting for appointments or for when I get to the school early for pickups. Sometimes I will read during the day when my kids are playing nice. If you want to read in front of your son to set a good example you might want to try and find a book with shorter chapters or sections so you can read a few pages then put the book down and that way you won't have to put the book down in the middle of something good if your son needs you. Thats what I do when we go to the park since my boys are all big enough now that they don't need my constant supervision.

My family was readers and so was my husbands, so we are both readers, and my son loves it too (us reading to him). I work full time and have two kids. I read when I pump in the mornings, in the bathroom (TMI, I know, but you gotta take that "me" time sometimes), in bed, in waiting rooms, if the kids happen to be napping at the same time on the weekends, and I don't have a million other things to do. I also travel for work, so read a lot in the airport, on the plane, and in the hotel. I always have a book with me, and if it is in bed, I will set myself either a time or page limit if I have a tendency to read too long.

Oh, and I also read to my 7mo while she plays on the floor. We are on book 6 of the Harry Potter series. I read them to my son at this age too.

You know how you make time for things you love? When you love reading you just make time :)

I have a very similar schedule to yours (one kiddo, work full time, housework, etc) so I hope my ideas help!

I read before work, at lunch, before bed. On the weekends if I don't have too much cleaning to do I read while my daughter sleeps.

Happy reading!

I love to read, but do find it difficult to find time--especially because I have required reading for my full-time class schedule on top of work and caring for my daughter. What I do is check out a book and then just keep it with me in my purse/bag. Sometimes I get 15 minutes in the doctor's waiting room, sometimes a half hour before bed, sometimes the 20 minutes between my classes and all my homework is done! I don't read books that are too heavy on the subject material these days, so I don't have a problem picking up where I left off in the book even if its been a few days. Also sometimes I will just do magazines--the articles are shorter and I seem to have an easier time getting to them. I get O Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Vanity Fair, and Family Fun. People buy me the subscriptions as birthday/xmas gifts so they don't cost me anything and then I can get to them when I have time. Oh yeah and if I get to take a bath--I am always reading in there! Have ruined more than one book when I dropped it into the tub, lol =)

I was Always a big reader in middle school and high school! The ONLY time I do have is after my DS goes to bed ~ At That point I still have to clean up, get ready for tomorrow etc, etc, etc.... There honestly isn't any other time - There is Always Something else to be done :-( LOL i know I can hear the tiny violin playing for me ! HAHAHA I have recently DEVOURED the first 3 books of the Twilight series ( i adore vampires, secret of mine!) all after little one went to bed AND Only because we had a week vacation in Aug and I was able to read Every after noon, except one, when DS napped for 3 hours! He's Never napped like that. The fresh Ocean air did him well :-) but I havent had a chance to get past page 5 of the last book -- one day..... Maybe sometime in Jan
Happy reading !!!!!!

I've always been an Avid reader. SO I always find time to read.
I have a 2y/o & a three month old.
I read during their naps, after they're asleep, If I step outside for a smoke, Any time i get 5 min or more to myself I am reading.

Some books that are really entertaining, even for people that aren't BIG readers, are books by Christopher Moore.
He is a hilarious author. I've read his books at least four times each. I'd say if you're looking for a new book, go check him out at your library.

I build time into my morning & evening schedules to read. I get up at 515 M-F when I don't need to leave the house until 7 which gives me enough time to spend (2) 15-minutes sessions one right when I wake up before getting in the shower & another right before I leave the house. Then I read for another 15 minutes as soon as I get home, after kissing my kids, but before I even look at the mail. I find it helps me transition from At-Work-Melissa to At-Home-Melissa & lets me clear my head before I begin dinner, homework, etc. Then I read for another 15-20 minutes right before bed. Breaking it up like that means I never feel like I'm ignoring anyone, but I'm giving myself an hour every day just for me. On the weekends I'll spend more time in the morning over coffee reading usually, or maybe when we have our mandatory 'quiet time' in the weekend afternoons which I have kept up over the years even though my kids are now 11 & 9.

Huge reader here!!! I read as soon as I put my kids down for bed! (unless there's something I want to watch on TV). When my kids were younger I would read for a bit when they napped. Sometimes, when they are watching a show I will sit on the couch and read while they are watching their show. I think it's good for kids to see us reading.
I know you said that you don't want to be up much longer or whatnot...but to me, that end of the day wrap up is just what I need. Some much needed "me" time.
Good luck finding some time!
L.

I am an avid reader. I usually read while it's hubby's 'turn' to watch my 7 month DD, or while she is napping.

I used to read a lot when my boys were little. There were always times during the day that I would curl up at one end of the couch and open my book and read. The kids new when I was reading that was "my time" and usually kept themselves occupied. Whenever I had time to read I just did. Now I believe that time is spent on the computer, and that might be what your problem is L., haha.
I do agree that it sets a very good example to let your kids see you escape by reading and you should do it. Both of my grown sons read. Me and hub would be on the couch watching TV and I often times opened my book then. And on nights that its hard to sleep a few pages will usually get you back into sleep mode again.

hockey practice, soccer practice, car line at school....

