3 Boys And A Business! How Do You Read So Much?

People ask me all the time how I get any reading done as a mom of three very busy boys and a full-time business owner. The honest answer is that I make time to read. I won’t sugar quote it. Life is chaos and fun, but making time for yourself is important. I recently was interviewed about mental health and owning a business, and I found that when I sit down to think about it, my hobbies include reading.

So how do I find time? Well, don’t come at me, but I always have a book with me, and I read when my boys want to watch TV. Like most kids, my boys like to rewatch the same movie or show about one hundred times. I can’t do that, so while they watch, I try to read. I have gotten a little too good at tuning out the show that I sometimes tune out the boys too… My husband sometimes has to get my attention and tell me that the boys are talking to me. I’m not proud of that. I also tend to get sucked into a book, and the world around me tends to blur.

Another way I find time is by listening to books while I work. I know some people feel this isn’t reading, but I wouldn’t be able to read as much if it weren’t for the variety of books. When I work on social media posts, I tend to have an earbud in and am listening. Somehow, my brain works great this way. I can listen and understand what’s happening while I edit pictures and play on my computer. However, I can’t write a blog post and listen at the same time. I have to switch to music. I have listened to audiobooks for years while working, and I love them. Plus, audiobooks have become more of a movie in my brain. Audiobooks are starting to contain music and multiple voices for characters, and I can’t help but get sucked in. Audiobooks unfortunately have taken up most of my reading. I listen to the while I work, while I crochet, while I spin yarn, while I cook, or cleaning. Moments were I can disappear for a few moments and get a chapter in.

I also always have my Kindle with me. I love having a library at my fingertips. I love jumping between books like I’m playing hopscotch. I just can’t get enough of stories! So when my parents, years ago, got me a Kindle, it became one of my favorite things. I will say the main reason they got me one was how annoyed they would get when I lost a book and made them rebuy it, only for me to lose it again. Also, I think my Mother was worried I would break my back with all the books I was carrying… I tend to read multiple books at a time, jumping back and forth between them. So my Kindle is something that I almost always have with me. I tend to reach for it a lot. If Dewey decided to cuddle with me there isn’t much I can do, so why not cuddle a cute kitty and read a book?

Something I do at home is try to put my phone away and show my kids hobbies to encourage them to get off screens and find their own. I’m not perfect, so I do doom scroll like everyone else, but I have started leaving my phone at home when we go to the boys’ swim lessons and bringing my Kindle, a crochet project, and a word search book. This forces me to actually do something other than doom scroll for the forty-five-minute lesson. It’s been kind of refreshing, and I can read a lot in that time frame. I will also note that I fully trust the instructors and my children’s swimming abilities. We have been going to these lessons all winter long. So don’t come for me!

I mentioned earlier that I was interviewed for a mental health article, and that being my own boss allows me to take what I call ‘creative breaks’. These breaks can last anywhere from 5 minutes to a half hour and sometimes longer. I allow myself this time throughout the day to step away from my work and work on a project or read. These moments have become essential to my work. When I let myself step away from work for a little while, I have found that these breaks kind of reset my brain, and I am able to jump back into work with a refreshed, ready mindset. During these breaks, I find myself leaning into audiobooks and crochet to hush my brain. It’s been so helpful. I just tend to work with myself, and I know when I need a small break and when I don’t.

I know what works for me to get more reading done doesn’t always work for everyone. I have a wonderful partner in life who helps behind the scenes. He helps me get some reading time in and offers ideas for work. So this is how I get more reading done. The honest truth is that I make time for it, and I know it’s hard to imagine or even do, but it’s important to me. I like it when the kids see me read, and I hope it encourages them to read. I mention all these things often in my regular life. I hope this helps anyone who ever wonders. I will also link to the article I contributed to somewhere in the post, so if you are interested, you can read it.