I can't remember where I heard it, but someone said if you are going to play piano, it's very hard to find an hour to sit and practice day after day after day. The trick is to play when ever you can, for 15 min at a time when ever the chance presents itself. 15 min, 10 min, etc is a lot easier to find than a solid fixed hour block, and many times the snippets at the end of the day will add up to more than an hour a day.
I just applied the same advice to reading. I keep a book next to my bed, and read a page or a chapter before bedtime. Or I'll keep a paperback in my purse/backpack and read while I'm waiting in a doctors office. I use to read while I was riding a bus or in a car, but eventually reading in a moving vehicle started making me car/bus sick, so I had to stop doing that. If you keep a book with you at work, if you finish your lunch quickly and have a few min before your break is over, read a few pages. My son's learned the trick from me, and he reads whenever/where-ever he can.

I'm an English teacher, so I read all the time. It's in my blood. :) Our whole family reads, so sometimes we'll read in the evenings, each of us buried in our own books. Sometimes I will read while the others watch TV. I usually read before I fall asleep at night. I always read while travelling. I read in the car line while waiting for my boys to get out of school. Any time I have a free moment, I'm reading (or grading). You're right about letting your kids see you read. My husband and I have always been readers, and now both of my boys read all the time, too. Good for you for thinking about this!

I read a lot at two times...after everyone is asleep. Some nights I get 20 pages in, others just 1 or 2....but it works for me. I have a heated mattress pad and a light on my bed post. I look forward to it every night!! I also read in the bathtub sometimes if my husband is watching the kids. I work 40 hours a week, have two kids, am on the board at the preschool, and do a lot of other things. I manage to read...but it's because I love to do it.

I do my best reading when I'm nursing my babies :) But when I don't have a baby to nurse, sometimes I'll just sit on the couch for 20 mins while the girls play or watch a video. Most days that's my 'me-time'. And more often than not, my girls will grab their own books and cuddle with me - a fav way to spend a cold afternoon.

ps. the laundry and dishes don't mind if they have to wait a little while ;) lol

Sometimes I read when the kids are playing well with each other. I just sit in the room/oustide with them and read. If I need to be in the bathroom for awhile, I read then too. I read on breaks at work. If I ever eat alone, I read then. Anywhere I go alone that I don't have to drive, I take a book. If my husband watches the kids while I catch a bath, I read then....

Lately, I have been reading Nancy Cutler's "Jason & Edward" books aloud to my 6 yo (they are above his skill level). I am enjoying them as much as he is, so that fills my need.

If you want your son to see you reading, then you're talking about your days off, typically.

STEP 1) Means having a good book. I used to take my son to the bookstore all the time. Warm, dry, trains to play with... and free (unless you buy something). It was a "what on earth to do today?" kind of activity. When buying a book (unless it's #2 onward in a series) I ALWAYS read the back and the first several pages. That will tell you, at a bare minimum, if you like the reader's voice in addition to the general idea of the book. Like music, I *have* to like a writer's voice. Otherwise it's just torture. When my son was little I would snag 6 or 7 "possibles" from the shelves that I'd heard of or was interested in and take them to the kid's section so I could read those parts while he played with the Thomas the Train books. Then, after finding 1 to buy... I'd go through kid's books with him. ((The best advice I ever got about kid books was to buy ones that YOU like... because if it's boring to you, that translates to your child.)) When my son got older (aka bored with being the the adult section while I found some possibles) I'd either go alone when needing a new book, or I'd preview them on amazon at home. There's a durn good reason that bestsellers are bestsellers, and why some authors have over 70 books in print... it's because they're *good* at their jobs. When you're looking for a good book... check out the best sellers and writers who have a ton of books to their name. Whether it's Anne McCaffrey or Heinlein in SciFi, Mercedes Lackey or David Eddings in fantasy, Rex Stout or Janet Evanovich in Mystery, Charlaine Harris or Stephanie Meyer in Vampires (they're in different sections in different stores), Steig Larson or Mark Twain in Fiction... if you find a prolific author, or an author who has been on the best sellers list over and over... you have a decent book in your hands. Now all you need to do is see if you like the author's voice & ideas to see if it's a "good" book. And you can get those in chapter 1.

Step 2) Is making time, as you asked. (who makes time for crappy, boring, or obnoxious books? ugh. And many bestellers, btw, you will NOT like. I can't stand more than half of them, hence the reading ch1 before buying... which bookstores encourage) For addicts, the hardest part is making time for other things... but since you're not an addict... try reading next time you would:
- watch TV
- work or play on your computer
- while your son is playing &/or watching TV or on the computer
- next time you finish cooking dinner... keep it warming and go read for 20-30 minutes
- in a very deliberate, and long, hot bath.

I read 30 minutes at night before bed.

For me reading happens at night in bed before I go to sleep - but yes if it's a good book I will be up later than I want! Sometimes I'll just go to bed extra early so I can read longer. Sometimes, I sit on the toliet and read while my kids are in the bath. Other times after they are asleep, I'll sit on the couch and read while hubby watches a show. Other than that, it's dr visits and long restroom breaks...hehe!

With my kids, I read to them whenever I can. Before bed they get 1-3 books and then during the day on the weekends I try to have story time where they each pick a few books and we read them together.

LOL....the majority of the time I read....is children's books to my daughters. We usually pick 1-3 books each night before bed. Sometimes they are short and sometimes they are quite long.
I also enjoy to read, but then like to take long breaks also. And when I do read, I get very involved in the book. I cram reading sessions in at lunch, or late at night. Or on the weekends, when I'm not busy. (I work 40 hours)

But, what I've found that works better for me, is listening to books during my traveling. I go to the library and pick out books on CD. Its definitely not the same as reading, but I find I do enjoy it.

So anyway for now, I settle on taking my kids to the library letting them pick out the books and reading those. Maybe someday I'll get to read my books again.

Question of the ages...

I try to read a little bit every day and the best time for me is right before bed. I've had to exercise some pretty serious self-discipline to put a book down to go to sleep but I comfort myself with the thought that the book isn't going anywhere! If I decide to read late because it's a weekend night or my work schedule the next day is light, then I'll read longer and suck up the consequences the next day.

If you want to set a good example for your son, dedicate 15 minutes a day for "read fest." You and your son can curl up on the couch, on your bed, his bed, wherever, set a time and read. My boys loved this as kids and love it even now. Read fests and trips to the bookstore are among my family's favorite activities.

As a teacher of nearly 20 years, I can emphatically tell you that reading is the single best skill you can give your son for success in school and beyond. My students who are strong readers sail through high school, challenged but successful. Those who resist reading, tend to get poorer grades, have a harder time writing and don't communicate nearly as effectively.

Personally, I think the benefits of reading are worth missing a tv show (after all, that's what TiVo and DVR is for, right? <wink>) and a few extra dust bunnies.

Good luck!

I've found that for me, my free time is either cleaning, watching TV or reading. I try to make sure I leave time for each during the week sometime so I'm more balanced. Some nights, I can do all three (thanks to DVR and the ability to quickly fast-forward through dull parts and commercials). Some nights I have to choose. The nice part is, all three will still be waiting for me the next day so I try not to stress over a dirty floor or unwatched episodes of Survivor.

I just don't start a book unless I know some down time is coming! Otherwise everything else gets neglected for a week until I'm done with the book. I'm just not the best mommy when I read! But I read with the kids. The fuzzy duckling somehow just doesn't draw me in anymore...hmmm...

I used to be an unbelievably avid reader. I'd devour books. Sadly, I have no time anymore. I have a book on my bed stand and occasionally I'll read it before bed, but now that I work full-time I just am so tired after getting our daughter to bed. Maybe when I have a teenager on my hands and am waiting up late wringing my hands over worry I'll be able to crack a book again! :)

I always carry a book with me.. I have one in the car also and next to my bed I have a stack..

Yes, I listen to books on CD's.I can hardly listem to the radio anymore.. I have friends that also listen to them so we all pass them along.. I then sell them on ebay and even purchase some of them off ebay or Amazon.. Costco sells them too at discount. We also have used book stores that sell them .

Sure would be a good gift to ask for a membership to "recorded books".. they are like netflix and come in the mail..

i cut down on tv time, and read then, or the bath tub. i read on my break at work. You can buy books online (ebooks) and create a cd for your commute. I downloaded nook and kindle for my mobile phone (they were free) and read on those too.

I read Mamapedia all day long! That's the extent of my reading! :)

i go to the park on wed and fri, i read for an hour while the kids play, otherwise.........yeah id never have the time

Anytime that I would take to watch tv I will swap with reading rather than watching. This mostly in the evening when all the work is done & I'm ready to relax. I mostly read for about an hour a time unless its one of those books that requires the whole world to stop until I'm finished.

I love to read in the bath... sometimes it's the only quiet 20 minutes I get during the day. Your son really wouldn't see you reading then or "listening" in the car!

When I was growing up my parents had a "quiet reading time" every week night when we were in elementary school. Each night after dinner and homework, they turned off the t.v. and everyone read for 20 minutes. It actually got my dad back into reading and I think he read every Hemingway book over the course of those years!

** If you have an iPod you can download audiobooks from the library online and dock it in your car. That's what I do... free and easy!

I love to read but don't have time to either. I try to grab a few minutes here and there. Like before bed, if hubby is watching the game, I'll be reading, I read while I wait in the line of cars for 20+ minutes to get the kids, if i'm sitting in the front yard when the kids are playing or if they are swimming and i'm not. Just when ever I have some down time. Sorry about the late post...kids watching a movie now and I'm paging thru mamapedia...maybe i should be READING???? :D

I amstill breastfeeding my ds so i read while i pump. Otherwise its right before i go to bed...